The Building of the Hilton Palacio Del Rio

   When the 1968 World's Fair was awarded to San Antonio, the city was in desperate need of additional, modern hotel rooms. In had been almost 30 years since the last hotel was built downtown. When builder H.B. Zachary stepped forward to build a new hotel between the Riverwalk and Alamo Street, there was less than nine months to complete the job.

   Not only would the new Hilton Palacio Del Rio have to be completed in record time, it would have to be built in with new monolithic modular construction techniques. A tower would be built in the middle of the hotel and complete rooms would be stacked on top of each other.

   The rooms were built on a site 7 miles away, complete with furniture, carpeting, lamps, TV's and even a Gideon Bible in the night stand. Crew worked around the clock to build the modular rooms that had steel cable handles to lift the structure into place.

   When the first room was scheduled to be lifted into place, H.B. Zachary and his wife rode on the balcony as a crane took it to it's new home. The builder had hoped to stack 10 complete rooms a day. By the end they had gotten so skilled at operating the special crane, they could lift up to 35 a day, enabling them to complete the building in record time. The entire project ended up taking just 202 working days, last than seven months.

A special crane was used to lift the completed modular rooms into place. Notice the balcony railing on the right side of the room 

  With the new Hilton and the 1968 Hemisfair, San Antonio was discovered by tourist and a new industry was created.

   Below is a movie made about the construction of the Hilton Palacio Del Rio

Enjoy My Blog?  Check out my new San Antonio Based Novel,

The Travis Club

"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"

                                                       Reviews From Amazon.com Readers

How Well Do You Know San Antonio?

   Have you lived in San Antonio your whole life?  Did you get stationed here in the military and decided to stay? Do you consider yourself an expert on San Antonio? Test yourself (Answers below)


1. This is the second oldest park in the United States. What park is it and where is it located?

2. Downtown's Fairmount Hotel holds a Guiness Book of Records for what accomplishment?

3. Gutzon Borglum was an artist whose studio was near the Brackenridge Golf Course. He created perhaps the most famous piece of public art in the USA. What was it?

4.  Do you know where the Ghost Crossing is? Have you ever been there?

5. What hotel is this and what is so special about the way it was built?

6. What product did John "Bet-A-Million" Gates demonstrate in front of the Alamo in the 1870's that brought an end to a way of life on the western frontier

7. Who is this gentleman?

8. What was the Southwest Craft Center in downtown San Antonio originally? And why does the clock tower only have a clock on three sides?

9. The bar in the Menger Hotel is named for a famous American. Who and Why?

10.  The San Antonio Zoo, Alamo Stadium, Sunken Gardens and Fiesta Texas all have this in common, what is it? (Hint: It has something to do with what the lion is sitting on)

11: Who is supposedly buried in San Fernando Catherdal?

12. The first movie ever to win an Oscar was filmed in San Antonio and premiered at the Texas Theatre. What was the movie?

13. Only one team from San Antonio ever played in the Cotton Bowl Classic. What team was it?

14. What former US President was once football coach at St Mary's University?

  Answers Below

Are you a fan of San Antonio's history?

You might enjoy my book

The Travis Club

Intrigue + Mystery + Romance + San Antonio

"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"

                                                       Reviews From Amazon.com Readers

1. San Pedro Springs Park, on San Pedro Avenue across from San Antonio College, is the second oldest park in the US, behind Boston Commons. It is the second oldest park in the US, behind Boston Commons.  In 1729, Spanish King Phillip V, via his viceroy in Mexico declared the headwaters of this springs an elido, or public lands.  

2. In 1985, the Fairmount Hotel set a Guiness Record for the largest building ever moved. It was moved from it's original location (where the Marriot Rivercenter is now located) to its present location across from LaVillita on Alamo Street. Read More Here

3. Gutzon Borglum carved Mount Rushmore. He would work in his San Antonio studio in the winter and return to South Dakota in the spring. His studio is now headquarters for the Pan American Golf Association and is next to the clubhouse at Brackenridge Golf Course. 

