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Do You "Remember The Alamo?" · Conversations: Special Guests with Preston Scott

• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Five passed the hour third hour Morning show with Preston
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Scotch and One of Friends, show number five thousand, three
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: hundred and ninety six. He's Jose. I'm Preston, and you know,
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: if you've listened to this program at all, I am
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: just a nerd when it comes to history. That does
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: not mean I know it all that well. I'm just
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: fascinated by it. And I came across the story. We
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: talked about it on the show back in March, and
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: the headline of the story is historic Discovery confirms the
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: courey that supplied limestone for the Alamo. And joining me
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  Speaker 1: on the program is Jonathan Huon. He is the communications
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: director with the Alamo Trust the website Thelamo dot org.
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  Speaker 1: Jonathan at long last, sir, we got you on the show.
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  Speaker 2: How are you, Yes, sir, good morning from the Alamo City.
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  Speaker 1: I appreciate you making time for us. I have been
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: pursuing this time for a while. Now. I want to
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  Speaker 1: give everybody a snap shot because I would gather most
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: people listening to our show today have never been to
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: the Alamo, but all are familiar with parts of the
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: story remind us the purpose the Alamo served from its onset,
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  Speaker 1: what was the reason it existed?
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  Speaker 2: Sure, so, the Alamo began as a Spanish mission in
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: the early seventeen hundreds. In fact, that deach location was
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: built where it is today in seventeen twenty four, just
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: celebrating its tri centennial last year. Was Spain's effort to
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: settle and really play Christianity throughout the region and really
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: was part of Spain for nearly three hundred years, and
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  Speaker 2: Texas remained under a Spanish rule until it became part
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  Speaker 2: of Mexico in eighteen twenty one, and then after Mexican independence,
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  Speaker 2: the Constitution of eighteen twenty four gave states, including states
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  Speaker 2: like Texas, more economy, but when General Santa Anna overturned
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: the Constitution in eighteen thirty five created more of a
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  Speaker 2: centralized power, unrest broke out across the country and in Texas,
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: settlers like the Texaan Titanos alike viewed it as really
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  Speaker 2: a betrayal of their rights and a revolution followed and
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  Speaker 2: that same year Texan forces captured the Alamo. In December
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  Speaker 2: of eighteen thirty five from the Mexican army, setting that
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  Speaker 2: stage for Santa Ona's return and then March eighteen thirty six,
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  Speaker 2: after a thirteen day siege, Setana's forces overran the Alamo,
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  Speaker 2: killing the about one hundred and eighty nine known Alamo defenders,
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  Speaker 2: including James Bowie, William Travis, Davy Crockett. But their sacrifice
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  Speaker 2: became a rallying cry for Texas independence, and after the
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  Speaker 2: battle fell into disrepair, it was used as a military outpost.
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  Speaker 2: The US Army came in in eighteen forty seven and
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  Speaker 2: just really kind of became a huge seed for Military
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  Speaker 2: City USA here in San Antonio.
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  Speaker 1: So the reason it was the epicenter as we kind
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  Speaker 1: of look back and we see that as the flash
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  Speaker 1: point of this conflict with Mexico. You mentioned Santa Anna.
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  Speaker 1: The reason is because Texas took control of it.
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: That's correct, because there was a lot of unrest when
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  Speaker 2: that change of the constitution being removed, So the eighteen
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  Speaker 2: twenty four constitution basically being torn up in eighteen thirty five,
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  Speaker 2: and at that point period of time you had basically
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  Speaker 2: a civil war across Mexico many of the states. In fact,
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  Speaker 2: when that took place, Texas sent its navy to the
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  Speaker 2: Yukaton Later because the Yukaton Peninsula almost became part of
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  Speaker 2: its own nation as well, So it wasn't just Texas
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  Speaker 2: fighting for its own independence nation. It was a really
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  Speaker 2: civil unrest across the entire nation as a result of
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: the constitution being torn up by its leader.
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  Speaker 1: You mentioned some very famous names, and I want to
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  Speaker 1: just take a second to drill down on some of them.
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: We'll do one first and then we'll take a quick
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  Speaker 1: break here. What was Davy Crockett doing at the Alamo?
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  Speaker 1: He was Wasn't he a member of Congress at one point?
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  Speaker 2: That's correct, So he was probably one of the most
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  Speaker 2: famous Americans at that time that was setting the states
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: to become president. He and Andrew Jackson, both from Tennessee,
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  Speaker 2: didn't see eye to eye politically. Andrew Jackson did everything
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  Speaker 2: possible to actually have him lose this congressional did and
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  Speaker 2: that was that when that famous phrase came out, yell
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  Speaker 2: nago or that he'll actually come to Texas in early
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  Speaker 2: eighteen thirty six. So it was a really interesting story.
