The San Antonio and San Pedro Springs are two of the loveliest and fantastical natural water flows in Texas. Together they provide the famous San Antonio River with its main source of water. The first establishments on these grounds happened during the Spanish exploration period. Many adventurers documented the San Antonio Springs as beautiful and overflowing with water and life. The most recent background of these springs was with a man named George W. Brackenridge.
George W. Brackenridge was very generous and kind and donated much of his wealth to education. His main role with the San Antonio River is his ownership in the majority of the lands of the San Antonio Springs. During his time he fancied the springs because of their magnificent beauty. He thought so highly of these waters he even created a business called San Antonio Water Works where he would showcase the marvelous springs. It proved to be a successful business that tourists and town folk enjoyed. Unfortunately, during his later years drought struck causing the springs to cease their functions. A sad Brackenridge disbanded the San Antonio Water Works and decided to sell the lands to the University of Incarnate Word.
Random and extreme rains during the 1970s restored the life of the springs. This wonderful event gave hope that the old springs were back. Sadly the water became dormant again after the rains had stopped. Two more similar accounts occurred in 1992 and 2003.
Because the waters can be inactive for such extended periods of time many now call it Rip Van River. This tragedy has lead to the increased protection of the springs. The University has discovered relics and bones while researching the grounds of the springs. Due to the historical value of the artifacts unearthed the springs have been added to the Nation Register of Historic Sites. For now the idea of the springs suddenly awakening is history, however, history is said to repeat itself.
11/5/07
10/26/07
AGUA and GEAA
The Edwards Aquifer, an underground water supply that provides for San Antonio and Bexar County within the state of Texas. It is said to be one of the most pure and natural water supplies in America. It’s reasonable to have government supervision of this natural source of life, but sadly, it doesn’t. There is protection but recent reports show that it is not as strong as it needs to be.
Bexar Met Water District Hill Country reports that ethylbenzene and xylene were found in its drinking water supply in 2006. However, levels were well below the Maximum Contaminant Level set by the EPA.[i]
What contaminants and chemicals does the EPA allow? Research has uncovered the EPA allows certain amounts of many chemicals, to name a few there is: Antimony, Asbestos, Barium, Beryllium, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Cyanide, Fluoride, Mercury, Nitrate, Selenium, Thallium, Atrazine, Carbofuran, Chlorobenzene, Dalapon, Chlorite, and Chlorine.[ii]As of 2005 there are still 9 Microbial Contaminants and 42 Chemical Contaminants that have found to be in the water system but have yet to receive a regulation from the EPA[iii]
If the government itself is allowing such things to pass, who exactly is protecting our water? Outraged citizens have banded together to form non-profit organizations determined to keep our water pure. Two excellent examples are AGUA, Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas, and GEAA, Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance. The members of these groups are highly knowledgeable ranging from college professors such as Mariana Ornelas (AGUA member) to Attorneys of Texas Law like Enrique Valdiva (AGUA President)[iv].
AGUA is determined and has developed an Aquifer Protection Plan and a Recharge Zone Monitoring Program. GEAA has also developed an Aquifer protection plan, and uses petitions to help protect the water. GEAA has many members from Austin to Del Rio who help fight pollution, over pumping, quarries, grandfathering, and privatization.
Both groups provide an excellent source of information on the Edwards Aquifer. For volunteer information and upcoming events you can visit their websites:
AGUA - www.aquiferguardians.org/
GEAA - www.aquiferalliance.org/
[i] “Bexar Met finds contaminants in aquifer” 2006 Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas 10-26-07 <>
[ii] “List of Contaminants & their MCLs” June 2003 United States Environment Protection Agency 10-26-07 <>
[iii] “CCL 2 List” February 24, 2005 United States Environment Protection Agency 10-26-07 <>
[iv] “Board of Directors” 2007 Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas 10-26-07 <>
Bexar Met Water District Hill Country reports that ethylbenzene and xylene were found in its drinking water supply in 2006. However, levels were well below the Maximum Contaminant Level set by the EPA.[i]
What contaminants and chemicals does the EPA allow? Research has uncovered the EPA allows certain amounts of many chemicals, to name a few there is: Antimony, Asbestos, Barium, Beryllium, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Cyanide, Fluoride, Mercury, Nitrate, Selenium, Thallium, Atrazine, Carbofuran, Chlorobenzene, Dalapon, Chlorite, and Chlorine.[ii]As of 2005 there are still 9 Microbial Contaminants and 42 Chemical Contaminants that have found to be in the water system but have yet to receive a regulation from the EPA[iii]
If the government itself is allowing such things to pass, who exactly is protecting our water? Outraged citizens have banded together to form non-profit organizations determined to keep our water pure. Two excellent examples are AGUA, Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas, and GEAA, Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance. The members of these groups are highly knowledgeable ranging from college professors such as Mariana Ornelas (AGUA member) to Attorneys of Texas Law like Enrique Valdiva (AGUA President)[iv].
