It is a fact, regrettable, but beyond retrieval, that the most romantic period of San Antonio's history lies partly hidden behind a veil of mysterious obscurity. Thereafter her history was faithfully and accurately recorded.
Spanish records exist covering the period it is true.
But it seems that in the heyday of the Spanish Crown, persons in authority exercised extreme caution in fixing signatures to documents of any importance. But, too often, the end of an inked name was an adobe wall. Two years previously, don Domingo Ramon had settled 65 persons in that vicinity, but Alarcon found the settlement so depleted by Indian attacks that he decided to combine the two and located farther down the stream, away from the Indian-infested spring. Accordingly, the little villa of San Fernando was found on the west bank of San Pedro Creek, in the vicinity of Martin and North Laredo Streets. Across the creek to the east, about the present location of Rosey Street, was begun the presidio.