Facts and History of San Antonio

Welcome to San Antonio, the 7^th most populous city in the United States, and the 2^nd most populous city in Texas! With a population of over 1 million people, it’s no wonder San Antonio is one of the fastest growing cities in America. San Antonio residential movers know that beginning again in a new city is always hard, especially when you don’t know much about it. That’s why we have made a list of the need to know facts and history of San Antonio to make your transition to a new city easier.

Trust your San Antonio local movers to get you up to speed with the facts and history of San Antonio so that you can blend in with the locals in no time at all. You can also trust that our San Antonio movers will take care of your belongings as if they were our own while you brush up on the facts and history of San Antonio.

History of San Antonio

San Antonio, TX was founded in 1718 by the Spanish during an expedition from Mexico. They established a mission and named it Mission San Antonio de Valeo after St. Anthony of Padua. In its early years, San Antonio suffered from raids by Apache and Comanche tribes. Then in 1821, San Antonio became part of the Mexican Empire, and later became part of the battle of the Alamo in 1836.

Shortly after the Battle of the Alamo, San Antonio joins the United States as part of Texas in 1845.

Facts About San Antonio

- San Antonio is the commercial hub of the Southwest.

- The first railroad arrived at San Antonio in 1877 and brought migrants from the American South and immigrants from Mexico.

- Henry Cisneros was elected as San Antonio’s first Hispanic mayor since the mid-19^th Century in 1989.

- There are still remnants of the 18^th Century Spanish architecture in San Antonio.

- Since 1940, the rapid growth of San Antonio’s population is due to military installations.

- Economy, health care, medical research, as well as business and financial services and tourism, are all a major component of San Antonio’s economy.

- A large amount of trade between Mexico and the US passes through San Antonio.

- San Antonio is the most visited city in Texas.

- The first Church’s Chicken opened in San Antonio.

- The second oldest park in America is in San Antonio, San Pedro Park, established as a public park in 1852.

- The San Antonio Zoo is the third largest zoo in the country.

- The Alamo is one of the most visited destinations in Texas.

- The oldest Texan church, San Fernando Cathedral, is in San Antonio. It was built in 1738 and sees over 5,000 people for services.

- The Tower of Americas is the twenty-seventh tallest building in Texas. It opened in 1968, can be seen from anywhere in San Antonio, and has 952 steps.

- There is a 10-day festival in San Antonio every April since 1891 honoring the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto. More than 3 million people attend, and there are more than 100 e