Alamo Treasure | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit History: Professional fortune hunter and historical researcher Frank Buschbacher believes that a fortune in gold remains hidden at the Alamo. According to legend, a treasure remains buried in the shadow of the Alamo's old mission, a secret which dates back to 1836, the year of the famous battle. It's believed that men led by Colonel Jim Bowie led a group of rugged frontiersmen across southern Texas to the Alamo. By some accounts, they were loaded down with a fortune in silver and gold called the "San Saba Treasure," said to be worth millions of dollars. The treasure was intended to finance the Texas revolution for independence from Mexico, but two months later, Bowie and 188 other men with Davy Crockett made a courageous stand at the Alamo against 6,000 well-trained Mexican troops. Not one of the defenders survived to tell the tale, but the legend of the treasure lived on. Along with a team of archaeologists and researchers, Frank excavated the street in front of the Alamo.

He first heard about the mysterious treasure at the Alamo during a trip to Mexico, where was introduced to Maria Gomez, a respected museum curator who also had a reputation as a psychic. Bushbacker had never heard of any treasure surrounding the Battle of the Alamo, but she went on to describe the treasure as gold coins, silver and religious artifacts. Some of the treasure had been removed by Mexican soldiers, but that most of it still remained hidden at the Alamo. Maria would later draw him a map placing the treasure at the bottom of an old well. Even though Maria said she had never been to the Alamo, she had indicated the spot where a well was dug just before the siege. Alamo Treasure At the time, the chapel was located in the rear of the fort. The well was in the plaza surrounded by twelve-foot tall stone walls. It was within these walls that the Texans held out for a full thirteen days. Frank believes that in a final desperate act, Jim Bowie ordered that the treasure be hidden at the bottom of the well, but no one survived to retrieve it.

Gail Loving-Barnes of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas doesn't believe in the treasure: "The people of the Alamo, I don't think they were guarding a treasure. When your life is on the line, like it was in the Battle with Juno Santiana, I don't think you're thinking about silver or gold bullion. I think you're thinking about your life. And I don't think you would be polluting your water well because you don't know how long your siege is going to be." Despite the controversy, Frank was determined to prove his point. He obtained permission to survey the area with ground penetrating radar, yielding some intriguing results. To their trained eyes, the radar display showed several irregularities beneath the surface. The largest was believed to be the site of the well and in the exact location where Maria Gomez predicted the treasure would be found. "It kind of brought all my research to fruition at that point, because I knew that with the map, her story, and then plugging it in to Texas history that I was on a hot trail and any dissention that I had within my own mind about whether I should follow this any further was gone." Frank adds.

"The anomalies could be caused by many things." Gail counters. "I think it could be debris, equipment left by the Texans... I think it could be something several years later that was deposited there. As time marches on, dust and dirt accumulate and cover very gradually so that could be part of what they're picking up out there." Frank believes that this treasure is located beneath the road in front of the chapel, but to many native Texans, his theory doesn't hold up. Project Director Thomas Guderjanhe of the Archaeology Department at St. Mary's University agreed to oversee the project in case anything that turned up had any historical value. It took Frank three and a half years to acquire the necessary permits and financing to excavate the site. A 15 x 15 foot area was excavated above the well. A work crew needed to first remove three feet of flagstone and roadbed to reach the top of the filled-in well. Four feet beneath the surface of the courtyard, the team began to find fragments of Native American pottery, the bones of butchered animals, and primitive cooking utensils. Each relic had to be carefully unearthed and properly catalogued.

The items are a valuable treasure in themselves, rare artifacts that help piece together a history of the Alamo from the 1750's right up to the final battle nearly a century later. One of the finds that most excited Guderjan was some ammunition used in canons called grapeshot. In the end, they found no sign of the treasure. Yet some remain convinced that the gold and silver still exists somewhere deep beneath the Alamo. Background: The Alamo is the former San Antonio de Valero Mission. It was founded as a Franciscan mission, but it is best known for the thirteen-day stand-off of General Antoinio de Santa Anna's stand-off against the Mexican Army on March 6, 1836. Today, the location is a national historic site. Investigations: None East Side historic site discovered - San Antonio Express-News East Side historic site discovered By Scott Huddleston , San Antonio Express-News October 21, 2016 Photo: Photo Courtesy Of The City Of San Antonio Various types of ceramics, possibly from the early 1800s, were also found in City Cemetery No.

2, providing further evidence of the site of the powder house and three-story watch tower that sat on a hill when the Mission San Antonio de Valero was first being used as a military fortress and later the Alamo -- site of the famous siege and battle for Texas independence in 1836. Various types of ceramics, possibly from the early 1800s, were also... City officials have discovered the site of a Spanish colonial-era lookout tower and gunpowder storage house on the East Side, adding a broader perspective to the story of the Alamo and early San Antonio. To continue reading this story, you will need to be a digital subscriber to ExpressNews.com. SIGN IN San Antonio Express-News subscribers have FREE access to all premium digital products. Haven’t activated your subscription for digital access yet? Activate Account here.

Funeral pyre site found and whose buried in Church | Alamo Studies Forum Funeral pyre site found and whose buried in Church Post by silverwolf on Jul 8, 2011 20:02:41 GMT -5 Hello Again, For the life of me, I was sure I had read maybe a year or more back, that they found what was likely one of the funeral pyres outside of the Alamo walls, not near but not far exactly from the Alamo itself. I was wondering if anybody recalled it. I'm certain it was nearby and I think the grounds today may be a cemetery as I seem to remember either a marker or cross on the spot with a caption explaining that cremated human remains had been found there. I'm certain I'm not confusing the Sequin accounts because I do remember haunting photos and this was one of them. And as regards Sequins burial of the ashes. Does that box contain some of the defenders ashes, or is it happenstance that Sequin first said he brought it to the Church for last rites as it were, and later reburied them at the pyre sights vowing to build a memorial there and never did.

I think younger Juan said that and that older Juan years later said the box had been put in the Church period without mention of reburial. Do the posters here believe that those are the Alamo defenders remains or of those found in later excavations? The Cathedral will be a one block walk from the Hotel and I would be more inclined to prayer at the sarcophagus urn if I was more certain then not that I am praying over the actual remains of the departed that I have come to love respect long after they are gone. I am religious in that way and the holy land had more then enough "Jesus slept here" sites that I would be great to know this is the real deal here in blessed state of Texas. Back to Top Post by Kevin Young on Jul 8, 2011 22:15:50 GMT -5 Are you thinking of the site that was over on the Alameda (now Commerce Street)? I think we disucssed this and the San Fernando info on another thread... The paths of glory led but to the grave...

