History is the foundation from which current life was built upon. Texas is rich in culture, with many important people, places and events that have occurred over time. The Texas county originated from the municipalities of Mexico, consisting of a council, at least one judge, various aldermen, an attorney, a sheriff and a secretary ("Origin of a Texas County.") Bexar County (pronounced like "Bear") is located in the area of Texas known as the Hill Country. This county is especially important to Texas because it is the site of many historical political actions, and its importance to the state continues today and into the future.
When originally formed, Bexar County covered most of the western part of settled Texas area. Before becoming the Republic of Texas, the Mexican government in control divided the land of Texas into four departments. The department of Bexar, named for a son of the duke of Bexar, stretched from, "the Rio Grande to the Panhandle and as far west as El Paso" ("Bexar County.")
English: Bexar County Courthouse, San Antonio, Tex...
English: Mission San José at San Antonio.
English: Mission Concepcion at San Antonio, TexasOnce Texas won its independence from Mexico, the departments were transformed into counties, similar to those found in the southern parts of the United States at the time ("Origin of a Texas County.") Bexar County was officially established, with San Antonio as its seat, on December 20, 1836. The county has since been partitioned, and 128 counties have been carved out of the original, leaving the present county at 1,248 square miles ("Bexar County.")
Before the land was settled, the area Bexar County covered was inhabited by the Coahuiltecans, Lipan Apaches and Tonkawas. "Archeological artifacts from the Clovis culture recovered in the region suggest that hunting and gathering peoples established themselves in the region more than 10,000 years ago" ("Bexar County.") The first Europeans came to the area in an expedition...