Category: History of San Antonio

Is Anybody Watching Alamo Plaza?

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In this morning’s San Antonio Express-News, Scott Huddleston opens a story with:  “Alamo preservationists are gearing up to fight plans for a streetcar line on land that they say should be closed to traffic out of reverence for the 1836 battlefield.”

But where are the “preservationists” now?  When will they make the Daughters of the Republic of Texas pop-down the pop-up*?

Have these “preservationists” who remember the Alamo as “twice-hallowed ground” walked on Alamo Plaza during spring break?  If this land is hallowed, the halo has just about slipped completely off.  

Unfortunately, I am awaiting the mailman’s delivery of a new battery for my camera, but the everyday sidewalk intrusion in front of Pat O’s has been multiplied ten-fold, or more.  There are hawkers galore, and the front of Fuddrucker’s resembles an out-of-control flea market.   

Does anyone even remember Alamo Plaza is an historic district?

And, holy coonskin caps, just as I was closing this post, a fellow blogger broke the news to me that Fess Parker – the first crush of many a boomer girl – has passed away.

In the Express, Huddleston quotes Bob Benavides, chairman of the San Antonio Living History Association and a Son of the Republic of Texas, as worrying the proposed streetcar line will “take away the magic.”  I fear the “magic” might already be in the same state as Fess Parker.

Note added on March 23:  Perhaps the DRT is in need of instructions on how to take down a pop-up?   I particularly like the wording of Step No. 5: 

Once stood on its side whilst still holding the ‘fabric taco’ together with one hand, use your other hand to grab the poles at the top furthest away from you.  Pull these poles down towards the ground and towards you at the same time.  The tent should fold in on itself and resemble a multilayered disc.

This website warns that, on brand new pop-ups, “the poles are very resistant to folding and will try to re-erect themselves so please be careful.”  As the one at the Alamo might never have been folded, maybe that is the problem.  Try as they might, it keeps re-erecting itself.  Maybe they could purchase a heavy duty roller bag for $76.98.

Note Added on April 27:  Hallelujah!  Maybe they read the instructions.  Bless the DRT.

Texas Independence Day Rant

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On the positive side, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas should be congratulated for managing to keep the Alamo admission-free for decade after decade.   And many a nonprofit has experienced nasty inner-board feuding at some point; the feuds generally, however, do not spill over to front-page stories.  The Daughters vigilantly have stood watch to prevent over-commercialization of the iconic landmark, a daunting task in a city where there are probably a thousand businesses named Alamo-something-or-other.

But….  And this is a big but….

Perhaps the time has come to charge a dollar or two to enter the Shrine of Texas Liberty.  The Daughters have become so desperate for funds, they themselves are violating the integrity of the hallowed grounds.  The pop-up tent they erected last year to hawk their audio tours sparked my anger last year, resulting in some of the ugliest, protest collages ever made. 

That architectural blight on the grounds has remained a seemingly permanent fixture; they have now even winterized their pop-up with plastic sheeting all around.  A visit on Texas Independence Day indicates the Daughters might have lost their bearings in the quest for funds.  The Daughters tastelessly have installed a huge banner – larger than life – advertising their new Allies of the Alamo membership group immediately to the right of the entrance to the Alamo.  Without even backing oneself out into the street, it is possible to snap a photo that catches the Alamo facade, the banner and the pop-up in one trashy image. 

Legislators, enact a law so the Daughters can charge the 2.5 million visitors who cross your threshold each year a dollar a pop if you must; I am sure they would gladly pay instead of having ads thrust into their photographs. 

Daughters, lose the pop-up tent and the banner before the Alamo “falls” during the reenactment on March 6. 

Postcards from San Antonio No. 22 “They’ve Breached the Walls”
Postcards from San Antonio No. 21 “We’ve Lost the Alamo”
New addition to the Alamo
Maybe they should make it larger to get their attention.
The framework anchored by a plastic barrel complements the arched entryway to the grounds perfectly.
The seemingly permanent pop-up plasticizes the plaza.
HDRC to the rescue, or are we waiting for a hurricane to blow this all away?

The City of San Antonio’s historic viewshed should be protecting the Alamo from its keepers, as well as the danger of development encroaching from behind.  Since I created the ugly Alamo collages last year, things have only gotten worse.  I took a special Texas Indepence Day souvenir shot of the motley set up gracing the sidewalk in front of Pat O’Brien’s.  The Historic Design and Review Commission should tour the entire Alamo Plaza Historic District. 

The Allies of the Alamo banner is like Travis’ plea for help.  Someone needs to answer in time.

If the Daughters can put an ad in front of the Alamo, surely I can insert one into this blog.  To see more Alamo collages, click here.

Last Farm Standing

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Barbara Kingsolver.  San Miguel de Allende.  What could top that? 

Heady following Barbara’s keynote address at the Writers Conference, my daughter Kate and I climbed the steep path by Juarez Park leading to the house we had rented on Chorro.  Checked my day’s email before shaking up a batch of margaritas, and the email from Banks Smith proved more exhilarating than her talk.  Banks reported that the board of the Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund had voted to proceed with publishing the book I have written about Max and Minnie – The Last Farm Standing on Buttermilk Hill.  A portion of the couple’s former dairy farm is San Antonio’s newest park – Phil Hardberger Park.

So my first book (not counting the cookbook I edited in the 1980s, Savory Memories of San Antonio) should be in print by late summer.