tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80092561989663119792024-03-13T03:04:02.813-07:00San Antonio Uncovered The Blog Behind the Best Selling Book - Check Out the New Edition Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-76078514608489956462021-03-21T05:58:00.003-07:002021-03-21T06:02:19.380-07:00Phil Collins - Rock Star, Alamo Collector Extraordinaire <p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHCn-veCWw0uzRNcawAhQiMu2b0HHostBVEoUYhv-rxVKVMzIN7izac5zGUjDJ8pI57Avn1zV1OzsIb1PtZD7_WsbYbbBajWJTXvRuRQBDshoNI8btrgiuT5H0AA6JgmUWlZlO3FuSA/s604/Screen+Shot+2021-03-21+at+7.56.06+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="604" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHCn-veCWw0uzRNcawAhQiMu2b0HHostBVEoUYhv-rxVKVMzIN7izac5zGUjDJ8pI57Avn1zV1OzsIb1PtZD7_WsbYbbBajWJTXvRuRQBDshoNI8btrgiuT5H0AA6JgmUWlZlO3FuSA/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-03-21+at+7.56.06+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">When Rock Star Phil Collins was growing up in London, he was fascinated with Davy Crockett and the Shrine of Texas Liberty.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">Watching the 1950s Disney series featuring Fess Parker as Davy Crocket kick started his love of the Alamo. "I've had a love affair with this place since I was about 5 years old.”</span><p></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> In 1973 when his band Genesis was touring the US, Collins scheduled a day off to visit San Antonio. "I was just spellbound when I first saw it in person," he recalled. "Having lived all my life, to see it in books and movies and the pictures in magazines, it was really quite extraordinary."</span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> His then wife bought him his first artifact in the 90s. Since then his collection grew to over 200 items and was worth millions. It included Davy Crocket’s rifle and Jim Bowie’s knife. "Some people would buy Ferraris, some people would buy houses, I bought old bits of metal and old bits of paper," Collins said. "It's at my home, in my basement in Switzerland. I look at it every day, but no one else was enjoying it."</span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> On June 20, 2014 Phil Collins announced that he was donating his collection to the State of Texas for display at the Alamo. He pledged that he would keep buying artifacts and after a month or so enjoying them he’d would donate the also.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.thealamo.org/visit/whats-at-the-alamo/phil-collins-collection" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;">The Alamo </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">Website - Phil Collins Collection</span></a></p>Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-79578630241950612412021-03-01T13:40:00.007-08:002021-03-01T13:45:17.129-08:00Katherine Stinson and The Stinson Flying School<p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: medium;">A Woman’s Place is in the Sky</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Amazing True Tale of an Aviation Pioneer</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yu-uk_74mLX18DRX3T8BgZXeBo8D_jiR1bLNXPyzeBeVX4q3PO8pPv6G8vDsldxU9uSZ6f8xFkR3DVwgboCfXEKg4ZJraKsmgaKyP6BATLKKvbWczFntDRMRFkemL02ngzjZrwWewQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="1234" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yu-uk_74mLX18DRX3T8BgZXeBo8D_jiR1bLNXPyzeBeVX4q3PO8pPv6G8vDsldxU9uSZ6f8xFkR3DVwgboCfXEKg4ZJraKsmgaKyP6BATLKKvbWczFntDRMRFkemL02ngzjZrwWewQ/w555-h295/Screen+Shot+2021-03-01+at+3.43.45+PM.png" width="555" /></a></div><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><p></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b> </b></span>The early days of aviation were a most exciting time. The few who dared to enter a flying machine were among the era's most popular celebrities. Most of the pilots in the early days were men. Few believed that the skies were a place for women. Katherine Stinson thought differently.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> As a young woman, Katherine was looking for a way to raise money for a trip to Europe. She had heard that pilots could earn $1,000 a day, an unheard-of amount in 1910. After receiving the skeptical approval of her parents, the nineteen-year-old set out to learn to fly. It took two years before she had the opportunity to soar through the skies. Finding a flight instructor was a feat in itself because there were only 200 licensed pilots in the world in 1912, and only three were women.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Stinson sought the help of Max Lillie of Chicago. Lillie was not overenthusiastic about taking on a female student, who was barely five feet tall and just over 100 pounds. Stinson proved to the famous aviator that she possessed many qualities, other than sex and strength, that would assist her as a pilot. After a mere four hours of lessons, she soloed. She acquired her license on July 12, 1912, from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, becoming the fourth woman pilot in America.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Soon after, onlookers flocked to fairs and open fields to see the "flying schoolgirl." In 1913 Katherine Stinson opened the Stinson Aviation Company in Hot Springs, Arkansas, along with her mother. A short time later, the family was convinced by Max Lillie to move to San Antonio. Lillie found the mild winters and the terrain perfect for year-round flying. He had convinced the army to let him use the Fort Sam Houston parade ground as a landing strip. The army was determined to discover if flying could have military applications. The sight of Katherine Stinson flying over the city, performing stunts including loop to loops, became a familiar sight. Stinson taught herself the difficult and dangerous stunt and was the first woman to perform it. It soon became part of her flying repertoire.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> In the early days, she traveled from show to show by train, reassembling her plane at each stop. She often was teased by the other pilots when it came to her meticulous habits regarding her aircraft.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Her reputation as a pilot grew as she continued to tour. In Los Angeles she spelled out the word CAL with fireworks, becoming the first pilot to skywrite at night. In London she amazed the English by flying around the House of Parliament and St. Paul's Cathedral. She toured Canada at a time when most people of that nation had never seen a flying machine. In 1916 she traveled to Japan and China, where she was overwhelmed by the adoration of her fans. Twenty-five thousand fans turned out in Tokyo to watch her fly. Fan clubs sprang up all over Japan. She made thirty-two appearances in China, including a private show for Chinese leaders. Her fame had spread worldwide.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> When World War I broke out, the U.S. Army, recognizing the significance of air power, asked for pilots to volunteer for service. Katherine Stinson offered her talents to the army but was turned down because she was a woman. The aviatrix had to be satisfied with raising money for the Red Cross as her contribution to the war effort.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Since military flying was out, Stinson decided to concentrate her efforts on other flying accomplishments. On December 17, 1917, Katherine left San Diego for an attempt to break a world record in distance flying. Leaving at 7:31 A.M., in a special plane designed to fly at the breakneck speed of 85 miles per hour and hold enough fuel to be able to travel 700 miles, she set out for San Francisco. At 4:41 P.M. she landed in San Francisco with two gallons of fuel left. Her trip of 610 miles set a new world record. She had covered more miles and had been airborne longer than any man or woman pilot ever. With her place in aviation history secure, she again applied to the army for a position as a reconnaissance pilot but was again turned down. She finally gained her acceptance into the military by volunteering as an ambulance driver. Stinson served in London and France during the war and paid dearly for her efforts.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> As the war drew to a close, she contracted tuberculosis. The treatment was a warm climate and rest. Her flying days were over. She retired to a more passive life in New Mexico. Katherine Stinson married former World War I airman Miguel Otero Jr. in 1928 and lived until 1977, when she died at age eighty-six in Santa Fe.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> San Antonio’s Stinson Municipal Airport and Stinson Middle School in are both named in her honor. </span></p>Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-69294390271720535592020-12-31T08:02:00.002-08:002020-12-31T08:08:20.646-08:00The Woman Who Was Buried in Her Car<p> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Perhaps no story from 1970s San Antonio captured the city's attention more than the burial of Beverly Hills Socialite Sandra West. After passing in 1977 due to a drug overdose, she was buried in her family plot in San Antonio's Masonic Cemetery in the city's vast complex of eastside cemeteries. The usual circumstance surrounding the funeral, West wanted to be buried in her car. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>West was buried in her favorite lace neglige in a reclining position in the 1964 powder blue Ferrari 330 America. </span>The<span> entire vehicle was sealed in a box then covered with cement to prevent </span>vandals from<span> attempting to steal the car. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Over 300 onlookers came the day of the actual burial, with noted local funeral director Porter Loring saying "<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.44999998807907104px; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">his is the most unusual funeral I've ever handled. It's been a tough battle trying to keep this as unsensational as possible<span style="font-size: x-small;">." </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oddly, only a </span>small tombstone<span style="font-family: inherit;"> marks the spot of the gravesite. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDyg6xHEjr5CTY3UNMTOOOI3n8bDZxDeKH67QVSsGm-12z6xqRvSh5dZraweRKtPIuKR7HTVd1M9Yhh0ES4nw2p0Vu7r4k4QxF0uOYsuqi4q0D_h9aOEHc8ERABREMwh2NluMTd4eqxg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="1024" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDyg6xHEjr5CTY3UNMTOOOI3n8bDZxDeKH67QVSsGm-12z6xqRvSh5dZraweRKtPIuKR7HTVd1M9Yhh0ES4nw2p0Vu7r4k4QxF0uOYsuqi4q0D_h9aOEHc8ERABREMwh2NluMTd4eqxg/w640-h346/Screen+Shot+2020-12-31+at+8.53.05+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The San Antonio Express News story from 1977</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnkBvLANO7dMynWlsDB-TAiespuOyNKhyqcdNBo9VCXxqlPIShfO4WvEuoj7KofLYpyoVVxr9owcf7E-gU3d9zqe_F_VJefvQ2NSeu2NNBtWZmHqfnN8Vpe7l5ikGeqb95Bq2syg6Cg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1424" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnkBvLANO7dMynWlsDB-TAiespuOyNKhyqcdNBo9VCXxqlPIShfO4WvEuoj7KofLYpyoVVxr9owcf7E-gU3d9zqe_F_VJefvQ2NSeu2NNBtWZmHqfnN8Vpe7l5ikGeqb95Bq2syg6Cg/w640-h432/Screen+Shot+2020-12-31+at+10.04.36+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><br />Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-88164345471089752492020-05-03T10:25:00.000-07:002020-05-03T10:25:02.277-07:00Johnny Cash's Symbol on Endearing Love, On Display for 50 Years on the Riverwalk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_k5rxVnnv0QYeVX_Ua0yN4LTgiRdrJWnADgKhj-_fExv_RaQF0VGAVL70VnrbUEQf5TnmzowcxAQvPyyw_sChoGz15Bxd1uMbOuO1r50GfXzZ1e4javogxJZQkFx_HEXYtpgtZ-vUmg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-03+at+12.02.55+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="1220" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_k5rxVnnv0QYeVX_Ua0yN4LTgiRdrJWnADgKhj-_fExv_RaQF0VGAVL70VnrbUEQf5TnmzowcxAQvPyyw_sChoGz15Bxd1uMbOuO1r50GfXzZ1e4javogxJZQkFx_HEXYtpgtZ-vUmg/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-03+at+12.02.55+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bench sat for 50 year on the San Antonio Riverwalk. Unbeknownst<br />to the city, it featured an hand carved note to Johnny Cash's first love. </td></tr>
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A recent documentary, <a href="https://www.mydarlingvivian.com/" target="_blank">My Darling Vivian</a> has shed light on the life of Vivian Liberto, the San Antonio native who was Johnny Cash's first wife.<br />
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They met in 1951 at a San Antonio skating rink when she was 17 and Cash was 19, when he was stationed at Brooks Air Force Base before being shipped to Germany. Cash spent three years overseas, writing almost every day to Liberto and the two were married upon his return to the city in 1954.<br />
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The were married for 13 years and had 4 daughters. Sadly, the story of their love has largely been forgotten and often written out of the narrative of Cash's very public life. In the Hollywood biopic <i>Walk the Line, </i>an unfair portrayal of Vivian Liberto gave the public the perception that she was unsupportive and an unloving wife.<br />
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I myself had long had a different perception of Vivian Liberto, based on a story told to me by legendary San Antonio disc jockey Bruce Hathaway. It was a story that was only verified after the city of San Antonio decided to publicly display an iconic piece of Cash memorabilia that had been sitting unprotected on the Riverwalk for over 50 years and later stored away for 9 years<br />
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The Story:<br />
