San Antonio de Bexar: A Guide and History Page: 44

SAN ANTONIO DE BEXAR.

A number of laterals issued from these ditches right and left, as from all the
main ditches; but only those minor laterals that have some historical interest in
themselves-such as the Alamo Mission branches-will be mentioned.
The Pajalache ditch was made both wide and very deep, as may yet be
traced on Garden street; of sufficient size-tradition has it-that the Fathers and
their Indians kept a boat on it, from which to do the work of keeping its bed
clean and clear of obstruction. The main object of this old acequia was to supply
the Concepcion Mission and its lands with water.
The San Pedro Ditch.
This ditch comes next in point of interest. It was constructed to supply
the Villa Capital de San Fernando as well as to irrigate lands along its course.
It issues from the east side of the head waters of the San Pedro creek, taking
its way towards and down North Flores street crossing to Acequia street and
flowing across the west side of Main Plaza immediately under the front of San
Fernando Church (Cathedral now), then still keeping to the east of South
Flores street passes through the United States Arsenal grounds to the
east side of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad Depot, on to join the
San Antonio River, with a branch to the San Pedro Creek, in the fork of the V
of the River and Creek. As to the date of the construction of both this ditch
and the Alamo Madre, the evidence is a little tangled. It cannot be many
years the junior of the Pajalache. It is frequently mentioned in the documents
relating to the Upper Labor ditch of 1776 to 1784 in the County and City
Records and other documents, and at the earliest of these dates the San Pedro
ditch had undoubtedly been in use many years. Such evidence in regard to these
two ditches as has been found bearing upon the point will be given, and the
reader may draw his own conclusions. A fuller description of the origin of the
Upper Labor, the editor trusts, will in a measure make up for the lack of accurate
knowledge as to these. In 1730 the Canary Island settlers came, and on
November the 28th of the same year, La Villa Capital de San Fernando was
founded and a Presidio "erected " under Antonio de Aviles, so says an ancient
copy of the Ordinances of San Antonio. In 1738 the corner stone of the old
Parish Church of San Fernando was laid, and on February 10th, 1773, that good
Governor, Baron Ripperda, who seems to have been so active in any matters
that pertained to the welfare of San Antonio, built the first Quarters, Guard-
house and Jail for the Presidio. Now, it is highly probable that the San Pedro
ditch was completed just about the time of the building of the Parish Church.
This period was very active in the prosecution of many public and ecclesiastical
works. There is good reason to believe that it was constructed later than the
Pajalache and earlier than some of the others.
The Alamo Madre Ditch.
The purpose of this ditch was to supply water to the Mission of San Antonio
de Valero, or the Alamo Mission, and its lands. Its course was and is a long and
useful one, and its carrying capacity is large. It has many useful and historical
laterals and branches, and some that are abandoned and some that were failures
from the first. The course of the mother ditch (the laterals will be spoken of

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