Post by Allen Wiener on Jul 8, 2011 22:52:09 GMT -5 I think this is the thread Kevin mentioned: Jul 8, 2011 22:15:50 GMT -5 Kevin Young said: Are you thinking of the site that was over on the Alameda (now Commerce Street)? I think we discussed this and the San Fernando info on another thread... Hi Kevin, thanks for helping. I wonder if we are talking the same site when you mention commerce st. But I did find the one I was thinking of at least. If you mean the one across from St Josephs Church on Commerce street, no it is not this one. I think its called the Odd Fellows Cemetery. Here is an aerial view. alamostudies.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=alamohistory&action=display&thread=1275&page=1 Allen Hello and Thank You. The thread is very rich in information but here is a link which basically addresses what I maybe was not articulate enough put in words. So I really do wish to know what others here think. Are any ashes of the defenders truly in the S.F.

Church, or is it others remains dug up elsewhere, later on during restoration and interned there while Sequin reburied the original urn elsewhere near where he found them, or is it was Seguin confused between a funeral he held in one place and a burial he held at another. I also read that the Alamo descendants asked for DNA testing from the church remains about 1995 or about. I havent found any info as too whether or not it has been done. Thank You Much "ON FEBRUARY 23RD AFTER MASS, WE WILL PAY FINAL RESPECTS TO OUR FRIENDS WHO DIED AT THE ALAMO. JUAN SEGUIN, COMMANDER LT. COL. As well as could be done, Seguin had the bones and ashes placed in a large coffin. With an eulogy that began, "These remains, which we have had the honor to carry on our shoulders, are the remains of those valiant heroes who died at the Alamo...," he laid the bodies to rest with full military honors. Supposedly, the site chosen for interment was a beautiful patch of earth in a nearby peach orchard outside the village and only a few hundred yards from the Chapel.

But with the passage of time and without any marker on the burial site, the location of the grave became lost. It’s completely hidden by the city of San Antonio, which totally surrounds the Alamo compound, and irrecoverably lost to history. But, is this peach orchard theory really the way Colonel Seguin conducted the burial? Or is it a description of the burial conducted by the Rangers, Big Foot Wallace, or Francisco Ruiz? Or by someone else as yet unidentified? One of the most asked questions is how did Colonel Seguin manage to find the ashes after they reposed on the Texas prairie for a few days short of one year? Were the remains, as some claim, already collected and preserved by some good Samaritan just waiting for an authority like Colonel Seguin to come along and formalize the ceremony? Incredibly, no one knows. That fact is that although Colonel Seguin respectfully buried his fallen friends while Antonio Oroche softly whistled the tune, Will You Come to My Bower?, he did not adequately mark the ultimate grave site. He even complicated the issue shortly before his death when he responded to an inquiry about the burial site.

He wrote that the ashes were found in three places and that the two smallest piles were placed in a coffin with the names of Travis, Bowie, and Crockett carved inside the lid. This would also lend credence to the Big Foot Wallace account of finding a pile of the remains when he visited the city in 1838. Seguin further wrote that ‘I placed them in an urn and buried it in the Cathedral of San Fernando immediately in front of the alter---that is in front of the railing near the steps.’ At the time, Seguin’s version of the interment was largely dismissed as the ramblings of an old man with a frail memory, especially since it was known that he had the funeral ceremony conducted in the Cathedral. Everyone suspected that he had confused the funeral ceremony with the burial ceremony. But then in July 1936, a coffin was unearthed in the Cathedral at the exact same spot that Sequin had suggested! Inside the rotting old casket were charred remains, some bones, and even uniform fragments. In the excitement that followed, many thought that the remains of the Alamo defenders had finally been located---until astute historians pointed out that the men of the Alamo did not wear uniforms.

Although a burial certainly took place in the Cathedral and Sequin was aware of it, the identity of the person or persons who were buried remains a mystery." Back to Top Post by Kevin Young on Jul 9, 2011 20:45:04 GMT -5 I am very much aware of the location you are talking about--I was involved with the effort to stop the removal of the remains of Capt. Samuel Hamilton Walker at that location. Here is the short version: after the Mexican War, Walker and R.A.Gillespie (Walker had been buried at Perote following his death at Huamantla in 1847 while Gillespie had been buried in Monterrey following his death in 1846 at the Bishop's Palace--both men were KIA) were brought back to San Antonio and buried on Commerce Street not to far from where St. Joseph's would be built. Original location of the graves is marked on a couple of early city maps. There was an idea to bring over Ben Milam's remains as well and create a Texas heroes cemetery. Why this spot? Because it is where one of the Alamo funeral pyres was at.

By the1850's, Commerce Street area had expanded and site was threatened. So, the Odd Fellows had Walker and Gillespie moved to their cemetery up on East Commerce near Powder House Hill. According to one source, when this was done, burnt bones and ashes were found and they were transfered up to the new gravesites at the Odd Fellows. So, up at the Odd Fellows we have two Mexican War heroes and maybe some of the Alamo remains. The Alamo Defender Descendants put up the marker after the "remove Walker" deal and when the gravesites were restored. The paths of glory led but to the grave... Back to Top Post by Hiram on Jul 11, 2011 1:18:55 GMT -5 Kevin and I have batted this subject back and forth in the past. It is common practice to dismiss the remains found in 1936 beneath the alter of San Fernando because of the eyewitness accounts of "uniform fragments" found among the charred remains.

The point I make is in the form of a question...who in fact is declaring the presence of "uniform fragments?" It is, the resident "experts" of determining whether charred fabrics are civilian or military, those "experts" being the current mayor of San Antonio, the presiding archbishop, and the leader of the York Rite Knights Templar. The point being, these men are far from experts, and are far from being objective. What better way to ensure huge crowds to the Cathedral during the Centennial than declaring that the remains uncovered were indeed those of the Alamo heroes? And what better way to confirm those remains than by declaring that the charred fabric found was in fact "uniform fragments?" It was not common knowledge in 1936 that the Alamo garrison was devoid of uniforms; perusing the paintings commissioned by the Fiesta San Jacinto Association will confirm that. On the contrary, it was commonly believed that more than a few of the Alamo defenders were decked out in uniforms. If the remains uncovered in San Fernando are to be dismissed, so be it; but do not dismiss them based on the observations of enthusiastic amateurs. "This is the West, sir.

