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HISTORY

San Antonio’s

earliest settlers

overcame many

hardships to

make a better life

for all of us

By Alfonso Chiscano, MD

Over the course of this, our Tricentennial year, city leaders, edu- The village was located on what was then the west side of the
cators, artists, community activists and many others will be paying Plaza de las Yslas – or, as it is better known today, Main Plaza.
homage to the men and women whose blood, toil and tears founded Above all, they established our city’s system of law and order, the
and created San Antonio. Many of the city’s most recognizable land- very foundations upon which civil government is based.
marks, from the original Spanish missions to the San Fernando The lives of these 56 civilian settlers are intertwined with the his-
Cathedral, are a testament to the legacy of the founders of our mu- tory of this city. For example, they accounted for the first 120 may-
nicipal government. ors of San Antonio. And later descendants, like Robert L. B. Tobin,
There is a modest symbol of remembrance that lies not too far would be integral to the cultural legacy of our city. An underwriter
from San Fernando. A plaque that honors 16 families – a total of of operas and champion of the arts, Tobin would go on to fill an
56 men and women. Hailing from the Canary Islands, these indi- entire wing of the McNay Art Museum with his priceless collection
viduals came here in 1731 at the behest of King Philip V, who of theater art and design.
wanted to retain the territory for Spain. The contributions of the early Canarians to our system of gov-
What these brave adventurers ultimately gave to our city, how- ernment and our cultural heritage is immense. But theirs is also a
ever, makes for a much greater story. It is, as the marker at Mu- story of bravery in the face of overwhelming hardships, a story that
nicipal Plaza states, the story of the “earliest civilian colonists of should continue to inspire each and every one of us, and one that
San Antonio.” is relevant to this day: The quest for a better life in a new land.
Upon their arrival to the area, the Canarians joined with the They faced fantastic challenges, enduring a transatlantic voyage
Coahuiltecans – the earliest recorded inhabitants of the area – the that would take them as far as Vera Cruz, Mexico. The last 1,000
mission friars and the Spanish presidio soldiers who were here to miles of the journey would be traveled on foot. Think about that.
protect them and the mission lands for the Spanish crown. They After months at sea, the 56 Canarians still had to walk 1,000 miles
founded a municipality, the Village of San Fernando de Bexar. to get to their new home.

34 San Antonio Medicine • May 2018