Texas
They established Texas’ first civilian government. How San Antonians are keeping those ancestors’ memories alive.
SAN ANTONIO – America is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year, but for some, the history dates back much further.
Nearly 300 years ago, 16 families traveled thousands of miles from the Canary Islands to present-day San Antonio. When they arrived, they helped establish the first civilian government in Texas.
The descendants of these families said their story is not just part of San Antonio’s legacy, but part of the American story.
“It’s important for us to know who we came from,” said Julia Lopez, president of the Canary Islands Descendants Association. “That’s how we know what tomorrow brings.”
Canary Islanders were sent by the King of Spain to settle the “New World” in 1730. They landed in San Antonio on March 9, 1731.
“You can only imagine the journey,” Lopez said. “They sailed across the Atlantic, they walked across Mexico and up into San Antonio.”
While Spanish missionaries arrived in 1718, descendants of the Canary Islanders said they were the first to establish the city’s government.
“Our families were the first mayors of San Antonio,” Sharon Pelayo Simonick. “Our families were the first council people, our families were the first sheriff.”
The Canary Islanders were also early benefactors of San Fernando Cathedral.
A devotion to Our Lady of Candelaria, the patroness of the Canary Islands, remains inside the cathedral to this day.
“I think our story is so important because we are the story of America,” Lopez said. “We’re the story of immigration, we are the story of people who came to find a better life.”
Anthony Delgado said learning more about his ancestors changed the way he sees American history.
“Learning about our ancestors’ contributions to the American Revolution makes that history more personal,” Delgado said. “I now have an ancestral investment in this thing called America and its revolution and independence.”
For many descendants, the story of the Canary Islanders is a reminder that resilience, sacrifice and the search for a better life have always been part of the American story.
Read also:
Copyright 2026 by KSAT – All rights reserved.
Texas
Fans erupt as U.S. wins in World Cup and North Texas builds buzz
Texas
New screwworm portal aims to protect Texas livestock, wildlife and rural economy
AUSTIN – Texas officials are rolling out a new online hub aimed at helping residents spot and report the New World screwworm, a pest Gov. Greg Abbott says threatens livestock, wildlife, and the state’s rural economy.
Abbott announced the launch of screwworm.texas.gov, an enhanced website housed in the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s Disaster Portal that he described as a “one-stop shop” for information and resources tied to the state’s response.
The New World screwworm poses a direct threat to Texas livestock, wildlife, and our rural economy,” Abbott said. “This new website puts essential tools in the hands of our producers, veterinarians, and families. Screwworm.texas.gov delivers the facts, maps, identification methods, and certification resources Texans need to detect problems early and report cases without delay. Now every Texan has the information to act. Texas will protect our land, our animals, and our way of life from this pest.
According to the governor’s office, the site is designed to provide “actionable and reliable multimedia information” about the New World screwworm, including fact sheets, videos, and educational materials.
The portal includes background information, guidance on how to spot the pest, sample collection procedures, Texas Animal Health Commission New World screwworm zone maps, the U.S. Department of Agriculture case dashboard, links to best practices for livestock and wildlife, and details on registering for a new no-cost New World screwworm Certified Inspector Training.
The governor’s office said state and federal partners are working together to detect, control and contain the spread, and that expanding public outreach and providing clear information is a key part of reducing risk.
Abbott’s office also highlighted actions taken by the governor in response to the pest, including:
- Directing the creation of a joint Texas New World screwworm Response Team
- Joining USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to announce a $750 million investment in a new sterile fly production facility in Edinburg
- Issuing a statewide disaster declaration ahead of the first detection
- Deploying state resources and activating the State Emergency Operations Center after the first confirmed Texas cases
- Visiting the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville for a briefing
- Launching a free online training course to certify more inspectors
- Announcing federal funding to strengthen inspection capacity.
Texans are urged to inspect livestock and pets for wounds and report suspected cases immediately, including in wildlife.
For livestock and pets, suspected cases should be reported to the Texas Animal Health Commission’s 24-hour veterinarian call line at 1-800-550-8242.
For wildlife, reports should be made to Texas Parks and Wildlife’s 24-hour biologists’ call line at 512-389-4505. Officials also warn people not to move affected animals.
More information and updates are available at screwworm.texas.gov and screwworm.gov.
Texas
Flu sickens some 160 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas
More than 150 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas have been infected with influenza over the past three weeks — a major outbreak less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said American troops would no longer be required to be vaccinated against the flu.
-
San Francisco, CA4 minutes agoSan Francisco hotels see steady World Cup business, but fall short of Super Bowl surge
-
Dallas, TX9 minutes agoDallas International Piano Competition brings finalists June 23
-
Miami, FL16 minutes agoWhere to watch San Francisco Giants vs Miami Marlins: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 20
-
Boston, MA19 minutes agoDuck parades, outdoor drinking, and Gronk in a kilt. Here’s how Friday’s World Cup festivities unfolded. – The Boston Globe
-
Denver, CO24 minutes agoRockies ride Kyle Freeland’s gem, Braxton Fulford’s double to 4-3 win over Pirates
-
Seattle, WA31 minutes agoSuarez’s no-hit try ends on Naylor double in seventh, but Boston still tops Seattle
-
San Diego, CA34 minutes agoNeymar expected to return from right calf injury and play for Brazil in World Cup against Scotland
-
Milwaukee, WI40 minutes agoToday’s Summerfest schedule and picks: Saturday, June 20