Atascosa County Historical Commission

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween 🎃 👻 🎃!!
Some history with a Halloween twist…. Enjoy !

Martin Gonzales
ACHC Chair

10/18/2025

Good morning Atascosa County !! This morning we come to you to ask for help. The Coward Family submitted this wonderful photo. However we cannot identify one of the men in the photo. On the left is Deputy Sheriff “Meister” Coward, in the middle is Sheriff Ray Strickland but we need to identify the man on the right.
The photo had to be taken between January 1951-August 1952 in the County Courthouse
You assistance is greatly appreciated !

Martin Gonzales
ACHC Chairman

10/17/2025

We want to congratulate our very own David Emery for being awarded Atascosa County’s 2025 Impact Award at this evening’s State of the County by the Honorable Judge Weldon Cude.
Mr Emery also serves on the County’s Veteran Advisory Board as well as the Lytle City Council where he is the Mayor Pro-tem.
We are proud of David’s accomplishment and proud to call him one of our own !

Martin Gonzales
ACHC Chair

10/15/2025

A bit of Atascosa County History featured on Traces of Texas’ page today !

Martin Gonzales
ACHC Chairman

Traces of Texas Ryan Tudyk kindly sent in this great snapshot of his grandfather Ferdinand in front of The Alamo in the late 1940s. He died in 1976 and Ryan never knew him but says that Ferdinand was a rancher who lived north of Pleasanton and I love this so much because this is exactly what I would expect a rancher from north of Pleasanton to look on a trip to the Alamo in the 1940s.

Thank you, Ryan. Nice family artifact!

10/12/2025

The Atascosa County Historical Commission was honored to be part of the Verdi Community’s 170th Anniversary Celebration! What a wonderful day celebrating one of our county’s oldest and most historic communities. Thank you to the Verdi Community Center for including us — we enjoyed visiting with so many familiar faces and sharing in the pride of your history.

Martin Gonzales
ACHC Chairman

08/18/2025

Each year, we gather on the weekend closest to August 18 to remember and memorialize the Battle of Medina, that occurred on August 18, 1813. This year was no different. Saturday’s event, co-sponsored with the Medina County Historical Commission was a great success and well attended. The success of this event each year is a culmination of many groups and individuals coming together. Thank you to all who played a part in this event

May we never forget August 18, 1813 !

Martin Gonzales
ACHC Chairman

08/14/2025

This Saturday August 16, we will be hosting the annual Battle of Medina Symposium. The following is the program:
8:00 am - 9:00 am- DAR Atascosa Chapter Breakfast Fundraiser
9:00 am- 10:30 am- Opening Ceremony/Dedication Ceremony
10:30 am- 11:15 am- Jose L. Gonzalez, Granaderos y Damas de Galvez
11:15 am - 11:45 am- Art Martinez de Vara, Author of Sacred Ground
11:30 am- 1:00 pm- Leming Fire Department Fundraiser Lunch
1:00 pm- 1:45 pm- David Emery, ACHC Metal Detecting Committee Chair
1:45 pm- 3:00 pm- Brandon Seale & Martin Gonzales, Battle of Medina Discoveries Update

Exhibitors
Medina County Historical Commission
Irma Olivares, Author
The Alamo Press
The Tejano Volunteer Company Enterprises
The Sons of the Republic of Texas, Sherman Chapter
Galvan Creek Postcards
Granaderos y Damas de Galvez
Atascosa County Historical Commission

07/04/2025

On this 4th of July, we pause to reflect on the values that define our nation—freedom, resilience, and unity. As we celebrate this important day in American history, may we honor the sacrifices made for our independence and continue to strive toward a future marked by progress and shared purpose.

Wishing you a safe, meaningful, and inspiring Independence Day.

Martin Gonzales
ACHC Chairman

06/27/2025

Save the date for the Annual Battle of Medina Symposium on August 16, 2025 !

Please see the attached announcement for event details. We look forward to another interesting event!

Martin Gonzales
ACHC Chairman

06/09/2025

History is often hidden in plain sight, waiting to be rediscovered — and Thursday, Atascosa County proudly took its place in the unfolding story of the 1813 Battle of Medina.

For generations, the true location of this pivotal but often overlooked battle remained a mystery. Through a combination of archaeological discoveries and historical research using original maps, documents, and firsthand accounts, we now know that key moments of the battle took place right here in Atascosa County.

As part of this effort including countless hours of researching archives, maps and documents that hadn't been closely examined in decades, have paid off. I’ve gathered historians, metal detectorists, archaeologists, and landowners, and drawing on archival research to help guide the search. Our work, alongside partners like Kay Hindes and Brandon Seale, the Atascosa County Historical Commission Metal Detectorists, have helped uncover a range of authentic artifacts now on display at the Witte Museum in San Antonio! Although it is a sample of the total excavated specimens, these artifacts have been XRF tested against the measuring stick of the Blue Wing Road Site.

This new evidence is reshaping what we know about the largest and bloodiest battle ever fought on Texas soil — one that predates the Alamo by over two decades. And for the first time, Atascosa County’s role in this history is finally being recognized.

Brandon Seale’s upcoming documentary A New History of Old Texas offers a moving look at this work — and we’re proud that so much of the story begins right here, with our county’s land, our community, and our collective effort.

Pivotal History lives here.
And it’s thanks to the dedication of many — past and present — that the story is being told.

I greatly anticipate the opportunity to further engage with accomplished professionals.

https://www.tpr.org/history/2025-06-06/pieces-of-history-coming-together-in-the-search-for-the-1813-battle-of-medina

Martin Gonzales
ACHC Chair

Some of the new evidence has been added to an exhibit at the Wittie Museum about the Battle of Medina which opened two years ago.