AGUA is determined and has developed an Aquifer Protection Plan and a Recharge Zone Monitoring Program. GEAA has also developed an Aquifer protection plan, and uses petitions to help protect the water. GEAA has many members from Austin to Del Rio who help fight pollution, over pumping, quarries, grandfathering, and privatization.
Both groups provide an excellent source of information on the Edwards Aquifer. For volunteer information and upcoming events you can visit their websites:
AGUA - www.aquiferguardians.org/
GEAA - www.aquiferalliance.org/
[i] “Bexar Met finds contaminants in aquifer” 2006 Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas 10-26-07 <>
[ii] “List of Contaminants & their MCLs” June 2003 United States Environment Protection Agency 10-26-07 <>
[iii] “CCL 2 List” February 24, 2005 United States Environment Protection Agency 10-26-07 <>
[iv] “Board of Directors” 2007 Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas 10-26-07 <>
10/24/07
My neighbor"hood"
Quintana road is a very busy street, thousands of cars, trucks, diesels, vans, and buses zoom by every day. This is mainly because it’s on the developing south side of town, I see construction daily it has become a common part of this area. San Antonio has always been a humble city, the recent expanding companies are bringing money and jobs which is nice. There are plenty of areas to open a business on the long road of Quintana, most residents here already have. For business you can also look to the surrounding larger streets such as Bynum, Military drive, Southcross, and Cupples, which are highly successful areas as well.
Businesses and homes next door to one another, that’s how the established families here prefer to live, my family runs a business through our house, our neighbors have separate structures for their business and home. Sounds mixed but if you see it you will notice that it is a quite modest and clean neighborhood. The homes here consist of 3 bedrooms or more and the majority of the population is Hispanic.
Right in the middle of all the family businesses you can find Kelly USA. It was formerly Kelly Air Force Base but got shut down over the years. Now the grounds are a place for many businesses to operate. You can find big time companies here like Standard Aero and Boeing who utilize the hangars and airplanes. The city also set up works for the residents such as Kennedy Park, Dwight Middle School, Athens Elementary, and the South Side Recreation Center.
Kennedy Park is a fun place to go, it has a track, a soccer field, a swimming pool, a sandbox with tire swings, a baseball field, basketball courts and my favorite, tennis courts. Me and my friends like Martin, Julian, Alfredo, and Pete find ourselves passing time at Kennedy Park quite often. We all live in the same area and met when we were children at Athens Elementary. Now we’re grown up and attend Palo Alto College, except for Julian, he goes to Incarnate Word. Athens is about 5 minutes away and Palo Alto is about 20 minutes away.
Eventually I will have my own home even further away. But for now Quintana is my community, I have been living here my whole life. It is nice place to live not only because of the people but also the decent location near downtown. It takes me very little time travel wherever, unlike some of my classmates, who live in the surrounding towns. I suggest stopping by sometime. From tacos to tires, you can find it on Quintana road.
My Map:
Legend:
1* - Home
2* - Palo Alto College
3* - Kennedy Park
Businesses and homes next door to one another, that’s how the established families here prefer to live, my family runs a business through our house, our neighbors have separate structures for their business and home. Sounds mixed but if you see it you will notice that it is a quite modest and clean neighborhood. The homes here consist of 3 bedrooms or more and the majority of the population is Hispanic.
Right in the middle of all the family businesses you can find Kelly USA. It was formerly Kelly Air Force Base but got shut down over the years. Now the grounds are a place for many businesses to operate. You can find big time companies here like Standard Aero and Boeing who utilize the hangars and airplanes. The city also set up works for the residents such as Kennedy Park, Dwight Middle School, Athens Elementary, and the South Side Recreation Center.
