October 25 in San Antonio history…

1939
The River Beautification Project, with Robert Hugman as architect, breaks ground.  This project creates the San Antonio Riverwalk as we know it today.

1973
Robert G. Marbut, president of Harte-Hanks Publishing, Inc. announces an agreement to sell the San Antonio Express and News newspapers to News America Inc., owned by K. Rupert Murdoch, for $18 million.

1986
The Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular is shown for the first time ever at the Woodlawn Theater

 

October 12 in San Antonio history…

1939
The “Villita Ordinance” is adopted, calling for the restoration and reconstruction of La Villita.  The project funds the Bolivar branch of the San Antonio Public Library.  E. M. Todd is project supervisor and O’Neil Ford is named architect.

September 17 in San Antonio history…

1939
Max Reiter is named conductor by the San Antonio Symphony Society, which will begin its first season with a performance in November.

1942
The new airport north of the city is officially designated the San Antonio Airport by City Council.

1954
The Los Angeles Rams play an exhibition game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Alamo Stadium. The Eagles win, 24-21.

August 25 in San Antonio history…

1852
St. Mary’s Institute (now University) is founded near San Fernando with 12 male students.

1939
A Communist rally at Municipal Auditorium turns into a riot when a crowd of 5,000 stone-throwing citizens converges on the building.

1973
A festive dedication celebration is planned for today’s opening of the new San Antonio Community Hospital. Dubbed “Night in New San Antonio Community Hospital,” the celebration will be held from 7-9 p.m. at the 316-bed acute care facility located in the Medical Center.

August 11 in San Antonio history…

1922
The second radio station in San Antonio, WCAR, begins broadcasting from 324 N. Navarro St.  It is later renamed KTSA (which stands for Kum To San Antonio). (License date 5/9/22)

1939
Bexar County Commissioners Court in a special resolution passed this morning, censured the city of San Antonio for its “ill-advised” granting of a permit for a Communist Party meeting in the Municipal Auditorium.

1984
Mother and daughter duo Naomi and Wynonna Judd make their first San Antonio appearance at Texas Dance Hall.

June 24 in San Antonio history…

1930
Maj. William C. Ocker, “the Father of Instrument Flying,” flies 900 miles from San Antonio to Scotts Field, Illinois in an enclosed cockpit, without reference to outside visual cues.  He calls the flight “an unofficial test.”

1939
Mayor Maverick today has obtained from Aubrey Williams, NYA director, a commitment for $100,00 of NYA funds for restoration of the Villita Street Spanish Village.

1949
Trinity Baptist Church is founded.

June 18 in San Antonio history…

1856
A caravan of camels went down Main Street on their way to Camp Verde.

1939
On the anniversary of his famed flight to Ireland, Douglas “Wrong Way” Corrigan took as his bride yesterday afternoon, his childhood sweetheart, Miss Elizabeth Marvin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.M. Marvin,  507 Terrell Rd.  The wedding was in the chapel of the First Baptist Church.

Travis Club logo from Finck Cigar Company (http://www.finckcigarcompany.com/about/interview_with_henry_william_finck_ii/)

1978
The 66-year-old Elks Building at Navarro and Pecan streets becomes the first building to be imploded in San Antonio. The building was the former home of the Travis Club and was immortalized on the boxes for Travis Club cigars.

June 12 in San Antonio history…

1938
After a decade of construction, the Sunken Garden Theater, one of San Antonio’s beauty spots, today stood completed.  The project was started in 1928 with erection of a 30×40 foot stage.

(photo from mariolanzatenor.com)

1939
Max Reiter (right), noted orchestra conductor who recently fled Europe to escape fascism, holds a demonstration concert in the Sunken Garden Theater with an 80-piece orchestra and noted Metropolitan Opera tenor, Charles Kullman.  This leads to Reiter being named musical director of the San Antonio Symphony.

1944
Marine SSgt. William J. Bordelon Jr. of San Antonio was announced as posthumous recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. He died at Tarawa.

March 17 in San Antonio history…

1899
In making excavation for the brick  foundation of the new Westminster Presbyterian church on Garden St, Contractor Finney struck the old underground passage supposed to have existed between the first mission and the Alamo. The ditch was 20 feet deep and Mr. Finley was compelled to go to the bottom of it to start his foundations. This Passage has been discovered twice previously: three years ago at the corner of Alamo and Garden st. and again on E. Commerce at the intersection of St. Joseph’s street.

1939
San Antonio welcomes Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt who speaks at Municipal Auditorium, telling the story of  a “typical day at the White House.”

1969
The city first dyes the San Antonio River green for St. Patrick’s Day.

March 11 in San Antonio history…

1811
The Viceroy declares that the Villa San Fernando, the Presidio San Antonio, and the grounds of the old Mission de Valero are all to be incorporated together under the name San Antonio de Bexar.

1939
The groundbreaking for the Alamo Cenotaph, designed by sculptor Pompeo Coppini, is held today.

1954
The mercury reaches 91 degrees today, an all-time high temperature for the date.