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Before leaving in 1951 for a 3 year assignment in Germany, Cash and Liberto were walking along San Antonio's Riverwalk when he pulled out a pocket knife and carved Johnny Loves Vivian on a cedar park bench.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHt5uy7SNEJDRaAC0pw1LBldZCDcSImdXW5C939xET01ABf0YaruFWcUYrR6sRItoODREjHv_3E9M78M9OkM3sXMw4Quz53SQHWOKG8cPziOQdaghyphenhyphenuNcfqYkRr0Rz1ZvYlhRWG8yDPw/s1600/gallery_xlarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHt5uy7SNEJDRaAC0pw1LBldZCDcSImdXW5C939xET01ABf0YaruFWcUYrR6sRItoODREjHv_3E9M78M9OkM3sXMw4Quz53SQHWOKG8cPziOQdaghyphenhyphenuNcfqYkRr0Rz1ZvYlhRWG8yDPw/s400/gallery_xlarge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The well worn carving 7 deacades after it's creation</td></tr>
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Cash would often refer to the bench in his letters home, asking if she had visited their spot while he was absent. They even visited the bench upon his return to San Antonio and before they married at St. Ann's Catholic Church.<br />
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In 2004, Liberto returned to the city and with the help of <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lora Regular;">Lincoln St. George, the city's River Operations Superintendent, she found the bench near St. Mary's Street and the La Mansion hotel. She offered to buy it from the city, but they refused, citing they it had been designed by the Riverwalk's famed architect Robert Hugman. Liberto even offered to pay to replace the bench with a replica but that offer was also turned down. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lora Regular;"> A year later, Vivian Liberto passed away. By then, the city had removed the bench and placed it in storage, where it sat for the next 9 years. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ger8eSYJTi2XF-BeMaj_OFBN9_i4yHwSHwFs6tDAimtnwJ_FOZklw3C3m15k6tt5ioFa1AueJGqpX2BUQBYPXD9F_6vU9hIGWiibpuwW4EENkGa0PTrR3rCQE22cyTrxBW-j5VTOZQ/s1600/gallery_xlarge-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ger8eSYJTi2XF-BeMaj_OFBN9_i4yHwSHwFs6tDAimtnwJ_FOZklw3C3m15k6tt5ioFa1AueJGqpX2BUQBYPXD9F_6vU9hIGWiibpuwW4EENkGa0PTrR3rCQE22cyTrxBW-j5VTOZQ/s400/gallery_xlarge-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bench, in storage</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lora Regular;"> It wasn't until 2013 that the city finally donated it to the Witte Museum and I was finally able to verify the story. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lora Regular;"> Today, the bench, and the well worn carving are on display for all to see. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_k5rxVnnv0QYeVX_Ua0yN4LTgiRdrJWnADgKhj-_fExv_RaQF0VGAVL70VnrbUEQf5TnmzowcxAQvPyyw_sChoGz15Bxd1uMbOuO1r50GfXzZ1e4javogxJZQkFx_HEXYtpgtZ-vUmg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-03+at+12.02.55+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="1220" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_k5rxVnnv0QYeVX_Ua0yN4LTgiRdrJWnADgKhj-_fExv_RaQF0VGAVL70VnrbUEQf5TnmzowcxAQvPyyw_sChoGz15Bxd1uMbOuO1r50GfXzZ1e4javogxJZQkFx_HEXYtpgtZ-vUmg/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-03+at+12.02.55+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bench today, on display at San Antonio's With Museum<br /><br /></td></tr>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-17045255631713928272019-12-25T09:30:00.000-08:002019-12-26T06:35:11.380-08:00Giant Iguanas, Record Setting Boots and Six Dancing Frogs - The Art of Bob 'Daddy-O' Wade<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bob "Daddy-O" Wade said it all started for him with one gigantic iguana. If you go by the entrance of the Fort Worth Zoo, you'll see the current resting place of the Iguana. But it more infamously sat atop the Lone Star Cafe in New York City during the 70s and 80s. (aka The Unofficial Texas Embassy)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lone Star Cafe, the Unofficial Texas Embassy - The Most Famous Iguana Perch</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Before its New Your City days, the Iguana lived near Niagara Falls. The lizard was created for display one summer in the 70s for Art Park, a music and art venue near Niagara Falls. After the summer, Wade had to find a new home for the Iguana. Through friends, he contacted the Lone Star Cafe who purchased the Iguana for their roof.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Some New York neighbors felt the Iguana was an eyesore, an oversized code busting advertisement. A court battle designated the Iguana as art, but nonetheless, the owners of the Lone Star Cafe lowers the sculpture below the roofs parapet, so it wouldn't be seen from the street, thus quelling neighborhood dissent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> In 1983, Mayor Ed Koch led an effort to have the Iguana redisplayed (after tiring of wrongly directed complaints that he banned the lizard) The rededication of the Iguana was attended by Ed Koch and Texas Governor Mark White, (who just happened to be in New York City on state business that week).</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Iguana being lowered by helicopter at the Fort Worth Zoo</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> When the Lone Star Cafe closed in 1989, the iguana went though series of hands, including an east coast horse ranch and a pier in Tribeca. It was finally purchased by patrons in Fort Worth, where it sat in a barn for 11 years. Eventually it found a home atop the Fort Worth Zoo, where it was delivered by helicopter. (check out the trailer for an upcoming documentary on the Iguana)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The notoriety of the giant Iguana begat the World's Largest Cowboy Boots, perhaps San Antonio's most iconic site, following the Alamo and the Riverwalk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The boots were created in 1979 for the Washington Project for the Arts. The large scale work of public art was constructed and displayed just a few blocks from the White House for over a year on 12th and Avenue G. After the exhibit was over, the Rouse Corporation offered to buy the boots to place outside North Star Mall.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Boots being constructed for the first time in downtown Washington DC</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob "Daddy-O" Wade across the street from his boots</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;"> The transportation of the giant boots was an adventure in itself. The boots got stuck in an overpass before leaving the Washington DC. The trucks transporting the oversized footwear had to take back roads all the way to Texas to avoid police, using CB radios to alert the drivers to possible trouble, as the artist was not transporting them in a proper manner. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boots being reassembled in San Antonio</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;"> In the early days at the mall, KTSA radio became the talk of the town when they built a broadcast booth atop the boot. For a short time, a homeless man had made a home inside the boot. Today the World’s Largest Pair of Boots has become one of San Antonio’s most recognizable sites. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The Iguana begat the Boots, the Boots begat the Frogs. The six frogs were originally located in Dallas on lower Greenville Ave atop a club called Tango were Bob Wade's next iconic commission. The club was opened by Shannon Wynne, the son of Angus Wynne, the developer of Six Flags.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The club was originally to be named Six Frogs over Tango. Like the Iguana, Dallas neighbors complained about the frogs. Eventually, the frogs were removed and took a circular tour of Texas. For a while they rested above a gas station south of Dallas called Carl's Corner.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Frogs atop the Chuy's in Nashville</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Today, 3 are in Nashville atop a Chuy's restaurant and 3 are back on Greenville Ave atop the Taco Cabana which sits at the same address as Tango. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;"> Bob Daddy-O Wade, who lives a larger than life existence, passed away on December 23, 2019 at his home in Austin. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;"><i> On a personal note: These stories come from an afternoon I spent interviewing Bob when I was finishing my book <u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/San-Antonio-Uncovered-Hidden-Histories/dp/1595347577" target="_blank">San Antonio Uncovered</a></u>. Of all the interviews I did for the book, that was by far my favorite. He was so generous of his time and his stories were as wonderfully outrageous as his art. He was a true Texas treasure. </i></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Frogs at Taco Cabana</td></tr>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-62119011191988705742019-04-03T09:00:00.000-07:002019-04-03T10:21:58.239-07:00Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About San Antonio's Ghost Crossing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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UPDATE: In October of 2018. Union Pacific Railroad upgraded the tracks and eliminated the grading that allowed your car to roll over the tracks. The Ghost Crossing Phenomena was eliminated. The following post was first published in 2013 and frequently updated.<br />
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For years, San Antonio teenagers have headed to the south side to experience the "Ghost Crossing." Local legend states that a school bus stalled on the tracks and was hit by a train at this crossing. Today if you leave your car in neutral, the ghost of those school children will push you across the tracks to safely.<br />
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<b>Where: </b>The crossing is on Shane Road where it intersects with the Southern Pacific Rail Line. Take Presa south off SE Military Drive. Turn right on Southton Road, travel under Loop 410 and right again on Shane Road. Continue to the train tracks.<br />
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<a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&oe=UTF-8&q=southton+Road+and+Shane+Road+San+Antonio&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x865cf9c93b61b4a9:0x800786efe377858b,Southton+Rd+%26+Shane+Rd,+San+Antonio,+TX+78223&gl=us&ei=ajeUUYaNMseK0QH7v4DIDA&ved=0CC8Q8gEwAA" target="_blank">Find the Ghost Crossing on Google Maps</a></div>
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<b>What to do next: </b>Turn off your engine. Put your car in neutral. Your car will mysteriously start to roll from a dead stop over the tracks.<br />
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<b>Scary Scooby Doo</b> <b>Stuff: </b> After your car is pushed over the tracks, take some baby powder and dust the back of your car. You will find finger prints of the ghosts that pushed your car across the tracks.<br />
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<b>Reality Check: </b>Chances are pretty high that those fingerprints are yours, from the last time you got into your car's truck, unless of course, you wipe your trunk of fingerprints every time you access your hatchback.<br />
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<b>More Scary Stuff</b>: The subdivision nearby has streets named after the children who died at the tracks.<br />
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<b>Reality Check:</b> The streets are named after children. However, Bobbie Allen, Cindy Sue, Laura Lee, Nancy Carroll and Richey Otis are actually the names of the developer's grandchildren.<br />
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<b>Even More Scary Stuff: </b>If you listen closely, you can hear the cries of the ghost children in the distance.<br />
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<b>Reality Check: </b>There is a nearby farm, which has peacocks. The haunting noise you hear is actually the cries of the peacocks.<br />
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<b>History of the Ghost Crossing: </b>There is no record of a bus accident at the rail crossing. The story of the Ghost Crossing goes back many years. At one time, there was a version that a horse drawn cart was caught on the tracks.<br />
There was a school bus that was caught on tracks in Salt Lake City in 1938. Twenty six children lost their lives in the accident, and the story was front page news across the nation. Today it is law that school buses must stop at rail crossings and look for trains before crossing the tracks.<br />
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<b>Reality Check: The Ghost Crossing - A Scientific Explanation: </b>The Ghost Crossing is an optical illusion. The road is actually at a slight decline which causes your car to roll over the track. However, the horizon gives the impression that the car is actually being pushed uphill.<br />
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<b>Similar Legends: </b><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20020406223114/http://www.weirdnj.com/_roads/gravityroad.html" target="_blank">Gravity Road in New Jersey</a> is quite similar to the Ghost Crossing. Notice how close that legend parallels the San Antonio tale<br />
