Battle of the Alamo gradually became known as a battle site rather than a former mission. The Texas Legislature purchased the land and buildings in the early part of the 20th century and designated the Alamo chapel as an official Texas State Shrine. The Alamo has been the subject of numerous non-fiction works beginning in 1843. Most Americans, however, are more familiar with the myths and legends spread by many of the movie and television adaptations, including the 1950s Disney mini-series "Davy Crockett" and John Wayne's 1960 film "The Alamo". Under President Antonio López de Santa Anna, the Mexican government began to shift away
Battle of the Alamo of the church, in the center of Alamo Plaza, stands a cenotaph, designed by Pompeo Coppini, which commemorates the Texians and "Tejanos" who died during the battle. According to Bill Groneman's "Battlefields of Texas", the Alamo has become "the most popular tourist site in Texas". The first English-language histories of the battle were written and published by Texas Ranger and amateur historian John Henry Brown. The next major treatment of the battle was Reuben Potter's "The Fall of the Alamo", published in "The Magazine of American History" in 1878. Potter based his work on interviews with many of the Mexican