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  Speaker 2: You know, one thing that I had actually learned in
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  Speaker 2: my time at the Alamo. You know many legendary stories
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  Speaker 2: about him, but he was actually with a young naval lieutenant,
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  Speaker 2: the first individual to help boil a presidential assassination attempt,
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  Speaker 2: and it was of Andrew Jackson, who later ruined his
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  Speaker 2: own political career. So there are a lot of interesting
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  Speaker 2: stories you'll learn while working or coming and visiting to
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  Speaker 2: the Alamo.
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  Speaker 1: Is the Morning Show with President Scott, I admitted just
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: a few minutes ago. I'm a nerd on history, and
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  Speaker 1: I remember talking on this program about the story of
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  Speaker 1: the letter that William Travis famously wrote and had sent
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  Speaker 1: out seeking help reinforcements because he anticipated what was coming
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  Speaker 1: to the Alamo. And I talked about that letter making
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  Speaker 1: its way back to the Alamo. If I'm not mistaken, Jonathan,
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  Speaker 1: that letter returned just a few years ago for the
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  Speaker 1: first time since it was written and sent out. Is
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  Speaker 1: that correct?
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  Speaker 2: This it's actually the second time. But you actually bring
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  Speaker 2: up something that's very timely, Preston, because the Texas Legislature,
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  Speaker 2: we were working with Representative Cody Harris here in Texas
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  Speaker 2: just past HB thirteen ninety seven awaiting the Governor's signature
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  Speaker 2: to actually return the Travis Letter to be on display
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  Speaker 2: permanently at the Future Visitor Center museum that's opening in
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  Speaker 2: twenty twenty seven. So we're very, very excited about that
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  Speaker 2: because one thing as many people were the number one
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  Speaker 2: chorus destination in Texas. We get one point six million
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  Speaker 2: people to the Shrine of Texas Liberty each and every year.
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  Speaker 2: Our tour guides will talk about the letter, and then
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  Speaker 2: people will ask, well, where is it? And unfortunately it's
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  Speaker 2: in the State Archives, basically in a basement in Austin.
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  Speaker 2: But now with this new Visitors Center museum we're open
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  Speaker 2: in a few years, we'll be able to have it
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  Speaker 2: on display for our many visitors.
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  Speaker 1: Have you seen the letter?
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  Speaker 2: I have the last time we had it on display
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  Speaker 2: last year.
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  Speaker 1: How I don't want to put words in your mouth here,
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  Speaker 1: but I was moved by just the story the letter's existence.
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  Speaker 1: It was coming back and there's just a poetry to that.
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  Speaker 1: When you first saw it with your own eyes, tell
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  Speaker 1: us what was your reaction and what was in the letter?
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  Speaker 2: You know, it's always a special moment when you come
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  Speaker 2: across a very important historic American document like that, and
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  Speaker 2: that's a deeply significant part of American history, a special
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  Speaker 2: part of history between really the Revolutionary War and Civil War.
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  Speaker 2: And you know, the first time I had seen it
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  Speaker 2: was being put on display by our collections team here
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  Speaker 2: and actually having a moment in the room by myself
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  Speaker 2: with the letter. It was especially significant. It kind of
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  Speaker 2: reminded me when I was a young boy going to
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  Speaker 2: DC for the first time and seeing the Declaration of Independence,
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  Speaker 2: because this was a huge part of just US history,
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  Speaker 2: and when you think about, you know, the few pieces
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  Speaker 2: of paper documentation in American history, this has got to
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  Speaker 2: be one of the in my personal opinion, one of
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  Speaker 2: the top ten. So it's just very important that we
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  Speaker 2: have this back at the album and we're really excited
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  Speaker 2: to have it on display at the Alumo in just
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  Speaker 2: a few short years.
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  Speaker 1: A deeply personal letter but also a letter with a purpose.
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  Speaker 1: Remind everybody the purpose of this letter and what he
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  Speaker 1: was hoping to accomplish.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, so at the time that it was actually written,
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  Speaker 2: the Alamo had already been under siege. It was a
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  Speaker 2: plead for reinforcements and supplies to show on wavering resolves
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  Speaker 2: in a face of overwhelming odds. Who really address the
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  Speaker 2: people of Texas and all Americans of the world. As
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  Speaker 2: it actually stated in the letter, it was going to
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  Speaker 2: call for help in a bold declaration of defiance to
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  Speaker 2: stand up against really thousands of Mexican troops that were
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  Speaker 2: surrounding them, and the now really ending in the now
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  Speaker 2: legendary phrase victory or death. The letter became a powerful
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  Speaker 2: symbol of courage sacrifice. It really helped the galvanize support
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  Speaker 2: for the Texan cause during the revolution.
