Bexar County Historical Markers
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NUMBER OF MARKERS IN COUNTY (BEST GUESS)- 366
Have -258 Need- 108
Bexar County is named for Presidio San Antonio de Bexar a Spanish fort. It is the 4th largest County in Texas and many other counties were made from Bexar County, San Antonio is the colorful county seat.
I first visited San Antonio in 2004 this was in my first visit to the States before to becoming a "permanent resident". We stayed on the Riverwalk at the historic Le Mansion and thus began my relationship with San Antonio, a city I'm still excited to visit. As far as historical markers go, Bexar County is messy, every reason that can make that marker hunting difficult, exists in Bexar County. It is fortunate that San Antonio is so much fun to visit or Steve may have given up the hunt here altogether. Okay, so why is it difficult? To start, I have failed to locate a complete list of all the markers, and when I say complete I mean, including all the missing markers. Landmarks with associated markers that have been lost to Bexar counties' rapid development. Even the Alamo was once at risk to "progress" had not some very determined women stepped in to save it. But while the Alamo was saved many other historical properties have been lost. I try to include these with a picture of the property and marker if at all possible. The Texas Historical Commission entries for Bexar County has improved from when we first started our hobby back in 2005 but still contains many inaccurate entries and depends on the help of the general public to report changes in location or markers that have vanished, there are several duplicates entries with slightly different titles. Bexar County actually has its own booklet which lists the majority of the easy to find markers but does not address any missing markers. Bexar Historical Commission is very active and dedicates many new markers each year ands lets face it they have a lot of great history and architecture to work with. They are not as active however, replacing old markers that have been lost to vandals, traffic accidents, roadwork or simply stolen and there are unfortunately a lot. The best list I have found comes from the IPhone app "Texas Historical Marker Guide". Greg the app creator has done a great job compiling his list, but like our list, there are a few small errors just because we are making our lists from a combination of sources and for us time on the ground looking. |
Bexar County has more buildings with single medallions than any other county we have been to thus far, these were placed in the sixties. Many of these are missing, so many in fact that I wonder if they were stolen or actually removed. I'm not sure if these are actually possible to replace as they come from a much older program. Another unique characteristic of Bexar County is that, here the marker program started in the early 1900s so the markers can take a shape that is not just the aluminum plate or gray granite centennial we are all used to seeing. So they don't necessarily jump out at you.
They are also markers on private property which is always a little more challenging but worse than private property there a markers inside buildings and markers on military installations. This restricts access and means you have to plan your day around the times they are open to visitors. Lastly San Antonio is a great city to walk around and you could easily walk to 50 of the markers around town, stopping for a margarita as needed, it is not however as much fun to drive around, it is very congested and there is almost continual roadwork. |
21st October, 2018- I not going to lie when a review of Bexar County comes up my heart sinks a little because I know that it feels like, two steps forward and one step back. I always clear up some mystery that previously had me confused, but there always some new quandary added. I think about what would help? and I realized that over the last few years when we visit Bexar County, in particular San Antonio it is always because there is another purpose. The last visit being a symposium. What is really needed is three or four days dedicated to marker hunting in this county, including a couple days with some focused walking around San Antonio. This would allow time to stop and visit with some of the building owners to see if they know what happened to the missing markers.
On this occasion we looked for Old Houston Road with no success. The Schulze Hardware in Hemisfair Park is still there but there was no marker to be seen, it makes wonder if it was ever moved with the building or purposefully removed because the building was relocated to its current location. The Stockman Building also does not have it's marker on the outside of the building, we will try and take a peek inside on our next visit.
We did on this occasion get to visit Mi Tierra which is a San Antonio institution and I was pleasantly delighted, the food was good and the margarita excellent. We also had breakfast at Schilo's another long time favorite of San Antonio and it is simple yet consistently good food. We have a list of restaurants that we hope to visit and in Bexar County the list is long and we are slowly checking them off, it s a yummy adventure.
On this occasion we looked for Old Houston Road with no success. The Schulze Hardware in Hemisfair Park is still there but there was no marker to be seen, it makes wonder if it was ever moved with the building or purposefully removed because the building was relocated to its current location. The Stockman Building also does not have it's marker on the outside of the building, we will try and take a peek inside on our next visit.
