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SAN ANTONIO,
TEXAS
Bexar County Seat, South
Texas
29° 25' 30" N, 98° 29' 38" W (29.425, -98.493889)
I-10, I-35 and I-37
US 90, Hwys 283, 181, 16
79 miles S of Austin
35 miles S of New
Braunfels
271 miles S of Dallas/Fort
Worth
75 miles SE of Frederickburg
197 miles W of Houston
Population: 1,434,625 (2020)
1,327,407 (2010) 1,144,646 (2000) 935,933 (1990) |
San Antonio Texas
1886 Bird's Eye View
Click on image to enlarge
Wikicommons |
Our Favorite
San Antonio Attractions
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| "As
a casual tourist you'll be dazzled by this romantic atmosphere - and
the history, and the music, the food, my God. It's an easy city to
love." - Walt Lockley |
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| Photo
courtesy Chia-Wei Wang, August 2006 |
Mission Concepcion
Photo Courtesy Lori
Martin, July 2001 |
San Antonio,
Texas Chronicles
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Texas'
Tobacco Road by Clay Coppedge
On
the Road with Basse Express by Michae Barr
By 1960, Basse Express diesel trucks made the 70 mile one-way trip
from San Antonio to Fredericksburg in a couple of hours hauling
everything from thumb tacks to toilet paper.
August
Seimering and the Forty-Eighters by Michael Barr
"... In 1865 Siemering established a German language newspaper
called Freie Presse fur Texas (Texas Free Press).
The Freie Presse served a growing population of German speakers
in San Antonio and the Hill Country. That same year Siemering established
the San Antonio Express. Today as the Express-News,
it is the 4th largest newspaper by circulation in Texas..."
San
Antonio 365: On This Day in History by David Martin Davies &
Yvette D. Benavides. Book review by Dr. Kirk Bane
San
Antonio's Majestic Theater by Michael Barr
Custer
at the Alamo by Mike Cox
The
Popularity of Polo by Michael Barr
"Polo came to Gillespie County from Fort Sam Houston in San
Antonio. No sport teaches horsemanship like polo, and the cavalry
units at Fort Sam fielded some of the best polo teams in the country...
Polo still has a following in Western Texas. The sport is popular
and quietly fashionable in certain affluent areas of San Antonio
and the Hill Country where men and women admire fine horses and
appreciate horsemanship."
A
Mustang at The Polo Club by Michael Barr
By 1885 San Antonio was a depot for polo ponies. Polo players and
their representatives from both sides of the Atlantic converged
on Narciso Leal's Livestock Exchange at 226 Dolorosa Street to buy
Texas mustangs.
Early
Days of Texas Polo by Michael Barr
A
Short History of Beer in Texas by Clay Coppedge
The
San Antonio Council House Fight by Jeffery Robenalt
In March of 1840, a meeting took place in old San Antonio between
representatives of the government of the Republic of Texas and the
Penateka Comanches to discuss terms of a peace treaty. The disastrous
results of this meeting would soon lead to the Great Comanche Raid
of 1840 and the Battle of Plum Creek.
Eyewitness
to the Council House Fight by Murray Montgomery
San
Antonio's Blue Book by C.F. Eckhardt
'The Blue Book.' Those three words stir up quite an image among
those who delve into the more esoteric history of 19th and early
20th Century America. 'The Blue Book' is the legendary directory
of a city's 'red light' district....
San
Antonio's Blue Book by Mike Cox
National
Dish of Texas by C. F. Eckhardt
- Chili con carne is the national dish of Texas. It was invented
in Texas by Texas natives-literally-and it's made right only in
Texas...
Sam
Houston's Daughter by Mike Cox
Fannie
Porter of San Antonio by Maggie Van Ostrand
If even half the legends passed down through generations are true,
the Old West was a riotous and exciting place. Whether heroes or
desperadoes, these legendary people all seem to have either been
born in, traveled through, or fought for the great Republic of Texas...
But they didn't fight, shoot, and rustle all the time. They needed
rest. They needed relaxation. They needed love. And Fannie Porter
of San Antonio supplied these diversions. This is her story.
