Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (San Angelo: football, Thursday)

[Dwangle]

How about the micro breweries that opened up in the late eighties. I remember FRIO Beer but there were others.

[Willsatx]

Originally Posted by rexkwandosatx

i too have a "1604 of a by-gone era" memory: in high school i would drive a bit around the churchill area, but when i got to Blanco i would be sure not to go too far or onto 1604, as i heard so many things about it...lol...and that once i got on i would not be able to get off...so silly now that i look back on it...but i remember riding with my folks on 1604 back in '87 and it was just as you describe, remote. i even remember the construction of the lanes, and the cutting into the ground to form the highway. one day my folks looked for houses out in Eden Roc (sp?) and it was such a LONG drive out to nowhere...lol

I remember the same about Bandera Rd, after Eckert Rd there was nothing till Helotes. Now its crammed all the way to 1604 with businesses.

[wCat]

Originally Posted by BudB

Many thanx to all of you who wrote in concerning the Loma China site. I've concluded from what I'm reading here that Loma China was just a pretty name chosen for the place but really had nothing to do with the early Chinese in Bexar County. I say this also because of the commonality of the name China in other Texas locations such as China Grove out Rigsby aka US 87 and it's just one of four China Groves in Texas. There's also a China Springs north of Waco, China Creek in Fisher Co., China Draw in Jeff Davis Co, and last but not least, there's a China, Tx. in Jefferson County, etc. This info all comes from the Texas Handbook which suggests, by the way, that these names sometimes came to be because of the abundance of Chinaberry trees in the area.
Having said this, I am still very interested in any information on the early Chinese in Bexar Co. or anywhere else in Texas that anyone cares to share here. Here is an interesting footnote to the idea of the Chinese cemetery that began this thread. The older, first National Cemetery within the larger municipal cemetery complex along New Braunfels Ave. contains ten Chinese graves. They were ten of the 415 so called "Pershing Chinese" who were brought out of Mexico to Fort Sam Houston in 1917. Pancho Villa hated the Chinese so killed bunches of them whenever he could. He had nearly 100 of them killed in Cohuilla, Mx. just on one day. There were a few thousand living in northern Mexico then and Black Jack Pershing sort of rescued those brought to Fort Sam. The ten buried in the old Natl. Cemetery died from disease or accident and one suicide during the five years they were all interned at Fort Sam. Many of the others eventually settled in SA after being released by the government and began grocery stores or cafes. Several of them are buried in Mission Burial Park #1 next to Stinson Field. That's what leads me to believe that there may be a few more buried nearby Stinson as local legend has it. Anyhow, thanks again to those who added to the thread here and all the best from Austin. BudB

Bud....very interesting information regarding Chinese citizens in San Antonio.
You may be right about Loma China cemetery. Are you from San Antonio and just living in Austin? Or are you interested in any Chinese history in Texas? or just SA?

Your Chinaberry theory makes sense.....however there are a number of "China Grove" communities throughout the US. Possibly all were inspired by the Chinaberry trees.

I do know of at least two Chinese schools in San Antonio in the early 1900's. They were on the near west side of downtown. One is no longer there and the other may have been in a building that is still standing. My details are sketchy, but if you want to DM me I could look up some of the info for you. I remember an article about the principal resigning at one of the schools during the Chinese political uprisings. I believe he was threatened by other local Chinese factions that had differing political views.

One school was upstairs and set up as continuing education after regular school. It was specifically created to teach the students their native language, history and culture. I believe this was about 1909....but I could be off some.

The Texana Department Librarian may be of some help regarding information on the "Chinese" cemetery....as far as whether it's folklore or based on a kernel of truth. I'm pretty sure the 7" Chinese woman seen in whichever cemetery is an urban myth! There are several sections in Mission Burial Park that have Asian writing on the tombstones. I have to beg total ignorance as to what language they are as I'm not familiar with any kind of writing from the Far East. Some appear quite recent, but many are fairly old.

Good luck with your research.

[BudB]

Thanks for the news about the Bergs Mill reunion and cemetery satx56. As a child I spent some happy times at a distant uncle's place right on the river downstream from the old bridge a ways at Bergs Mill. He's long gone but maybe some of his kin or the house is still there. Do you know any old time Bergs Mill people whom I could contact about this?
China Grove was there a long time before the Dobie Brothers song mentioned it but they sure made it famous in 1973. I always assumed one of them must be from that area but it is not so. Funny thing is, when asked about it in an interview once, Tom Johnson the song's writer and singer said it was just a groovy name that fit his mood and nobody from the band was from the San Antonio region. It's still a great song and always reminds me of the nice drive to Sayers and Sutherland Springs out old US 87.