4. If you don't know where the Ghost Crossing is, or you've never been there, you can find out here

5. The Hilton Palacio Del Rio, was built on the River Walk for the 1968 World's Fair. Constructed in a modular style, each room was completely built at a separate site, with all the furniture, carpeting and even a Gideon Bibles in the night stand. Afterwards, they were transported downtown and stacked atop each other

6. John 'Bet-A-Million' Gates demonstrated a new product in the 1870 called 'Barbed Wire.' In less than 10 years, large cattle ranches using his product had replaced the open plains, and the west was changed forever. 

7. Henry B. Gonzales was a former San Antonio city councilman and the first hispanic citizen to be elected to the US House of Representatives. The Convention Center is named in his honor.

8. The Southwest Craft Center was the original home of Ursuline Academy. The tower does not have a clock on the north side because, when built, there wasn't development north of the school.  Later, it became legend that the clock wasn't installed on the north side, because no proper southern girl would give the time of day to a northerner

9. The bar in the Menger Hotel is named for Teddy Roosevelt, who recruited his Rough Riders in the hotel bar

10. The San Antonio Zoo, Alamo Stadium, Sunken Gardens and Fiesta Texas, like many other things in San Antonio, were all built in abandoned rock quarries

11. Davy Crockett, James Bowie, William Travis were supposedly buried in San Fernando Cathedral. Read the story here on why many doubt there remains are actually there

12. Wings, premiered in 1927, was a silent movie depicting World War I ariel dogfights. The filmed premiered in 1927 and won the first Oscar for Best Picture

13. The 1943 Randolph Field Ramblers a team the played at Randolph Field (Now Randolph AFB) during World War II played the University of Texas in the 1944 Cotton Bowl Classic. With travel restricted during the way and many of the top collegiate players serving in the military, many bowl games invited military teams to play on the New Years Day contests. The game, played in a downpour, ended in a 7-7 tie.

14.  A young Dwight D Eisenhower, while stationed at Fort Sam Houston,  coached the 1916 St Mary's Rattlers Football team.  

San Antonio Sets World Record: The Largest Building Ever Moved, The Fairmount Hotel

The Fairmount Hotel today, at it's new home

   It seems hard to imagine, that the Fairmount Hotel on the corner of Alamo Street and Nueva Street across from La Villita once sat on the other side of downtown where the Rivercenter Marriot now stands.

   The boutique hotel was built in 1906, but it had become an abandoned building in the way of the new Rivercenter development. As is often the case in San Antonio, many realized that the decrepit building had value, it just sat in the way of a multimillion dollar development. If only the building could be moved to another spot in downtown, it could be saved.

The Fairmount, abandoned, sitting in it's previous site, blocking the construction of Rivercenter Marriot

The Fairmount Hotel, in it's earlier heyday

   The idea of moving the building became reality on March 30, 1985 when, after weeks of preparation, the building was ready for its half mile trek thru downtown. The 1,600 ton building wrapped in steel cables, was placed atop 36 dollies each with 8 tires.

   Before it left its old home at the corner of Bowie and Commerce, the Market Street Bridge over the River Walk had to be fortified for the passing of the Fairmount. The weight of the building was such that no one was quite sure if the old hotel would be able to cross over the bridge without crushing it and landing in the river. The Auxillary Bishop Bernard Popp blessed the building moments before the journey.

The building, mounted on 36 dollies, ready for it's move

   It took six days for the Fairmount to make it the half mile across downtown. Turning corners took 4 hours. Top speed was a mere 4 miles an hour on the straightaways.

   Six days later, the hotel reached it's new location. It was then planted on its new address on Alamo Street and converted into a luxury hotel. It's been over 25 years since the building was moved and few remember the festival scene downtown during the moving. Food vendors, souvenir hawkers and crowds lined the streets to watch the record setting event.

   The building was refurbished and reopened on September 5, 1986 along with certification from the Guiness Book of Records as the Largest Building ever moved.

   I thought about the Fairmount the other day when I was telling the story of its moving to my wife. It's seems almost unbelievable today that such an event took place. I ran across this old film that recorded the event and posted it below.  Please enjoy and relive six days when San Antonio was international news.

