October 8 in San Antonio history…

1929
“It’s the greatest thing since sliced bread!”
Richter’s Bakery begins advertising sliced Butter Krust bread along with the traditionally unsliced loaves.

1953
“The Robe” is the first film shown in CinemaScope in San Antonio.  To accommodate the CinemaScope image, approximately two and one half times as wide as a normal movie screen, the Majestic theater has been reconstructed with a new screen and new projection equipment.

1975
The Spurs travel to New Orleans to play a preseason double-header to inaugurate the new Superdome.  San Antonio plays Atlanta in the first game and the New Orleans Jazz play the Kansas City Kings in the second game.

September 11 in San Antonio history…

1921
Due to the catastrophic flooding, thousands of people bring wash tubs, lard cans, tea kettles, pitchers, earthen jars, pans, pots fruit jars and other receptacles to carry water from San Pedro Springs.  The water mains for the southern part of the city are restored later in the day but physicians still advise boiling water for a few days as a health precaution.

1953
Architects present their sketch of the new Student Union Building at San Antonio College.  The building is expected to be completed in 1954.

1980
The Express reports that $75,000 has been set aside for the “Patio of States,” a 70′ x 80′ map, to be built this year in front of the Convention Center at Alamo and Market streets.  Each state will be built of native stone from that state.

August 8 in San Antonio history…

1946
Weatherman J. H. Jarboe reported that last month’s average high temperature of 97.4 degrees was the hottest ever in San Antonio.  The previous record was 97.2 degrees in 1925.

1953
The new Palo Alto Drive-In Theater at 1742 Somerset Road holds its grand opening, featuring “Apache Drums,” “Canta Y No Llores” and “FBI Girl.”

1967
H. B. Zachry and Nick Catalani unveiled plans for their $7 million, 21-story, 500-room hotel on the river in the 200 block of S. Alamo. (This is now the Hilton Palacio del Rio)

July 22 in San Antonio history…

1928
Bids are being received for the new one and two-story bus terminal buildings to be constructed at the corner of Navarro, Martin and Pecan streets.  The building is to be of brick, stone, tile and concrete construction and is to be of Spanish design.  It will cost approximately $200,000.

1953
The San Antonio Public Library is breaking all records in its 50th anniversary year.  Books now total more than 500,000 on downtown branch shelves.

2012
The Martinez Social Club in southeast San Antonio celebrates its 100th anniversary.

July 20 in San Antonio history…

1887
A drinking contest will take place tomorrow at the Berliner Concert Garden to show the prohibitionists that a man can drink 50 to 100 glasses of beer without becoming intoxicated.

1953
Investigators from Oklahoma City are in San Antonio today to persuade local oilman Charles Urschel to testify against George “Machine Gun” Kelly in regard to Kelly’s kidnaping of Urschel twenty years ago.  Kelly is currently serving a life sentence in Leavenworth.

1974
The San Antonio Toros of the Mid-America Football League play the NFL Houston Oilers rookie squad in Alamo Stadium.  The Oilers won, 13-7.

July 16 in San Antonio history…

1911
Capt. Andreas Coy, assistant police chief, was injured when he fell into a cellar in Casino Hall while trying to ferret out a burglar.

1953
Parade fanfare and visits by Gov. Allan Shivers and Hollywood stars will mark the world premiere of “The Man From the Alamo” at the Majestic Theater.

1990
The San Antonio Police Department begins a downtown bicycle patrol with four officers on Miyata mountain bikes.  Lt. Rudy Vernon, commander of the downtown foot patrol, hopes to have 25 officers trained on the bikes by the end of the month.

June 4 in San Antonio history…

1836
Juan Seguin accepts the surrender of Mexican forces in San Antonio from General Martin Perfecto de Cos.

advertisement, San Antonio Light newspaper

1926
The Aztec Theatre opened promising “a totally new form of entertainment.”

1953
In a closed-door meeting today, the City Council and City Manager Reynolds Andricks eliminate all but two members of the library board.  Reports indicate that M. M. Harris, chairman of the library board for 33 years, was given the axe because of a letter he wrote to the city manager that was critical of the new city administration.

May 18 in San Antonio history…

1899
Mr. Milton Everett, a noted railroad man of the city, is advocating for a union depot with the news that the Missouri, Kansas and Texas rail line is to be added to San Antonio.

1953
An anti-censorship rally is held at Jefferson Methodist Church where it is suggested that San Antonio city council members who advocate censorship of books in the public library could be recalled to private citizenship.

1979
Spurs fans are devastated when the Spurs lose the Eastern Conference finals to the Washington Bullets, 107-105. The Spurs lose the series 4-3 becoming only the third team to lose a series in which they were up 3-1.  Spurs coach Doug Moe is furious about the officiating, saying, “They should be sent before a firing squad.”

May 15 in San Antonio history…

1943
Playland Park holds its grand opening in its new location at 2222 N. Alamo (at Broadway). It will remain San Antonio’s favorite amusement park until closing in 1980.

1953
Mrs. Myrtle Hance, the founder of the local chapter of the Minute Women but not currently a member, has compiled a list of 574 books in San Antonio’s Main Library by 118 authors who are admitted Communists or have Communist affiliations.  She also has a list of over 1,000 of these books in the San Antonio Library System.

1982
Jimmy Johnson opens the doors to Playland Park for the first time since the amusement park closed on Sept. 1, 1980 so the public can browse and buy all of the remaining paraphernalia.  The cost to enter the park is $5, which is deducted from any purchase.  The park will be kept open 9-4 daily, seven days a week until all items are sold.  O quam cito transit gloria mundi.

May 14 in San Antonio history…

1933
The San Antonio Black Missions play a doubleheader at Van Daele Stadium, located at the corner of Brazos and Laredo streets.  They lose both games to the Mexico Nationals, 5-1 and 6-5.

1953
Mayor Jack White suggests that books in the public library written by known Communists should be branded or rubber stamped.  Interim City Manager Wylie Johnson takes things a step further, suggesting that the books be burned and every member of the library board be dismissed “if any of them have knowledge of Communist or Communist-leaning books in the library.”

1981
Ground is broken for the construction of the “Patio of States,” a 70′ x 80′ foot stone map of the United States in front of the Convention Center.  Groundbreakers are Councilwoman Helen Dutmer, H. B. Zachry and O. P. Schnabel, who conceived of the idea 13 years ago.