There is so much to say about the state of Texas that I am going
to limit my lnformation to San Antonio, a city I have visited and a
place where a number of my relatives live.
San Antonio is the second-largest city in the state of Texas and
the seventh-largest city in the United States with a population of
1.3 million. The city is characteristic of other Southwest urban
centers in which there are sparsely populated areas and a low
density rate outside of the city. It was the fourth-fastest growing
large city in the nation from 2000 to 2006 and the
fifth-fastest-growing from 2007 to 2008. The San Antonio–New
Braunfels metropolitan area has a population of 2 million based on
the 2008 U.S. Census estimate, making it the 28th-largest
metropolitan area in the U.S and third in Texas.
The city was named for the Portuguese St. Anthony, whose feast day
is on June 13, when a Spanish expedition stopped in the area in
1691. Famous for Spanish missions, the Alamo, the River Walk, the
Tower of the Americas, the Alamo Bowl, and host to Seaworld and Six
Flags Fiesta Texas theme parks, the city is visited by
approximately 26 million tourists per year according to the San
Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau. The city is home to the
four-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs and the annual San Antonio
Stock Show & Rodeo, one of the largest in the country.
San Antonio has a strong military presence. It is home to Fort Sam
Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base, and
Brooks City-Base, with Camp Bullis and Camp Stanley outside the
city. Kelly Air Force Base operated out of San Antonio until 2001,
when the airfield was transferred over to Lackland AFB and the
remaining portions of the base became Port San Antonio, an
industrial/business park. San Antonio is home to five Fortune 500
companies and to the South Texas Medical Center, the only medical
research and care provider in the South Texas region.
Everyone knows about the Alamo in San Antonio, but how many know
that the oldest park in Texas is in this River City?
San Pedro (Springs) Park was created in 1729 when King Philip V of
Spain declared the land surrounding San Pedro Springs to be public.
San Pedro Park is the second oldest park in the United States
following the oldest which is Boston Commons.
Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares, a Franciscan missionary
arrived in this area in 1709 with an expedition. He became
interested in the land and Indians here and built a mission ( which
was later moved two more times and known as San Antonio de Valero )
just west of this area. This was the first establishment of San
Antonio's permanent European settlers.
San Pedro Springs Park has a very historic and colorful past. It
was used in 1856 by the US Army as a temporary camel stable when
they were experimenting with the use of these animals in south
Texas. During the Civil War Confederate soldiers used the Park as a
POW camp. It took more than 100 years after being declared a public
land for this area to transform into a park like
atmosphere.
About the cache: Should be straightforward, Pardner! Bring
something to write with.