July 13 in San Antonio history…

1880
The San Antonio Daily Herald newspaper ceases publication.

1895
Staacke Brothers warned San Antonians to “beware of quacks” and buy nothing but Studebaker wagons for fine transportation.

1955
San Antonio Independent School District votes to integrate beginning in the fall.

May 16 in San Antonio history…

1883
The State of Texas buys the Alamo for $20,000.

1895
A freak windstorm causes the collapse of the big top during a performance of Bennett’s Charity Circus.  Some spectators received minor injuries.  Tonight’s performance will go on as scheduled with only the side walls standing.  The top tent was a total loss.

1974
City Council approves the logo and name of “Market Square” for the new $2.9 million Farmer’s Market development.

August 1 in San Antonio history…

1895
The San Antonio division of the Southern Pacific Railroad is disbanded.

1944
The first international flight arrives at San Antonio Municipal Airport from Mexico on American Airlines.

1945
The Catholic church has purchased the old Southern Hotel block between the city hall and the courthouse for $75,000, owner Martin Wright announced today.  Father J. L. Manning, chancellor of the archdiocese of San Antonio, confirmed the sale and suggested that the property might be considered as the site of a proposed rectory for San Fernando Cathedral in a postwar expansion program. A year ago the church purchased the two-story Witte building on the western side of the parking lot at a reported price of $40,000 from Joe Olivares of West Commerce Street.

July 15 in San Antonio history…

1906 
Nightly visitors to the Electric Park, across the street from San Pedro Springs Park, were impressed by the illumination of 2,775 electric lights.

1907
“Orphans’ Day:” 182 San Antonio orphans are given rides through Brackenridge Park and downtown San Antonio by members of the San Antonio Automobile Association.  They are taken to Electric Park to ride the rides and feast on a picnic supper including cake, ice cream and soda.

1938
“The Texans” starring Randolph Scott, Joan Bennett and Walter Brennan, has its world premiere at the Majestic Theater (right).

February 7 in San Antonio history…

1895
A 47-mile-an-hour wind knocked San Antonio’s temperature down to 13 degrees overnight and held it to a high of 20 at noon. (1895 still holds the record low and lowest maximum temperature records for February 7.)

1974
George Gervin scores 12 points in his first game as a San Antonio Spur.  The Utah Stars win the game, however, 86-83.

1982
At 8:19 a.m., 220 pounds of dynamite is detonated and the 69 year-old G.A Stowers building, located at Main and Houston streets, is turned into a 20-foot high pile of rubble and dust.

January 24 in San Antonio history…

1895
Mayoral candidate Bryan Callaghan ordered a boycott of The San Antonio Light newspaper for its attacks on him.

1905
The State Legislature passed a bill to purchase the Alamo for a historic shrine for $65,000.

1938
Demolishing of the old market house on Market Plaza (right) started today.  After the 37-year old structure is razed, construction will begin on a new $168,981 market house.  It will be one story of brick and concrete.

December 10 in San Antonio history…

1895
The cornerstone is laid for the main building at Our Lady of the Lake College.

1974
On the 25th anniversary of the station, WOAI-TV changes their call letters to KMOL.  Many viewers are confused by the change.

1996
In a move widely panned by fans, Spurs Executive Vice President Gregg Popovich fires Coach Bob Hill and replaces him with… himself!  The 3-15 Spurs lose to the Phoenix Suns that night 93-76, and go 17-47 under Popovich en route to a franchise-worst 20-62 record for the season. However, the Spurs win the NBA lottery, draft Tim Duncan and Popovich takes every subsequent team he coaches, through the 2018-2019 season, to the playoffs, winning four NBA titles en route to a certain enshrinement in the Hall of Fame after his retirement.

September 22 in San Antonio history…

1895
An estimated $350 total damage was inflicted on the Lucchese & Bros. boot and shoe store when a fire broke out in the shop.

1900 
The lighting plant at the Hot Sulphur baths has finally been completed and hereafter the grounds and buildings will be brightly lit in the evenings.

1914
Residents of Hayes St. refused to have the name of their thoroughfare changed to Feterita St., but approved its change to Ferguson in honor of the Democratic party nominee for Texas governor.

August 14 in San Antonio history..

1856
This proclamation appears in the Texan newspaper: “Having been given to understand that an attempt will be made to disturb the peace and good order of our city, which has never been disgraced by the presence of a mob, I, J. M. Devine, mayor of the city, especially charged with the preservation of the public peace call on all good citizens, without regard to party distinction, to assemble at the Mayor’s office, forthwith, and be sworn in as a special police.  The peace of the city must and shall be preserved, peaceably if we can, forcibly if we must.”

1895
Ground is broken for the main building of Our Lady of the Lake Academy.  Originally, the name was to be “St. Mary’s of the Lake” but Bishop Forest persuaded Mother Florence that there were so many St. Mary’s in San Antonio that another name might be more appropriate.  With that, the name was changed to Our Lady of the Lake.

1982
Workers spend five hours removing the 4,000-pound marquee from the Texas Theater (right) only to have it bend and crumble due to structural rust.  The marquee was due to have been donated to the Institute of Texan Cultures.

June 15 in San Antonio history..

1895
Workmen began clearing out debris left in the Alamo after its use during the Civil War as a quartermaster storage barn.

1946
Deaths of San Antonians previously attributed to encephalitis have now been diagnosed as an unusual type of polio that has an abnormally high fatality rate among adults, say the San Antonio Epidemeological committee.

1995
The Texans, San Antonio’s new Canadian Football League franchise, lose their home opener in the Alamodome to the Baltimore Stallions, 28-23.