SAN ANTONIO – The Alamo Trust has unveiled a new exhibit that will give visitors a new perspective of how large the Alamo compound was and the importance of a particular cannon.
The “18-pounder Losoya House Exhibit” was unveiled Friday morning with the help of local and state government leaders.
According to Alamo historical researcher, Kolbe Lanham, the exhibit sits on the same corner of the original Alamo compound across the church and is in the same location where Alamo Defender Jóse Toribio Losoya was born in.
“It’s extremely important to remember the Battle of the Alamo, but also who (was) here,” Lanham said. “Toribio Losoya is part of the Mission. His family comes in, they convert Catholicism to assimilate to the Spanish culture, and he was born in a house in (this) general area. Him and his brother grew up in the area, and then they eventually fight at the Battle of the Alamo. You’ve got one brother (Toribio Losoya) fighting on the Texans side and you have one brother fighting with the Mexican army.”
During the last 18 months, researchers have been working to make a full-size replica of the cannon used in the battlefield of the Alamo in 1836. The cannon was fired to tell Santa Anna that they would remain defiant and never surrender.
Lanham said the 18-pounder cannon is the most iconic gun from the Alamo battle and was replicated using five historic photographs and visiting San Pedro Springs Park where the original cannon disappeared from. Researchers also used a military draft card for the dimensions of the cannon.
“We went to San Pedro Springs Park (and) based off the historical photographs, there is an about a knee-high stone plinth that the cannon sat on,” Lanham said. “We had a company called SRO out of San Antonio come with us (to) measure that plinth. Then, based off the photographs, there was a gentleman in the photograph named Fernando Ravon. We found his draft card (and) found out his height. And based off those two things, we were able to estimate how long the cannon was and how wide.”
The cannon sits on a carriage that together weigh close to 5,000 pounds according to Lanham. Visitors can go up the stairs of the stone structure to take a picture next to the cannon and see the Alamo through a new lends.
“This is the first time anyone (has) stood at that level, next to a cannon of that size in Alamo Plaza in 185 years,” Lanham said. “You’re standing where Alamo Defenders would have stood.”
The immersive outdoor exhibit will be open during normal Alamo operating hours from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is free to the public.