Kennedy Park is a fun place to go, it has a track, a soccer field, a swimming pool, a sandbox with tire swings, a baseball field, basketball courts and my favorite, tennis courts. Me and my friends like Martin, Julian, Alfredo, and Pete find ourselves passing time at Kennedy Park quite often. We all live in the same area and met when we were children at Athens Elementary. Now we’re grown up and attend Palo Alto College, except for Julian, he goes to Incarnate Word. Athens is about 5 minutes away and Palo Alto is about 20 minutes away.
Eventually I will have my own home even further away. But for now Quintana is my community, I have been living here my whole life. It is nice place to live not only because of the people but also the decent location near downtown. It takes me very little time travel wherever, unlike some of my classmates, who live in the surrounding towns. I suggest stopping by sometime. From tacos to tires, you can find it on Quintana road.
My Map:
Legend:
1* - Home
2* - Palo Alto College
3* - Kennedy Park
Alamo movie essay
After visiting the Alamo and gaining a historical background on its events I have decided to view the 1960 film The Alamo. Although the movie was very entertaining and humorous there were many historical errors. I believe that there was no need to change characteristics in the people or the way events happened, this is already a very interesting part of history.
The most noticeable error is with Jim Bowie, the movie depicts him being lively and party like[i]. In reality Jim Bowie was very sick during the battle of the Alamo. The movie shows him being hit by a cannon during battle but in reality at that time Jim Bowie was so sick he would be lying in bed. The movie claims that Jim Bowie lived in Texas but the truth is he had a home in Kentucky. Jim Bowie and Travis show heavy conflict between each other in the film but historically they did not fight with each other much at all. It also displays Bowie’s slave to be named Jethro but historical documents show that Bowie’s slave was really named Sam. Throughout the film Bowie is being represented as a drunk, however there is little evidence to support that he acted that way. Bowie also seems to be an acclaimed knife fighter, but history actually shows that he only fought with a knife once or twice before.
During his time Davy Crockett was an excellent man, however the movie seems to exaggerate his heroism. Historically its unknown if Crockett’s had a female friend at the Alamo. The movie shows that Crockett fell into the events of the Alamo while he was hunting and drinking but the truth is Crockett rallied up the Tennessee volunteers with him to travel to the Alamo to help fight, they knew of the battle. The situation of the Santa Anna letter which was actually fake never happened at all. Also Crockett’s death was fabricated, he never exploded an ammo storage, infact there is evidence showing that Crockett was captured and then executed.
Travis was smart and knew what was going on but its unlikely he shoved it in everybody’s face as the movie shows. The movie states that nobody came in response to Travis’s call for help but historically 32 men from Gonzales did come to help defend. Also Travis was not shot in the chest, he was actually shot in the head.
Captain Seguin in the movie was portrayed as a common Mexican, but the truth is he was of a very high status and well known. It also makes him appear to be much older than he really was during the events of the Alamo.
Navarro was also displayed to be a regular civilian but the truth is he was the first to sign the Texas declaration of independence[ii].
The scene where the people of the Alamo were running from Santa Anna is fake, Santa Anna allowed all the women and children of the Alamo to leave before any battle started. The wall climbing siege event did not happen during daylight, it was really during the early morning darkness.
The Tejano’s of the Alamo are represented as poor people but the truth is many of them prospered in the economy of the Alamo. The Tejano’s in the movie did not seem to be involved in the battle but historically all of them fought. Also, the Tejano women are shown to be no more than bar lurkers waiting for a white man.
The building of the Alamo itself is also misrepresented in this movie. Its shown to be a very secluded area when in fact it was just across the river from San Antonio de Bexar. The event of Bonham delivering the message that the Alamo has fallen did not really happen for 3-5 weeks.
The movie gets the main events right. The battle did last for 13 days, giving Sam Houston enough time to build up a force to defeat Santa Anna. The 1960 film The Alamo was fun to watch but its not recommended to be seen for much historical reference.
[i] The Alamo. Dir. John Wayne. Perf. John Wayne, Richard Wildmark, Laurence Harvey. DVD. MGM, 1960.
[ii] Tijernia, Andres. "Under the Mexican Flag." Tejano Journey os (1996).
