The San Antonio Blue Book- red light district circa 1911 (Arlington: for sale, houses)

[gtoman67z]

Ran across an interesting little monograph http://libraries.uta.edu/SpecColl/cr...R-Fall2007.pdf published in UT Arlington's Compass Rose about five years ago that detailed the history of a visitors guide to SA published about a hundred years ago. Not just any visitors guide, this specialized in those "seeking a good time".
Apparently a thriving red light district existed here until it was finally shut down by Fort Sam's commander (Dwight Eisenhower) in 1941.
Anyone know where this was located?

[Danbo1957]

San Antonio Sporting District - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The streets that were its bounderies are gone; seems that now it's all Bexar county buildings and parking lots.

[Chaka]

I've read a fairly thorough report on it, but haven't seen a published copy in awhile. It was basically in and around the area where the current police headquarters are. One building, a couple of blocks away, is currently the health Dept's vaccination clinic on the corner of Commerce and Laredo St. Upstairs, the rooms still have numbers above the doors.

[huckster]

I have read a bit about this area. West of 37 and south of Commerce, just outside and southwest of downtown- that area. Best I can recall from my reading. Almost all of the old buildings from the Red light era are gone now.
Also, if I remember correctly, Eisenhower declared the red light area "Off Limits" to all soldiers on account of the venereal diseases that were being contracted in that area.
I guess the railroad signalmen would leave their red colored lanterns lit, out on the porches of these houses of ill-refute so the railroad co. would know their whereabouts in case they were needed. The term "Red Light District" was coined here in San Antonio.
I too have seen a copy that little blue booklet-guide page by page description of
girls and locations-on the web somewhere.

Originally Posted by gtoman67z

Ran across an interesting little monograph http://libraries.uta.edu/SpecColl/cr...R-Fall2007.pdf published in UT Arlington's Compass Rose about five years ago that detailed the history of a visitors guide to SA published about a hundred years ago. Not just any visitors guide, this specialized in those "seeking a good time".
Apparently a thriving red light district existed here until it was finally shut down by Fort Sam's commander (Dwight Eisenhower) in 1941.
Anyone know where this was located?

[OnlyonthursSA]

Wow i did not know about this! good read and info!

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by huckster

I have read a bit about this area. West of 37 and south of Commerce, just outside and southwest of downtown- that area. Best I can recall from my reading. Almost all of the old buildings from the Red light era are gone now.
Also, if I remember correctly, Eisenhower declared the red light area "Off Limits" to all soldiers on account of the venereal diseases that were being contracted in that area.

The Riverwalk was also declared off limits to servicemen for a long period of time, due to its reputation...up into the mid 70s I think.

Go get a vaccination at the city's health clinic, you'll be in one of the brothels. Always a joke that this isn't the STD clinic.

[TrapperL]

That wasn't the only area in San Antonio. Back when I was a kid, in the early 50's, the area just east of New Braunsfels and south of Commerce was a red light district that the cops apparently turned a blind eye to. I remember asking my parent why the red lights on the front porchs. I was told it was the ladies of the evening letting folks know they were open for business. I was a teen before I figured out what they did for a living in the evening. That seemed to have vanished by the time I was old enough to drive and that same area was known as Little Viet Nam. It was full of ladies and drugs and apparently more guns than SAPD at the time. It was an area with no law. In the 60's the area of Brazos, Guadalupe, Zarzamora, and Laredo was a bad area. If you wanted it and had the money, it was for sale there with no boundaries on what was for sale. Drugs, guns, women, they even arrested a lady for selling young girls from Mexico into slavery there.

[Danbo1957]

More about Fanny Porter and the Sporting House:

Fannie Porter of San Antonio.

A City-Data thread from 2008; includes photos, and post #18 has a map of the Red Light District:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/san-a...trict-san.html

[Merovee]

This is what happened in town as soon as prohibition ended:

Finally, on September 15, 1933, Prohibition ended and within minutes of the announcement 100 trucks and 25 railway cars loaded with beer rolled off the Pearl Brewery grounds and back to its adoring public.

The full article can be found in the Spring 2012 issue of Casas, Haciendas, Ranchos put out by Kuper Realty. The piece on the Pearl has a brief history, it's name changes, it's change of focus during Prohibition, and Otto and Emma Khoeler who made it a success.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by Merovee

This is what happened in town as soon as prohibition ended:

Finally, on September 15, 1933, Prohibition ended and within minutes of the announcement 100 trucks and 25 railway cars loaded with beer rolled off the Pearl Brewery grounds and back to its adoring public.

The full article can be found in the Spring 2012 issue of Casas, Haciendas, Ranchos put out by Kuper Realty. The piece on the Pearl has a brief history, it's name changes, it's change of focus during Prohibition, and Otto and Emma Khoeler who made it a success.

Odd, as Prohibition didn't end in September, it ended on Dec 5, 1933. Prohibition in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I know because we just celebrated it

(there are other sources for this date, wiki was just the easiest)