In Central Park, the town square next to the courthouse, at the corner of South River and Nolte Streets. The handsome new sculpture, created by Erik Christianson of Bulverde, was dedicated in an impressive ceremony held on October 28, 2000.

The statue gives long-overdue recognition to a Texas hero, Juan N. Seguin. When Santa Anna's army arrived in San Antonio in February, 1836, this Tejano leader went into the Alamo with Bowie, Crockett, Travis, and the other heroes.

Juan Seguin survived the massacre at the Alamo only because Travis sent him as the last messenger through the siege lines, carrying a last, futile appeal for help from Fannin at Goliad.

Then after Juan Seguin met up with Sam Houston, the General dispatched him and the band of vaquero volunteers he had recruited to warn the scattered Anglo settlers of Santa Anna's threat. For this service, Seguin was called "the Paul Revere of Texas."

Later, with his unit of Tejano cavalry, Seguin rejoined Houston to fight at San Jacinto. At the beginning of the troubles with Mexico, Juan Seguin had been made a Captain by Stephen F. Austin. Following the Battle of San Jacinto, he was promoted to Lt. Colonel by Texas President David G Burnet. Two years later he was elected a Senator of the Republic of Texas.

The next year, Col. Juan Seguin visited this frontier community that had just been named for him. According to an early history of the town, he paraded through the streets to accept his honor,riding from the town square to a house on the southeast corner of Court Street and Bowie, where a party was held in celebration. This bronze, equestrian statue portrays him in uniform as he was on that visit here. He is holding forward his saber to defend the freedom of Texas.

A Long-Overdue Tribute

The effort to erect the statue unveiled October 28, 2000, began in earnest in 1999, when longtime City Councilman Sam Flores organized the Juan Seguin Memorial Committee. He had first suggested a statue some 30 years before. The committee of private citizens set about its work, and $150,000 was raised in just two years. After reviewing proposals from several artists, the committee awarded the commission to create the statue to the sculptor Erik Christianson, of Bulverde, Texas.

The base of the impressive, 17-foot high monument details Juan Seguin's many contributions to freedom and to the independence of Texas. The information on the life of Juan N. Seguin was prepared by John Taylor with Albert Seguin Gonzales. A plaque lists the major contributors.

The committee included Sam Flores, chairman; G.P."Jeep" Kiel, vice chairman; John Taylor, Secretary; Ed Gotthardt, treasurer; Virginia Woods, historian; Edmund Kuempel, fund drive chairman; John Gesick, Mary Louise Gonzales, Gene Moreno, Louis R. Ramirez Sr., Juries Ann Seguin, and Albert Seguin Gonzales. (Both Juries Ann Seguin and Albert Seguin Gonzales are great-great-grandchildren of Juan Seguin.)