November 25 in San Antonio history…

1857
The San Antonio Fire Company is established on this date, A. A. Lockwood, chief.

1934
After a grand sendoff from the Harlandale High School band and the Alzafar Shrine calliope, Capt. and Mrs. F. E. Kleinschmidt take off from Winburn Field at 3 p.m. for a trip to the North Pole to find Santa Claus.  On board, they carry a cargo of Christmas letters from San Antonio schoolchildren for Kris Kringle when they locate him.

1946
San Antonio Transit Co. workmen began to clear Tech field in preparation for the company’s construction of a new maintenance shop and garage facilities. This ends all hopes of the San Antonio Missions using the area as a playing field in 1947.

April 8 in San Antonio history…

1888
The first league baseball game is played in San Antonio.

1934
The San Antonio Light advertises a new program to promote interest in aviation for boys and girls – the Junior Birdmen of America – sponsored by the Hearst Corporation.  Children can mail in the printed coupon along with ten cents to join the organization, which begins in one week.

1945
The San Antonio Black Missions open their season against the Milwaukee Stars at Tech Field. The Missions nip the visitors, 7-6, in ten innings.

August 16 in San Antonio history..

 

1934
Donald “Donnie” Roan Dunagan is born in San Antonio.  Mr. Dunagan served 25 years in the U.S. Marine Corps and was promoted 13 times in 21 years, retiring with the rank of Major.  He was the Marine Corp’s youngest drill instructor.  He also served three tours in Vietnam and earned the Purple Heart three times and the Bronze Star. However, you may know him as the voice of Walt Disney’s “Bambi.”

1940
The river theater will be named the Arneson Open-Air Theater in honor of the late Edwin P. Arneson, if the city-accepts the suggestion of the San Antonio Technical Club. Mayor Maury Maverick announced today he had received resolutions adopted by this club asking that this honor be bestowed. The mayor said he presumed the city would accede to the request.

1975
The San Antonio Express-News reports that the alligator gardens at Brackenridge Park will be closing within the next two weeks.  George Kimbrell, who captured the alligators himself and has operated the garden for the last 23 years, will donate the alligators to the Alligator Gardens of Hot Springs, Arkansas.

June 2 in San Antonio history…

1934
Janice Jarratt, a 1931 graduate of Main Avenue High School, will arrive in San Antonio tomorrow from New York for a brief visit before heading out to Hollywood to enter motion pictures. She has been given a contract for a part in Eddie Cantor’s latest movie, “Kid Millions.”

1963
The San Antonio Public Library’s Westfall branch library opens.

1976
Summer classes start at UTSA and art and music students begin attending classes in the new $2.4 million Arts Building.  Construction on the building began in 1972 and was completed in December 1975.  Because UTSA’s art and music programs are expected to grow rapidly, plans are underway for an addition to the Arts Building and for an arts annex on the northwest side of campus.  The annex will house sculpture and ceramics studios, a shop for working with wood, metal and plastics, and a foundry for bronze and other metal casting.  The annex is expected to be in use by the fall 1977 semester.

April 30 in San Antonio history…

1934
The operator of a gun and saddle shop on S. Flores admitted he had sold machine guns and other weapons to George “Baby Face” Nelson and John Dillinger, America’s public enemies No. 1 and No. 2.

1966
The contract to build a 650-foot tower at the HemisFair site was awarded today to D.J. Rheiner Construction Company.  Architectural details for the unnamed tower will be released within 60 days.

2011
The former Mission Drive-In Theater (right) opens as the 16,400 square foot Mission Branch Library.

January 21 in San Antonio history…

1934
Twelve San Antonio architects worked for the past week taking measurements of three landmark homes as part of the Historical Buildings Project.  The homes are the Vance House, the DesMazieres house and the French Mansard House recently owned by Dr. Kingsley. (The Kingsley house was razed in 1936, the Vance House in 1953 and the DesMazieres residence and store sometime after 1939.)

1957
KONO-TV Channel 12 (later KSAT) begins regular programming with Eisenhower’s second inauguration.

1999
Sixty-three years after Isadore Brenner opened the store as “Brenner’s” on Soledad Street, longtime San Antonio discount store Solo Serve (right) files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

December 22 in San Antonio history…

1836
On December 22, 1836, the new Texas government formed the county government of Bexar, with San Antonio as its County Seat.

1934
“The Crimson Tide Special” train containing the Alabama eleven, stops in San Antonio for a brief workout before continuing on their way to the Rose Bowl. Alabama player Bill Young is stricken with appendicitis and will listen to the Rose Bowl from a Del Rio hospital room.  The 1934 Alabama team featured star end Don Hutson and the other lesser-known end, nicknamed “Bear” – Paul Bryant.

1967
The final pre-cast and furnished room (of 496) is flown into place on the 20th floor of the Palacio Del Rio Hotel.  Placement of the last room was scheduled for January 5, but H. B. Zachry’s crews became so adept at hoisting the 35-ton concrete rooms the “last flight” was moved up. (photo right)

November 17 in San Antonio history…

1915
The Liberty Bell comes to San Antonio on its way from the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco to its home in Philadelphia.  It was scheduled to arrive at 11:00 but showed up two hours and forty minutes late.  An estimated 40,000 San Antonians showed up to get a look at the bell.

1934
Lyndon B. Johnson marries Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Taylor at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in San Antonio. LBJ didn’t have a wedding band for her and had asked Dan Quill, friend and Postmaster of San Antonio, to get one. Quill bought a wedding band at the nearby Sears, Roebuck & Co. for $2.50.  (The Sears store was located in what is now called the Tower Life Building.) After the wedding, they had dinner at the St. Anthony Hotel and spent their wedding night at the Plaza Hotel.

1954
Tosh Togo, a wrestler making his first appearance in San Antonio, fights to a draw in a 15-minute match with Larry Chene at Wrestlethon at Municipal Auditorium.  (Togo’s real name was Toshiyuki “Harold” Sakata, and he would find fame ten years later as the mute henchman to the titular villain in the James Bond movie “Goldfinger.”)

September 28 in San Antonio history…

1934
Cab Calloway and his New York Cotton Club entertainers opened a week’s engagement at the Majestic Theater (right).

1971
While investigating a domestic disturbance call, Kendall County Sheriff Douglas Kuebel is fatally wounded by the gunman holding his wife and father-in-law hostage in the house and dies a few hours later.

1989
Joe Alston, right, who played “Captain Gus” from 1953 to 1979 on the long-running KENS-TV kid’s show, passes away at his home in Pipe Creek at the age of 71.  Ba-ding bing!

September 12 in San Antonio history…

1884
The Lone Star Brewery is opened for business.

1934
After nearly 18 months’ inactivity, San Antonio’s Commercial National Bank scheduled a reopening, as did the Bexar County National Bank.

1970
The first McDonald’s restaurant opens in San Antonio at 1330 S. Laredo St. (right).