December 17 in San Antonio history…

1926
The Texas Theater holds its formal grand opening.  The theater will be opened to the public on December 18.

1929
Workmen begin conversion of the Princess Theater on Houston Street into Blum’s Department Store.  It was later purchased in 1931 by Frost Brothers.  The building still stands at 217 E. Houston Street.

1980
The newly reconstructed Olmos Dam is dedicated after completion of a $10 renovation.

October 14 in San Antonio history…

1885
Ground is broken for the new San Antonio National Bank building on Commerce street.

1956
Elvis Presley with his band, Scotty Moore, Bill Black and D.J. Fontana,  plays two shows at the Bexar County Coliseum to thousands of swooning, screaming, mainly female, fans.  It was the third appearance for Elvis in San Antonio in 1956. (photo from Freeman Coliseum.)

1980
The Spurs kick off their season against their new division rival Kansas City Kings.  With the addition of the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA, the Spurs move from the Central Division of the Eastern Conference to the Midwest Division of the Western Conference.  The division also includes the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz.

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.

October 2 in San Antonio history…

1954
Nat “King” Cole and his Orchestra play a concert in Memorial Auditorium.

1980
Police raid a northside residence suspected of being a brothel, arresting two 23-year old Houston women under prostitution charges and confiscating a “trick list” of customers.  Many of these are suspected to be local governmental officials.

1984
Burger King buys all 20 local Whopper-Burger locations from Barbara Bates, widow of founder Frank Bates, for an undisclosed purchase price.  This ends an 11-year period where Burger King had agreed to not sell burgers in a three-county area around San Antonio.

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.

September 1 in San Antonio history…

1945
Due to the continuing strike of the San Antonio Typographical Union, today’s edition of the Sunday San Antonio Light newspaper is only 20 pages, not counting the additional syndicated sections and comics.  The editors print an apology on the front page.

1946
The new River View amusement park holds its grand opening.

1980
Playland Park closes for the winter and signs are put up promising the usual St. Patrick’s Day reopening the following year.  Unfortunately, owner Jimmy Johnson decides not to reopen and a legendary San Antonio amusement park passes into history.

 

August 22 in San Antonio history…

1958
If new sources of water are not found for San Antonio in the next four years, the city is going to be up a creek and a dry one at that. This was the contention today of R. A. Thompson Jr., general manager of the water board, as he outlined San Antonio’s future water needs.

1980
San Antonio Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela fans 15 batters in a 3-0 win over Amarillo.  The 19-year-old lefty allowed just two hits in the second half of the season and struck out 162 batters in 174 innings.

1987
The Pope’s upcoming nine-day visit to the United States, including San Antonio on September 13, is expected to cost at least $28 million.  Texas bishops are raising $2.5 million for the San Antonio visit.

June 27 in San Antonio history…

1963
San Antonio moved again toward complete desegregation today after 173 restaurants, 23 motels and 9 hotels quietly opened their doors to African-Americans.

1976
A double train wreck and derailment of Brackenridge Eagle trains injures 15 passengers.  A car collides with the first train causing a derailment.  When the first train is put back on the rails, a second train that had been waiting loses its brakes and runs into the rear of the first train.  Passengers were injured when they jumped from the train cars.

1980
The thermometer reaches 105 degrees in San Antonio, which would end up being the hottest day of the year.  Still the record for the date, although we hit 103 in 2009.

May 24 in San Antonio history…

1963
Tonight is the grand opening of the Roaring 20’s Teen Club (formerly Shadowlands), three miles north of Loop 410 on Blanco Road.  Along with Gene Thomas, headliners will be The Missiles band and vocal group along with San Antonio’s own Denny Ezba.  This will mark the first time that a Teen Nite Spot has been put into operation and we’re betting everybody will dig the idea.

1979
Spurs coach Doug Moe is fined $3,000 by the NBA for the inflammatory comments he made after the Spurs loss to the Washington Bullets six days ago.  This is the highest fine ever levied against an NBA coach.  Radio station KTSA has organized a “Dough for Moe” fundraiser, requesting 300,000 pennies to be sent to the league to pay the fine.

1980
Hipp’s Bubble Room at 1411 McCullough closes.

May 21 in San Antonio history…

1968
A power failure strands nearly 400 people in the brand new Tower of the Americas.  Nearly 25 people were stranded in elevators 135 feet up the 622-foot tower.  Power went off at 9:15 and was finally restored at midnight.  Instead of waiting for power to be restored, many walked down the 952 steps to the ground.

1980
Demolition begins on the Cable House (right), formerly the headquarters of Tom Slick’s Essar Ranch.

1991
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip come to San Antonio for the first time for a whirlwind tour of the Alamo, a barge ride to the Arneson River Theater and a brief tour of the Institute of Texan Cultures.  They depart on the Concorde only one hour and forty-five minutes after landing in the Alamo city.