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The Ghost Crossing has received interest from a number of Television shows. Here is an excellent clip from one national broadcast which debunks the local legend.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aWl8eSGkAHs?rel=0" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-57039638268751788962019-04-03T07:41:00.000-07:002019-04-03T10:17:04.688-07:0011 Scary San Antonio Ghost Stories<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Every town has tales of spirits that inhabit the area, and San Antonio, Texas is no exception. Here are eleven of the city’s most popular poltergeists.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600;">ONE: The Ghost Crossing</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Perhaps the most popular tale, the ghost crossing has enticed thousands of San Antonians to trek out to an obscure southeast railroad crossing to participate in an eerie phenomenon. The ghost crossing is on Shane Road, where it intersects with the Southern Pacific rail line. According to the legend, a school bus full of kids stalled on the tracks and was hit by a train. Today if a motorist stops before the tracks and places the car in neutral, the ghosts of those children will push the vehicle over the tracks. To visit the crossing, take Presa south off SE Military Drive. Turn right on Southton Road, then right again on Shane. Turn off your engine and give it a try. If you’re brave, visit the crossing at night. You will be amazed when your car mysteriously moves across the tracks. Is it an optical illusion? Are you really moving downhill? Or is your car being pushed across by ghosts? Part of this ghostly tale is that the nearby subdivision has streets named for the children who perished in the supposed accident. Actually they are simply the names of the neighborhood developer’s grandchildren.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600;">TWO: The Ghostly Nuns</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />The basement of Santa Rosa Hospital is said to be the haunting grounds for these spectral beings. The ghosts are believed to be the spirits of five nuns who died on October 30, 1912, after trying to rescue children from a burning orphanage. The<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />wooden building of the St. John’s Orphan Asylum, which went up in flames that night, was located across from the hospital at the corner of Houston and San Saba Streets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600;">THREE: The Menger Ghost</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Said to haunt the old portion of the Menger Hotel, Sallie White was a hotel chambermaid who was murdered by her husband. This poltergeist is rather stubborn, appearing only when she pleases.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600;">FOUR: The Alamo Ghosts</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Many guests who have stayed at the Menger Hotel in rooms that overlook the Alamo have said that they have spotted the ghosts of the Alamo defenders. Legend states that General Andrade of the Mexican army planned to destroy the Alamo after the Battle of San Jacinto. But when he ordered his troops to do so, the ghosts of Travis, Bowie, and the others appeared with flaming swords, screaming, “Do not touch these walls!” On Nacogdoches near Loop 1604 sits a stone tower atop a hill. It is said that this tower is also haunted by ghosts from the Alamo days. Lights are often seen at the tower at night, and many believe that the tower was a lookout post for the Alamo and that the lights belong to the spirits of the sentry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600;">FIVE: The Dancing Diablo</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />The site for this terrible tale is the El Camaroncito Nite Club, located at 411 W. Old Highway 90. It’s said that in the 1970s a debonair patron was dancing with many different women one evening, and at some point, one lady looked down and noticed that the dapper dancer had the feet of a chicken. This is of course the sign of the devil, so the woman screamed, and El Diablo ran from the club. El Camaroncito Nite Club is now closed, but the chicken-footed dancer has been reported at other establishments throughout the years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600;">SIX: The Ghosts of Milam Square</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Few people realize that the public park between Santa Rosa Hospital and El Mercado was once a cemetery for the Canary Islanders. It is said that if you pass through the square with evil thoughts, you will be visited by spirits.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600;">SEVEN: The Converse Wolfman</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Set many years ago in the area of Skull Creek near FM 1518, the legend tells of a thirteen-year-old boy, who spent most of his time reading. The father thought the boy was too much of a bookworm, so he bought him a rifle, thinking that by forcing<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />the child to go hunting, he could reform him. After his first day out with the gun, the boy came home and told his parents of a wolfman-type creature in the woods. The father, not believing the boy, told him to go out and not to return until he had killed something. When the young hunter did not come home, a search party was organized. At the creek, the boy was found dead, and the wolfman was feasting on his body. The wolfman supposedly returns to the creek during full moons, and when he does, the water in the creek turns blood red.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600;">EIGHT: The Donkey Lady</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Also called La Llorona, the donkey lady was a beautiful poor girl who fell in love with a rich aristocrat. Because they were of different classes, they were forbidden to marry. The young lady thus became the man’s mistress and bore him several children. Some versions say she drowned the children because she was poor and could not afford to keep them. Others say she drowned them because she was evil.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Regardless, because of her awful actions, she was condemned for eternity to be a ghost with a donkey’s head on her beautiful body. La Llorona has been reported on Applewhite Road near Zarzamora and at the intersection of Blanco and Lockhill-<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Selma. She also has been spotted by teenagers who go to Espada Park to neck. The legend is often told by superstitious parents to warn their children of the ghost that haunts youngsters who play near forbidden waters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600;">NINE: The Navarro House Ghost</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />This downtown landmark is the former home of José Antonio Navarro, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Believers in the paranormal have heard footsteps and spotted furniture that has been moved under mysterious circumstances. Some say the ghost is the home’s namesake; others say it is a slain prostitute, a murdered bartender, or a Confederate deserter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600;">TEN: The Seven-foot Chinese Woman</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />This large Asian ghost haunts an old cemetery near Stinson Field. One version of the tale claims the seven-foot-tall local woman killed herself because her Chinese contemporaries ridiculed her for being so tall. Some say she died in a fire. The<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />same area is said to be haunted by a bearded lady as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600;">ELEVEN: Midget Mansion</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />This legend was fueled by the overactive imaginations of teenagers who attended Marshall and Clark high schools. For years, students went after dark to an old abandoned home situated between Datapoint Drive and Medical Drive near the Medical Center to tell the story of a mansion run by evil midgets.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Every landmark, legend and myth of San Antonio is here - from the ugliest statue to the histories of the railroad stations. It's a smorgasbord of overlooked and under-appreciated jewels from all over the city. The obligatory shrines and sites are here too - every one of them. Throughout the book's pages Mark employs the rarest type of humor - humor with genuine affection.</span></div>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-1852007197667494632018-07-09T02:35:00.000-07:002018-07-20T04:57:35.538-07:00Was Ozzy Osbourne Arrested For Peeing on the Alamo?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"> This is one of the top questions asked of the curators of the Alamo: Was Rock Star Ozzy Osbourne arrested for peeing on the Alamo? Like any story, there are some facts that are mixed with myth and hype to create a wonderful tale.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The facts: On February 19, 1982, prior to a concert in San Antonio, Ozzy Osbourne stopped to urinate on his way back to his hotel room after some extensive partying. Unfortunately, for Ozzy, he stopped to pee in Alamo Plaza on the Cenotaph. The Cenotaph is a monument erected in 1939 to honor those who died in the Battle of the Alamo.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where Ozzy Osbourne Actually Peed. The Alamo Cenotaph</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Not that urinating on a War Memorial is much better than the Alamo itself. It just makes for a different headline. Even his son Jack admits as much in this podcast interview on the subject</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The Rock Star was arrested for Public Intoxication and released on a $40 bond in time to play his show. However, he was banned from ever performing in San Antonio again. The incident unleashed the incorrect story that Ozzy had been arrested for peeing on the actually Alamo, the shrine of Texas Liberty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Over the years, the legend has grown despite the fact that 10 years after the event, Ozzy made a $10,000 donation to the caretakers of the Alamo (the Daughter of the Texas Republic) and made an official apology. The ban was lifted after the apology and he was allowed to play two show at the Freeman Coliseum</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: , "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">"We all have done things in our lives that we regret. I am deeply honored that the people of San Antonio have found it in their hearts to have me back. I hope that this donation will show that I have grown up.” Ozzy Osbourne 1992</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: , "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: , "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: , "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">In 2015, Ozzy revisited the Alamo for a show on the History Channel and apologized once again for his transgression.</span></span></div>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-75061513185418654272018-05-25T05:30:00.000-07:002018-05-25T05:30:48.450-07:00Gutzon Borglum and Mount Rushmore - The San Antonio Connection <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the most intriguing artists to pass through San Antonio was noted sculptor Gutzon Borglum. Borglum came to the city in 1925 to create a memorial for the Trail Drivers Museum. He immediately won the respect of the people of Texas, who treated him as the ultimate celebrity when he toured the state with a model of his creation. Borglum stayed in the city for many years, working out of a studio in Brackenridge Park. The studio, a former water works facility, was modified by the artist and was the site of some of his most famous creations. It was here that Borglum created his famous statue of Woodrow Wilson for the Polish government.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Borglum was a man of many contradictions. He was an avowed anti-Semite, and often spoke about the "Jewish Problem." Often he preached against the so-called Jewish Establishment and their control of the banking industry. However, many of his patrons, financial backers, and close friends were Jewish. Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter, like many of his contemporaries, accepted the self-proclaimed anti-Semite as a valued friend who was uncompromising in his beliefs. When Hitler began carrying out a plan to exterminate Jewish citizens, Borglum, the man of many contradictions, became an outspoken opponent of the <i>Führer</i>. When Hitler invaded Poland, one of his first acts was to destroy Borglum's statue of Woodrow Wilson.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">The artist took an active role in the politics of the day. He allowed Czechoslovakian rebels to train on his Connecticut estate during World War I. He investigated the aircraft industry for corruption during the First World War. He was an advisor to presidents and chiefs of state. He became a powerful member of the Ku Klux Klan in a time when the racist organization was trying to mainstream their cause.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">When Borglum arrived in San Antonio, he had just been fired by the group who had commissioned him to create a monument in Stone Mountain, Georgia, honoring Confederate heroes. He left Georgia a fugitive for destroying a vital model of the uncompleted sculpture. In San Antonio, he quickly set up shop at Brackenridge Park in his Mill Race Studio. After the creation of the Trail Drivers monument, he left for South Dakota to create his most famous work, a giant carving of four ex-presidents on Mount Rushmore. It was in his Brackenridge Park studio that Borglum designed his greatest work of art. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Borglum left a large legacy. His art is displayed in the White House, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, in Los Angeles, Detroit, Newark, Chicago, and San Antonio. He designed the flame in the Statue of Liberty's torch. He was the head of the Texas Beautification Plan and proposed ideas, such as a Corpus Christi waterfront, that were years ahead of their time. As for San Antonio, his contributions to the city are mostly forgotten. Throughout the carving of Mount Rushmore, he wintered in San Antonio while working on his other commissions. He left for California in the 1930s after losing out on the Alamo Cenotaph commission.