When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." Jul 11, 2011 1:18:55 GMT -5 Hiram said: Kevin and I have batted this subject back and forth in the past. It is common practice to dismiss the remains found in 1936 beneath the alter of San Fernando because of the eyewitness accounts of "uniform fragments" found among the charred remains. The point I make is in the form of a question...who in fact is declaring the presence of "uniform fragments?" It is, the resident "experts" of determining whether charred fabrics are civilian or military, those "experts" being the current mayor of San Antonio, the presiding archbishop, and the leader of the York Rite Knights Templar. The point being, these men are far from experts, and are far from being objective. What better way to ensure huge crowds to the Cathedral during the Centennial than declaring that the remains uncovered were indeed those of the Alamo heroes?

And what better way to confirm those remains than by declaring that the charred fabric found was in fact "uniform fragments?" It was not common knowledge in 1936 that the Alamo garrison was devoid of uniforms; perusing the paintings commissioned by the Fiesta San Jacinto Association will confirm that. On the contrary, it was commonly believed that more than a few of the Alamo defenders were decked out in uniforms. If the remains uncovered in San Fernando are to be dismissed, so be it; but do not dismiss them based on the observations of enthusiastic amateurs. and somewhere we listed the names of those Spanish officers murdered after the Rosillio who were buried in San Fernando.... The paths of glory led but to the grave... Jul 11, 2011 10:49:07 GMT -5 Kevin Young said: and somewhere we listed the names of those Spanish officers murdered after the Rosillio who were buried in San Fernando.... Salcedo and Herrera; their headless remains buried in the space between the arches (first tramo) and eleven others buried in the second tramo. Burial sites were uncovered in 1925, then re-interred.

When Hamilton Bee wrote Seguin asking him the location of the Alamo remains, Seguin clearly and succinctly describes the exact spot in which the remains were found in 1936. I find it interesting that we are always looking for solid contemporary evidence, and yet when that evidence contradicts what we believe, we simply dismiss it as improbable or incorrect. Why is that? "This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." Post by Allen Wiener on Jul 11, 2011 14:44:32 GMT -5 I never heard before that Seguin gave that clear a description of the burial spot. Interesting. “I knew, even as a boy, that to love this world one must keep one’s distance” -- Bishop Daisy - "King of Hearts" I never heard before that Seguin gave that clear a description of the burial spot. Interesting. March 28, 1889: I collected the fragments, placed them in an urn and buried it in the Cathedral of San Fernando, immediatley in front of the altar--that is in front of the railing and near the steps.

Seguin to Hamilton Bee I never heard before that Seguin gave that clear a description of the burial spot. Interesting. March 28, 1889: I collected the fragments, placed them in an urn and buried it in the Cathedral of San Fernando, immediatley in front of the altar--that is in front of the railing and near the steps. Seguin to Hamilton Bee Unfortunately, it does´nt match with Seguin´s letter to Gen. Johnston of March, 13, 1837, in which he writes: ...The ashes were found in three heaps. I caused a coffin to be prepared neatly covered with black, the ashes from the two smallest heaps were placed therein and with a view to attach additional solemnity to the occasion were carried to the Parish Church in Bexar whence it moved with the procession at 4 o´clock on the afternoon of the day above mentioned (Feb. 25).

The procession passed through the principal street of the city, crossed the river and passing through the principal avenue arrived at the spot whence part of the ashes had been collected, the procession halted, the coffin was placed upon the spot, and three volleys of musquetry were discharged over it by one of the companies, proceeding onwards to the second spot from whence the ashes were taken where the same honors were done and thence to the principal spot and place of interment, the coffin was then placed upon the large heap of ashes...the coffin and all the ashes were then interred and three volleys of musquetry were fired over the grave by the whole battalion...We then marched back to quarter in the city with music and colors flying... So, which explanation is one to believe? The one from 1837 to Gen. Johnston, or the one from 1889? Recuerden El Alamo!

Back to Top Post by Hiram on Jul 11, 2011 21:39:47 GMT -5 The differing accounts given by Juan Seguin can be rectified by accepting each account on its own merits and realizing that there were two separate burials; a small "private" ceremony in 1836 with the remains placed in an urn and buried beneath the alter, and a public ceremony with full honors almost a full year later. It always seemed odd to me that the charred remains of Alamo defenders would be left untouched for 11 months, subjected to the buzzards and the elements, and that it would take an order issued from Felix Huston to get Juan Seguin to inter the remains of his fallen men; Juan Abamillo, Juan Badillo, Antonio Fuentes, Andres Nava, Damacio Jimenez, and possibly Gregorio Esparza. "This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." Back to Top Post by estebans on Jul 11, 2011 21:41:50 GMT -5 So, which explanation is one to believe? The one from 1837 to Gen.

Johnston, or the one from 1889? I think assuming that the accounts are mutually exclusive is what's sometimes called the either/or fallacy. It's oversimplifying the issue by assuming that both accounts are absolutely accurate translations of what Seguin said. Is Seguin's memory unreliable near the end of his life, or is the problem that the translation of what he said on one or both occasions is unreliable? Both accounts are in correspondence that is a translation into English by someone taking dictation or working from Seguin's draft in Spanish, and the 1837 account of the ceremonies sent to Albert Sidney Johnston seems both awkward and confusing to me--not wholly clear on what was done where, as though Seguin overloaded the translator with information. There's no mention of a peach orchard there, and Seguin says the "coffin" was buried on the site of the third and largest pile of ashes. Was that pile in a peach orchard to start with?

And I think the possibility for confusion between "coffin" and "urn" ought to speak for itself--it's a coffin in 1837, a coffin is found in 1936, Seguin's son (probably) writes "urn" in 1889. Seguin's graveside (?) speech mentions "These remains which we have the honor of carrying on our shoulders." Carry an urn on your shoulders? But half a century later, maybe a translator who wasn't there thinks ashes = urn. Notice that the 1889 letter says "the remains of those who died in the Alamo" [my emphasis] were interred in the church, as opposed to 1837's "the remains of the Heroes of Alamo" [sic] apparently buried at the site of the third and largest pile. In 1889, was Seguin distinguishing between compound and breakout victims and saying the compound ashes went in the church? Where were the two smaller piles that supposedly filled the 1837 coffin that others said was engraved with the icons' names--didn't the icons die within the compound? Was the biggest pile closest or farthest from the compound, or from the city?

