Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Dallas: memberships, city limits)

[GWhopper]

Originally Posted by wCat

No...not the right Hancock...the one I am referring to was closer to SA. Another mystery....

I'll keep looking, then!

[GWhopper]

Originally Posted by Primo

GWhopper has the intel on Huebner and I will defer the details to him. I believe he was a silversmith and he owned land from Vance Jackson all the way to Bandera and he built and lived in none other than the "Onion House" off of bandera. Unfortunately its current namesake came from another family that lived there in the early 1900's and the "Huebner" was forgotten.

Thanks Primo.
Huebner was named after Joseph Huebner (1824-1882). He and his family came through Galveston from Bohemia in 1853 and moved to San Antonio. Primo is right, He was a silversmith and a watchmaker, and went to work for Bell Brothers Jewelry. For some reason, he earned the nickname "Doc", but I can't figure out why. He must of been pretty successful, because he managed to buy 850 acres of land where Huebner, Babcock, and Bandera are now. His homestead was built by Leon Valley on Bandera Road. Interestingly enough, it is still standing. We know this house today as the Onion House because of the Onion family that lived in it in from 1930 to 1983. Leon Valley is currently in the process of restoring it.

[wCat]

GW....thanks to your thorough info on the Walkers, I was able to add a bit more info to what you shared. It was soooo helpful sort out who was who and figuring out names/nic names.

Charles Ganahl Walker senior, who was killed by the runnaway mules in Mexico was married to Estella Steves of the San Antonio Steves family. That makes so much sense that he was in the hardware business which went nicely with the Steves mega successful Lumber Company. In 1911 Stella and Charles St were indeed living out on the 1300+ acres of land now known at the Walker Ranch (along Blanco Rd)
When he died, "Stella" and her two children Margarite (Margaret) Walker and Charles G Walker Jr (went by "Ganahl) were back in King Williams living with their grandparents Albert and Fanny Steves. Ganahl Walker kept the ranch and leased it out for hunting etc. It must have changed hands between the cousins after Charles G Walker Sr's death.

[Primo]

Originally Posted by GWhopper

Here's something interesting I found in Place Names of San Antonio:

Basse Road was named after Edgar A. Basse. He started one of the first wholesale grocery companies in San Antonio. After awhile, though, he got the idea of a self-service grocery store. He opened the first one in 1918 and eventually opened 32 stores around San Antonio and in Texas. At some point, and I can't find the date, he sold out all his stores to Piggly Wiggly, which is how Piggly Wiggly came to San Antonio.

Does anybody remember these Basse stores? Does anybody know what year he sold them to Piggly Wiggly?

I'll see what I can figure out.

GWhopper...I checked with my Dad and he says Piggly Wiggly came to San Antonio in the 50's when HEB only had 8 stores in town. He doesn't recall the Basse's owning grocery stores(but doesn't rule it out), but confirmed they had/still have a trucking company...which is very closely tied to the grocery business, since it has to make it from farm to market.

For the rest of the board...my family has been in the wholesale produce business for generations...back to when Market square was the wholesale produce market for SA and Mi Tiera was just a little taco shack to feed the truckers (which is why it has always been open 24hrs, because trucks always coming and going and the produce market never really closed)

[wCat]

Originally Posted by Primo

GWhopper...I checked with my Dad and he says Piggly Wiggly came to San Antonio in the 50's when HEB only had 8 stores in town. He doesn't recall the Basse's owning grocery stores(but doesn't rule it out), but confirmed they had/still have a trucking company...which is very closely tied to the grocery business, since it has to make it from farm to market.

For the rest of the board...my family has been in the wholesale produce business for generations...back to when Market square was the wholesale produce market for SA and Mi Tiera was just a little taco shack to feed the truckers (which is why it has always been open 24hrs, because trucks always coming and going and the produce market never really closed)

Primo....what a great insight to Mi Tiera and Market Square. Do you know more about that area when it was truly a produce market? I'm assuming there were other markets such as meat/poultry/fish etc? The long buildings that are on the north side of MT's ....were they where the produce stalls were?
I'm also assuming that the "Market Square" was relocated there when they tore down the historical Market Square bldg to cut the river channel through after the 1921 flood. Is that correct? I'm a stickler for details when it comes to historical info, so I'm just guessing here.

[BudB]

wCat, another note to the Produce Row story you may find interesting is that the early Chinese settled around there as well. In fact, the very first chop suey joints were located in that district before the turn of the 19th century to the 20th. The Chinese also populated the area "West of the Creek", meaning San Pedro Creek and this was also the Red Light District as is well known by all San Antonio history buffs.

[wCat]

Originally Posted by BudB

wCat, another note to the Produce Row story you may find interesting is that the early Chinese settled around there as well. In fact, the very first chop suey joints were located in that district before the turn of the 19th century to the 20th. The Chinese also populated the area "West of the Creek", meaning San Pedro Creek and this was also the Red Light District as is well known by all San Antonio history buffs.

Really? early chop suey? I love it! Was this Chinese settlement part of the group that came up from Mexico during all internal conflict there in the early 1900's?

I did know that there were two Chinese schools in that area....but didn't know where the settlements were. Thanks!

[SATX56]

BudB, I know up thru 50's and 60's there were many Chinese stores on the south side! All (some)the old two story buildings alongside (west side) I-35(downtown) were inhabited by Chinese proprietors. I got a first hand look at how these people lived as a child. This one Chinese family lived (S. Flores St.) upstairs in a two story building. My father had a shop in two story building next door. My grandparents home was around the corner! These people had a very bleak existence. They were always growing crops in a good sized lot behind there building. I was always taking a short cut to grandmas house stepping on their produce(oops)! But, they led very secluded lives. They lived upstairs and ran a small shop downstairs. I think they brought China with them! I walked into there shop one day(late 50's), in a glassed in cabinet there was an old violin. Don't recall seeing much of anything else for sale in there!! Just odd!!

[Primo]

Yes these are the original buildings that were gutted and reclaimed:

The market was moved to the current location at 1500 Zarzamora street (trivia Zarzamora=blueberry) during the 50s.

[Primo]

Originally Posted by wCat

Primo....what a great insight to Mi Tiera and Market Square. Do you know more about that area when it was truly a produce market? I'm assuming there were other markets such as meat/poultry/fish etc? The long buildings that are on the north side of MT's ....were they where the produce stalls were?
I'm also assuming that the "Market Square" was relocated there when they tore down the historical Market Square bldg to cut the river channel through after the 1921 flood. Is that correct? I'm a stickler for details when it comes to historical info, so I'm just guessing here.

From what I understand "market Square" is about the 3rd or 4th location of a city-wide open air produce market. It was the first location with permanent buildings, prior to that it as more or less a "farmers market" type venue. I have a photo in a book of the market when it was across the street where the La Quinta is...that was around until the 50s as well. From what I understand everything was sold in and aroud the market...but I dont know about fish or poultry. I dont think fish made inland until refrigerated trucks were common and poultry was probably done at the stock yards. But from what I know...stuff like hardware, etc was sold near the market......think of it as an old school Wal-Mart.