Res 2026-017 Approving the City of San Marcos Historic Preservation Plan

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CONTEXT STATEMENT Present-day San Marcos has been inhabited for thousands of years. Paleo Indian people, including over 200 distinct groups, lived near its river and springs northwest of Courthouse Square and surrounding areas, at least 12,000 years ago. By the 1600s, bands of Coahuiltecans and members of the Sana, Cantona, Emet, Toho, and Tohaha of the Tonkawa occupied Central Texas when France and Spain began to eye the region. By the end of the 1700s, the Sana lived in the region as did detribalized Coahuiltecan people, and during the 1800s, various bands of the Comanche and Apache settled the land until the end of Spanish rule (1690-1821). While part of Mexican Texas (1821-1835), Anglo Americans from the East arrived, introduced new diseases, instigated conflict, and contributed to the decline and displacement of Indigenous peoples. In 1838, Mirabeau Lamar implemented a policy of complete extinction or elimination of Native Americans. The ensuing violence forced Coahuiltecan people to go underground and pass as Mexicans, who were later enumerated as White in the U.S. Census. As an independent republic (1835-1845), the first permanent European settlements were established, strengthening the dispossession of minority communities and triggering development that continues today. The U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848), though not fought locally, secured Texas' annexation and accelerated Anglo settlement in Central Texas. By 1850, the population reached 259 "White" people and 128 enslaved people. By 1860, there were 1,997 free people and 762 enslaved with were no reported free Black people during this period. In 1865, Juneteenth, which is celebrated nationwide today, marked the delayed enforcement of emancipation in Texas, over two years after Lincoln's proclamation. Thereafter, Mexican laborers replaced enslaved workers on many properties, reshaping the area's labor force and demographics. This early history through 2026 is illustrated and organized in the following order: STATEWIDE HISTORICAL CONTEXT PERIODS Description of historical events in the United States and Texas Description of historic preservation milestones in the United States and Texas Year of historical events Description of historic preservation milestones in San Marcos Description of historical events in San Marcos Previous two pages: A view of the San Marcos River postmarked January 6, 1912 (edwardsaquifer.net) Traditional Tejano Dancers (COSM)