Mission Espada

San Antonio has many interesting sites that we who live here take for granted. This past week I was able to revisit Mission San Francisco de la Espada, or just Mission Espada, for most of us. It was established on March 5, 1731 by Spanish Franciscan missionaries and had about 200 people. Many of the Coahuiltecan Indians which were hunter and gathers came to the mission because the missions had a lot to offer such as food, shelter and a way for them to survive. Our guide, Ranger Tom Castano, talked to us a lot about the water system that basically established the city we live in today. The acequia is the water supply that was brought from the San Antonio River, which is 56 miles long and 20 miles wide, down to the mission in order for them to grow crops. The acequia channels are miniature versions of dams. Sloe scats which are dug in the acequias are exit trenches all over the mission fields. The Espada Dam still brings river water to the acequia madre (the mother ditch) today. Today this system is still in place but not used for farming because of the fact that the soil is not rich in the nutrients it once had. The way the roads are built today on the South side are because of the water system that was created back in the 1730's because land wasn't given out in perfect little square but in abnormal shapes and sizes that when the city came and wanted the land for roads only got the end of each property. It was interesting to learn all these facts and it is going to be great to learn many more about the city I call home.