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Why celebrate Founders Day in October?
Our city is less occupied with big events in October. San Antonio’s beginnings can be traced back to many red-letter days in our history – any one of which, with some explanation, might be called its origin. The area was named by a Spanish expedition on June 13, 1691, the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua. It was settled on San Pedro Creek in the name of the King, with a mission, a villa and a presidio on May 1-5, 1718. The Spanish Canary Islanders came here on March 9, 1731. They formed the first municipality in Texas after an election in their cabildo (city council) on August 1. This became effective when it was approved by Spanish Viceroy Juan de Acuna Marques de Casafuerte on October 24, 1731.
A tribute to all who shaped our Heritage