San Antonio Saloons, 1870's-1910 (Houston, Austin: for rent, buying, theater)

[Crystal B]

I knew Worthy Wolfe Jr., and his mother, who was then Mrs. Carson. She told me how she and Mr. Wolfe Sr opened a restaurant in a tent when that hill (now Wurzbach Rd. and Freds'b'g Rd) was the last stop for the cattle herds before they got to the SA Stockyards. Later they built a regular restaurant there and a home. She owned the whole hilltop east of Fredsbg Rd when I lived in one of the rent houses in 1957-1961. Her second husband, Carson, owned ranchland, and I assume as the twice-widowed survivor, she was well off. But I recall seeing her one day shoveling gravel on the curved drive by her house, wearing diamond rings on just about every finger! She had 4 or 5 daughters, then Worthy Jr. She was also a great hunter, and often brought me plates of venison sausage and the like. Ummm!

[txdrummer]

I checked on Newspaperarchives.com and actually found the obituary of my G-G-Grandfather, Gustav Schramm. It's an eeerie feeling to actually see a photo of someone you know is blood but you never knew. I wish I could go back for five minutes and just talk to him, ask him questions.
According to his obit, he was a pretty prominent hotel/saloon keeper. I'm gonna keep on researching till I run out of resources.
If anyone runs across anything having to do with Gustav Schramm by chance, I'd be much obliged if you could post it or send a p.m. to me.
Thanks to all!
D.Schramm

[RecovringKrspyKremeAddict]

When my dad was stationed at Fort Hood (I think?) back in the late 50's, he and some of his buddies would come to San Antonio to spend their weekends. They would gather up some of the guys and bring their guitars and they would head to the Buckhorn Saloon to play! He said it was goooood times! So recently, when he visited San Antonio again, we took him down to see it. Of course, it's completely different now than it was then, but it brought back a very pleasant memory for him...and a great story to tell the daughter and grandkids! :-) Thanks Dad...you're the greatest!

[tony78201]

what happned to the newspaperarchives website? it doesnt come up.

[txdrummer]

The link below works. I guess ARCHIVE had to be in caps.....????

[txdrummer]

maybe it'll work this way:
NewspaperARCHIVE.com - Search Old Newspaper Articles Online

[seaurchin8]

Originally Posted by gy2020

I've made a study on saloons too. On Main Plaza, starting on the nwc, Jack Harris, Vaudeville Theatre (first in US) from 1872 until burned down in 1886. Replaced by Elite Hotel and Elite Saloon. East side of Main Plaza, Revolving Light Saloon, run by Sam Berliner. One other, get later. South side, Court House in 1880s. West side, San Fernando Cathedral, followed by Silver King Saloon. In the Silver King, Anna Held ( one of Flo Ziegfield's wives) won $25,000 on the roulette wheel while she was in town performing at the Grand Opera House, circa 1880's. On the north side of main Plaza White Elephant opened by Billy Simms and Joe Foster after Jack Harris killed in 1882. Go bback and look at history of vaudeville theatre. I want give link because i don't wan t any more trouble with Trainwreck. Of course most famous saloon was the Buckhorn Saloon on Houston and Soledad, where four cowboys rode their horses into the saloon. Part of the Beitel family boys. More saloons coming...
T

My dad's father purchased The White Elephant and renamed it The Manhatten. We have the white ivory elephant that was in that bar prior to 1900. I am searching for a photograph of The Manhatten, which was at the corner of Houston and Alamo, as a gift for my father. He just turned 80 and has never seen a photograph of the building. Since you made mention of The White Elephant, I am hoping you might direct me to a photograph of the place. Thanks.

[gy2020]

Originally Posted by seaurchin8

My dad's father purchased The White Elephant and renamed it The Manhatten. We have the white ivory elephant that was in that bar prior to 1900. I am searching for a photograph of The Manhatten, which was at the corner of Houston and Alamo, as a gift for my father. He just turned 80 and has never seen a photograph of the building. Since you made mention of The White Elephant, I am hoping you might direct me to a photograph of the place. Thanks.

Searurchin8: I have been trying to find a photograph of the White Elephant, but I don't have any. I can tell you where it was located. Go down to Main Plaza and look at the businesses on the north side. On the North east corner is a 20 story bank bldg. That was the location of the Vaudeville Theatre and Saloon, the 101 Club and Simm Hart Cigar store. I have pics of that. After the shooting of Jack Harris in 1882, Billy Simms and Joe Foster, the new owners of the Vaudeville, continued to run it but also opened the White Elephant Saloon and Gambling Hall next door to the Vaudeville Theatre. It was a white 3 story bldg and it ran 24 hours a day. The grandest saloon and gambling establishment in San Antonio.

So the White Elephant is in the center of the north side block. There was a retail business on the northwest end of the block. Back around 1920 or 1930 he incorporated the White Elephant bldg into his business. That was the way it was the last time I was down there in the 1990's. So if you see a white bldg incorporated into a brown bldg, the white bldg was the White Elephant. That is as good as I can do.

There was a Manhattan Restuarant that used to be next door to the Majestic Theatre on E. Houston St. It was torn down when they remodeled the Majestic back in the 1980's and made that area into a parking lot with some new retail out in front on Houston St.

I think the white elephants that are standing in front of the old library bldg downtown, on Market St, might have been part of the White Elephant Saloon. They are about 3 feet high.




The bldg in the back is the old city hall. On the left you can make out two German names, that would be the original retail, in between is an old hotel and that would be the White Elephant in later years and then to the right is the Vaudeville and Simm Hart's Cigar Store.

Here is a tombstone of Billy Simms, original owner of White Elephant:

[txdrummer]

Hey all, If ound out the name of my G G grandfathers Saloon. It was called the Aransas Bar. Searched NParchives.com and found old advertisements from his bar, etc. Really fun tracking it all down. Now, if I could just get a hold of one the rare Aransas Bar saloon tokens.
Thanks,
Tx

[SATX56]

We used to eat at Manhatten after seeing an evening movie at the Majestic. Late 50's early 60's. They had a balcony like a mezzanine floor where we always ate. The white elephants were in front of the Old Circus Library a few years back. If I recall correctly. More in GBNF thread.

Alamo St , at least from S. Flores St. on east past Pioneer Flour Mills was once Aransas ST. When the SA/Aransas RR Station was at Flores and (Aransas)Alamo. Aransas is still a street south of the Alamo Dome.