The most noticeable error is with Jim Bowie, the movie depicts him being lively and party like[i]. In reality Jim Bowie was very sick during the battle of the Alamo. The movie shows him being hit by a cannon during battle but in reality at that time Jim Bowie was so sick he would be lying in bed. The movie claims that Jim Bowie lived in Texas but the truth is he had a home in Kentucky. Jim Bowie and Travis show heavy conflict between each other in the film but historically they did not fight with each other much at all. It also displays Bowie’s slave to be named Jethro but historical documents show that Bowie’s slave was really named Sam. Throughout the film Bowie is being represented as a drunk, however there is little evidence to support that he acted that way. Bowie also seems to be an acclaimed knife fighter, but history actually shows that he only fought with a knife once or twice before.
During his time Davy Crockett was an excellent man, however the movie seems to exaggerate his heroism. Historically its unknown if Crockett’s had a female friend at the Alamo. The movie shows that Crockett fell into the events of the Alamo while he was hunting and drinking but the truth is Crockett rallied up the Tennessee volunteers with him to travel to the Alamo to help fight, they knew of the battle. The situation of the Santa Anna letter which was actually fake never happened at all. Also Crockett’s death was fabricated, he never exploded an ammo storage, infact there is evidence showing that Crockett was captured and then executed.
Travis was smart and knew what was going on but its unlikely he shoved it in everybody’s face as the movie shows. The movie states that nobody came in response to Travis’s call for help but historically 32 men from Gonzales did come to help defend. Also Travis was not shot in the chest, he was actually shot in the head.
Captain Seguin in the movie was portrayed as a common Mexican, but the truth is he was of a very high status and well known. It also makes him appear to be much older than he really was during the events of the Alamo.
Navarro was also displayed to be a regular civilian but the truth is he was the first to sign the Texas declaration of independence[ii].
The scene where the people of the Alamo were running from Santa Anna is fake, Santa Anna allowed all the women and children of the Alamo to leave before any battle started. The wall climbing siege event did not happen during daylight, it was really during the early morning darkness.
The Tejano’s of the Alamo are represented as poor people but the truth is many of them prospered in the economy of the Alamo. The Tejano’s in the movie did not seem to be involved in the battle but historically all of them fought. Also, the Tejano women are shown to be no more than bar lurkers waiting for a white man.
The building of the Alamo itself is also misrepresented in this movie. Its shown to be a very secluded area when in fact it was just across the river from San Antonio de Bexar. The event of Bonham delivering the message that the Alamo has fallen did not really happen for 3-5 weeks.
The movie gets the main events right. The battle did last for 13 days, giving Sam Houston enough time to build up a force to defeat Santa Anna. The 1960 film The Alamo was fun to watch but its not recommended to be seen for much historical reference.
[i] The Alamo. Dir. John Wayne. Perf. John Wayne, Richard Wildmark, Laurence Harvey. DVD. MGM, 1960.
[ii] Tijernia, Andres. "Under the Mexican Flag." Tejano Journey os (1996).
Alamo visit
The Alamo today as a historic site provides information on how life was for the people living in the Alamo. The Alamo walls are lined up and down with exhibits and paintings. In the barracks there is a time line showing the history of the Alamo. Outside the church there is a new wall exhibit showing a timeline of the Texas revolution.
The majority of the data is clearly in favor of the Anglo setters and their life styles, often detailing how they wanted to be free of Mexican rule. There are exhibits of Anglo common life things such as cloth, currency, crafted items, and eating tools. There are also larger exhibits for special items such as a collection of Bowie knives and the rifle of Commander William B Travis.
There is a much smaller amount of Mexican related exhibits and often depict Santa Anna as a “Take no prisoners” dictator. These exhibits are military related showing the specific swords and rifles that the Mexican army used and the uniforms they wore. I sensed the bias against Mexico but I could not ignore it when I saw one exhibit titled “Mexican Army Retreat Route” showing a map of the path the Mexican army would use to run away.
The Alamo gives you the information on its history, but it is definitely not the complete story. It is often left out that another reason Texans wanted to be self governed is because Mexico declared slavery inhumane and Texans wanted to keep their slaves. It is also looked over that Santa Anna let all the women and children of the Alamo leave before he engaged battle with the soldiers who stayed. Don’t feel bad if you find you can’t remember the Alamo, nobody else does either.
The majority of the data is clearly in favor of the Anglo setters and their life styles, often detailing how they wanted to be free of Mexican rule. There are exhibits of Anglo common life things such as cloth, currency, crafted items, and eating tools. There are also larger exhibits for special items such as a collection of Bowie knives and the rifle of Commander William B Travis.