Note: The film's narration is done by legendary WOAI Newscaster Bob Guthrie

                                    

Enjoy my blog? You might also enjoy the book, 

The Travis Club

Mystery -  Intrigue - Romance - San Antonio

"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"

                                                       Reviews From Amazon.com Readers

Click on Book to Order

Did you have this poster when your were a kid? Remembering The Bruise Brothers

For the 1980 - 1981 NBA Season, new Spurs Coach Stan Albeck brought together a group of big men to give the high scoring Spurs a more physical presence under the basket.  This collection of centers and forwards were nicknamed 'The Bruise Brothers' by former Express-News columnist Kevin O'Keefe. The intimidating big men helped lead the team to a division title that year. 

This was a free promotional poster that was distributed by local Kinney Shoe Stores in the early 80's

Dave Corzine, , Reggie Johnson, Paul Griffin, Mark Olberding, Kevin Restani and George Johnson were the Bruise Brothers.

Like My Blog?  Check out my new book,

The Travis Club

Intrigue + Mystery + Romance + San Antonio

"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"

                                                       Reviews From Amazon.com Readers

   

The Case of the Missing 3 Ton Sculpture

   One might wonder, how could a three ton sculpture go missing, disappearing from the 1968 World Fair's site? That was a question that many were asking after Hemisfair closed.

   Such was the case of Asteriskos, a piece of modern art that was commissioned from New York sculpture Tony Smith by the Cato family for the fair. After Hemisfair closed, the piece, which sat between the Arena and the Convention Center, disappeared. It took a year for it to be rediscovered. Unfortunately, it was no longer intact.

   It seemed that Asteriskos was carted off after the fair by city workers who did not realize that it was art. It was blow torched into smaller pieces, fitted with wooden lids and turned into tool boxes and ice chests for afterwork beer parties at the Zarzmora Public Works Yard.

   The Cato family generously commissioned a replica from the artists and donated it to the city's McNay Art Institute, where it sits today.

    For the rest of the world it is art. For us San Antonians, it is a beer party waiting to happen.

Asteriskos II today

Like my blog, you may also enjoy my book, 
The Travis Club

Mystery + Intrigue + Romance + San Antonio

"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"

                                                       Reviews From Amazon.com Readers

Some of My Favorite Forgotten San Antonio Signs

    If you look closely enough, you might find an old forgotten sign, one that tells a story. Here are a few of my favorite.


                           

   How many people remember Handy Andy? The local supermarket chain once rivaled HEB for San Antonio's grocery dollars with 60 local stores and 30% of the local grocery business. The last 6 local stores were bought out in 2010, but most folks had long forgotten about Handy Andy.
   This sign still sits at a former location on Fredericksburg Road and Woodlawn Ave.

      This is the recently refurbished sign at Cool Crest Miniature Golf on Fredericksburg Road. The course recently reopened but the sign was the last part to be renovated. Read more about Cool Crest's reopening here


                                      

   This hotel in downtown San Antonio (now Apartments) harkens back to a time when air conditioning wasn't a given but a much treasured amenity. This historic building started declining in the 1970's, then sat vacant and in disrepair until the early 90s when it was refurbished and reopened.
   The 100% Air Conditioned sign still sits above the building on 1911 Travis

   One of the oldest Chinese Restaurants in San Antonio, if not the oldest. Hung Fong is on Broadway, and is known for the neon flags in the dining room.

    I always loved this sign on Broadway pointing to the Pearl Brewery. Today, it points to a redeveloped site that has spurred a tremendous amount of economic in the neighborhood.

   Sadly, on the other side of downtown, a sign pointing to the Lone Star Brewery slowly faded away and is partially covered by overgrown trees as the brewery awaits redevelopment. 

                                   

   Near the Pearl Brewery, is the former site of Playland Park, which closed in 1979. (not to be confused with Kiddie Park on Broadway)  The remnants of the sign at the main plaza still sits just a few blocks from Ft Sam Houston.

Like my blog? 

