Acting on a decree from the king of Spain, the first Canary Islanders arrived in San Antonio in 1731, just thirteen years after the city's founding. In the intervening centuries, the descendants of those sixteen families became inextricably intertwined with the story of their chosen home. From the formation of the first city council to the siege of the Alamo, they contributed to the formative moments of San Antonio's legacy. Several of these descendants collected oral family traditions and combed archival records to preserve this important thread running through the rich tapestry of San Antonio's heritage.
Hector R. Pacheco is a tenth-generation Tejano who has lived in San Antonio, Texas, all his life. He is also a retired lieutenant colonel, having served for more than twenty-nine years in both active and reserve United States Army and in two campaigns: Vietnam and Desert Storm. Mr. Pacheco is a member of the Sons of the Republic of Texas (Alamo Chapter), past associate board member of the Hispanic Heritage Center of Texas and Board of Trustees member of the La Trinidad United Methodist Church in downtown San Antonio. He is married to his wife of forty-four years, Sandra, and they have two daughters, Marissa and Iris Monique.