The Alamo (Mission San Antonio de Valero) and the Payaya springs

The Alamo (Mission San Antonio de Valero) was established in 1718 near the San Antonio River springs, an area historically occupied by the Payaya people who called the springs Yanaguana. Historical accounts and archaeological evidence document indigenous use of the springs and surrounding land prior to and during the early mission period. The site’s history includes mission-era conversion and labor of indigenous inhabitants and is interpreted today by historians and the museum at the Alamo.