SAN ANTONIO – An exhibit of original Spanish documents that tell the story of the 17th and 18th-century Spanish colonial exploration and settlement of Bexar County is on display for the next four months at the former Federal Reserve Bank Building that houses the Presidio Gallery behind the Bexar County Courthouse.
The exhibit, "Nuestra Historia - Our History: Spain in Bexar County," displays 10 documents, maps and a painting on loan from the Archivo General de Indias in Seville, Spain.
"The documents tell this story that I think is very relatable today," Sarah Gould, a researcher at the Institute, said. "It's a story of essentially government bureaucrats trying to do their jobs and trying to do it well. They documented everything. About the challenges they are facing, talking about their accomplishments and talking about what their hopes are for the future of this settlement."
Gould said the exhibit gives San Antonians the opportunity to celebrate the past while looking to the future.
"It becomes a culture that is both Spanish as well as indigenous," Gould said. "Some of what you see in the exhibit will explain that. What happens is that nobody really becomes Spanish. In fact, what happens is they become this new Texas culture."
"Nuestra Historia" is the first official San Antonio tricentennial event.