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">His studio was turned over to the San Antonio Art League, who used it for young artists for many years. Some of his greatest pieces were created there. After many years, the building was abandoned. It sat in quiet ruins for many years, adjacent to the Brackenridge Golf Course parking lot. It was renovated a few years ago and is now available for for events. </span></span></div>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-25471651457851571282018-04-08T10:00:00.000-07:002018-07-20T05:04:47.161-07:00Seven Ways HemisFair Changed San Antonio Forever <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><i>“Until Hemisfair, we were a good city, a quiet city, with not much vision or thrust for the future”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><i> </i>William Sinkin First President of HemisFair ’68</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> 50 years ago, in 1968, San Antonio hosted the World’s Fair, dubbed HemisFair 68. The site of the fair is now HemisFair Park in downtown on the corner of Alamo St, Market St and Cesar Chavez Blvd, marked by the Convention Center and the Tower of the Americas, both constructed for the event.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>While the city has discussed numerous proposals for the site over the past 50 years, one thing cannot be denied, HemisFair forever changed the path of the city. </span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>1. It moved San Antonio into the ranks of America’s top cities.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></b>In 1920, San Antonio was the largest city in Texas. But after the depression, the city hit a prolonged period of stagnant growth. In the 1950s, while the rest of the nation was basking in the glow of post war growth, San Antonio slowly settled behind Dallas and Houston in population. Worse yet, a walk thru downtown San Antonio in the early 1960s, looked much like 1930s San Antonio. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The idea behind HemisFair was to kick start the city’s growth and propel the city out of its economic slumber. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Perhaps the most telling story of the city’s malaise is told by Red McCombs, who served on the fair’s executive committee. He was in charge of getting major companies to sponsor and build pavilions for the fair. They needed twenty to have the fair certified but could only sign 3. According to McCombs, the biggest problem was that “major corporations in 1966 thought of San Antonio as being something maybe like Laredo or maybe like Abilene.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> With personal appeals from President Lyndon Johnson, HemisFair was able to secure enough corporate partners to have the fair certified.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Today, San Antonio has over a 1.4 million people and is the 7th largest city in the US and the second largest in Texas. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4l4SDbqGGkD-ugl56jUbqNSkdA758L_T6_IjrEqSsO6deIBkK6Pnj6A6fVhnx30wYxP4Hqpnm5v8t6ANhMMEfq00yaclNperYDoQvbuDsoWdch0h3KHGisDrVUKQWysqhut6QjKokg/s1600/hf101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="600" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4l4SDbqGGkD-ugl56jUbqNSkdA758L_T6_IjrEqSsO6deIBkK6Pnj6A6fVhnx30wYxP4Hqpnm5v8t6ANhMMEfq00yaclNperYDoQvbuDsoWdch0h3KHGisDrVUKQWysqhut6QjKokg/s640/hf101.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Post Card showing the RiverWalk extension into HemisFair and the then named HemisFair Theatre. Renamed the Lila Cockerel Theatre, it still stands today as part of the Convention Center </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>2. It saved the River Walk.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> </b>In 1960, the River Walk was quite different that it is today. The beautiful Venice like attraction that architect Robert Hugman envisioned during the 1930s was built by the WPA, but it became anything but an attraction. Most buildings used the River Walk as an alley, storing trash. Casa Rio was the only restaurant on the river and most thought the owner was crazy to open there. The River Walk was so rough that the military had made it off limits to military personal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Part of the HemisFair plan was to extend the River Walk into the fairground, stopping in front of the Lila Cockrell theatre and what is now Convention Center. That extension along with over 6 million Hemisfair visitors helped remake the image of the River Walk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Today, the River Walk is the second most popular tourist destination in Texas.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Post Card from the Fair</span></td></tr>
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<b>3. It made San Antonio into a tourist destination.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> </b>From the start of the Depression until the mid-1960s not a single new hotel was built in San Antonio. When San Antonio was awarded the fair, it set off a slew of hotel construction, including the Hilton Palacio Del Rio and the conversion of St. Mary’s College old downtown campus into La Mansion. Millions streamed into the city to experience that fair and discovered San Antonio for the first time, making into a tourist destination for the first time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Today, San Antonio host 7 million visitors annually and has the state’s top tourist attraction, the Alamo. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Post Card depicting the The USA Pavilion for HemisFair. Today it is the Judge John Wood Courthouse </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>4. It gave the city a convention center.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></b>When designing the fair, Congressman Henry B. Gonzales made sure that federal urban renewal funds used for the fair included permanent buildings that could be used after HemisFair closed. The HemisFair Exhibit Hall became San Antonio’s first Convention Center. Attached to the Exhibit Hall was the HemisFair Arena, which later attracted San Antonio’s first major league team, the Spurs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"> The Convention Center has been expanded many times and the Arena has been replaced by more meeting space, but the HemisFair Theatre remains, now named the Lila Cockrell Theatre, after the city’s first female mayor. If you look above the west facade of the theatre, you can see on original HemisFair mural, “</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; line-height: normal;">Confluence of Civili</span><span style="font-kerning: none;">zatio</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; line-height: normal;">ns in the Americas<i>”</i></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; line-height: normal;"><i> </i></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">by Mexican artist Juan O’Gourman.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; line-height: normal;"><i> </i></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Today, the Convention Center is one of the 15 largest in the US, hosting 300 events a year with over 750,000 annual delegates. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Post Card depicting the Tower of the Americas</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>5. It transformed our skyline.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></b>By far, the most recognizable structure in the city’s skyline is the Tower of the Americas. Designed by O’Neil Ford, the tower was the centerpiece of the fair. The tophouse was actually built on the ground and raised on the shaft. The raising of the top house to its final resting stop became a bit of a civic event.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> The observation deck and the revolving restaurant are still popular San Antonio attractions. Sadly, after the tower was opened and became the city’s tallest structure, the observation deck atop the 1929 Tower Life Building closed to the public. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"> Today, at 750 Feet, the Tower of the Americas is still the largest structure in San Antonio. It is 145 feet taller than Seattle’s Space Needle and 187 Feet taller than Dallas’</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Reunion Tower. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Post Card depicting the nation of Mexico's Pavilion for Hemisfair. The pavilion is used today as Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Mexico - San Antonio Campus and the Mexican Cultural Institute</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>6. It changed the political landscape.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></b>The city’s political landscape in the 1960’s was mainly run by white businessmen. But the undertaking of a World’s Fair took efforts from the entire community and opened the doors of political opportunity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> 1968 was a tumultuous year in the US for race relations. In San Antonio, city leaders knew it would be disastrous to invite people from all over the world, of a myriad of ethnicities, to the city only to have them denied entrance to restaurants and hotels. They made sure San Antonio became an open city. It was one of the few places in the US to escape the violence of 1968.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> <i>“Until HemisFair came along, Jessica and I didn’t know a single Latino in San Antonio. HemisFair changed all that”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Henry E. Catto Jr. San Antonian and Former Ambassador to Great Britain</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Post Card depicting one of the original buildings in the neighborhood where HemisFair was built. Originally it was the Schultze Store. For the Fair it was used as the Humble Oil Pavilion. The building still stands today on the West Entrance to the park</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b>7. It wiped a Polish neighborhood off the map.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></b>HemisFair ’68 was built on a 92 acre site that was home to one of San Antonio’s oldest neighborhoods. The demolition over 100 buildings including St. Michaels Church, the United State’s</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">third oldest Polish Catholic church, was not without controversy. The San Antonio Conservation Society submitted a proposal to save 129 historic structures, some dating back to the 1800s, and have them incorporated into the fair. In the end, only 24 structures were saved, many which are still in the park.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Today, there is a proposal to once again redevelop the HemisFair site to include apartments and town homes, recreating the downtown neighborhood. </span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> Visit the old neighborhood here in this <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=0b60414816374745ac2349811c5b735b" target="_blank">photo montage</a> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Michaels Catholic Church - one of just many buildings torn down for Hemisfair</td></tr>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-24321358349307936862018-03-23T05:07:00.003-07:002018-03-23T06:48:45.654-07:00Yes, Santa Anna Did Invent Chewing Gum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b style="font-size: 12px;"> </b><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, that Santa Anna. Battle of the Alamo Santa Anna. His time in San Antonio is well documented. What is lesser known is his role in the invention of chewing gum. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">After his surrender in San Jacinto, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna lived in a variety of place including Cuba and Staten Island, New York.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">According to the well-researched book, <i>Chicle, The Chewing Gum of the Americas, From the Ancient Maya to William Wrigley </i>by Jennifer P. Mathews<i>, </i>Santa Anna was trying to find a way to fund a return to the presidency of Mexico while living in New York. Santa Anna had a supply of chicle from Vera Cruz that he chewed for pleasure. Chicle is produced by the sapodilla tree and used for decades by indians as a chewable snack. With the assistance of amateur inventor Thomas Adams, Santa Anna tried to create a valuable substitute for rubber using chicle. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"> When their attempt at fortune failed, Santa Anna returned to Mexico, penniless. Adams, left with a large supply of chicle, cut it into bight size pieces and sold it as candy. Adams called his treat, Chicklets and eventually made his fortune. The rest is history.</span></span><br />