I think the 1837 account is so long and involved that there's plenty of room for it to have been garbled in translation. Yet there seem to be corroborating accounts of the outdoor services. The 1889 account is terse but still shows room for confusion, yet corroborating physical evidence was found in 1936. Due to the translation issue, I'm wondering if the two accounts are mutually exclusive, or in fact are complementary somehow. It is hard to talk about Seguin's 1837 account without conflating it with others' accounts--I kept doing that above. I'm not sure the 1837 translator wasn't getting tired of all that repetitive rigamarole and accidentally or intentionally buried the coffin at the biggest ash pile instead of bearing it back to the church for interment with flags flying after the biggest ash pile was buried. And if they left the church at 4 o'clock on February 25, did they really have time to do everything listed before it got dark? Digging a six-foot-deep grave by hand usually isn't a quick process, more so if you've got to police up an ash pile respectfully and bury that too.

Another point: So the site of the putative peach orchard got forgotten quickly--was that because everyone remembered the coffin interred in the church as a fixed landmark instead? Even if the coffin was forgotten over time too? Newspapers reported a Seguin visit to San Antonio in 1882--did he realize then that the peach orchard was lost and so only told an 1889 inquirer about the church coffin instead, because the church could still be located? Seguin just knew what he said, he didn't know what got written in English and sent off. To me it seems faulty logic to assume that one account or the other reached us in 100% accurate form. I'm assuming, on my part, that Kevin and Hiram's ongoing discussion indicates that the external evidence doesn't conclusively exclude either account; I'm nowhere near familiar enough with that evidence to apply it well.

Edit: Say, complementary true-enough accounts in the manner Hiram proposes, for example-- Stephen Schneider ALAMO | The Handbook of Texas Online| Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) Site ALAMO Painting, Dawn at the Alamo, by Henry Arthur McArdle, hanging in the Senate Chamber of the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas. Courtesy of the Library of Congress . Image available on the Internet and included in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 . Mission San Antonio de Valero (later known as the Alamo). Courtesy of Texas Highways and Texas A&M University. Image available on the Internet and included in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. ALAMO. San Antonio de Valero Mission (originally referred to as San Antonio de Padua) was authorized by the viceroy of Mexico in 1716.

Fray Antonio de Olivares , who brought with him Indian converts and the records from San Francisco Solano Mission near San Juan Bautista on the Rio Grande, established the mission at the site of present San Antonio in 1718 and named it San Antonio de Valero in honor of Saint Anthony de Padua and the Duke of Valero, the Spanish viceroy. The present site was selected in 1724; the cornerstone of the chapel was laid on May 8, 1744. Founded for the purpose of Christianizing and educating the Indians, the mission later became a fortress and was the scene of many conflicts prior to the siege of 1836. Its activity as a mission began to wane after 1765, and it was abandoned in 1793, the archives being removed to nearby San Fernando Church. In 1803 the Second Flying Company of San Carlos de Parras , a company of Spanish soldiers from Álamo de Parras, Coahuila, Mexico, occupied the abandoned mission, using its buildings as barracks for a number of years.From this association probably originated the name Alamo.

Layout of the Alamo Mission prior to the Battle of the Alamo on March 2, 1836. Courtesy of the Portal to Texas History . Image available on the Internet and included in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 . According to some historians, the name was derived from a grove of cottonwood trees growing on the banks of the acequia, álamo being the Spanish word for "cottonwood." The Alamo was occupied by Mexican forces almost continuously from 1803 to December 1835, when the fortress under Gen. Martín Perfecto de Cos was surrendered to Texan forces. Fall of the Alamo, by Theodore Gentilz. Courtesy of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission . Image available on the Internet and included in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 . On February 23, 1836, Mexican forces under the command of Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna besieged Col. William B. Travis and his Texas garrison in the Alamo.

The siege of the Alamo lasted thirteen days and was climaxed on March 6 with a complete loss of all the combatant Texans (see ALAMO, BATTLE OF THE ). Sketch, Conjectural view of the Alamo in Ruins (circa 1845) by John A. Beckmann in 1895. Issued on a souvenir photograph by J. Eckerskorn of San Antonio. Courtesy of the DRT Library and Texas A&M University . Image available on the Internet and included in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 . After the fall of the Alamo, the building was practically in ruins, but no attempt was made at that time to restore it. The Republic of Texas , on January 13, 1841, passed an act returning the church of the Alamo to the Catholic Church . After Texas was annexed to the United States, it was declared that the Alamo was property of the United States, and in 1848 the United States government took over the building and grounds and until the Civil War used them for quartermaster purposes.

For some time the Alamo was claimed by the city of San Antonio, the Catholic Church, and the United States government. The United States government finally leased the property from the Catholic Church and made some improvements. During the Civil War the Confederates used the building, but after the close of the war the United States government again took over and used it until 1876. Ruins of the Alamo (circa 1920). Courtesy of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission . Image available on the Internet and included in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 . Under an act of April 23, 1883, Texas purchased from the church the Alamo property and placed the Alamo in the custody of the city of San Antonio on condition that the city should care for the building and pay a custodian for that purpose.This system continued until January 25, 1905, when the Texas legislature passed a resolution ordering the governor to purchase that part of the old Alamo fortress occupied by a business concern.

It was further ordered that the governor should deliver the property thus acquired, with the property then owned by the state (the chapel of the Alamo), to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas . Doorway to the Alamo, an 18th-century mission church in San Antonio, Texas. Courtesy of the Library of Congress . Image available on the Internet and included in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 . A controversy over custody of the Alamo developed between the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and the De Zavala chapter of that organization at San Antonio, and for a time there was a controversy between the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and Governor O. B. Colquitt concerning restoration. Several appropriations for funds to improve the Alamo have been made, the largest being in connection with the celebration of the Texas Centennial . In the 1990s the Alamo was in custody of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and remained the center of disputes over the custody, presentation, and boundaries of the site. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Frederick Charles Chabot, The Alamo: Mission, Fortress and Shrine (San Antonio: Lenke, 1935).