We did on this occasion get to visit Mi Tierra which is a San Antonio institution and I was pleasantly delighted, the food was good and the margarita excellent. We also had breakfast at Schilo's another long time favorite of San Antonio and it is simple yet consistently good food. We have a list of restaurants that we hope to visit and in Bexar County the list is long and we are slowly checking them off, it s a yummy adventure.
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7th August, 2019 - We were in San Antonio this time for an interview and that was my focus, intially from nervousness and after the interview in second guessing my performance. We did manage to capture some of the older markers which is always satisfying, we did not sadly, spend any time on the River Walk. Reviewing Bexar County is as frustrating as it always is and just as always I did uncover some new details which makes it worth another look. I did find out that the Battle of Alazan marker was confiscated by Treasury Agents, believing it was part of a defunct grocery store, this must be one of the most interesting reasons a marker has gone missing. Bexar County is working on replacing the marker but the text will reworked. Moos Homestead is definately missing the medallion and plate.
Old Houston Road and 20th December, 2021 - I'm starting a new review of San Antonio from a different angle this time . Whenever we visit, I have high hopes of making more progress, and when it doesn't happen, I feel a bit let down. Bexar County has many riddles and many missing markers and I always want to achieve more.
The Alamo was awarded the first historic meadllion for a building that is worth perservation, it is hard for me to imagine it was ever at risk but it was saved by the Daughers of the Republic of Texas. I have never seen the medallion on the building but maybe I haven't looked hard enough. The Alamo Masoni Cemetery Marker has been missing for many years and it would be up to the masons to pursue replacing it which thay have yet to do. Alamo Iron Works is listed to be at 101 Montana Street but we could not locate it.
We have looked for the Book Building marker many times, what is more surprising to us is not the missing marker but that the building has stood unused for over 15 years considering its location in downtown San Antonio.
Council House Fight, we have not located, I have never seen a picture of and I'm suspicous of the fact the it actually exists. The Casa Villita house exists but we have not located the medallion but I confess I always get a little confused at what I am actually looking for when I visit La Villlita . The Confederate Monument was removed from Travis Park several years ago there is a lawsuit about where the statue will placed , one side wants it put back in Travis Park and the opposing side says it should be placed in a muesum. It's just my opinion but the longer the battle rages and the current political climate I don't believe it will be reinstated in Travis Park. We were unable to locate the marker entitled Chihuahua Trail it was at busy intersection so anything could have happened. General Cos House has one of the old marble markers but it should also have a medallion which I have never seen.
Bexar County had I believe, the most 1960's medallions granted and the good majority of them are missing, for example the Eagar House. At this time Bexar County has also been busy putting up new markers, I have yet to confirm whether the markers for Emma F. Shiner Home, Bluehole and Eastview Cemetery are up yet.
Fest-Steves Block is still up, at least the building is, but I have not seen the 18 x 28. The Statue for the Father of Mexican Independence is confusing to me. There is a statue at Hemisfair Parker but the date erected is not 1965, we looked at the Baptist Hospital but did not find a statue there, thats not to say it couldn't be in some hidden alcove. Fiesta House I believe maybe the Rhine Restaurant. The Fort Sam Houston, 4th U.S. Army Headquarters Quadraline, might just be another missing medallion?
The Groos National Bank marker I have no idea about where it is. I also unsure if G. J. Sutton marker is up yet.
The missions have as many markers missing as they have remaining. It seems unusual to me these markers would have been stolen, but I really don't know what happened. Matamoros Road we have looked for with no success. It is said to be at very busy intersection so it could been a victim to an accident.
N.J. Niederman Home is is a mystery, I have no information no photos and the google car makes it looks like it is not at the location indicated.
Old Houston Road and Old Military Hospital markers are missing. Old Military Hospital marker has been missing so long no one seems to know what happened to it. The marble slab for O Henry Lived here, I have no idea about
The Rivas House on Houston I believe was razed. The Rubiola Store burnt down. I have no evidense that the marker for Robert B. Green Memorial Hospital has been placed.