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-77975547310487624162018-03-04T18:29:00.000-08:002018-03-04T19:08:17.705-08:00The First Movie to Win the Oscar is . . . from San Antonio<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">The first movie to win the Oscar for Best Picture has its roots in the Alamo City. The silent World War I epic <i>Wings </i>was filmed in San Antonio, using its many military facilities as backdrops. Kelly and Brooks Fields were used as cadet training sites. The Ft. Sam Houston gate near the Quadrangle was used in the opening shot, and Camp Stanley acted as St. Mihiel, France, where the 2nd Infantry fought.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">The film premiered in San Antonio on May 19, 1927, at the <a href="http://www.sanantoniouncovered.com/2014/09/the-sad-tale-of-texas-theatre.html" target="_blank">Texas Theatre.</a> Proceeds from the event ($5,500) were given to a memorial fund for the 2nd Infantry Division, which lost 25,000 troops in World War I. Actors Buddy Rogers, Clara Bow, Richard Arlen, and Jobyna Ralston attended the premier of their film, as did many actors from the movie <i>Rough Riders</i>,<i> </i>which was filming in San Antonio at the time.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Texas Theatre, in it's former glory before it was partially torn down. <a href="http://www.sanantoniouncovered.com/2014/09/the-sad-tale-of-texas-theatre.html" target="_blank">Only the facade exists today on Houston Stree</a>t. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">The movie also features the screen debut of Gary Cooper who was on screen for a total of 102 seconds. Cooper received such a reaction from fans who wrote the studio asking about the tall actor that his fate as a star was born.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">The premiere ended on a spectacular note, when moviegoers left the theatre and were greeted by newsboys who were selling papers announcing that former Brooks Field Cadet Charles Lindbergh was preparing to leave for Paris on his solo transatlantic flight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">View The Trailer</span></div>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-74447438931764815382017-11-19T07:38:00.000-08:002018-03-04T19:08:58.080-08:00Teddy Roosevelt and the Roughriders in San Antonio<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Teddy Roosevelt was the assistant secretary of the navy when he first thought to form a cavalry regiment of Wild West types to fight the Spaniards in Cuba. The "Rough Riders" ended up being a mix of westerners and East Coast Ivy Leaguers. Some of the frontiersman included "Rocky Mountain Bill," "Rattlesnake Pete," "Lariat Ned," and "Bronco George," a man who had already downed five men. The westerners drew less attention than the nattily dressed, refined East Coast college educated men, who stood out in roughshod San Antonio.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Contrary to popular belief, Roosevelt was not the commanding officer of the Rough Riders. Feeling that he lacked enough military experience, the assistant secretary chose Colonel Leonard Wood, who had seen action in the Indian campaigns, as the head man. Roosevelt became a lieutenant colonel under Wood. Roosevelt arrived on May 15, 1898, and recruited members for his crew from the lobby of the Menger Hotel. The bar at the hotel was the site of many impassioned speeches by the future president. The Menger Bar is still intact and has been renamed the Roosevelt Bar.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaque outside the Mender Hotel Bar where Teddy Roosevelt recruited Rough Riders. The Bar was later renamed the Roosevelt Bar and looks the same today as it did when Roosevelt visited. </td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The First United States Volunteer Cavalry trained on the site of Riverside Golf Course, near the water hazard on the sixteenth hole. On May 30, 1898, the volunteer cavalry left by train for Florida, then they went on to Cuba. The Rough Riders suffered many casualties, due to both war and disease. After three months, the Rough Riders were disbanded. Lt. Colonel Roosevelt went on to bigger and better endeavors.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: 0px;">I LOVE this book . . . Has a lot of great stories from the best city in the world!! . . . </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Wonderful and surprising facts . . . Thought you knew this city? Better read this . . . </span></i></span></div>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-57507810483041368662017-07-12T19:11:00.001-07:002017-07-12T19:22:10.673-07:00How San Antonio Got The Spurs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">In 1967, the Dallas Chaparrals where one of the founding teams on the upstart American Basketball Association. The team had never drawn well, averaging less than 3,000 fans a night. By 1973, the owners were desperately looking for a buyer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Without a single offer, the Chaparrals turned to San Antonians Red McCombs and Angelo Drossos. They offered them one of the most unique deals in all of sports. The leased the team to San Antonio for two years. At the end on two years, they could own the team outright for two payments of $800,000.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The team, renamed the Spurs, had its own attendance woes. It didn’t improve in San Antonio until the Spurs bought the contract of a skinny young player named George Gervin. With Gervin, the team quickly improved and attendance rocketed by the middle of the first season. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnVIO6Jd1F8c4tnhPn8I-o37FZjjJ8PtUj-Fxo1l_jdetHtscNRrAVDjfXjErfCf7FXILbY5v-PlhBypYZwwr-nh5yGv3X2IcjQxhsp8CnetzwNC9fjUhRvhfIFioEKqKEM0iywRaPA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-07-12+at+9.02.33+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="416" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnVIO6Jd1F8c4tnhPn8I-o37FZjjJ8PtUj-Fxo1l_jdetHtscNRrAVDjfXjErfCf7FXILbY5v-PlhBypYZwwr-nh5yGv3X2IcjQxhsp8CnetzwNC9fjUhRvhfIFioEKqKEM0iywRaPA/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-07-12+at+9.02.33+PM.png" width="270" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> Drossos then contacted the Dallas owners with a bit of a bluff. He told them he had run out of capital and they could have the team back. The last thing they want was the team back because they’d have to find a new buyer. They struck a new deal. San Antonio could have the entire team immediately for one payment of $800,000.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> In 1976, the Spurs along with 3 other ABA teams were absorbed by the NBA. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In 2014 the Spurs </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">won their 5th Championship. The average value of a NBA franchise is now at $630 Million. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJE10dAfncfNVmuy6b33KW6N7V98b7hYFvAZYCd2L-awrtQPpeRxTxz6YORMBDSwDUttUj44o50np7L0cXy-NepBTdVSm-wpLxt7Qzd98wtTGIJCO7rC5H3kHQjJ8a5uYB8xvgFPCWQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-07-12+at+8.54.29+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="1260" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJE10dAfncfNVmuy6b33KW6N7V98b7hYFvAZYCd2L-awrtQPpeRxTxz6YORMBDSwDUttUj44o50np7L0cXy-NepBTdVSm-wpLxt7Qzd98wtTGIJCO7rC5H3kHQjJ8a5uYB8xvgFPCWQ/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-07-12+at+8.54.29+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original inside of Hemisfair Arena, before the roof was literally raised to add an upper deck</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The roof being raised on Hemisfair Arena to add an upper deck</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggm0tQ4fwbdVeFivgCp2qmxtZW0plKZdRBWv1okHg55e1lk4YNwhTtWUdHREGGKsSn8w_CyRXO1skyIXWqGYKX6Qr2k4J-1Vhjb8TP4l66RqIxQZVgNKCp1nmGryk7XZ8KA8GK12i10w/s1600/tumblr_lh12e7LuEI1qgs6wvo1_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="325" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggm0tQ4fwbdVeFivgCp2qmxtZW0plKZdRBWv1okHg55e1lk4YNwhTtWUdHREGGKsSn8w_CyRXO1skyIXWqGYKX6Qr2k4J-1Vhjb8TP4l66RqIxQZVgNKCp1nmGryk7XZ8KA8GK12i10w/s640/tumblr_lh12e7LuEI1qgs6wvo1_400.jpg" width="577" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The NBA's Spurs 'Bruise Brother's' Poster from 1980<br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">"This detailed book is at once a tourist's friend and a native's reference. Rybczyk says it was written for the curious native (whatever that is) and secondly for the newly arrived who may wonder "What's so special about San Antonio?" Notice who it was written for first.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Every landmark, legend and myth of San Antonio is here - from the ugliest statue to the histories of the railroad stations. It's a smorgasbord of overlooked and under-appreciated jewels from all over the city. The obligatory shrines and sites are here too - every one of them. Throughout the book's pages Mark employs the rarest type of humor - humor with genuine affection.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Mark corrects the old saw that said San Antonio is "a small town wanting to be a big city." It is, as he says, "A big town that desperately wants to be a small town." With this book as your guide, it's almost as though San Antonio gets its wish."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">John </span><a class="noTextDecoration" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1ZHM80GXYHYLT/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066c0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"> Troessler </a>Texas Escape</div>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-67405401128021753742017-04-03T07:11:00.001-07:002017-11-19T07:26:33.540-08:00Sam, the Space Monkey - From Outer Space to the San Antonio Zoo. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaQRBx2Q9I2xYm6Ec7qb_JXITDJWUjX0CD2aSvnejcCf8Hn7sLTgaVMS04D3uQ-E0tn7VY6JBSe1FuJCbckno_LDHnmdz17pNBUDYOVwNmmNRnSmwYCAhHOqnl2f9M82GR84zE-VDOQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-03+at+9.05.14+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaQRBx2Q9I2xYm6Ec7qb_JXITDJWUjX0CD2aSvnejcCf8Hn7sLTgaVMS04D3uQ-E0tn7VY6JBSe1FuJCbckno_LDHnmdz17pNBUDYOVwNmmNRnSmwYCAhHOqnl2f9M82GR84zE-VDOQ/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-04-03+at+9.05.14+AM.png" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It took me a while, but I finally found a photo of Sam the Space Monkey. Sam went from a trip to outer space to a n extended stint at the San Antonio Zoo<br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b style="font-size: 12px;"> </b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span>Sam was the first Texan to travel into space. Born in 1957 at the University of Texas, Sam, a rhesus monkey, was designated for the U.S. space program because he was a stand-out at the U.T. Balcones Research Center. On December 4, 1959, Sam was launched into space from Wallops Island, Virginia. After a seventeen-hour countdown, Sam was launched fifty-five miles into space and spent a total of twelve minutes there.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> After his famous flight, Sam was brought to the School of Aerospace Medicine at Brooks Air Force Base, where he was put under medical scrutiny. The space chimp made the cover of <i>Parade</i> magazine in 1960, but his fame was short-lived when John Glenn became more popular.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> Sam was kept at Brooks AFB for a mere eleven years when the air force figured they had gathered enough evidence on the effects of twelve minutes of space flight on monkeys. Sam then moved to a cage at the San Antonio Zoo where he was given a companion, though he was now too fat to mate. A plaque on his cage told zoo goers of the accomplishments of Sam.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"> The space pioneer passed away on September 19, 1978. The chimp's body was taken back to Brooks for an autopsy, where more was learned of the effects of weightlessness.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><i>As Featured in the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/San-Antonio-Uncovered-Hidden-Histories/dp/1595347577" target="_blank">San Antonio Uncovered</a></i></span></div>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-41667626117444606842017-03-26T18:03:00.001-07:002017-11-19T07:26:48.606-08:00The Construction on The Tower of the Americas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A recent discussion of the Tower of the Americas drew disbelief when I mentioned that the observation deck was built on the ground and later raised up the elevator shaft when completed.<br />