Anne A. Fox, Archaeological Observations at Alamo Plaza (Center for Archaeological Research, University of Texas at San Antonio, 1977). Anna B. Story, The Alamo from Its Founding to 1937 (M.A. thesis, University of Texas, 1938). Henry Ryder Taylor, History of the Alamo and of Local Franciscan Missions (San Antonio: N. Tengg, 1908). Amelia W. Williams Texas Texas Other Cities Texas is one of the United States Central Southwest states. It borders Mexico on the southwest and the Gulf of Mexico on the southeast. To the west is New Mexico, to the north and northeast lie Oklahoma and Arkansas, and Louisiana bounds Texas on the east. Austin, is the capital of Texas. Houston is the largest city. Texas is the size of Ohio, Indiana, and all the New England and Middle Atlantic states combined, and its vast area encompasses forests, mountains, deserts and dry plains, and a long, humid, subtropical coastal lowland. Texas's wealth of mineral resources is almost unequaled among the other states. Its rapid economic development stimulated by these resources and its vast size have made Texas an American legend.

Oil wells, chemicals, ranches, and cattle have played a major part in that legend. For more than 100 years, Texas was part of the Spanish Empire in America. When Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, Texas was for a while joined to Mexico. The section from San Antonio southward retains the flavor of the Hispano-Mexican period in its architecture, foods, and festivals. Texas was an independent republic until it joined the Union on December 29, 1845, as the 28th state. Its single-star flag dates from its independent period and has given Texas the nickname the Lone Star State. Texas can be divided into four natural regions, or physiographic provinces: the Gulf Coastal Plain, the Central Lowland, the Basin and Range province, and the Great Plains. The Gulf Coastal Plain, a subdivision of the Coastal Plain, makes up most of eastern and southern Texas and occupies more than one-third of the state. Near the coast this region is mostly flat and low-lying. It rises gradually to 300 m (1,000 ft) farther inland, where the land becomes more rolling.

Belts of low hills cross the Gulf Coastal Plain in many areas. In these higher areas the stream valleys are deeper and sharper than those along the coast. The Central Lowland, a subdivision of the Interior Plains, occupies much of north-central Texas. The section of the Central Lowland in Texas is known as the Osage Plains. The land in this region has elevations ranging from 500 ft in the east to 2,600 ft on the western edge. Several belts of low hills cross the Central Lowland, running in a north-to-south direction. The Basin and Range province, a subdivision of the Intermontane Plateaus, lies to the west of the Great Plains in the extreme western part of Texas. Running through the central part of this region are several rugged mountain ranges. Between the mountain ridges and to the west of them are high dry basins or plateaus. The Basin and Range province in Texas is divided into two sections, the Mexican Highland and the Sacramento section. The Sacramento section has more extensive plateaus than the Mexican Highland, and contains the highest point in Texas, Guadalupe Peak, at 8,749 ft above sea level.

The Great Plains, also a subdivision of the Interior Plains, extends over most of northern and central Texas. The part of the Great Plains that occupies northern Texas, or the Panhandle, is called the High Plains. Another name for this area is Llano Estacado, or Staked Plain. The elevation of the High Plains ranges from 2,500 ft to more than 4,000 ft. The land is flat, except for a few eroded river valleys. The southern part of the Great Plains in Texas can be divided into the Edwards Plateau and the Central Texas section. The Edwards Plateau is generally level and differs from the rest of the Great Plains in that it is underlaid with hard limestone, rather than with softer and more porous rock. The Central Texas section, which is hillier and rockier than the rest of the Great Plains in Texas, is often called the Hill Country. The eastern edge of the Edwards Plateau and of the Central Texas section is marked by the long ridge known as the Balcones Escarpment. It divides these regions from the lower Gulf Coastal Plain.

Two small subdivisions of the Great Plains are seen in Texas, the Pecos Valley in the southwest and the Plains Border in the northeastern corner of the Panhandle. The Pecos Valley is mostly flat and rocky. The Plains Border is level or gently rolling. Some Texas Rivers Texas is the second largest state in the nation, after Alaska, and has an area of 267,277 sq mi, including 4,959 sq mi of inland water and 404 sq mi of coastal water over which it has jurisdiction. Extending for 770 miles from east to west and for 800 miles from north to south, the state comprises 7 percent of the land area of the United States. The mean elevation is 1,700 ft. Texas's largest river is the R�o Grande, which flows southeastward for 1,300 miles along the border between Texas and Mexico. The R�o Grande carries little water during most of the year, but floods occur after periods of heavy rain. The principal rivers that flow across the central part of the state from the Great Plains or Central Lowland to the Gulf of Mexico are the Colorado, the Trinity, and Brazos rivers.

The Colorado River is particularly important because it has been dammed to form several large artificial lakes. Two other large rivers are the Red River, which forms most of the boundary between Texas and Oklahoma, and the Sabine River, which marks part of the border between Texas and Louisiana. Shorter rivers that flow across the Gulf Coastal Plain include the Nueces, the San Antonio, the Guadalupe, the Lavaca, and the San Jacinto. Most of the large lakes in Texas have been formed by dams. Among the largest natural lakes in the state is Caddo Lake, along the Louisiana border. Caddo Lake is not a single open body of water, but a winding network of channels and inlets. Large artificial lakes include Lake Texoma, on the Red River; Toledo Bend Reservoir, on the Sabine River; and Sam Rayburn Reservoir, on a tributary of the Neches River. Texas has a coastline of 367 miles along the Gulf of Mexico. However, long narrow islands called barrier islands extend along most of the coast; if the shoreline of all the islands and bays is taken into account, the coastline is 3,359 miles long.

Between most of the barrier islands and the mainland are shallow lagoons. The largest island along the coast is dune-filled Padre Island , most of which has been made a National Seashore. Climate Eastern Texas has a humid subtropical climate, while a semiarid low latitude climate prevails in central areas, and an arid low latitude climate in the extreme west. Along the coast the climate is much milder, with fewer extremes in temperatures. Hurricanes sometimes hit the coastal areas of Texas from late July through September, and tornadoes are common in north-central Texas in April and May. Summers are hot throughout the state, and temperatures exceeding 95� F are relatively common. Average July temperatures range from 82� to 86� F over most of Texas. Winters are generally mild, except in the extreme northern parts of the state. The coldest winter weather is brought by north winds, called northers, that sweep down the Great Plains. The winds get warmer as they pass over the state, however, and by the time they reach the coast, temperatures are generally above freezing. Average January temperatures range from 60� F in the extreme south to 34� F in the northern Panhandle.