You may also enjoy my new mystery based in San Antonio, 

The Travis Club

                                                           

The Rebirth of Cool Crest

Dedicated to Mark Stewart. He'll be so happy to know that it's back

      On June 30, 2013, Cool Crest Miniature Golf reopened on Fredericksburg Road. The historic course had been closed since 2007 when Maria Metzger, wife of the original owner, became too old to operate the attraction. She died in 2010 and the place fell into disrepair.

   Last summer, the Andry Brothers purchased Cool Crest and restored it to its original glory. 

  To celebrate the rebirth, a photo retrospective.

The Cool Crest sign on Fredericksburg Road, needing repair

The tropical decor had taken over since 2010

A photo from opening day after the Metzger's purchased Cool Crest

A party of teenagers enjoying Cool Crest in the 60s, the tropical decor in all its glory

Some San Antonians have been holding on to this card forever



Enjoy My Blog? You might also enjoy my San Antonio based book,
The Travis Club

San Antonio's Enigmatic Tourist Attraction - Davy Crockett's Tomb

Author's Note: Readers of The Travis Club have asked my about numerous San Antonio historical references in the book, usually presented as short excerpt's from the main characters quirky writings. Readers have written me asking what is really true?
   For the most part, all the historical excerpts are true, with some minor changes to help advance the book's plot.
   I thought I would take the opportunity to point out a few of The Travis Club's most popular historical pieces and the story behind them

The oldest active cathedral in the US, San Antonio's San Fernando Cathedral

In my book, The Travis Club, I tell the story of a young writer who discovers that the contents of Davy Crockett's tomb in San Antonio's oldest cathedral are not what they seem. He quickly realizes, there will be consequences for his discovery.

  One of the most often frequent questions I'm asked, "Is Davy Crockett's tomb really in the back of San Fernando Cathedral?"

  Yes. And no.

The Tomb at the back of San Fernando Cathedral

   Yes, there is a tomb in the back of San Fernando Cathedral. And the tomb does state that it is the final resting place of Davy Crockett, William B. Travis, Jim Bowie and the other defenders of the Alamo. But there is more to the story than meets the eye.

 

The outside of the tomb has photos of Travis, Crockett and Bowie.

This stone lays adjacent to the tomb.

   First we must point out that San Fernando Cathedral opened in 1728, 48 years before the birth of the United States and over 100 years before the Battle of the Alamo. But you may have noticed on the stone above, that the bodies were laid to rest in 1938, 100 years after the battle. That is our first clue that something is amiss.

  The controversy about the tomb starts in 1888, when Colonel Juan Segiun wrote a letter stating that he took the remains of the Alamo defenders and buried them beneath the altar at the cathedral. Most people dismissed the letter until nearly 50 years later, when on July 28 1936, workmen digging a foundation for a new altar, discovered charred human remains.

   Excitement in San Antonio grew as church officials realized the importance of their discovery. The remains were exhumed with a variety of witnesses on hand, including writer Frederick C. Chabot, Mayor C. K. Quinn, Postmaster D. J. Quill, Adina DeZavala, daughter of Lorenzo DeZavala and Mrs. Leita Small, caretaker of the Alamo.

   The remains were placed on public display for a year, then entombed on May 11, 1938. To quell rumors surrounding the findings, the diocese published a now rare book entitled The Truth About The Burial of the Remains of the Alamo Heroes.

   Most historians doubt that the remains of Crockett, Travis, Bowie are buried in the tomb. First of all, Santa Anna ordered the cremation of all bodies left at the Alamo. Most likely Mexican and Texan soldiers were burned and buried together.

   Secondly, Seguin did not return to the Alamo until after the Battle of San Jacinto, almost a month later. There is an argument that the remains are those of Alamo defenders, but it would be a bit presumptuous to assume they are the actual remains of Davy Crockett.

    In my fictional work, The Travis Club, a young writer discovers for the first time, the real story behind the tomb and the consequences behind his discovery.

Enjoy My Blog?  Check out my books,

San Antonio Uncovered - The Book

Available on Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, Apple iBooks

"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.

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.

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."

John  Troessler   Texas Escape

Enjoy the story of Davy Crockett's Tomb? You might also enjoy my new San Antonio based novel, 
The Travis Club

"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"

                                                                              Reviews From Amazon.com Readers