Established as a Spanish mission and colonial outpost in 1718, San Antonio has become synonymous with the Battle of the Alamo, although there is much more to the city and community. As the oldest municipality in Texas, it has a legacy that is celebrated via various monuments and landmarks in obvious and subtle ways across the city.
Camino de Galvez is a bronze sculpture honoring Bernardo de Galvez, which was created in 2014. It resides along the famous San Antonio Riverwalk, honoring the General and Governor of Louisiana who in 1779 authorized the first official cattle drive out of Texas.
An equestrian statue of Teddy Roosevelt that was donated by Jack Guenther in 2019 resides just outside of the Alamo complex. The statue commemorates Roosevelt’s formation of the first US volunteer calvary regiment, known as the Rough Riders, which trained in San Antonio. It is part of the Alamo Sculpture Trail.
Purchased new in 1896 by Bexar County for the courthouse, the Lady Justice was ravaged by the elements over the decades and was in need of serious repair. The figure represents the order of the natural world, defining a key feature outside the Bexar County Courthouse. That restoration was completed in 2008, with the sculpture has being returned to sit atop a restored fountain by Gilbert F. Barrera. The blindfold and Earth are new features, while the rest of the design is the original.
Called “Alas de Mexico,” which translates to “Wings of Mexico,” a pair of bronze wings located just outside the Tower of the Americas have become a magnet for tourists to San Antonio. Created by the sculptor Jorge Marin, they highlight how something very simple can cultivate attention and engagement.
These are just a few of the obscure and outstanding monuments located across San Antonio. While many others are larger or have a more historic connection to the city, these pieces showcase what it can mean to compel engagement from very different types of audiences that attract attention from across a region and beyond.
