Juan Galván (?–?) was a Spanish soldier and explorer who served as an ensign and explorer in

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. It was on his recommendation that the

Presidio San Saba Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas, now better known as Presidio of San Sabá, was founded in April 1757 near present-day Menard, Texas, United States to protect the Mission Santa Cruz de San Sabá, established at the same time. The presidio and ...

was established.

Biography

Galván settled in San Antonio of Bexar early in the 1720s, about ten years after entering military service.The Handbook of Texas
Accessed September 16, 1010. He did well there, being promoted to

alférez In medieval Iberia, an ''alférez'' (, ) or ''alferes'' (, ) was a high-ranking official in the household of a king or magnate. The term is derived from the Arabic ('' al-fāris''), meaning "horseman" or "cavalier", and it was commonly Latinised ...

and later entrusted with 30 men on March 13, 1748, to protect the Mission San Xavier del Bac. He reported back that manpower would be sufficient for the native threat and recommended that presidio be established with a force of 50. In the summer of 1749, Governor

Pedro del Barrio Junco y Espriella Pedro del Barrio Junco y Espriella (July 15, 1682 – ?) was acting governor of Texas from 1748 to 1750 and twice the governor of Nuevo León, Mexico (1740–1746 and 1752–1757). Biography Junco y Espriella was born on July 15,Duque de Estr ...

went with Galván to investigate whether San Xavier could sustain a settlement. After their expedition, he placed Galvan in command of the presidio at San Xavier. In 1752, Spanish authorities approved an expedition to explore the

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...

territory and locate a site for a possible mission.Chipman (1992), p. 157. Galván was given charge of this expedition and set out the following year with a small group, including Father Miguel de Aranda, who worked at Mission Concepcion. They travelled northwest of San Antonio, exploring the Pedernales River, the

Llano River The Llano River ( ) is a tributary of the Colorado River (Texas), Colorado River, about long, in Texas in the United States. It drains part of the Edwards Plateau in Texas Hill Country northwest of Austin, Texas, Austin. Two spring-fed tributa ...

, and the San Saba River. The San Saba River area appeared most promising as the soil was fertile, there seemed to be mineral deposits in the area, and local Apache promised to come to a mission. Galvan recommended that a mission be founded along the San Saba, and that a presidio be established nearby to protect the mission against the Comanche. That he recommended a staff of 100 soldiers at the presidio was cause for concern that the region might be too dangerous;Minor (2009), p. 50-51 it took three more years and two more missions with similar findings before the governor agreed and the mission and

was established.Chipman (1992), p. 158. Apaches never embraced the mission, and eventually several of the missionaries abandoned it, but Galván served as lieutenant at the Presidio.Chipman (1992), pp. 159 - 160.Weddle & Oyarzún (2007), p. 42

Personal life

Juan Galvan married Francisca Xaviera Maldonado in San Antonio, in 1723. They had ten children.

Notes

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Juan Galvan Spanish explorers of North America Explorers of Texas