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I found this photo (courtesy of the San Antonio Express News) that shows the day the Roundhouse was raised to the top of the tower, shortly before the start of the 1968 World's Fair<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYZAoXIoOK-xepgyU-72QdRaWWyHpJpPI0l-cUg0svz7yYiHZoWhig3R6cwBIUZDy-j1Wr9jDqUT3N8XCDWvcmzWmaKZXCljNI9Ofz2lPzAasH7_CUCx4rWUIbH0XirkO1_TCRKSiWg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-26+at+7.54.07+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYZAoXIoOK-xepgyU-72QdRaWWyHpJpPI0l-cUg0svz7yYiHZoWhig3R6cwBIUZDy-j1Wr9jDqUT3N8XCDWvcmzWmaKZXCljNI9Ofz2lPzAasH7_CUCx4rWUIbH0XirkO1_TCRKSiWg/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-03-26+at+7.54.07+PM.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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On our recent <a href="http://www.travelwithhawkeye.net/" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Travel With Hawkeye Podcast</a> I shared my observations and comparisons of the Tower of the Americas and Seattle's Space Needle</div>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-42575316209728318192016-11-22T05:08:00.000-08:002017-11-19T07:27:14.007-08:00The Neon Sign That Predicted the Weather<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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One of the most iconic signs in San Antonio's skyline was the neon Alamo National Bank sign. Not only did it tower over most of downtown. The sign also predicted the weather.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-m6bso_AAwK1ABh2rUkvSQXyecgTFmBi5UUmYYK2A9fTcNjViaZkGJV5nn_5TdPzj9LDraAOwlU2L7WYAChf2kXMuSUkeHLnrLLSBrET0eVZrXjojL-ZkCN8amjPWVH9WZ0pYo8CIWg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-11-22+at+6.31.20+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-m6bso_AAwK1ABh2rUkvSQXyecgTFmBi5UUmYYK2A9fTcNjViaZkGJV5nn_5TdPzj9LDraAOwlU2L7WYAChf2kXMuSUkeHLnrLLSBrET0eVZrXjojL-ZkCN8amjPWVH9WZ0pYo8CIWg/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-11-22+at+6.31.20+AM.png" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">The Original Sign atop San Antonio's Alamo National Bank Building<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3P5RhY2Onrg0x4TVIsFaeSvxN1LRiTaSwMozUbwTzA5j5rvj_y3qwDf7XlbKERfFYre-U2UHWgLFhfM8J_U3agJNzr8AYM-_h_KrJ0_Eq3_lhesulHn0QY5u_6HtjRxqNnNkoNlCIA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-11-25+at+2.45.53+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3P5RhY2Onrg0x4TVIsFaeSvxN1LRiTaSwMozUbwTzA5j5rvj_y3qwDf7XlbKERfFYre-U2UHWgLFhfM8J_U3agJNzr8AYM-_h_KrJ0_Eq3_lhesulHn0QY5u_6HtjRxqNnNkoNlCIA/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-11-25+at+2.45.53+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">From the Express News December 28, 1968<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9FdfUMPWC8-uNHAsPzSeqQ6Ry4EezIiPoBh5_qI2qNLV23Ey79Gi9_5KQzamwop-AI0gM5YbhV1xadoYe6423UOlq8Gm7HoMTc4r4mlL25t_g-N-EDpvu3cF6dtqFjDp8ltMSorzJw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-12-07+at+2.08.32+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9FdfUMPWC8-uNHAsPzSeqQ6Ry4EezIiPoBh5_qI2qNLV23Ey79Gi9_5KQzamwop-AI0gM5YbhV1xadoYe6423UOlq8Gm7HoMTc4r4mlL25t_g-N-EDpvu3cF6dtqFjDp8ltMSorzJw/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-12-07+at+2.08.32+PM.png" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">A key to the flashing neon, found on back of Alamo National Bank Matchbooks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDT8V9dmCD47F3SIJmYwBp76qjdu0IdbbXM1sfc7RlAwZ611sLkomuainKA-unV_T3rw3TX5xhJtlWwCNJFJOUXj0fG7KIIguybSVtAm4wftdbsLK9LLRo_Kj_13TYGIfCa8XW5tSZQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-11-22+at+6.20.43+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDT8V9dmCD47F3SIJmYwBp76qjdu0IdbbXM1sfc7RlAwZ611sLkomuainKA-unV_T3rw3TX5xhJtlWwCNJFJOUXj0fG7KIIguybSVtAm4wftdbsLK9LLRo_Kj_13TYGIfCa8XW5tSZQ/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-11-22+at+6.20.43+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">The sign today, atop the redeveloped Alamo National Back Building, as see from the Drury Suites Rooftop pool<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Alamo National Bank Building's New Life as a Hotel</b></span></div>
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Originally built in 1929, the the 24 story Alamo National Bank Building was one of the San Antonio's tallest office buildings for many years. In 1961, a parking garage and drive thru banking lanes were added. Ironically, the garage faced the riverwalk, which illustrates what people thought of riverfront access before Hemisfair. </div>
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In 2005, the building was readapted to use as a hotel. The Drury Plaza Hotel lovingly restored the lobby to it's original grandeur. The neon tower above the sign was partially restored, but no longer forecasts the weather. (If the lights on the tower lit in an upward direction, the temp was rising, etc)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFAF1bPY1d9AMD4NSU0OENvUUX2Yny19JXoR5gAY-L4Nuh23YgqFRhS0clfH6bCs6xwu4dWeEV9lUiGHKAWtMUz3QTAEIeH3IJSmjgdnIxhl5CcQiCkbdRqWx5MU8LNwT5ttdLq9Srg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-12-07+at+2.15.44+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFAF1bPY1d9AMD4NSU0OENvUUX2Yny19JXoR5gAY-L4Nuh23YgqFRhS0clfH6bCs6xwu4dWeEV9lUiGHKAWtMUz3QTAEIeH3IJSmjgdnIxhl5CcQiCkbdRqWx5MU8LNwT5ttdLq9Srg/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-12-07+at+2.15.44+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Drury Suites as seen from the Riverwalk</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The building today with the new San Fernando Tower atop the parking garage. The San Fernando Tower has a rooftop patio that overlooks the riverwalk, Main Plaza and the Cathedral.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The exquisite stone work. Taken atop the new rooftop pool</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hotel lobby, restored to it's original grandeur. Notice the stained glass above the entry. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Alamo depicted in stained glass on the Commerce Street exit. Notice the side panels. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These panels originally hung in the lobby. They appear to be metal, but they are actually painted fabric. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When the parking garage was built in 1961, it backed up to the Riverwalk, but offered no access to the river. (in all fairness there was no sidewalk outside the parking garage until years later)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bridge from he hotel connects the hotel to Main Plaza, which originally had limited access to the Riverwalk. </td></tr>
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Available on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/San-Antonio-Uncovered-Hidden-Histories/dp/1595347577/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451254909&sr=1-1" style="color: #c28744; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/san-antonio-uncovered-mark-louis-rybczyk/1122771973" style="color: #c28744; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">BarnesAndNoble.com</a>, Apple iBooks</div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">"This detailed book is at once a tourist's friend and a native's reference. Rybczyk says it was written for the curious native (whatever that is) and secondly for the newly arrived who may wonder "What's so special about San Antonio?" Notice who it was written for first.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Every landmark, legend and myth of San Antonio is here - from the ugliest statue to the histories of the railroad stations. It's a smorgasbord of overlooked and under-appreciated jewels from all over the city. The obligatory shrines and sites are here too - every one of them. Throughout the book's pages Mark employs the rarest type of humor - humor with genuine affection.</span></div>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Mark corrects the old saw that said San Antonio is "a small town wanting to be a big city." It is, as he says, "A big town that desperately wants to be a small town." With this book as your guide, it's almost as though San Antonio gets its wish."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">John </span><a class="noTextDecoration" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1ZHM80GXYHYLT/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066c0; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"> Troessler </a>Texas Escape</div>
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 18px;">Intrigue + Mystery + Romance + San Antonio</span></div>
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<span style="color: #9e270e; font-style: italic;">"</span><span class="text-class-5" style="color: #9e270e; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">What a surprise! . . .a page-turner . . . extremely well-written and well researched. . . I highly recommend this book to all mystery lovers . . . a great read. . . couldn't wait to find out what would happen next . . . I love a book you can't put down, and this certainly fit the bill . . . very engaging . . . I really couldn't stop reading it . . . a fantastic and completely believable story"</span></div>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-61550044479603756312016-07-22T04:59:00.000-07:002016-11-24T11:09:09.188-08:00The Alamo Was Once Used as a Grocery Warehouse?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Many don't realize the Shrine of Texas Liberty was once used as a Grocery Warehouse. French Merchant Honore Grenet bought part of the compound in 1877 and used it for his wholesale grocery business. Previously the US Army used the Alamo chapel as a warehouse. </div>
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A few photos of the Alamo chapel in it's less than glorious days. </div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">"This detailed book is at once a tourist's friend and a native's reference. Rybczyk says it was written for the curious native (whatever that is) and secondly for the newly arrived who may wonder "What's so special about San Antonio?" Notice who it was written for first.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Every landmark, legend and myth of San Antonio is here - from the ugliest statue to the histories of the railroad stations. It's a smorgasbord of overlooked and under-appreciated jewels from all over the city. The obligatory shrines and sites are here too - every one of them. Throughout the book's pages Mark employs the rarest type of humor - humor with genuine affection.</span></div>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Mark corrects the old saw that said San Antonio is "a small town wanting to be a big city." It is, as he says, "A big town that desperately wants to be a small town." With this book as your guide, it's almost as though San Antonio gets its wish."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9e270e; font-style: italic;">"</span><span class="text-class-5" style="color: #9e270e; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">What a surprise! . . .a page-turner . . . extremely well-written and well researched. . . I highly recommend this book to all mystery lovers . . . a great read. . . couldn't wait to find out what would happen next . . . I love a book you can't put down, and this certainly fit the bill . . . very engaging . . . I really couldn't stop reading it . . . a fantastic and completely believable story"</span></div>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-40019473918018713062015-06-10T13:49:00.003-07:002019-02-18T14:30:48.862-08:00Yes, Dwight Eisenhower was the St. Mary's Football Coach<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Dwight Eisenhower first played football as a youngster in Kansas. Though it was never his life's passion to be a football star, he was a lifelong fan of the game. The young Midwesterner soon became a football star at West Point. In 1912 Eisenhower was a running back on an army team that included Omar Bradley. He was nicknamed the "Kansas Cyclone," and a <i>New York Times </i>correspondent called him one of the most promising backs in the East. An injury during a game against Tufts ended Eisenhower's football career at the academy during his freshman year.</div>
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After graduation in 1915, the newly commissioned lieutenant received orders to report to Fort Sam Houston. During the fall of that year, Eisenhower was approached by Peacock Military Academy to coach its football team. The school offered him $150 for the season, a tidy sum considering a lieutenant's pay. At first he refused because he felt, as an army officer, he would have no time for football. The head of the academy was a friend of post commander General Frank Funston. Funston learned of the offer and asked Eisenhower to accept it, citing it would be good for the army. The new coach won recognition for his handling of the prep stars. A <i>San Antonio Express </i>correspondent wrote, "Those who have seen this officer operate with a football squad believe him to be one of the best coaches in Texas —<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"> </span>bar none." The army officer delivered a winning season for the 1915 Peacock Military Academy football team.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lt. Eisenhower in his Army Uniform, in the middle of the third row</td></tr>
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The year 1916 brought about a new set of challenges. Eisenhower was now married, and Peacock had acquired a new coach. St. Louis College (now St. Mary's University) was now after Dwight to coach their team. The college team was dreadful. They had not won a game in five years and were coached by a group of priests. Not only did they not win, lopsided scores of 50-0 and 80-0 were common. The small squad tied its first game under Eisenhower, then went on to win its next five games. St. Louis lost its last game and finished the season with a record of 5-1-1. Present at every game was the coach's young wife, Mamie. Quarterback Jim Sweeney told the <i>Express, </i>"We thought more of him than we did of any other coach we ever had. We respected him from the time he showed up until he left, and we fought as much for Mamie and the Douds (her parents who also attended the games) as we did the school. He was very frank and honest and we learned more about honor and discipline from him than we did anywhere else."</div>
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Mamie was the only woman ever to receive a St. Louis or St. Mary's football letter. The fathers were so pleased with the season that they gave the coach and Mamie a victory dinner, and a long-lasting relationship between the school and the Eisenhowers developed. The president last visited the school in 1962 to talk to students and faculty. In 1987 David Eisenhower, the former president's grandson, visited the school and discussed his grandfather's connection to the university during the school's annual President's Dinner.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lt. Eisenhower and Mamie on the steps of St. Mary's College</td></tr>
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Eisenhower also spent some time helping out with the school's baseball team. Ernest Stecker, a civilian employee, recalled to the <i>Express </i>in 1956 how he incurred the wrath of his coach during a close game. St Louis was behind by one run with two men on, and the team's slugger was in the on-deck circle. Stecker received the signal from Eisenhower to bunt but decided to swing away. On the next pitch, Stecker slammed the ball for a triple, but instead of congratulations, all he received was a stern look. He had disobeyed orders.</div>
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<i>“Coming to San Antonio for my birthday is like coming home. I guess there isn’t a city or town in the whole world that holds more happy memories for me.”</i></div>
