From the Annals of Spanish Colonial Government – In 1716, Martín de Alarcon was re-appointed Spanish governor of Coahuila and Texas. Alarcón was first appointed governor of the Spanish provinces of Coahuila and Texas in 1705 when there were no active Spanish settlements in Texas.  The last of the original Catholic missions in East Texas had been abandoned in 1699.  After his re-appointment, in the spring of 1718, Alarcon led a party of 72 settlers across the Rio Grande which resulted in the founding of San Antonio de Valero mission and San Antonio de Béxar presidio. Alarcon is credited as being the founder of San Antonio which was by far the most important town in Spanish Texas.  Alarcón also traveled to East Texas to re-provision and inspect the newly built missions and to quell the incursion of the French into the area.  Alarcon’s tenure was short as he was relieved of his gubernatorial duties in the fall of 1719.

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