The Heart of Bexar County

leaving town Monday. President Matson said, “I
can be there tomorrow.” We then set a time.
After walking through the building with Dr.
Matson and two representatives of Daughters,
they said that their documents and artifacts
would compliment the Bexar County archives.
They also liked our climate control vaults and
the finished-out display space, which were
renovated to the meet the standards of the
American Museum Association. They asked how
much I would charge, and I said a dollar a year
plus utility costs. Matson said she liked the
price and wanted to move forward with a lease.
Three months later on August 8, 2016, we
held a joint press conference in front of the
former Federal Reserve building and announced
that Bexar County and TAMUSA had reached an
agreement to house the collection. Later that
same day, the Commissioners Court approved the
lease of an initial term of two years with three,
one-year options, for 9,937 square feet and
shared space of 1,184 square feet. They would
pay $25,438.72 a year to cover utility expenses.
We held the grand opening on October 27,
2017. President General of the Daughters of the
Republic of Texas Barbara Steven along with
many of their members attended. Leslie
Stapleton, formerly with the Alamo Library,
became the Texas A&M Archives and Special
Collection manager. She gave everyone a tour
of the exhibit. The highlight of the tour was
the signed original Texas Declaration of
Independence from Mexico.
We named the building the “Bexar County
Archives Building” and had the name inscribed
on the front of the building with a lighted sign.
We also created a sign for Texas A&M—San
Antonio and a large banner that advertised the
Daughters of the Republic collection.
The Daughter’s collection and Bexar County
archives provide research opportunities for
professional scholars, amateur historians, and
the general public. Our citizens now have the
opportunity to learn how the assimilation of our
unique cultures have come together to build our
great city; to understand our past to prepare
ourselves for our future.
On the second floor, we located the Bexar
County Family Justice Center. They provide
services to assist victims of domestic violence. On
the third floor, we provided space to the San
Antonio Bar Association. Through their outreach
programs the members of the Bar will assist
citizens will legal services. Also, on the third floor
will be located the public defender office that
represent defendants who do not have the
financial resources to defend themselves.
So, all the trauma we went through in
obtaining the building complex was well worth
the effort. The citizens of Bexar County now
have a combination of services located in a
convenient location.
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Exhibits from the Bexar County
Archives Building
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