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Dwight Eisenhower, while visiting San Antonio in 1952<br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">"This detailed book is at once a tourist's friend and a native's reference. Rybczyk says it was written for the curious native (whatever that is) and secondly for the newly arrived who may wonder "What's so special about San Antonio?" Notice who it was written for first.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Every landmark, legend and myth of San Antonio is here - from the ugliest statue to the histories of the railroad stations. It's a smorgasbord of overlooked and under-appreciated jewels from all over the city. The obligatory shrines and sites are here too - every one of them. Throughout the book's pages Mark employs the rarest type of humor - humor with genuine affection.</span></div>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Mark corrects the old saw that said San Antonio is "a small town wanting to be a big city." It is, as he says, "A big town that desperately wants to be a small town." With this book as your guide, it's almost as though San Antonio gets its wish."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9e270e; font-style: italic;">"</span><span class="text-class-5" style="color: #9e270e; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">What a surprise! . . .a page-turner . . . extremely well-written and well researched. . . I highly recommend this book to all mystery lovers . . . a great read. . . couldn't wait to find out what would happen next . . . I love a book you can't put down, and this certainly fit the bill . . . very engaging . . . I really couldn't stop reading it . . . a fantastic and completely believable story"</span></div>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-78465647827434236302015-02-23T20:59:00.002-08:002018-05-07T04:49:18.683-07:00An Illuminating Message - A Sign From God<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span>George Dawson is a docent at the San Antonio Missions National Park. He had heard a local legend concerning Mission Concepcion. It took ten years to verify, but it was true. Franciscan Monks from 270 years ago were sending us a message, but it only appears once a year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> The mystery starts in the early 1700s, when Franciscan monks came to San Antonio and started 5 Missions along the river, Mission De Valero (better know today as the Alamo), Concepcion, San Jose, Espada and San Juan Capistrano. The Missions offered the indigenous people of South Texas protection from Indian attack and disease. It also offered a complex system of acequias that created irrigated farms that help to protect against drought and starvation. However the true ‘mission’ of these outpost were to convert the natives to catholicism and subjects of the Spanish crown.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Today, the four remaining missions are all active Catholic parishes with many of today’s members able to trace their ancestry back to the original parishioners. Because of this, many believe that the Missions have always been intact and active. This is a mistaken notion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Mission period in South Texas actually ended in the early 1800s when they became secularized during the 1824 Mexican Revolution. Shortly thereafter, the Governor of Texas ordered the Mission’s surrounding property to be sold. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mission De Valero, better known as the Alamo, is a well documented example of what became of a former mission. Over the years it has been used as a fortress for revolutionaries, an army depot and a wholesale Grocery warehouse. The others suffered similar fate and were left in a state of disrepair and decay. Slowly, different Catholic orders came to San Antonio and saw an opportunity to restore these chapels. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mission Espada was one of the first to return to active status with the arrival of French Priest Father Francis Bouchu in 1858. He helped to rebuild and restore the decaying church. Later he helped to save Mission San Juan to the south.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Benedictine monks from Pennsylvania arrived in San Antonio in 1859 and worked to restore San Jose in hopes of making it a mission. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Brothers of St Mary who came to the city to establish St Mary’s Institute (and later St Mary’s College) were given farm land at Mission Concepcion to grow food for their students, and for a time used the chapel as a barn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Caption Reads "Mission San Jose - 134 Years Old" </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In the early 1900s, the local Catholic Diocese regained control of the four remaining missions, but the church had little funds for preserving these decaying relics of the Spanish crown. Of all the missions, San Jose was in the worst state. The chapel and granary’s roofs had collapsed as had the tower. The ownership of San Jose’s surrounding grounds were also in dispute having passed through many hands over the years. The mission who have slowly become a modern day ruin if it were not for the preservation efforts of the San Antonio Conservation Society and the US Government’s Civil Works Administration in the 1920s and 1930s. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Of the 4 remaining missions, only the chapel of Mission Concepcion withstood the test of time. It is still in its original condition and stands as the oldest unrestored stone church in the U.S. The church’s exterior was once painted with brightly colored geometric designs that attracted the indigenous people to the compound. Those have faded over the years, but many of the Mission’s original interior frescos are still intact. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Today the 4 Mission are under the watchful eye of the National Park Service and are constantly observed and cared for. But the many years of decay, neglect, multiple owners and restoration have take their toll. Particularly when you consider that one of the Missions most amazing secrets was almost lost forever if it were not for the tenacious efforts on a National Park docent named George Dawson. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Dawson had heard a local legend from a retiring docent that light through various windows at Mission Concepcion illuminated certain parts of the church on various religious holidays. It took ten years of research and observation for him to verify that the Franciscan monks who built the mission were sending us a message. On August 15th, 2003, Mr. Dawson discovered that on the annual Feast of the Assumption, (held every year on that date to celebrate the Assumption of Mary into heaven) at 6:30pm, light from the two west facing windows would meet behind the alter to illuminate a painting of Mary. Simultaneously, a lens above the door created a beam of light that would center under the church’s dome. The phenomenon is called Solar Illumination and was used to convey the presence of God to Native Americans, as the ‘Light” is a metaphor for Christ.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Through the years, Dawson discovered numerous illuminations, including three from the south window of Concepcion’s Dome that marked the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th and the winter solstice 2 weeks later. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">San Antonio's Mission Concepcion - The Oldest Unrestored Stone Church in the U.S.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Notice the Windows above the Door, placed there to create the light effects </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">George Dawson standing before the effects of Solar Illumination on the Feast of the Assumption</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: italic; text-align: left;">Photo by Carol Baass Sowa | Today's Catholic</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A few years later, a similar illumination was noticed at Mission Espada, when beams of light lit the statue of St Francis of Assisi, (the Franciscan’s founder) on October 4th, the Feast of St Francis. On March 9th, on the Feast of a female St Francis, the illumination effect returns to Espada.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Ruben Mendoza, an archaeologist who first documented Solar Illuminations in a California mission in the year 2000, says the Franciscans built these chapels as “ecclesiastical computers,” and used sunlight to make calculations such as the date of Easter. It was also an effective tool in the conversion of Native Americans to Christianity. Dawson says that the sun was extremely important to indigenous peoples, “It was part of their world view. It was part of their religion. It was part of their lifestyle.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The recent discovery of Solar Illuminations is yet another way for us to appreciate these relics of the Spanish Crown. Today as part of both the National Parks System and the local Catholic Diocese, all 4 missions are involved in ongoing restorations. That, along with living farms, functioning acequias, active congregations and the Mission Reach section of the San Antonio Riverwalk, the Missions have created a lasting appreciation for the oldest part of San Antonio. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In 2015, the rest of the world discovered the sites, as they were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The UNESCO designation was the first in Texas and only the 22nd in the US.</span><br />
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-28579618843645057412014-11-24T12:37:00.001-08:002017-11-19T07:26:06.840-08:00Dionicio Rodriguez - San Antonio’s Most Accessible Artist (aka The Story Behind Alamo Heights Bus Stop)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Thousands of San Antonians have caught the bus on Broadway near the Alamo Heights Central Market grocery store and have sat in a peculiar bus stop that appears to be made of petrified wood. But few know the story behind the unique piece of ‘faux bois’ artwork, and the man who made it. The city's most accessible work of art was built at the corner of Broadway and Patterson in 1931, by Dionicio Rodriguez. The bus shelter was donated to the city of Alamo Heights by the Alamo Cement company and has only been moved once, a few feet when the street was paved.</div>
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Many are fooled when looking at the bus stop, believing that the shelter is made of petrified wood. Actually it's made of cement, Rodriguez's chosen medium. The artist, who was born in Mexico City in 1891, learned the unusual art form from a Spanish national who showed him a unique chemical process to make cement look like petrified wood. One of Rodriguez's earliest patrons was Dr. Aureliano Urrutia, who introduced him to Charles Baumberger Sr., founder of Alamo Cement.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Piece formally at the old Cementville Headquarters.</td></tr>
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Baumberger commissioned several pieces, including the Alamo Heights shelter, a fish pond at the cement plant, and a unique fence also at the Alamo Cement plant headquarters. The old cement plant office has been redeveloped into a restaurant, where patrons can now enjoy the work that had been hidden for years.<br />
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Two examples of his work can also be found in Brackenridge Park.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Dionicio Rodriguez Bridge in Brackenridge Park </td></tr>
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Two examples of his work can also be found in Brackenridge Park. A bridge near the park's headquarters and an old entrance to the Sunken Gardens were both his creations. The gate to Sunken Gardens reads "Chinese Tea Gardens" rather than Japanese Sunken Gardens. That's because the entryway was made during World War II when anti-Japanese sentiment was high, and the name of the gardens was changed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Chinese Tea Garden gate at Brackenridge Park</td></tr>
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Other examples of his work can be found at private residences throughout the city, as well as in Memphis, Little Rock, Washington, New York City, Chattanooga, Cuba, and Mexico.</div>
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Rodriguez was very secretive about the chemical process that transformed the appearance of the cement. Once he started, he used simple tools such as a fork, knife, and spoon to shape his creations. Rodriguez also preferred to use local cement in his work because it contained no sand or mortar.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cemetery outside Washington D.C. That featured a number of Dionisio Rodriguez pieces including this bridge.</td></tr>