The Salado Valley was in the Pecan Valley Gold Club and the golf course closed in 2012 so I'm not sure if it is still there. Santa Anna Headquarters was at 100 N. Main Street but on our last visit that building was torn down so I hope they saved it, but who knows? San Antonio River Walk (Paseo Del Rio was one pf the first San Antonio markers we looked for with no success. I have asked the Bexar county historical commission and the River Walk Society but no one seems to know what happened to this marker. The Schultze Stove and Hareware Company marker I believe the building no longer exists, the marker is MIA. Site of Vance House marker was at the site of the house at Nueva and Dwyer streets but it was removed due to its association with Robert E. Lee. Bexar County reported it wasn't a real historical marker anyway, but it was state approved and at one was listed in the Texas Historical Commission atlas. Hopefully they placed it a musuem. Site of Old Veramendi House the marker was supposed to be inside the building at 130 Soledad Street but that was gutted when we was there recently, so who knows if the marker was saved. Stockman Building does not have a marker on it but we have yet to look inside, which in San Antonio you have yo do before you say the marker is missing. St. Michael's Roman Catholic may or may not of been placed in Hemisphere Park. I haven't confirm Station "X" yet either. The Charge of Santa Anna's Third Column into the Alamo, not sure about this one I can no longer find it on the atlas.
21st November, 2024 - Its been a minute since I reviewed Bexar County historical markers, but that's not to say we didn't visit several times over the years since 2021.
This remains the most difficult and confusing county to review, for many reasons. The first being missing markers and buildings, it's simply hard to find something that not there and of all the large counties Bexar County arguably has the most missing markers. The next being Bexar County started to place markers prior to the official Texas historical marker program so they have marble plaques, brass plates, monuments that are markers but are not as easily recognizable as the usual aluminum plates or centennial gray or pink granite types. The third reason is many buildings that were awarded medallions as part of the Texas historical landmark program of the 1960s no longer have medallions on the buildings, even the the Alamo is report to have a medallion through as many times as we have visited we have never located it or seen a picture of it. The other element of this, is that in Bexar you really need to take a peek inside the building to call it done because it is not unusual for the marker to be in the building.
So again at the end of this review I am again reflecting on what it would take to organize the confusion and as I mentioned above, time and focus but more than that, research is needed, time in the library, museums, talking to local historians, discovering the story of when and how buildings and markers disappeared. The Texas hHistorical Commission has also added more of the building which were awarded medallions even if those medallions are missing.
The Bexar County Historical Commission has been very busy adding markers to include the counties greater or under told history of the county, many of these are not up yet, so there will always be more to do.
In conclusion I wish I had done better reviews even 10 years ago because we would have captured many more of the markers that are now missing but there is no going back and we have to be satisfied with what we can find and capture. As I have said before I like visiting San Antonio for whatever reason we are there, and even through thousands of tourists tramp all over it daily, it feels like to me there is the possibility of discovering something unique.
This remains the most difficult and confusing county to review, for many reasons. The first being missing markers and buildings, it's simply hard to find something that not there and of all the large counties Bexar County arguably has the most missing markers. The next being Bexar County started to place markers prior to the official Texas historical marker program so they have marble plaques, brass plates, monuments that are markers but are not as easily recognizable as the usual aluminum plates or centennial gray or pink granite types. The third reason is many buildings that were awarded medallions as part of the Texas historical landmark program of the 1960s no longer have medallions on the buildings, even the the Alamo is report to have a medallion through as many times as we have visited we have never located it or seen a picture of it. The other element of this, is that in Bexar you really need to take a peek inside the building to call it done because it is not unusual for the marker to be in the building.
So again at the end of this review I am again reflecting on what it would take to organize the confusion and as I mentioned above, time and focus but more than that, research is needed, time in the library, museums, talking to local historians, discovering the story of when and how buildings and markers disappeared. The Texas hHistorical Commission has also added more of the building which were awarded medallions even if those medallions are missing.
The Bexar County Historical Commission has been very busy adding markers to include the counties greater or under told history of the county, many of these are not up yet, so there will always be more to do.
In conclusion I wish I had done better reviews even 10 years ago because we would have captured many more of the markers that are now missing but there is no going back and we have to be satisfied with what we can find and capture. As I have said before I like visiting San Antonio for whatever reason we are there, and even through thousands of tourists tramp all over it daily, it feels like to me there is the possibility of discovering something unique.