San Antonio Uncovered: Fun Facts and Hidden Histories

by Mark Louis Rybczyk, Robert Rivard (Foreword by)

Overview

San Antonio is in the national spotlight as one of the fastest growing and most dynamic emerging major cities in America. Yet local lore has it that every Texan has two hometowns—his own and San Antonio. The Alamo City's charm, colorful surroundings, and diverse cultures combine to make it one of the most interesting places in Texas and the nation. In San Antonio Uncovered, Mark Rybczyk examines some of the city's internationally known legends and lore (including ghost stories) and takes a nostalgic look at landmarks that have disappeared. He also introduces some of the city’s characters and unusual features, debunks local myths, and corrects common misconceptions.

Rybczyk embraces San Antonio's peculiarities by chronicling the cross-country journey of the World’s Largest Boots to their home in front of North Star Mall; the origins of the Frito corn chip and chewing gum; the annual Cornyation of King Anchovy; and Dwight Eisenhower's stint as the football coach at St Mary’s University.

This completely updated, new edition of San Antonio Uncovered highlights San Antonio as a modern, thriving city with the feel of a small town that sees beauty in the old and fights to save it, even something as seemingly insignificant as an old Humble Oil Station; and its diverse inhabitants as those who appreciate the blending of the old and the new at the Tobin Center and fight to save what’s left of the Hot Wells Hotel.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781595347572
Publisher:	Trinity University Press
Publication date:	09/27/2016
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	666,024
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Robert Rivard is the former editor and vice-president of the San Antonio Express-News and the founder and director of the Rivard Report, an online local magazine serving San Antonio’s urban core.

Table of Contents

Foreword Robert Rivard vii

Introduction xi

Seven Little-Known Facts about the Alamo 1

Twelve Things You May Not Know about the River Walk 5

Eight Things to Look For on the River Walk's Museum Reach Extension 9

Six Things to Look For on the River Walk's Mission Reach Extension 14

Seven Ways HemisFair '68 Changed San Antonio Forever 16

Seven Lasting Influences of the Spanish Crown 19

Solar Illuminations: A Message from God? 23

Seven Things You May Not Know about the Missions 24

Six Flags over San Antonio 26

Birthplace of the Air Force 33

Seven Facts about the Air Force in San Antonio 35

The Fort Sam Houston Quadrangle and Geronimo 37

Thirteen Places of Historic Note on Fort Sam Houston Not Freely Accessible to the Public 40

Six Military Leaders Who Spent Time in San Antonio 43

The Truth about Davy Crockett's Tomb and Twelve Other Facts about the San Fernando Cathedral 47

Six Stories That Could Only Happen in the Alamo City 51

Five Events That Really Did Happen in San Antonio 57

Katherine Stinson and the Stinson School of Flying 62

Eight Incredible San Antonio Characters 64

Six Famous People Who Spent Time in San Antonio 75

Ten Places Every San Antonian Should Know 81

Eleven Pacts about the Menger Hotel 90

San Antonio's Three Most Historic Hotels Not Named the Menger 92

Hotels That Started as Something Else 94

Old Places, New Uses 97

Eight Things You Should Know about Brackenridge Park 110

Six Incredible Movie Palaces 114

Seven Suburban Theaters Readapted 121

Five Places in San Antonio That Are Replicas 123

Nine Structures That Have Been Moved from Their Original Sites 124

Seven San Antonio Landmarks Built in Old Rock Quarries 128

Twelve Pieces of San Antonio That Are Gone but Not Forgotten 132

Four Favorite San Antonio Places Brought Back 144

Six San Antonio Projects That Never Became Reality 148

San Antonio's Most Influential Architects 151

Seven Stories about San Antonio Art and Artists 157

Seven Unique San Antonio Sports Stories 164

Ten San Antonio Sport Franchises and Their Defunct Leagues 171

Eight Unusual San Antonio Historic Institutions 177

Eleven Favorite San Antonio Ghost Stories 181

Eleven Facts the Author Felt Belonged in the Book 185

Twelve San Antonio Outings 187

Names 193

Firsts 207

Acknowledgments 215

Index 217

Interviews

Quirky and amazing facts about the Alamo City

Editorial Reviews

If you’re new in town, this book is a no-brainer and will give you a leg up on local history, famous places, and notable characters. If you consider yourself a San Antonian through and through, go ahead, be a tourist in your own town – Rybczyk’s book is bound to uncover things you didn’t know about San Antonio.” — Rivard Report

From the Publisher