Evidence of a Forgotten Lookout Tower Found Near The Alamo Church

October 14, 2019

There is no shortage of myths, and legends about the Alamo site. One mystery that has puzzled researchers for decades stems from maps drawn of the site by U.S. Army Sergeant Edward Everett in 1846 and 1848. Those maps show what might be a lookout tower that once stood near the Alamo Church. Until now, there has been no other proof that this bastion existed. Recently, our team of archaeologists discovered the first evidence ever found to support this theory.

Map of the Alamo by U.S. Army Sergeant Edward Everett
Everett’s map, indicating the location of the tower.

The Alamo’s archaeology team, consisting of engineers and archaeologists from Raba Kistner, had to dig 31 inches beneath the surface in an excavation unit on the north side of the Church to find this. What they discovered was a circular alignment of stones that suggests that this was the location of the tower Everett depicted on his maps.

“We have unearthed so many amazing artifacts and learned a lot about these 300-year-old structures this summer,” Alamo Archaeologist Kristi Nichols said. “When you dig at historic sites like this you always hope to find something of this significance, and you temper your expectations, so this is a very exciting discovery and one of my favorites at the Alamo so far,” Nichols added.

So while this Alamo legend can now be classified as an Alamo fact, what happened to the tower after 1848 remains a mystery.