The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 66, July 1962 - April, 1963 Page: 82

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

In the royal presidio of San Antonio de Bexar, March 9, 1731, I,
Don Juan Antonio Prez de Almazin, captain of the said presidio,
do declare that I have received the preceding eight page order, issued
on the day named by the Marquis of Casafuerte, viceroy, governor, and
captain-general of New Spain, and that, being informed of its tenor
and form, I order that it be punctually and exactly fulfilled. In order
that it may become a matter of record, I sign it with two attesting
witnesses due to the lack of a notary in this place. ... Juan Antonio
PCrez de Almazin. Sevastiln de Monarriz. Antonio de Espronceda. ...
In compliance with the said superior order, I, the said judge, imme-
diately thereafter took under consideration the conditions existing at
this time and the impediments which prevented the immediate selec-
tion, examination, measurements, construction, and other things
ordered to be done in connection with the establishment of the Villa
de San Fernando for the families of the Islanders at the spot and
location named and designated in the said superior order. These are:
1st, the land to the west of the presidio, the spot designated for the
location of the said villa, has no facilities for irrigation, and to pro-
vide them for these families would take time and money-though it
can be done; 2nd, the present season is the time of year for preparing
the ground for planting corn-and this is absolutely necessary for
the maintenance of the families; and 3rd, I have arranged and ordered
that the said Islanders and their families be accommodated in the
homes of the soldiers and citizens of this presidio where, for the
present, they are as comfortable as could be expected.
The following sections of the report are signed by Perez de
Almazin. Writing on March i , he told of his investigation of
the head of the Arroyo (San Pedro Springs), and of the decision
reached with the heads of the most important families to appor-
tion the land suitable for cultivation at once, and to postpone the
survey and permanent distribution of the land until more time
was available for that task. Three days later he wrote again re-
counting the examination of the lands between the San Pedro and
the San Antonio River which were suitable for irrigation, and the
manner in which these lands were temporarily distributed by
drawing lots. While still without title to the plots assigned, the
families were charged to plow the lands which were clear, to clear
other portions, and to set about the planting of a crop with the
greatest speed possible.
On June 30o, 1731, the presidio captain reported to the viceroy
that as a result of his appeal to the sixteen families to exert them-
selves to the fullest in planting crops,