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The Alamo Facts

The Alamo Facts
The Alamo today is a museum in the Alamo Plaza District, located in downtown San Antonio, Texas. However, originally it was a Roman Catholic mission called Mission San Antonio de Valero that later became the site of the Battle of the Alamo. This battle that took place in 1836 made the Alamo famous. The Alamo was built in the 1700s by the Spanish Empire as a place to educate the local Native Americans about Christianity. The mission became a non-religious compound in 1793 and was abandoned very soon afterwards. In approximately1803 a Mexican Army group that called themselves the Second Flying Company of San Carlos de Parras took over the abandoned fortress to use for their base. It was later surrendered to the Texan Army subsequently became the site of the Battle of the Alamo.
Interesting The Alamo Facts:
The Alamo was originally called Mission San Antonio de Valero.
It was built as a fortress style compound and mission.
It's believed the name the Alamo came to be due to the Second Flying Company of San Carlos when they took over the abandoned mission.
In 1835 the general of the Mexican soldiers surrendered the mission to the Texan Army.
In 1836, Mexican soldiers attacked the Alamo and most of the soldiers of the Texan Army were killed. The Mexican soldiers stayed for a while, but eventually left Texas.
After the Texas Revolution which ended in 1848, the Mexicans retreated. Before they left they destroyed many of the walls and buildings of the Alamo.
The buildings that survived were used as housing for soldiers until it was abandoned in 1876.
The state of Texas purchased the Alamo chapel but did not restore it.
It was then sold and used as a whole sale grocery store.
A group that called themselves the Daughters of the Republic of Texas convinced the government to buy the Alamo in 1905 so it could be restored.
After a court battle over who would oversee the restoration, the state took control and restoration began in 1912.
Later in 1912 the site was given back to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and has remained in their custody ever since.
At one time there were as many as 30 adobe buildings in the Mission San Antonio de Valero (later the Alamo) complex.
The mission was built strong enough to help defend against Comanche and Apache natives.
The Alamo chapel was constructed of blocks of limestone. It is approximately 30 feet tall and 60 feet wide.
During construction of the Alamo it collapsed. All that was left were the walls. The roof and towers that had been in the original plans were never finished.
Alamo is the Spanish word for cottonwood.
The first stone of the Alamo was laid in 1744.
There is a keystone at the top of the arch in the doorway that has the date 1758.
Today the Alamo is a public monument and is considered to be a shrine to the heroes who tried to defend it in the Battle of the Alamo.


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