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  Speaker 1: Was it just that it got to its intended destination
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  Speaker 1: too late to matter or what was the end result
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  Speaker 1: of that letter being sent?
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  Speaker 2: So it was dispatched. There were about thirty two brave
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  Speaker 2: souls that were actually called the Immortal thirty two and
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  Speaker 2: Gonzales that did arrive prior to the actual battle. Unfortunately,
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  Speaker 2: it wasn't enough reinforcements to actually make a difference with
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  Speaker 2: the overwhelming odds that took place at that point in time.
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  Speaker 2: So there were some reinforcements that did arrive, but it
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  Speaker 2: unfortunately was not enough. But again the Alamo became an
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  Speaker 2: ultimate rallying cry. Just about really a little over a
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  Speaker 2: month later, the Battle of Sanjacento, which did ultimately result
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  Speaker 2: in the Texas independence by capturing Santa Ana and his forces.
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: Jonathan Huan with us from the Alamo Trust website Thelamo
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  Speaker 1: dot Org set up your time visit make it a
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  Speaker 1: road trip for yourself and your family this summer when
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: we come back the discovery that prompted this entire visit.
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  Speaker 1: Next on the Morning Show twenty one past the Hour,
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  Speaker 1: Jonathan Huing with me with the Alamo Trust, we're talking
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  Speaker 1: about a historic discovery. But first, speaking of history and
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  Speaker 1: the Alamo, I tested my memory with Jonathan in the
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: break and I said, is it true? Is my memory
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: correct that the artist Phil Collins, formerly of the group Genesis,
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  Speaker 1: and then he had an incredible solo career that he
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  Speaker 1: was like one of the biggest collectors of Alamo memorabilia
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  Speaker 1: or history of anybody out there, Jonathan.
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  Speaker 2: Historical historical artifacts. That's correct. He actually had over four
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  Speaker 2: hundred and thirty items, making him the largest private collector
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  Speaker 2: of Alama artifacts in the world. And you know, we're
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  Speaker 2: really excited to have the Collins display really up and
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  Speaker 2: about on display here at the Alamo now. So he
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  Speaker 2: donated all of it, all of it and twenty fourteen,
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  Speaker 2: a little over two or ten years ago, it valued
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  Speaker 2: at about twenty million dollars all to the people of Texas.
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  Speaker 1: That's incredible. Yeah, Okay, he's now my favorite. All right,
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  Speaker 1: let's talk about the restoration of the Alamo. What's the
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  Speaker 1: project and then lead us to the headline of a
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  Speaker 1: historic discovery.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, so I'm glad you asked that. So right now
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  Speaker 2: we are working on something called the Alamo Plan. It's
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  Speaker 2: an over half a billion dollar investment into the Shrine
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  Speaker 2: of Texas Liberty, the entire Alamo grounds to make sure
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  Speaker 2: that we are really bringing the Alamo up to its
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  Speaker 2: well recognized name internationally. So we are not only preserving
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  Speaker 2: the church in Long Barrack, which are the two remaining structures.
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  Speaker 2: We are building a visitor center museum that will be
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  Speaker 2: opening just in two short years in twenty twenty seven.
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  Speaker 2: That'll have eight galleries, a four D theater, and a
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  Speaker 2: rooftop event space. That way we can tell the full
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  Speaker 2: three hundred year history of the Alamo like never before.
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  Speaker 1: Tell me about the quarry discovery.
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  Speaker 2: Wonderful. That's a great question. So I mentioned the preservation
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  Speaker 2: of the church in Long Barrack. So the Long Barrack
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  Speaker 2: is one of, if not the oldest building standing still
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  Speaker 2: in the state of Texas, built in seventeen twenty four.
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  Speaker 2: The church that everyone knows very well, in the historic
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  Speaker 2: Western Facade that you're all very familiar with, built in
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  Speaker 2: about the mid seventeen fifties. Now, in order to preserve
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  Speaker 2: these structures, ensure that they're standing for future generations in
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  Speaker 2: another three hundred years, we had to make sure that
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  Speaker 2: we're finding appropriate limestone. So we had done testing really
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  Speaker 2: in many different areas, but working with historical documents, specifically
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  Speaker 2: the Minchaka map it's a map from the nineteenth century,
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  Speaker 2: we were able to determine a location where we could
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  Speaker 2: do some additional testing, and doing that testing in combination
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  Speaker 2: and in concert with those historic documents, we actually found
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  Speaker 2: a match of this limestone and it was just a
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  Speaker 2: huge discovery, very excited for us, so more importantly knowing
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  Speaker 2: that exact location where the limestone was quarried, but more
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  Speaker 2: importantly having the stone match. For this preservation effort of
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  Speaker 2: the church Long Bearrick are very very important. Back beginning
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  Speaker 2: next year, will actually be replacing the nineteen twenty roof
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  Speaker 2: that was put on the structure. Order to do so,
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  Speaker 2: having that limestone match is very very important. But that discovery,
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  Speaker 2: you know, going back three hundred years, it was incredibly important.
