The Pride of San Antonio

The Mission Espada dam is the oldest functioning dam in the United States. Fortunately enough for us living in San Antonio, the elements have not done much to mar this magnificent sight. It's really pretty amazing. You can picture it back in the functioning mission, helping farmers and natives to water their crops and sustain themselves. Obviously, this very dam was THE HEART of mission life in 1740 on. This structure was so important to the wellbeing of the mission workers and residents because it was their main source of water.

The dam and aqueduct were a bit of a walk away, but I didn't mind because of the scenery. The aqueduct is what really captivated me because of it's vast importance to the mission and the history of aqueducts. Who would have guessed that Roman Engineering such as this would play a big part in laying the foundation for many cultures. It really isn't that often to find any Roman-esque structures around us, but here is this aqueduct that has stood up to time and nature and was brought to us by Spaniards courtesy of the Romans.

If this structure was so important to the people at Espada, what do we get from it today. Easy answer: History. This dam, along with the rest of Espada, stands as a beacon of new world ingenuity and innovation. This basically helped to lay the framework of all that would come later. Descendants of the mission natives still occupy the area as well, so it still holds some sentimental values today and probably for years to come. If you ask me, the dam, the aqueduct, and most certainly the mission itself should be carefully preserved and protected so that future generations may enjoy it. It offers an important lesson on our history and way of life.