Precipitation in Texas decreases steadily from east to west. Along the Texas-Louisiana border almost 55 inches of rain falls each year. The central part of the state has 25 inches of precipitation, and the extreme western part of the state has less than 10 inches. Rainfall is generally greatest during the summer. Snow is fairly uncommon in Texas, except in the higher mountains and in the High Plains. The growing season, or the period between the last killing frost in spring and the first killing frost in fall, ranges from 320 days along the coast to 180 days in the Panhandle. In most of the state the first killing frost in fall comes in about the middle of November and the last hard frost in spring occurs toward the end of March. Much of eastern Texas and the Gulf Coastal Plain has red and yellow soils that are mostly sandy and reasonably productive with the proper use of fertilizers. Parts of the Gulf Coastal Plain and central Texas section have soils based on weathered decayed limestone. This limestone, with its thick cover of native grasses, has formed a rich, nearly black soil. It is one of the best types of farming soil in Texas, although it becomes hard when dry.

When wet, it becomes gummy and difficult to plow. Many of the soils of southern Texas are rich, especially along the lower R�o Grande, which has fertile alluvial soils. However, the soils in this area are often not productive because of scanty rainfall. Most of the High Plains has rich reddish-chestnut soils that are productive with adequate water. Farther south, the Edwards Plateau has thin, poor soils. Most of the land in this area is used for grazing livestock. The Basin and Range province has some fertile alluvial soils in the river valleys of the Pecos and the R�o Grande. In most other parts of the area the soil is too salty for farming. Texas's vegetation changes gradually from east to west as the climate becomes more arid. Forests cover just 9 percent of the state's land area. Eastern Texas has forests largely made up of loblolly pines and shortleaf pines. The undergrowth of these forests usually includes several types of ferns. West of the pinewoods is an area of mixed pine and hardwood forests called the post oak belt. Several kinds of oaks, as well as sweetgums, hickories, and elms, grow there.

Farther west the forests are thinner and the trees smaller. Mistletoe, a parasitic plant, often grows on the trees of this region. Much of central Texas is grassland, with thickets of junipers known as "cedar breaks." Southern Texas and parts of the Great Plains are mainly grasslands, with clumps of mesquite trees. The mesquite is highly efficient in extracting water and minerals from the soil and therefore grows well in arid climates. The most common grasses are the big bluestem, found in the less arid regions, and the little bluestem. Some parts of western Texas have desert vegetation. The plants in this region generally have few leaves and flower only in moist seasons. They send their roots far into the earth to gather as much water as possible. Some, such as the cacti, have thick spongy tissues that store water. The higher elevations of western Texas have some fir and pine trees. The fields and roadsides of central Texas have many colorful wildflowers, especially in late spring.

Among the most notable wildflowers are the bluebonnet, which is the state flower; the Indian paintbrush; and the prickly pear, a type of cactus that is common in dry areas and that bears large yellow flowers on the edges of its thorny leaves. GAnimal Life Texas's wild animals have been greatly reduced in number by settlement and by extensive hunting and trapping. The white-tailed deer is by far the most important game animal. There are also many coyotes, which live mostly in the rough country of southwestern Texas. Other large animals still occasionally found include pronghorn antelope, cougar, and black bear. Smaller animals include the rabbit, squirrel, skunk, and raccoon. The prairie dog, a rodent that once existed in huge colonies on the prairies, has become relatively scarce. Two unusual Texas animals are the nine-banded armadillo, a small slow-moving creature with a scaly shell-like skin, and the peccary, or javelina, which resembles a small pig. Texas has a variety of reptiles. Probably the best known is the western diamondback rattlesnake, one of the most dangerous poisonous snakes.

Other poisonous snakes in Texas include the coral snake, the copperhead, and the cottonmouth. There are more than 85 species of nonpoisonous snakes in the state. Many alligators live in the lakes, rivers, and bayous of eastern and coastal Texas, and there are several kinds of turtles. Small reptiles include a variety of lizards, notably the horned lizard. Texas's birdlife is the most varied of any state. Among the best-known birds that live in Texas all year is the mockingbird, which is the state bird. Jays, wrens, woodpeckers, sparrows, and titmice are common in the eastern and central parts of Texas. Among the large migratory birds that winter in Texas, especially around the lakes and lagoons of the Gulf Coast, are many species of ducks and geese, as well as the nearly extinct whooping crane, a great white bird that stands about 5 ft tall and whose numbers are slowly recovering through rigid protection. Birds found in the interior of Texas include the wild turkey and the roadrunner. A few golden eagles live in the mountains of the Basin and Range province. Fish are plentiful in the waters off the Texas coast.

Commercial marine catch includes shrimp, crab, oyster, snapper, flounder, and drumfish. Among the most popular saltwater game fish are the tarpon and sea-trout. Of the freshwater fish caught in Texas the most common are catfish, bass, and sunfish. Texas's most serious environmental problem is the establishment of an adequate supply of water. More than 200 reservoirs are maintained for water supply, recreation, flood control, and irrigation. Underground water supplies are also widely used for irrigation. Soil conservation and the protection of Texas's wildlife are also of primary concern. There are state organizations, notably Texas Parks and Wildlife Department , as well as federal agencies involved in Texas's conservation program. Soil conservation in the state is carried out by 212 soil conservation districts, which cover about 99 percent of the state's total land area. Among the various soil conservation projects are the reseeding of grasses and rangelands to control wind and water erosion, the terracing of croplands in hilly areas, and the rotation of crops in areas where the fertility of the soil has been impaired by extensive growing of a single crop.

The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission is the major state agency involved in controlling environmental pollution. In 1998 the state had 32 hazardous waste sites on a national priority list for cleanup due to their severity or proximity to people. Progress was being made in efforts to reduce pollution; in the period 1988-1995 the amount of toxic chemicals discharged into the environment was reduced by 38 percent. Many recreational and scenic attractions are found in Texas. There are tall pine forests in the eastern part of the state, rugged mountains and colorful deserts in the southwest, and interesting historic landmarks in such cities as San Antonio. In about 350 places the Texas landscape has been altered with artificially created lakes. The lakes have greatly expanded the facilities for fishing and all kinds of other water sports. Hunting is a popular seasonal sport in all parts of Texas, particularly in the central and southern sections, where deer and other wildlife abound. Boating, bathing, and deep-sea fishing draw large numbers of visitors to the winter resorts along the lower Gulf Coast. Other winter vacation centers have been developed in the Lower R�o Grande Valley between Brownsville and Mission.

