September 10 in San Antonio history…

1886
Geronimo, along with 26 other members of the Chiricahua Apache tribe, is brought to Ft. Sam Houston after his surrender in Mexico.  He will be held here for about six weeks before being sent to Ft. Pickens in Pensacola, Florida.

1921
With a known death list of 37 that may total more than 200 when all the missing are accounted for, and with a property loss of near $5 million, San Antonio was suffering the worst flood in its history.

1987
High winds destroy the twin towers and scaffolding set up for the Mass led by Pope John Paul II only two days before his arrival.  Despite over $100,000 in damages, Richard Hemberger, state coordinator for the papal visit, says the Mass will proceed as scheduled.

April 21 in San Antonio history…

1886
A letter in the Galveston Daily News today claims that the man responsible for naming San Jacinto Day was Charles P. Bickley, who died in 1880 in New Orleans.  He was an actor, author and journalist, being the former editor of the San Antonio Herald.

1936
The Plaza Hotel and Mexican Business Men’s Association sponsor a “Venetian Night” featuring a water carnival and a parade of 18 gondolas on the San Antonio River.  The success of this event leads to the development of the Riverwalk two years later.

Photo by Terry Jeanson

1987
The refurbished copper Indian is returned to his place atop the old Missouri Pacific depot downtown.  Castroville blacksmith Alan Lewis restored the Indian after it was found battered and bent in a nearby field when vandals removed it five years ago.

March 26 in San Antonio history…

1886
Alamo Plaza has won the location of the new Grand Opera House. It is also a prominent and strong candidate for the site of the new government building.

1959
Early this morning, a tall, red-haired man with a pistol in a paper bag holds up Night Manager Paul Cox at the Menger Hotel and escapes with $415.00.

1968
Lackland Air Force Base has begun construction of five buildings that will be the beginning of the “super barracks” for Air Force basic trainees.  The buildings, which will cost $3 million each to build, will house 1,040 men.  The first of the new buildings is scheduled for completion in February 1969.  All five should be completed by June 1969.

March 4 in San Antonio history…

1836
Santa Anna gathers his officers for a council of war. It is decided that when the final assault in the Alamo takes place, that they will take no prisoners. The time for the assault will be determined tomorrow. Having been consolidated into two batteries, the Mexican artillery, is brought to within 200 yards of the compound. More Texian reinforcements arrive in the late hours.

1886
The building at the “Jack Harris Corner” containing Sim Hart’s tobacco shop, the Vaudeville Theater and the Elite Restaurant is destroyed by fire.

1923
Louis Santikos opens the Palace Theater at 212 Losoya (right).

January 18 in San Antonio history…

1886
Leopold Wolfson buys the White Elephant Saloon to expand his dry goods business.   The building is destroyed on Oct. 1, 2011 in a fire.

1928
Pedestrian traffic control will be inaugurated in San Antonio within 30 days, police said today.  Equipment for installing pedestrian signal lights arrived today.  The city commission must now assess penalties for jaywalking.

1930
San Antonio shivered in its coldest winter temperature recorded since 1899 as the temperature falls to an 11 degree reading.  A four degree reading was recorded in 1899.

December 21 in San Antonio history…

1903
The annual report from the library board states that “a children’s department has been created and has found much favor and it is the intention of the board to make the feature a permanent one and to add to it from time to time.”

1929
San Antonio receives 2.9 inches of snow this morning. Most of the state of Texas is covered, with snow even falling in El Paso.

1980
The new HEB grocery store at S. Zarzamora and S.W. Military Drive holds a drawing for their giveaway of a dark brown metallic 1981 Ford Fairmont Futura. They have been accepting entries since their grand opening on Nov. 15.

December 20 in San Antonio history…

1886
Emma Abbott is featured at the grand opening of the Grand Opera House on Alamo Plaza.  The Grand Opera House (later Grand Theatre) was built in 1886 and for many years was the best theatre in San Antonio. It was located at 303 Alamo Plaza. It stayed in business until the 1930′s when it closed. The Grand was razed in 1954 to make way for H. L. Green Dept. Store.

1986
Construction work begins on a “super deluxe” Burger King restaurant on the upper level of the Woolworth’s building in Alamo Plaza (right), replacing the cafeteria.

2014
WOAI-TV moves from its original studio at 1031 Navarro street, where it first signed on in 1949, to the recently renovated KABB-TV building at 4335 Northwest Loop 410. It will house both news operations and will be renamed the Sinclair Broadcast Center.

November 4 in San Antonio history…

1886
San Antonio is connected to Floresville by telegraph wire.  The first message is transmitted the next day.

1899
The University of Texas plays their annual football game against the  Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas right here in San Antonio at the International Fairgrounds.  A&M disputes a fumble in the second half and refuses to take the field, forfeiting the game to Texas, 6-0.

1926
The Texas Historical and Landmarks Assn. and the Sons and Daughters of the Heroes of Texas submitted a petition to the city urging preservation of the Spanish Governor’s Palace, at Commerce and Military Plaza.

April 18 in San Antonio history…

1886
The San Antonio Light asks, “Is it not time baseball was being played in this city? Where are the pitchers for celebrated league games who always come forward about this time of the year?”

1947
Mission Stadium and Ballpark opens and the first Texas league game is played there.

1976
ELO, the Electric Light Orchestra, plays a concert in the Convention Center Arena.  San Francisco band, Journey, makes their first appearance in San Antonio as the opening act.

March 26 in San Antonio history…

1886
Alamo Plaza has won the location of the new Grand Opera House. It is also a prominent and strong candidate for the site of the new government building.

1981
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach (right) is the featured speaker at St. Mary’s University’s third annual Free Enterprise Symposium in the Convention Center.  Staubach’s talk is entitled “Free Enterprise: The Opportunity to Excel.”  The annual symposium is held for business people as well as students to enhance their understanding of America’s economic system.

1999 
KSAT weekend anchor Michelle Lima is fatally struck by a car while on location investigating a story about a missing 9-year-old boy from Lytle.