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Rodriguez died in San Antonio in 1955, leaving behind numerous pieces of art made from his mysterious process. One of his protégées, his great nephew Carlos Cortez continues his faux bois artwork, include the grotto on the Museum Reach extension of the Riverwalk.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pool of Hebron at Memphis Memorial Park </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Memorial Park Crystal Shine Grotto in Memphis, Tennessee</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufJcsuOceQ53HwX89vfPzVY7MyehOEKN3qXrpWYOu2k8W0vKBHekVTDfErLjtJPw1OVqqflwMg5onxjLvBfqY5SUXx0ENc3qmxYnUn-6_G9rxKOqz_QLAfxKhX6rRAPaI2lBRcR2mXQ/s1600/Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufJcsuOceQ53HwX89vfPzVY7MyehOEKN3qXrpWYOu2k8W0vKBHekVTDfErLjtJPw1OVqqflwMg5onxjLvBfqY5SUXx0ENc3qmxYnUn-6_G9rxKOqz_QLAfxKhX6rRAPaI2lBRcR2mXQ/s1600/Tree.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">A Lakewood Park Shelter in North Little Rock, Arkansas<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nse2NMdiKDTTbR5O2viWAw0xALzFvnjRZNQUEqumW5Is5bQhs6cFHxdGL4495_cPnEW99pxo4Jg5EpfpLGpaCI-xfrUp_dFZtIhmN8E3jyLofyxjAplw8fJjs2HUhvL3B1vNWbGNPA/s1600/rodriguez_conchshell010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nse2NMdiKDTTbR5O2viWAw0xALzFvnjRZNQUEqumW5Is5bQhs6cFHxdGL4495_cPnEW99pxo4Jg5EpfpLGpaCI-xfrUp_dFZtIhmN8E3jyLofyxjAplw8fJjs2HUhvL3B1vNWbGNPA/s1600/rodriguez_conchshell010.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">A Conch Shell Gate in Port Arthur</td></tr>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-33632900396996513462014-10-11T10:35:00.000-07:002014-10-11T10:49:58.254-07:00San Antonio's Cotton Bowl Team<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Next time you're bellied up to the bar at The Esquire, challenge the crowd to this simple question. The odds are in your favor that someone will owe you a cold one.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Q. Name the only team from San Antonio to appear in the Cotton Bowl.</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>A. The Randolph Field Ramblers</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Never heard of them? Few people remember them. The year was 1943, and World War II was in full swing. Many military posts had athletic teams filled with professional athletes and ex-college greats. Randolph Field was no exception. The Ramblers were stocked with many players who had already used up their college eligibility.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> The team was led by former Tulsa All-American quarterback Glenn Dobbs (who also played for the professional Chicago Cardinals before the war). One of Dobbs' favorite receivers was player-coach Major Raymond Morse, who had played college ball for Oregon nine years earlier and also had some pro experience. Martin Ruby played on the line for Randolph. Two years earlier, he was rated the best lineman in the Southwest Conference while playing for A&M. The team was coached by Lt. Frank Tritico and had University of Texas baseball great and former coach Bibb A. Falk (as in U.T.'s Disch-Falk Field) as their trainer.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> The team was picked to face Texas in the 1944 Cotton Bowl. Both teams had one loss and both teams were relatively close to Dallas. Travel was restricted during the war. The Longhorns, coached by legend Dana X. Bible, were an 8-5 favorite in the contest. Texas had a faster team and deeper reserves. A sellout crowd was expected for the game, and the contest was being broadcast by Mutual overseas for American armed forces.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leslie "Tex" Aulds scoring the only touchdown for Randolph</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Thirty-two thousand tickets were purchased for the game but only 15,000 people showed up due to a downpour. The game was bogged down by a muddy field. Despite the horrible conditions, Randolph's quarterback Dobbs had a great day, but he only managed to reach paydirt once. The game ended in a 7-7 tie, the first tie in Cotton Bowl history.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Both teams received championship watches. Texas coach Bible let the Randolph players take the championship trophy home.</span></div>
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I<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">n 2007, the fitness center at Randolph was dedicated to the Ramblers. Walt Parker, the last surviving member of the team was their for the dedication.</span><br />
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<span class="text-class-4" style="color: #9e270e; font-style: italic;">"<span class="text-class-5" style="font-size: 16px;">What a surprise! . . .a page-turner . . . extremely well-written and well researched. . . I highly recommend this book to all mystery lovers . . . a great read. . . couldn't wait to find out what would happen next . . . I love a book you can't put down, and this certainly fit the bill . . . very engaging . . . I really couldn't stop reading it . . . a fantastic and completely believable story"</span></span></div>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-50701252672261398632014-10-05T09:46:00.000-07:002016-10-31T07:38:11.298-07:00In Search Of: The KMAC Clock<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> I've always been fascinated with the green neon KMAC clocks that used to be very </span>prominent<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> in San </span>Antonio<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">. With each passing year it gets harder and harder to find any. In fact, today, I only know of one that still is on </span>display<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">. In the Nix Hospital Parking Garage, (Downtown, above Dick's Last Resort </span>on the<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Riverwalk) there is still one that you can see from the street.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> KMAC was a radio station that existed in San Antonio until the early 1980s (the station was at 630 kHz). According to the late Joe Anthony, formerly of KMAC radio and the self-professed "godfather of rock and roll," the clocks were part of a radio promotion from 1956 to 1958. The green neon clocks were given as a bonus to businesses which bought thirty-two one-minute commercials for 250 dollars.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Most establishments that had the clocks reported that they have never owned a timepiece that kept better time. Many owners received offers for their clocks that exceed their original investment, few ever parted with them.</span></div>
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I searched the internet for a picture of a KMAC Clock and I only could find two, including thisfrom this photo of the old Hot Wells Motel. If anybody knows of any other KMAC clocks still on display or perhaps for sale, please leave us a comment. </div>
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UPDATE: I wanted to include some photos of KMAC clocks that readers have sent me. If you have one and want to share, send a picture to Mark@TheTravisClub.com<br />
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-89974288570908896402014-09-23T20:03:00.000-07:002014-09-27T03:22:42.667-07:00The Sad Tale of the Texas Theatre<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Texas Theatre in all it's glory</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Texas Theatre today, all that left</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Just a few blocks west of the </span>Majestic<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span>Theatre on Houston seat sits the odd confluence of a modern skyscraper and the a former grand movie palace. The pairing was a compromise the resulted from a battle between preservationist and progress in the 1980s</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> The Texas Theatre, designed by the Bollner Brothers, opened on December 18, 1926. (Remember, the first talking picture did not arrive until 1927.) One of the most important events in the history of the palace was the premiere of the film <i>Wings, </i>which was the first movie to win an Academy Award (see <i>Wings</i> — the Movie). The Texas was decorated in a wild West-rococo style and featured a plaster canopy that assisted the acoustics. The canopy, a Bollner Brothers trademark, was connected to the walls of a Spanish patio. At the center of the patio was a lone star, which stood not for Texas, but was the symbol of the Publix Theatre chain.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Stage at the Texas</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> The Texas also featured three balconies, the top being segregated seating. A third box office and a special concession stand were also provided for black patrons. The theatre also had a pipe organ, but it was removed from the theatre sometime around World War II. Like many other theatres of the era, its walls were adorned by murals. The Texas's walls featured the work of artist Jose Arpa.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> The Texas seated over 2,700, and throughout its existence, it hosted a variety of entertainers from Bing Crosby and W C. Fields to a number of rock bands. It was one of only two Bollner Brothers fantasy-type theatres left in existence, and conservationists felt the auditorium was worth fighting for.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lobby of the Texas Theatre</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Unfortunately, the Dallas developers felt differently. Republic Bank wanted to tear down the theatre to build a block-long office plaza. Conservationists wanted the theatre to be incorporated into the design and even offered their own plans. The out-of-town bank said a huge auditorium did not fit into its vision.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> The bank offered a compromise by hiring the architectural firm of Ford, Powell, and Associates who would incorporate the facade of the old theatre into the new building. The San Antonio Conservation Society offered its own solution. First, it offered $12 million to purchase the theatre. When the offer was refused, the society hired its own architect to draw up a new set of plans. The society commissioned noted preservationist Michael Graves, who designed a skyscraper that not only saved the theatre, but incorporated some of the Texas features into the new building. Once again, the Conservation Society's offer was turned down.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> After a series of court battles and protests, the Texas Theatre finally was torn down. The facade was saved, but many felt the final solution was a poor compromise that served neither party's interests. The loss of the movie house has been intensified now that the other downtown theaters have been renovated.</span><br />
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8009256198966311979.post-6215169988911364012014-08-05T04:03:00.000-07:002014-08-05T04:03:25.228-07:00Discovered - The Lost 12th Hole: San Antonio's Golfer Oasis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The 19th hole is usually the traditional stopping place for golfers. After a full day of play, linksters will retire to the 19th hole for a few cool ones and perhaps a snack or two. Ask any old timer about the 12th hole at Brackenridge Golf Course and he will tell you about the best burgers and the coldest beer this side of Augusta.<br />
For many years, just beyond the 12th green at brace was a small privately owned snack bar called the 12th Hole that sold whatever a golfer required, as long as it could be cooked on a grill or kept in a cooler. It was the perfect way to beat the heat. Often a golfing party would play 12 holes, then stop and refresh themselves before finishing the final six holes.<br />
When 281 / McAllister Freeway was built, it cut severely into the Brackenridge Golf Course. Consequently, the course had to be reshaped, making it much smaller than the original version. The 12th Hole was the biggest casualty. The old green was on the other side of the new freeway, leaving it and the restaurant completely cut off from the course.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The abandoned green, on the other side of 281, separated from the rest of the course</td></tr>
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The 12th Hole tried to make it on it's own for a few years, but it was difficult to reach. It passed through different owners and finally closed in 1985.<br />
A few weeks ago, I tried to find the old green and burger stand. I went south on St Mary's from 281 and turned left at Terry's Court. The green still exists, but is only recognizable by the raised unkept mound. The burger stand and former deck that sat so calmly under a giant pecan tree also remain, but sadly in a state of disrepair, behind years of over growth.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original 12 Hole Burger Stand, now hidden behind years of neglect, the flat plywood covers the pick up window</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The remnants of the once crowded deck</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The giant pecan tree, unkept but still towering over the now hidden 12th Hole</td></tr>
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<span class="text-class-4" style="color: #9e270e; font-style: italic;">"<span class="text-class-5" style="font-size: 16px;">What a surprise! . . .a page-turner . . . extremely well-written and well researched. . . I highly recommend this book to all mystery lovers . . . a great read. . . couldn't wait to find out what would happen next . . . I love a book you can't put down, and this certainly fit the bill . . . very engaging . . . I really couldn't stop reading it . . . a fantastic and completely believable story"</span></span></div>
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<span class="text-class-4" style="color: #9e270e; font-style: italic;"><br /></span> <span class="text-class-6" style="font-weight: bold;">Reviews From<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Travis-Club-Mark-Louis-Rybczyk-ebook/dp/B00C2EH9TC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"> Amazon.com</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Travis-Club-ebook/dp/B00C2EH9TC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368901916&sr=8-1&keywords=travis+club" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"> </a>Readers</span></div>
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Mark Louis http://www.blogger.com/profile/04172787888303580894noreply@blogger.com0