SAN ANTONIO in 1970 (Corpus Christi, Mesquite, New Braunfels: crime, motel, attorneys)

[SnappyBob]

Originally Posted by RGJ

The city with either federal help and money(or both) purchased the homes and businesses through eminent domain process. So, they were forced to sell. Some were glad to sell, others were not. Some buildiings were kept, but most were razed.

Same thing happened when they built IH37/281 and IH10/90 through those areas. Same thing happened when they expanded Brackenridge(Wheatley) High school in the late 60's.

I grew up in tract 1409 just south of Merovee's 1407 tract. I lived there from the mid fifty's until the early 70's. We moved once during that time frame but stayed in 1409. Our house was taken by eminent domain to build IH 37.

[RGJ]

I was born and raised untill the fifth grade in 1407. Then moved to 1412 in the sixth grade till a senior at Highlands when my parents moved to 1209, but I stayed in 1412 with a relative. IH 37 took part of the rear lot and a small part of the detached garage. To this day, I find it odd they weren't required to take the whole thing.

[Merovee]

The following might be a bit sad to read but it does offer a glimpse into a portion of our history as it was in the 1970's.

SAPD History 1970s: In Memory

[TXsurburbanmom]

I think you need to look into the World's Fair at Hemisfair in 1968. I realize that is before the 70's but I read an article about how it really did shape San Antonio into the city it is today (and obviously started to become during the 70's). Alot of the landmarks I grew up with were built for the Fair and they certainly helped SA become the tourist destination it is today. Since the Spurs played in Hemisfair Arena I'm going to assume that helped draw them to SA and regardless of how you feel about them, getting a national team really upgraded the city.

I'm sure there are multiple sites online you could find with info about the Fair and how it shaped SA. I also agree that the Institute of Texan Cultures is a great place to find books, photos, etc.

[RGJ]

Hemisfair was a good thing to happen to San Antonio. It pretty much put SA on the map. The downside is that a lot of businesses and homeowners were displaced. And probably looking back(20/20 hindsight is always great), they could have saved a few of the more historically significant buildings.

[cutieswan]

i was born and raised in san antonio. southside to be exact and my school was harlandale middle and then harlandale high the east side was usually for black folks and northside was where all white folks lived and westside has always been the mexican side of town. and southside was a mix of well to do white and few hispanics. now everywhere you go there is hispanics and only place i dont know about is the dominant where pastor hagee lives.

[Divine_Ms._Q]

Originally Posted by cutieswan

i was born and raised in san antonio. southside to be exact and my school was harlandale middle and then harlandale high the east side was usually for black folks and northside was where all white folks lived and westside has always been the mexican side of town. and southside was a mix of well to do white and few hispanics.

I was also born and raised in San Antonio and grew up on the southside. Your experience must have been different because the area where I grew up was neither well-to-do nor "white." I lived off of Nogalitos just south of Division, part of the Harlandale district...pura raza!

Originally Posted by cutieswan

now everywhere you go there is hispanics and only place i dont know about is the dominant where pastor hagee lives.

Yeah...we've just taken over the whole city and it's just a matter of time before the Dominion (which I believe is what you mean) is OURS, too...imagine that!

[RGJ]

I think you would find a good percentage of the Dominion homes are owned by Mexican Nationals.

[GWhopper]

Originally Posted by PoliceCaptain

I lived in SA from 1960 to 1972. Big military town. Nothing outside of Loop 410. The northside was white affluent, west side hispanic, east side African American, and Southside a mix between middle and lower class. Has anything changed?

I wouldn't say "nothing" was outside 4-10 in 1970. Colonies North and the Shanondoah neighborhoods near Wurzbach and I-10 were mostly built in the 1960s. There wasn't much else though. No HEB at Wurzbach no McDonalds. The area around Vance Jackson and Wurzbach was mostly open fields and a few large limestone houses, not to mention Algo Differente where Elm Creek is, and the handful of mansion estates around Medical and Fredricksburg where Midget mansion was located, stetching down to the Wurzbach family estate(which is still there today), Wolfe's Inn, and the house that is currently used by Aldo's on old 9 Mile Hill where Wurzbach and Fredricksburg intersect. And of course Castle Hills was already there.

[TexasRedneck]

Grass Valley was already being built in Leon Valley by then, as was Seneca Estates. Deer Run was also under way, IIRC.