Early
Movie Making by Mike Cox
The Star Film Company was the first movie company to do any substantial
business in Texas. Owned by French producer Gaston Melies, the company
came to San Antonio, where he set up shop adjacent to the Hot Wells
Hotel early 1910...
Texas'
Favorite Ghost Story - San Antonio's Overworked Ghost Children
by Raoul Hashimoto
San
Antonio's Humble Oil Company Vintage photos
Brown's
Humble Service Station, 1938
On S. New Braunfels Avenue. Vintage Photos
Earl
Abel's - San Antonio Landmark by Mike Cox
The
Little Engine That Couldn't: The Fredericksburg & Northern Railroad
by C. F. Eckhardt
"... Even after the War, with much improved roads and a much
lessened Indian problem, it still took freight wagons the better
part of a week to travel from San Antonio to Fredericksburg... The
people north and west of San Antonio wanted and needed a railroad..."
Runaway
scrapes by Mike Cox
Thousands of people die every year in traffic crashes, but the horse
and buggy era had its injurious and fatal accidents as well.
The
Altgelts of Comfort, San Antonio (and Argentina)
"[Ernst Hermann Altgelt] established the city's first "suburb."
He named the first street in it "King William" (for German King
Wilhelm).... He built the first house on that street and, its' still
occupied."
Early
Railroad Trip from San Antonio to El Paso by Mike Cox
The
Good Docs of San Antonio by Mike Cox
Texas' best-known physician, and a lady charlatan in San Antonio
Sister
Elaine's Music by Michael Barr
An internationally acclaimed musician, Sister Elaine is well known
for her extensive work in musical composition. She studied music
at Our Lady of the Lake College in San Antonio. At age 19 she joined
the Sisters of the Divine Providence and took the name Sister Elaine.
Grand
Rock Treasure by Mike Cox
Pan
Zareta: Queen of the Turf by Clay Coppedge
Pan Zareta, the greatest filly in horse racing history, set records
at race tracks in three countries over the course of six years.
She was inducted in the Fair Ground's Racing Hall of Fame in New
Orleans, the National Museum Racing's Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs,
New York and in the Texas Race Horse Hall of Fame at Retama Park
in San Antonio.
Ad
Toepperwein, Trick Shot Artist by Michael Barr
The
"Peculiar Emblem" of Texas by Clay Coppedge
Not
so great escapes by Cay Coppedge
"... A Nazi POW named Hans Peter Krug, who escaped from a camp
in Canada in 1942, was captured in Texas. Armed with a list of contacts
to help him reach Mexico and Germany, he made it to San Antonio
before a hotel clerk recognized him from a wanted poster..."
more
Checking
In With John Ostrow by Michael Barr
German
Artists Draw First Hill Country Images by Michael Barr
"... Hermann Lungkwitz drew and painted detailed images of
Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, San Antonio and Sisterdale... he
moonlighted as a photographer in San Antonio. He painted scenery
for the San Antonio Casino Club theatrical productions, and he gave
private lessons in drawing and painting..."
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Family Trip
to San Antonio
Hop
on down to San Antone by Jase Graves
These days, getting all three of my semi-grown daughters together
for a family activity is like herding cats who have cars, jobs at
coffee shops and their own debit cards. So, when our girls were
able to pencil us in for a quick weekend trip to San Antonio, my
wife and I jumped at the chance... more
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State Parks
& Lakes
Hill
Country State Natural Area
In Bandera and Medina Counties. 45 miles NW of San Antonio.
Government
Canyon State Natural Area
210/688-9055
12861 Galm Rd San Antonio TX 78254
Honey Creek
State Natural Area
830/438-2656
Approximately 30 miles north of downtown San Antonio in western
Comal County.
c/o Guadalupe River State Park
3350 Park Road 31 Spring Branch TX 78070
Victor Braunig
Lake
Highway 37, 17 miles south of San Antonio
Calaveras Lake
Off Loop 1604, 20 miles south of San Antonio
Medina Lake
40 miles northwest of San Antonio
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San Antonio
Tourist Information
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San Antonio
Visitor Information Center
317 Alamo Plaza, 1-800-447-3372 www.sanantoniocvb.com
The Greater
San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
602 E. Commerce Street, San Antonio, TX 78205
Phone: (210) 229-2100 www.sachamber.org/
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| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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