The River Walk History
The Historic Events From 1900 to 1949 |
 By
the 1900s many a great event took place and molded civilization
among a river and it's cities people. By 1926 the final
flood control plan was approved. The plan would aid the
river bend during periods of heavy rainfall and control
flooding. The future of the river now had a promise of
development and an uprising growth of success for it's
city |
| |
| 1900 |
| San Juan Ditch Corporation founded. |
| 1908 |
| Francisco I. Madero flees to San
Antonio after a failed attempt to establish democratic
elections in Mexico |
| 1910 |
| Madero Iaunches his Plan of San Luis
Potosi, calling for an uprising |
| 1911 |
| On 20 November. President until assassinated
by forces of Victoriano Huerta. Venustiano Carranza spurs
a civil war, forcing Huerta to flee, but Villa and Zapata
refuse to recognize him as leader. |
| 1915 |
| Battle of Celaya where Carranza defeats
Zapata and Villa forces. |
| 1917-1921 |
| Carranza president, enacted a new
constitution, then asassinated at end of his term. Some
of his supporters migrate to San Antonio. |
| 1919 |
| Engineers study reports that heavy
flooding could damage San Antonio. |
| 1921 |
| September 9. Cloudburst over the
Olmos Basin and San Antonio River puts 9 feet of water
on Houston Street. Floods kill about 50 people. |
| 1921-1924 |
| Alvaro Obregon, president of Mexico. |
| 1924 |
| March 22. The San Antonio Conservation
Society organized to save the old Market House and the
San Antonio River. |
| 1925 |
| The old City Market House on Market
is torn down to open a path for a flood bypass channel.
The columns, entablature and pediment are copied in the
San Pedro Playhouse in 1929. |
| 1926 |
| Work begins on bypass channel. Final
plans for flood control are published, including draining
the river bend, making it a storm sewer with a street
over it. The Conservation Society has a fit, puts on a
puppet show at city hall and takes commissioners on canoe
rides to show them the river and convince them to save
it. It worked. |
| 1927 |
| Olmos Dam completed. |
| 1929 |
| June 28. Robert H. H. Hugman presents
his plan for 'the Shops of Romula and Aragon' to Mayor
Chambers, two city commissioners, property owners and
civic leaders. The proposal endorses the bypass channel
and recommends flood gates at the north end, a small dam
at the south end and a tainter gate in the channel to
check the flow and create pools of water. Bypass channel
completed, but the Depression prevents further expenditures
Adina de Zavala's historical group involves the Conservation
Society in saying the Spanish Gbvernor's Palace with funds
gained from a bond election. The Palace is opened in 1930
with Society in charge of its operation. |
| 1936 |
| Texas Centennial. Jack White, owner
of the White Plaza Hotel, visits City Hall to urge clean-up
and beautification of the river. White and the Mexican
Businessmen's Association stage 'A Venetian Night' on
the river- the first river parade. |
| 1937 |
| The San Antonio River Authority created
by the Texas Legislature. |
| 1938 |
|
The full esthetic potential of the river becomes recognized.
Congressman Maury Maverick, Mayor C.K. Quin and a group
of citizens, headed by White, push for development of
the river.
October 25. A special election is called to approve
a tax of .015 cents per $100 valuation to raise the
$75,000 needed to leverage $325,000 in WPA funds for
river work. The tax passes 74-2. 71 voters live in White's
hotel. |
| 1939 |
| October 25. River project breaks
ground with Hugman as architect. |
| 1934-1940 |
| Lazaro Cardenas, president of Mexico;
institutes many reforms in redistributing the land and
nationalizing oil. |
| 1941 |
| March 14. A river carnival and night
parade are held. The walkways, stairways to street level,
footbridge, rock walls lining banks and Arneson River
Theater are completed as is the restoration of La Villita. |
| 1945 |
| Funding approved for extension of
the River Walk from the northern end of loop to the Tropicano
Hotel site. |
| 1946 |
| A major flood strikes downtown San
Antonio, but damage is minimized by Olmos Dam and bypass
channel. Casa Rio Restaurant opens, the first restaurnt
in the river bend. |