These cities are gateways to Mexico, as are Laredo, Del Rio, and El Paso. Noted for its rugged scenery and beautiful wild flowers, Big Bend National Park along the R�o Grande, is a major tourist attraction. A relatively recent addition to the national park system is Padre Island, a barrier island 110 miles long and linked by causeway with Corpus Christi. About 80 miles of beach has been included in Padre Island National Seashore. Another park is the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in the southwest. National recreation areas provide access to Amisdad Reservoir on the R�o Grande and Lake Meredith on the Canadian River. The National Park Service administers several important historic sites in Texas . The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park preserves four Spanish missions built during the 18th century. An important post in the l9th-century defensive system of West Texas is contained in the Fort Davis National Historic Site . The Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park in Johnson City and Stonewall includes the birthplace, boyhood home, and ranch of Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th U.S. President .

Four national forests, Sabine, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, and Angelina , all in eastern Texas, offer recreational facilities. Agencies of the federal government also administer a national preserve, five national grasslands, and 14 national wildlife refuges. Aransas-Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuge, north of Rockport, is the winter home of the only flock of Canadian-nesting whooping cranes in the world. State Parks State-protected lands include more than 110 state parks and five state forests. Palo Duro State Park, one of the largest state parks, covers 15,000 acres in the High Plains. Water sports may be enjoyed at Caddo Lake, Atlanta, Possum Kingdom, Lake Whitney, and many other state parks, and bay fishing is available at Goose Island State Park. A number of state parks preserve the missions, forts, and historic buildings of Texas. In San Antonio is the famous mission-fortress known as the Alamo. Several historic sites associated with the Republic of Texas are included in Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park.

East of Houston the San Jacinto Monument commemorates the defeat of the Mexican general Antonio L�pez de Santa Anna in 1836, during the Texas Revolution. Other state historic parks include such sites as the Port Isabel Lighthouse; the Fannin Battleground, near Goliad; and the birthplace of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in Denison. The large meteor crater near Odessa is one of the few known meteor sites in the United States. Once a prosperous mercury-mining town, Terlingua is one of Texas's ghost towns. The W. J. McDonald Observatory on Mount Locke is operated by the University of Texas. The earliest version of the rodeo is supposed to have taken place in Pecos in 1884. Most Texas events combine rodeos and barbecues with elements of the Spanish fiesta. These colorful events include Laredo's Washington Birthday Celebration , a ten-day fiesta celebrated jointly with residents across the border in Mexico; and Brownsville's costume festival, known as Charro Days , held during the week before Lent. Fiesta San Antonio spans ten days in late April.

This major event includes art exhibitions, coronation of King Antonio, pilgrimage to the Alamo, concerts, band festivals, and three parades. Many Texas festivals are associated with livestock auctions and state fairs. More than 600,000 cattle move through Texas's largest livestock auction, in Amarillo . The State Fair of Texas, held in Dallas during the fall , draws more than three million people annually. Traditional fair exhibits include prize livestock and horse show performances, and a huge midway. Livestock events draw more crowds to the East Texas Fair in late September, in Tyler . Some annual events have a sports and recreation emphasis . A series of fishing competitions, including tarpon, billfish, and surf fishing tournaments, occupy Port Aransas from June to September. The July Hot Air Balloonfest in Mesquite attracts thousands of pilots and onlookers from all over the United States for the aircraft flyovers, parachute jumps, arts, crafts, and musical entertainment. The activities of Dallas's Cotton Bowl Week commence late in December and are climaxed by the New Year's Day football game. Other festivals in the state highlight the arts.

The Houston International Festival each April celebrates the performing and visual arts with a ten-day outdoor festival of multicultural music, dance, arts and crafts, and food. Texas's dramatic scenery serves as the backdrop for outdoor drama in several cities. Galveston brings musicals to life at Galveston Island Outdoor Musicals ; the spectacular Franklin Mountains are the backdrop for open-air McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater near El Paso . The Battle of the Alamo | TSLAC Click on image for larger image and transcript. William Barret Travis' Letter from the Alamo, 1836 At the Alamo in San Antonio, then called Bejar, 150 Texas rebels led by William Barret Travis made their stand against Santa Anna's vastly superior Mexican army. On the second day of the siege, February 24, 1836, Travis called for reinforcements with this heroic message: I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism, and everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid with all dispatch. ... VICTORY OR DEATH. The Battle of the Alamo Image: William Barret Travis.

From October 1835, Texans in the field had succeeded in most of their military campaigns. The cannon at Gonzales remained, smaller military units surrendered and then retired to Mexico, and Bexar finally gave way after a two-month siege. When Martin Perfecto de Cos and his men retreated from Bexar in December 1835, Texas had eliminated the last of the Mexican garrisons. Most of the volunteers returned to their homes, convinced the war was over. The provisional government, split by internal quarrels over the objectives of the war, failed to supply the men in the field adequately. What little remained of the munitions and supplies were further subject to confiscation by commanders proposing buccaneering expeditions to Matamoros. By January, the small body of men commanded by James C. Neill were reduced to about 100. They were supplemented by some twenty-five volunteers commanded by James Bowie. William Barrett Travis arrived on February 3 with thirty men from the regular army, ordered there by Governor Henry Smith. In spite of engineer Green B. Jameson's belief that the Alamo was indefensible, both Neill and Bowie saw the fortress as a strategic post, particularly because of its armament.

Houston, on the other hand, preferred to avoid fixed fortifications, and ordered Bowie, subject to Henry Smith's approval, to blow up the building. When James C. Neill left the city a few days later to deal with illness in his family, he left Travis in command. Bowie, however, as commander of the volunteers, refused to accept orders from a regular army officer. A divisive contest was avoided when Bowie became ill and was forced to accept the arrangement. Image: D. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Santa Anna crossed the Rio Grande on February 12, and - a month earlier than expected - he arrived outside Bexar on February 23. Travis dispatched a note to Gonzales calling for reinforcements and numbering the defenders at 150. The next day he wrote his Letter from the Alamo , probably the best known of all Texas documents. Reinforcements under Captain Albert Martin arrived from Gonzales on March 1. With the arrival of the last of Santa Anna's forces, Travis was able to send out only one last appeal on March 3.

