About the start of the city of san antonio. We are at the entrance to mission san jose. This is part of the San Antonio Mission National Historic park. This is a unit of the National Park service. There are more than 400 National Park sites around the country. Each of these 419plus units help to tell some part of the american story. The part of the american story that we tell here at the San Antonio Missions is the Spanish Colonial history of this area, of this part of the world. Mission san jose is one of four missions that make up the National Park. The National Park is comprised of mission conception, san juan and espata. We have a model of mission san jose. This is a model that exterior walls. The exterior walls were a series of rooms that served as a living quarters for the mission inhabita inhabitants. The Mission Compound also in the colonial period, anyway, would have included other buildings, workshops. Today we see remnants of foundations for some of those buildings. Of cours
Every weekend. The cspans city tour is exploring the american story as we take book tv and American History tv on the road. This weekend we travel to san antonio, texas. Coming up in the next hour we will feature the citys local authors including John Phillips santos on culture and hometown. In about 15 minutes we will visit the special collections at the university of texas in san antonio. And later in about 40 minutes, the debates surrounding confederate statutes and memorialization. We begin our special feature with lewis fisher on his book saving san antonio. We are standing near the Geographical Center of san antonio, texas. We are in front of whats called the Spanish Governors Palace in a town that was actually set up here due to the conflicts between two european empires, france and spain in the 18th century. Spain had, of course, established itself well in latin america and south america and in mexico and northern mexico was especially important to spain because rich silver min
Fisher about the center of the city. Standing near are the spanish governors palace, which was set up here due to the conflict between two european empires, france and spain, in the 18th century. Spain had, of course, established itself in latin america and south america and mexico and northern mexico, especially important to spain because of very rich silver mines. It reached up to the northern border. It was along the red river where it was causing trouble with the indians. Its reach down into the silver mines. Was goingrds knew it to come up on san antonio and in 1618, 302 years ago, san antonio was established here. The first challenge they faced was getting water. The first thing the priests did was to build a church. The second thing they did was set up a water system. Yous you have looked have rivers but you dont have green fertile areas. They drew from their experience in spain which actually came from the roman empire. A system of irrigation ditches drinkingalso furnished wate
Gravity driven Water Systems were not working. They cannot get water to run over a hill. So a new water system was established with artesian wells. When drilled into the ground, they lowered the water table. So the San Antonio River was strictly going dry. In 1914, the city created a park through downtown along what was to be the riverwalk. Not toond plantings, much else. It was here for about five years. 25 years. Wasthe w pa, a project initiated to develop the riverwalk. An architect, robert husband, came up with a design that would give a fanciful appearance to the area. It would include shops and boats and colorful walkways that would dress up the rivers. This did all right, except that nobody came down to the riverwalk. It became dangerous. It was not until san antonios worlds fair in 1968, that enough hotels were built on the riverwalk, to generate a strong pedestrian traffic, Strong Enough to support business as. And all of a sudden there was a lot of commercial development and
Effort i think. Its not just going to say we want women to run, there are going to have to be doctoral plane just changes in place. After words airs at 10 pm and sundays at 9 pm eastern and the specific on on cspan2. Cspan2. Then and about 15 minutes we will visit the special collections at the university of texas in san antonio. Later in about 40 minutes the debate surrounding confederate statues and memorialization. We begin our special feature with lewis fisher on his book saving san antonio. We are standing in come to the Geographical Center of san antonio, texas. When fun of whats called the Spanish Governors Palace in account that was actually set up here due to the complex between two european empires, france and spain, in the 18th century. Spain had of course established itself well in latin america and south america and in mexico, and northern mexico was a special important to spain because of very rich silver mines. France was over to the northeast in louisiana and it reached