SAN FERNANDO CATHEDRAL & MAIN PLAZA

San Fernando Cathedral is the oldest continuously operating Catholic church in America; the church was begun in 1738 by Canary Island immigrants. It was from the old bell tower that Santa Anna flew the red flag of "no quarter." Although the roof collapsed in 1858, services were faithfully continued each Sunday even as the "new" church was being built up around the old one.

The building to the right is the old Frost Bank building and was the first 12-story office building in Texas, built in 1922. Previously, it was the site of the Frost General Store where patrons often asked the proprietor to hold money for them (first hidden in the floor, later in the store safe) -- a practice that inspired Mr. Frost to get out of the dry goods business and into creating San Antonio's first bank.

The cathedral is said to house the bones of the Alamo defenders, which were secretly taken from the ashes of the funeral fires and buried under the altar.

In 1749 a mass was said to celebrate the long-awaited truce with the Apache indians in the area, a treaty sealed by Spanish/Apache public dances followed by the live burial of the Spanish Captain's favorite horse in Main Plaza.

In 1789 the Apaches felt betrayed by the Spanish treaty with their mortal enemies, the Comanches, and attempted to assassinate the Spanish Governor of Texas. For this they were slaughtered by General Ugalde in the Sabinal Canyon.

It is believed that the Captain's horse still rests quietly under the sod of the plaza.