03/10/2026
So thankful for a community who honors and supports our history ❤️
📜 March 9, 1731 — A Historic Day for San Antonio
On this day in 1731, a small group of families from the Canary Islands arrived in San Antonio de BĂ©xar, helping shape the future of Texas.
Years earlier, in 1719, the Marqués de San Miguel de Aguayo proposed to the King of Spain that families be brought from the Canary Islands to help populate the province of Texas. After several years of planning and travel through Cuba and Veracruz, a group led by Juan Leal Goraz made the long overland journey to San Antonio.
By the time they reached the Presidio San Antonio de BĂ©xar on March 9, 1731, the group had grown to 16 families and 56 people. They joined the small military and civilian settlement that had existed since 1718, when Antonio de Olivares helped establish the mission and presidio community.
The Canary Islanders soon formed the Villa de San Fernando de BĂ©xar, the first regularly organized civil government in Texas. On August 1, 1731, the settlers elected Juan Leal Goraz as the first alcalde (mayor).
Many of the Canary Island settlers and their descendants later served as mayors of San Antonio, including:
• Juan Leal Goraz
• Antonio RodrĂguez Medrano
• Manuel Niz
• Juan Curbelo
• Juan Leal Jr.
• Ignacio Lorenzo de Armas
*Early Challenges Between Settlers
When the Canary Island families arrived, they entered a community that had already existed for more than a decade. The earlier settlers—soldiers, missionaries, and civilians connected to the presidio and missions—had already begun farming land and using irrigation canals known as acequias along the San Antonio River.
Because the Canary Islanders arrived with special privileges from the Spanish Crown, tensions soon developed between the two groups.
Disputes arose over:
Political authority in the settlement
Land ownership and farming rights
Access to irrigation water
The Canary Islanders were tasked with forming a civil town government, while the earlier community had been operating under military leadership from the presidio. This created overlapping authority and disagreements about who should govern the growing settlement.
Land and water rights also caused conflict. Some settlers who had farmed land since 1718 were asked to relocate when the new town boundaries and land grants for the Canary Islanders were established. Complaints from both sides were eventually sent to Spanish colonial officials.
In the end, Spanish authorities confirmed the Canary Islanders’ right to establish the town government, though the earlier settlers remained an important part of the community.
*One of San Antonio’s Earliest Political Disputes
Another early disagreement involved who controlled the town plaza and the main church.
The Canary Islanders believed that, as founders of the civil town, the plaza and its church should fall under the authority of the town government. However, Franciscan missionaries—who had been in the area since the founding of the missions—believed church matters should remain under ecclesiastical authority.
This dispute over civil versus church control became one of the earliest political conflicts in San Antonio’s history, reflecting the growing pains of a frontier community balancing military, religious, and civilian leadership.
Over time, these early tensions faded as families intermarried and the communities blended together, forming the cultural and historical foundation of what would become San Antonio.
*A Legacy of Dialogue, Not Conflict
What is important to remember is that, despite these early disagreements, no battles or violence occurred between the groups. The shared mission of building a community on the frontier proved more important than the disputes that arose along the way.
For more than 300 years, the people of San Antonio have continued that tradition—working through differences by talking, learning, sharing, and building together.
Even today, while other cities in the United States have sometimes experienced civil unrest, the people of San Antonio often approach challenges differently. There remains a deep sense of pride, history, and community, rooted in centuries of diverse cultures coming together to grow the city.
In many ways, that spirit can be traced back to those early days—when settlers, soldiers, and missionaries may not always have agreed, but still chose community over conflict and progress over division.
Information sourced from the Texas State Historical Association.
Multimedia Journalist: Christopher Palmer (CTSA)
Archdiocese of San Antonio
San Fernando Cathedral
City of San Antonio - Municipal Government