Again, he echoed the determination of the fortress to withstand surrender: "A blood red banner waves from the church of Bejar, and in the camp above us, in token that the war is one of vengeance against rebels: they have declared us as such, and demanded that we should surrender at discretion, or that this garrison should be put to the sword. Their threats have had no influence on me, or my men, but to make all fight with desperation, and that high souled courage which characterizes the patriot, who is willing to die in defence of his country's liberty and his own honor.." After the battle, the Texan bodies were burned. The pyre was constructed about three o'clock in the afternoon of March 6, and was lighted about five according to Francisco Antonio Ruiz, who went on to report: "The gallantry of the few Texans who defended the Alamo was really wondered at by the Mexican army. Even the generals were astonished at their vigorous resistance, and how dearly victory was bought..The men (Texans) burnt were one hundred and eighty-two.

I was an eyewitness, for as alcalde of San Antonio, I was with some of the neighbors, collecting the dead bodies and placing them on the funeral pyre." After the fall of the Alamo in 1836, the church and buildings were largely abandoned. The government of the Republic returned the chapel to the Catholic Church, but after annexation, the U.S. Government claimed it again for military use. In the ensuing years, both U.S. and Confederate forces used the building to house quartermaster stores and munitions. The U.S. Army continued to lease the property until 1876. Bishop John Claud Neraz's offer to sell the Alamo in 1882 was made to Frank W. Johnson, first president of the Texas Veterans' Association. He, in turn, passed the information on to the governor with a recommendation that the State purchase the building. On April 23, 1883, the Texas legislature passed an act authorizing the purchase of the Alamo . Money from the sale went to complete a new chancery building for the San Antonio diocese.

Image: Fall of the Alamo, by Theodore Gentilz Related Battle of the Alamo topics from this online exhibit: Bracketville, TX - Alamo Village (Closed) Results 1 to 5 of 5... Visitor Tips and News About Alamo Village Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters . Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip . Alamo Village According to a report on the Associated Press, 74-year old businessman David Jones wants to buy the long-closed Alamo Village movie set and reopen it as a Texas-style Old West theme park, similar to Old Tucson in Arizona. Jones estimates it will cost $8 million to buy the 400-acre site ("the world's largest movie set") and fix up its crumbling buildings, including a replica of the battle-battered Alamo built by John Wayne in the late 1950s. The news story reported that Jones was "close" to raising the money, and eager to rehabilitate the property for tourists. Alamo Village operated as an occasional movie set and tourist attraction (gunfights were performed in the street).

Since closing in 2010, however, the former Hollywood destination has mostly been used for hunting and cattle grazing. [RoadsideAmerica.com Team, 12/31/2014] Alamo Village - Closed Alamo Village, Inc. issued this statement on August 28, 2010: "After a valiant attempt to keep Alamo Village available to visitors on a limited basis, the family has made the painful decision to close it permanently. This will be effective immediately. "After being totally closed to the public on July 1, 2009, due to the death of owner and rancher Virginia Webb Shahan, Alamo Village was re-opened in March [2010] on a reduced schedule. This was in response to constant requests from travelers and buffs wishing to photograph the sets, walk the famous streets and stand on the ramparts of John Wayne's Alamo. The statement closes with: "Family and management alike wish to thank all those who have contributed their hearts, talents and hard work to Alamo Village over the past fifty years." [Kevin Young, 08/31/2010] Alamo Village Well it's closed until further notice.

We drove 115 miles from San Antonio (one way) to this site and found the gates locked and the open sign still up. We met a Border Patrol agent and he said that it was closed for a while. Then spoke to a Ranger at the Alamo, and found out the owner had died and the wife had died, and now the family doesn't know if they are going to keep it open or close it forever. This is what I was told, anyway. If you do go, make sure if you are a green card carrying person you bring your green card. There are numerous check points and border patrol doing their jobs out there. [Leif Anderson, 08/17/2009] Would be a shame if it closes for good. It's a long-lived Texas attraction. Alamo Village Alamo Village was the first movie location built in the state of Texas; visitors are welcome to watch filming and walk around the Village where crews are not filming. Alamo Village features the world's only replica of the 1836 Alamo mission/fortress.

The movie set built for John Wayne's epic movie "The Alamo," the authentically replicated adobe mission and town took almost two years to complete. It's like you've stepped back in time. Within a seven mile radius many "real" and "reel" heroes have lived, died and played: Richard Widmark, James Stewart, Dean Martin, Drew Barrymore, Shirley Jones, and Raquel Welch, etc. Alamo Village features the John Wayne Museum, Country & Wagon Museum, and 27 other buildings and interiors that have been used in films. Alamo Village is a complete town with jail, church, bank, blacksmith shop, stables, 2 stores (Indian store and trading post). Take home a souvenir picture or book on John Wayne or the Old West, or a coonskin cap or cap gun. Several "in character" people wander the streets to greet you and talk about Alamo Village and just answer your questions. Four shows a day (10:30, 12:30, 2:30, 4:30) include a live tribute to Cowboy Music show in the Cantina, followed by a rip-roaring gunfight in the street.

[Virginia Shahan, 07/23/2008] John Wayne's Alamo Movie Set The set for the movie The Alamo, starring John Wayne, was built in the 1950's by Wayne. It was also used for the filming of Lonesome Dove. There are shows from Memorial Day until Labor Day, including old west shootouts, etc. It is well worth the 125 miles (or so) from San Antonio to see this attraction. 72 movies, 6 documentaries, 6 music videos and 13 commercials have been filmed here so far. Some of the movies include "Arrowhead" - Charleton Heston, "Two Rode Together" - Jimmy Stewart and Richard Widmark, and "Bandolero" - Raquel Welch. One side of the town was created specifically for John Wayne and his movies, and the other side was created for other filming endeavors.

[Lindy Housson, 03/29/2005] Known for a long time as "Alamo Village Vacationland" (we dug this old logo out of our files), the movie set is on the Shahan HV Ranch, about two hours west of the real Alamo, 40 miles or so from the Mexican border. It was built in 1957-59 and used in the John Wayne epic version of The Alamo -- the battle-battered facade is easily recognized. Today Alamo Village continues to operate as a tourist attraction and occasional movie set. On July 4th weekend, "Re-enactors, Living History, Cowboy Shooters, And Plain Old Bad Guys And Gals Will Be Shooting It Out On The Streets Of Alamo Village In The Annual Gunfighters Competition. Don't Worry -- Only Blanks Are Used." Latest Tips Across Roadside America Catch up on the latest discoveries from the road . Explore Thousands of Oddball Tourist Attractions! Unique destinations in the U.S. and Canada are our special obsession. Use our attraction recommendation and maps to plan your next road trip. January 20, 2017

Question: In which city in Texas is the fortress known as 'The Alamo', to be found?
Answer: SAN ANTONIO