Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares or simply known as Father Antonio de Olivares, was a Spanish Franciscan who among others, founded the famous mission of San Antonio de Valero, also known as "The Alamo" in 1718. Father Antonio de Olivareswas born in 1630 in Spain. On September 8, 1720, after suffering a broken leg and worse health, Olivares retired from MissionValero and eventually died when he was 92 years of age in 1722. In 1709, he participated in the expedition headed by Pedro deAguirre, together with other Franciscans, exploring the area now known as the San Antonio city, until the Colorado River. In that same year, with the objective of establishing new missions to the bank of the San Antonio River, he travelled to Spain and remained there for six years, trying to persuade and convince the Spanish to approve his plan.
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In the year 1716, Olivares wrote to the Viceroy of New Spain, Marqués de Valero, urging him to send families of settlers to the town and emphasized the necessity for skilled members of families to teach the Indians useful skills in order for them to become "capable citizens". Father Olivares attended to his missionary work with few converted Indians on the banks of the San Antonio River in a hut or a jacal (A thatch-roofed hut made of wattle and daub found in Mexico and the southwest United States) (Genealogy, 2015). The objective of the Mission San Antonio de Valero was to convert the Indians to Catholics and produce loyalists to the crown. A Spanish mission was not only about religion preaching but more of teaching people to live a Spanish life; and to also secure lands from European countries (Office, 2015). Olivares was in poor health condition after retiring from mission San Antonio de Valero. He even broke a leg during that
In the year 1716, Olivares wrote to the Viceroy of New Spain, Marqués de Valero, urging him to send families of settlers to the town and emphasized the necessity for skilled members of families to teach the Indians useful skills in order for them to become "capable citizens". Father Olivares attended to his missionary work with few converted Indians on the banks of the San Antonio River in a hut or a jacal (A thatch-roofed hut made of wattle and daub found in Mexico and the southwest United States) (Genealogy, 2015). The objective of the Mission San Antonio de Valero was to convert the Indians to Catholics and produce loyalists to the crown. A Spanish mission was not only about religion preaching but more of teaching people to live a Spanish life; and to also secure lands from European countries (Office, 2015). Olivares was in poor health condition after retiring from mission San Antonio de Valero. He even broke a leg during that