August 15 in San Antonio history…

1932
Despite a wire report saying that his decapitated body had been found in El Paso, kidnapped Deputy Sheriff Joe Johns of Carlsbad, New Mexico was found to be alive and well when he walked into the sheriff’s office here today.  His kidnappers, two men and an 18 year-old girl referred to as “Honey,”  abducted him yesterday and drove about 1,000 miles in 13 hours, zig-zagging through Wink, Kermit, Big Lake, Piote, San Angelo and finally San Antonio.  They dropped him off on the old Vance-Jackson road where a farmer, Mr. C. J. Webster brought him to town.  Johns said he would start back to New Mexico after sharing a visit and a meal with his nephew, Sam Johns, of 321 Barnett Place.  (The kidnappers were Raymond Hamilton, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.)

1947
Playland Park introduces the new “Rocket” rollercoaster.

1984
The San Pedro Drive-In, located at San Pedro Avenue and Bitters Road, closes.

August 13 in San Antonio history…

1947
For a full hour, three times daily and uninterrupted except for 15 minutes of cowboy music, the commercial use of television is being demonstrated on the fourth floor of Joske’s – the first display of television in the state of Texas.  Some of the spectators have made inquiries about the cost of the television machines and if they are for sale.  They can be purchased for about $350 ($4,609.28 in 2022 dollars!) and stored in the attic until television is here to stay.

1960
The Dallas Cowboys play their first game in the state of Texas right here in San Antonio – an exhibition game in Alamo Stadium against the newly relocated (from Chicago) St. Louis Cardinals.  The Cardinals, featuring Texas Aggies John David Crow &  Bobby Joe Conrad, win, 20-13.

1997
Northside School District opens three new elementary schools – Monroe May , Virginia Myers and Henry Steubing – thanks to a $98 million bond package approved by voters in 1995.

May 1 in San Antonio history…

1718
Mission San Antonio de Valero is established on the west bank of the San Antonio River after the removal of the Mission San Jose del Alamo is ordered by the Marquis Valero, viceroy of New Spain, from the Rio Grande to San Antonio.

(photo from the UTSA Photo Archives)

1947
The Jefferson Hotel (right), formerly the Bexar Hotel, closes at noon, never to reopen. Charles Seelbach, who has been operating the hotel under a lease the past few years, said that the fire prevention bureau has ordered improvements and alterations, including a sprinkler system, that would cost $50,000.  Seelbach plans to sell the furniture at auction and retire to Memphis, Tennessee.

1953
An eight-person committee blasts the San Antonio City Council’s plan to red-stamp books in the public library written by authors known to have some sort of Communist party affiliation.  The group’s resolution states that “destruction of the library has usually been preceded by censorship, book burning and branding.  This is followed by suppression of newspapers, freedom of speech, thought, religion and press – and the destruction of capitalism and free enterprise.”

April 18 in San Antonio history…

1927
Archbishop Robert J. Drossaerts rededicates San Jose Mission as a sacred edifice. Restored to its original lines of 160 years ago, the mission will be reblessed to compensate for the time it lay in ruins.

1947
Mission Stadium and Ballpark opened and the first Texas league game was played there.

1962
Chili queens, a familiar sight on Military and Alamo plazas a number of years ago, will be back in San Antonio in all their glory at “A Night in Old San Antonio.”

April 7 in San Antonio history…

1924
Bible reading exercises, made mandatory by action of the School Board, started the day in all San Antonio schools.

1947
A nationwide telephone strike begins at 6 a.m.  1,300 members of the telephone workers union are off the job in San Antonio. Local phone service on the dial system will not be affected until the lack of maintenance work causes breakdowns, it was pointed out by Paul West, district manager of the Southwestern Bell Company. How long this will be is anybody’s guess. A supervisory force is manning switchboards, West said, and is prepared to handle a limited number of long-distance and other calls requiring an operator. He urged telephone users to avoid all such as far as possible.

1965
“The Sound of Music” premieres in San Antonio at the Cinema II at North Star Mall, located at Loop 410 and San Pedro Avenue.

February 27 in San Antonio history…

1887
Edwin Booth (right), brother to John Wilkes, performs Richelieu and Hamlet at the Grand Opera House.

1947
“It’s A Wonderful Life” debuts at the Majestic Theater, two months and six days after its national premiere.

2000
Cars near the back of the Brackenridge Eagle train derail, causing a shutdown in the operations of the train for over a month.  The engineer was unaware of the derailment until a passer-by lobbed a water bottle at him.  There were no injuries.

January 4 in San Antonio history…

1947
After a three-day delay due to icy conditions, the Alamo Bowl is played in Alamo Stadium:  Hardin Simmons 20, Denver 0. Game only draws a crowd of 3,730 spectators. The temperature never gets above 26 degrees.

1947
John Lang Sinclair, alumnus of the University of Texas and author of “The Eyes of Texas,” dies and is buried in Alamo Masonic Cemetery.  Items relating to the life of John L. Sinclair may be found in the DRT Library on the Alamo grounds.

1983
San Antonio-based show manufacturer, Kaepa, introduces their new turf shoe (right) and features it at the Softball-Baseball Expo in the Convention Center.

September 19 in San Antonio history…

1947
San Antonio’s first recognized collegiate football team since the days of St. Mary’s Rattlers makes its opening appearance tonight as Trinity University faces Hardin Simmons at Alamo Stadium.

1956
Inoculation with Salk polio vaccine of about 30,000 Lackland AFB military and civilian personnel began today following the incidence of five paralytic cases at the base.

1985
San Antonio’s City Council passes a no-smoking ordinance for city concert halls banning cigar, cigarette and pipe smoking and the lighting of matches except in restrooms.  Smoking is already prohibited at Municipal Auditorium since it is considered a theater.  Promoter Jack Orbin of Stone City Productions called the council’s actions “clearly unconstitutional” and said he is pursuing legal remedies.

August 19 in San Antonio history..

1935
Mayor C. K. Quin today ordered a series of mural paintings taken from the walls of the foyer of the Municipal Auditorium, after their presence was protested by the American Legion Central Council of Bexar County. The paintings by Xavier Gonzales, were criticized for containing hidden Communist symbols.

1940
All city street repair crews have been concentrated on Alameda street, between North St. Mary’s street and the Alamo stadium. Street Commissioner Paul Steffler announced Monday. Steffler explained that an effort is being made to complete paving of the street before the first football game in September.

1947
Local builders today claimed San Antonio needs 10,000 new homes “just to catch up” with present demand. Noting new homes are sold before they are even completed, they said 15,000 suitable sites exist on the north side.

August 15 in San Antonio history..

1945
Today is V-J Day, and while people took to the streets to celebrate Japan’s acceptance of surrender terms, effectively ending World War II, burglars ransacked houses and apartments left vacant by celebrants. A total of $425 in cash (over $6000 in today’s money) and numerous articles were reported missing.

1947
Playland Park introduces the new “Rocket” rollercoaster (right).
Photo courtesy of Ed Gaida.

1984
The San Pedro Drive-In closes.