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  Speaker 2: We're very very proud to have made that here in
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  Speaker 2: San Antonio.
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  Speaker 1: But if I read this story correctly, Jonathan, it was
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  Speaker 1: almost a fluke that you found the exact quarry because
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  Speaker 1: it was during an excavation for a gorilla habitat at
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  Speaker 1: the San Antonio Zoo.
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  Speaker 2: That's right. So our conservator was actually going by the
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  Speaker 2: area and we had been reviewing those historic documents for
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  Speaker 2: some time. She made the suggestion to actually test that
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  Speaker 2: location and sure enough, you know, it came back a
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  Speaker 2: match that we couldn't have been more private as well
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  Speaker 2: as the San Antonio Zoo.
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  Speaker 1: So, okay, does that change how the zoo handles the
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  Speaker 1: gorilla habitat, Not to my knowledge.
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  Speaker 2: I know they're moving forward with that project, but you know,
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  Speaker 2: working with them and they've been fantastic to ensure that
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  Speaker 2: we do have a lot of that material as we
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: move forward for the preservation effort. So it's just a
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  Speaker 2: wonderful discovery, but more important so that we can help
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  Speaker 2: to ensure the historic structures. You really helped because, as
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  Speaker 2: my conservator likes to say, they are sick patients. They
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: are very old buildings and structures, but we have to
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  Speaker 2: make sure they're standing for future generations to really know
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  Speaker 2: not only Texas but American history.
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  Speaker 1: So the plan is for the restoration and the opening
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: of the new visitor center slash museum to happen in
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  Speaker 1: twenty twenty seven. Is there a tentative month of completion
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: you're looking.
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  Speaker 2: For right now? It's going to be fall of twenty seven,
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  Speaker 2: so no specific months, but we're looking at the fall.
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  Speaker 1: I cannot wait to visit. It's funny because I've been
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: through San Antonio. I had a brother live in San Antonio.
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  Speaker 1: I have personally never laid eyes on the Alamo, and
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: it's kind of strange because it's kind of stuck in
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: downtown San Antonio, right.
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  Speaker 2: That's correct. You know, we're one of the few UNESCRA
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: World Heritage SIDNE that's actually in the middle of a
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: major metropolitan area. But the Alamo was really kind of
• 15:04
  Speaker 2: central to San Antonio, and just commercial developments that took
• 15:09
  Speaker 2: place really over centuries after it was the mission and
• 15:13
  Speaker 2: complex was completed, just grew up over time. And that's
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: why it's one of the most unique challenges to the
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: Alamo Plan because part of that is to take back
• 15:22
  Speaker 2: as much as the mission and battlefield footprint as possible.
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  Speaker 2: And we work with many of our stakeholders of the
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: City of San Antonio, with their county in order to
• 15:30
  Speaker 2: do so. They're wonderful partners have been doing a fantastic job.
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  Speaker 2: I'm really excited for this plan to be complete at
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: the end of twenty seven. But press and I have
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  Speaker 2: to say, if you're in the Alamo City, please.
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  Speaker 1: Let us know.
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  Speaker 2: We're happy to give you a VIP tour behind the scenes.
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: I am going to take you up on that. I
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: guarantee it's going to happen after that visitors center opens up.
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  Speaker 1: I cannot wait. You've sold more than a few tourists
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: visits to the Alamo here this morning. Jonathan, thanks for
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: being a champion waking up for us and joining us
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: on the show.
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  Speaker 2: My pleasure. Thank you for having me on.
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: Thank you Jonathan hun with the Alamo Trust, our guest
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  Speaker 1: communications director. What a history lesson and a little vision casting.
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  Speaker 1: And I'll tell you what if they get that Travis letter,
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: just look up the document now you can look at
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: it and you can get the you know it was
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: it was handwritten. You can get the type translation of it.
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: It is such a worthwhile read. And we didn't even
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: get to James Bowie, the guy who's the Bowie Knife.
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: It was after him. Classic story of American history right there.
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: Hope you enjoyed that, the Alamo. Hope you remember the Alamo.
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: It's The Morning Show with Preston Scott