[SATX56]

You're welcome Bud, the reunion was announced in the Southside Reporter I believe. I ran around Berg's Mill a lot growing up. The old bridge is still there ! can't remember if it's a one laner or just very narrow . I've been across it many times before they rerouted the river. The little cemetery I mentioned this time had slipped my mind. It's right against the tracks at Graff Rd. It's been there at least since I was a kid. I've been to houses back there even the pecan farm. Ashley Salvage Co on Roosevelt family had a mill around berg's in the day. Probably part of the Ashley's property today. The Doobie thing was a joke of course. Funny how they come up with that name. Great song though!! If I get past the little cemetery I'll stop and see if I see names. If so I'll let you know Bud!!

[BudB]

Dear wCat: Regarding your comment "I remember an article about the principal resigning at one of the schools during the Chinese political uprisings. I believe he was threatened by other local Chinese factions that had differing political views." This is very intriguing and I wish you had the clipping. Meanwhile, the two Chinese schools in SA came along in the late 1920s. The first one opened in 1927 when local Chinese businessmen got together and bought the old San Fernando Catholic School, a two story brick building at 215 S. San Saba on the near Westside; that site is now under the expressway south of W. Commerce. The second one opened a few years later at 529 1/2 W. Houston St. above Specia's Hardware, it then lasted until the men teachers were drafted into the military at the beginning of WW II. The two schools were indeed begun by two different groups with disparate political views but I had not heard the story you wrote about and would love to learn more. Where did you see it? All my info can be found in the book I published in 2005 titled "Chinese Heart of Texas; San Antonio's Chinese Community 1875-1975" after spending nearly four years researching and interviewing. There's a copy in the 6th Floor SAPL Texana Collection at the Red Enchilada downtown, a place I am quite familiar with; it's a first class research center. Yes, I grew up in SA, graduating from Highlands in 1963 then came to UT in Austin and stayed here after getting my BA in '69. I'm interested in all things Texas-Chinese but especially the San Antonio community. I'm now working on a history of the Eastside but have a brand new book coming to local bookstores by Thanksgiving with 350 images of old & new SA from about 1900 until the present. It features fotos of downtown before and after Olmos Dam was built, floods, the Riverwalk, downtown later, especially Houston Street, cafes, drive-ins, breweries, zoo, Sunken Gardens like you've never seen it, Playland, stadiums, all the military bases and a lot more. I love my old home town but can't live there since a fiance' was murdered there in 1973 then my best friend in '83 was also murdered there. It's a tough town as we all know but filled with history and great people.

[BudB]

Thanks again satx56, I appreciate anything you can share about Bergs Mill. The distant uncle's name was Curtiss Hunt and he had a sort of picnic/party site fixed up there with patio for dancing and a tiny beach on the river for swimming under the big pecan trees. I recall the little cemetery you wrote about now that you mentioned it being adjacent the trax. Did you know that S. Presa was called South Loop in the olden days before WW II? Until just a couple years ago there was a small, corrugated metal building sitting at the corner of Graff and Mission Roads named South Loop Garage. I photgraphed it one day after leaving Stinson Field even tho it was covered in grafitti and surrounded by weeds. Good thing I did because a few months back when driving that way again it was gone, totally, so now just another memory.

[AJSarli]

I remember all the Whopperburgers and the guys who started the company. Man, they were cute!

[faith63]

Does anyone remember the small restraunt on Blanco Rd call Albert's? They had the best chicken fried steak and cream gravey. After it closed in the late 70's the next best place to go was Tip Top on Fredericksburg Rd. Still there, still good. Also, does anyone remember the pizza place by Edison High School - Simon's Pizza or Joe's - the little burger joint also on Blanco Rd near Edison HS, but across the street?

[*mud*]

Originally Posted by SATEX38

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Pat & gladys in the conner of the parking lot from the old k-mart ( on goliad) closed down when HEB moved in

Originally Posted by catriona

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That pat & Gladys was where my dad loved to hang out,
but there was a Spartan Atlantic store there in those days.

Originally Posted by SnappyBob

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The only Pat and Gladys that I remember was on Roosevelt.

Originally Posted by satx56

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I got around a lot but Pat & Gladys on Roosevelt was the only one I recall.

Here ya go.

From the 1976 Polk's City Directory.

mud.........



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