There is a much smaller amount of Mexican related exhibits and often depict Santa Anna as a “Take no prisoners” dictator. These exhibits are military related showing the specific swords and rifles that the Mexican army used and the uniforms they wore. I sensed the bias against Mexico but I could not ignore it when I saw one exhibit titled “Mexican Army Retreat Route” showing a map of the path the Mexican army would use to run away.
The Alamo gives you the information on its history, but it is definitely not the complete story. It is often left out that another reason Texans wanted to be self governed is because Mexico declared slavery inhumane and Texans wanted to keep their slaves. It is also looked over that Santa Anna let all the women and children of the Alamo leave before he engaged battle with the soldiers who stayed. Don’t feel bad if you find you can’t remember the Alamo, nobody else does either.
Espada
Mission Espada is located in the most fantastical forest life of San Antonio, Texas. Between the ancient trees and tall Texas grass you will find its stone walls. But San Antonio was not this site’s first home, in 1690 a previous form existed near Alto, Texas. This refuge was sadly burned in 1692 due to native conflicts. Spain became friendlier in the area and chose to rebuild in 1716. However, it was lost again between the turmoil of Spain and France during 1719. The natives became less interested in the doomed grounds so when the mission was reclaimed in 1721 it was not as successful. Spain relocated it along the Colorado River in 1730 but still was not satisfied. A year later, 1731, Spain chose San Antonio as a tactical location for the mission[1].
Mission Espada’s was mainly operated as a military base. Espada is a weapon with a long blade that is sharp on one or both edges, a sword[2]. The name suits the goals of the mission’s era. The military was capable of operating successfully here due to the farming and ranching skills of the natives. The grounds were harvested with the use of the San Antonio River. Mission Espada is the south most mission along the river. The natives here made use of a dam, acequias, and a well, for various sources and control of the San Antonio River’s water.
Highly knowledgeable with the lands, the natives sought supervision with the architecture and construction of the buildings. Mission Espada contained the conventional buildings such as a loom, mill, barracks, housings, and a church. Two churches were constructed due to the first ones fragility and age. The second church was the last building constructed on the mission site. It is said that the master stone mason of the time was unable to fully complete the second church for various reasons and so the untrained natives finished it themselves. There is evidence of this in the keyhole shaped doorway of the church; it has a noticeably imperfect arch.
The inhabitants of Mission Espada survived and cared for the lands, you can see their faces today throughout the families that populate San Antonio. It is now classified as a National Park of America and under the protection of the government. The lands are free to be visited by the public. This humble mission exists as a reminder of the intelligence, determination, and strength of Texas.
[1] "Mission Espada." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 1 October 2007, 10:55 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 24 Sept. 2007. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_San_Francisco_de_la_Espada>.
[2] "espada." Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary. K Dictionaries Ltd. 1 Oct. 2007. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/espada>.
Mission Espada’s was mainly operated as a military base. Espada is a weapon with a long blade that is sharp on one or both edges, a sword[2]. The name suits the goals of the mission’s era. The military was capable of operating successfully here due to the farming and ranching skills of the natives. The grounds were harvested with the use of the San Antonio River. Mission Espada is the south most mission along the river. The natives here made use of a dam, acequias, and a well, for various sources and control of the San Antonio River’s water.
Highly knowledgeable with the lands, the natives sought supervision with the architecture and construction of the buildings. Mission Espada contained the conventional buildings such as a loom, mill, barracks, housings, and a church. Two churches were constructed due to the first ones fragility and age. The second church was the last building constructed on the mission site. It is said that the master stone mason of the time was unable to fully complete the second church for various reasons and so the untrained natives finished it themselves. There is evidence of this in the keyhole shaped doorway of the church; it has a noticeably imperfect arch.
The inhabitants of Mission Espada survived and cared for the lands, you can see their faces today throughout the families that populate San Antonio. It is now classified as a National Park of America and under the protection of the government. The lands are free to be visited by the public. This humble mission exists as a reminder of the intelligence, determination, and strength of Texas.
[1] "Mission Espada." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 1 October 2007, 10:55 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 24 Sept. 2007. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_San_Francisco_de_la_Espada>.
[2] "espada." Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary. K Dictionaries Ltd. 1 Oct. 2007. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/espada>.
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