Come walk the timeless halls of the Hotel Galvez. No expense was spared in the creation of this beautiful statement of Galveston's resilience, which stands as the only historic beachfront hotel in the state of Texas. Perched on the city's famed seawall, the building has weathered a century of hurricanes and even "served" in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. Presidents, beauty pageant contestants, gamblers, movie stars, military heroes, newsmen and countless other guests have gazed out at the Gulf through its gracefully arched windows. Kathleen Maca recounts the legends and shares the secrets of this extraordinary hotel.
Recognized as the oldest continuously operating hotel west of the Mississippi, the Menger Hotel opened its doors in 1859. Business-minded men and women followed suit, establishing inns, lodges, motels, and hotels for tourists, businessmen, and passers-through that offered a wide range of amenities. The Crockett Hotel has overlooked the Alamo since 1909. The St. Anthony Hotel was the first luxury hotel in the state of Texas and often hosted celebrities, politicians, and other elite society. The Gunter Hotel was called the "first million-dollar hotel" in Texas by the Austin American Statesman and was deemed to have the "largest hotel lobby in the South" by the San Antonio Light and Gazette. The Fairmount Hotel drew acclaim after being moved five blocks in April 1985, when it was honored with an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "heaviest hotel ever moved." The evolution of San Antonio from military post and Texas's oldest municipality to the fastest-growing large US city, told through the lens of the city's hotels, is filled with unique historical perspective.
This is the definitive account of a beloved hotel that has played a memorable role in San Antonio's history. Generously illustrated, this is the fascinating story of the people who owned the Menger and the noteworthy folk they entertained.
Loaded with tangy tales of spirits who inhabit places where you can spend a night or have a bite to eat. Listed by city, each haunted locale provides in-depth history about the spirited occupants, current facts and additional references. This book would be fully revised and would not include detailed travel information, just the stories.
This is the definitive account of a beloved hotel that has played a memorable role in San Antonio's history. Generously illustrated, this is the fascinating story of the people who owned the Menger and the noteworthy folk they entertained.
HISTORIC TEXAS INNS AND HOTELS, GROUPED GEOGRAPHICALLY, WITH EACH OFFERING SOMETHING SPECIAL: ANTIQUITY, LOCATION, ATMOSPHERE, SECLUSION, CUISINE, OR TRADITION.
Wandering along the Riverwalk or exploring one of San Antonio’s unique historic neighborhoods, any curious traveler will inevitably begin to speculate about the past. Was that always a church, a market, or a museum? Find the answers to all your musings in This Used to Be San Antonio. From the iconic Alamo that played an indispensable role in the state’s and country’s history to a mansionturned-casino that was originally won in a card game, you’ll get a tour of these places paired with stories that will inform and sometimes surprise. Along the way, you’ll meet a colorful cast of characters who walked through those places in a totally different era. Local author and journalist Gil Dominguez brings an historian’s eye and penchant for detail to this revealing look at his hometown. His fascinating descriptions will bring you a better understanding of San Antonio’s history and culture, from major historical landmarks to prominent churches and military bases, all with a nod to the San Antonians who made these places important. Be transported through three centuries of history and find out what used to be in the Alamo City.
In the Loop: A Political and Economic History of San Antonio, is the culmination of urban historian David Johnson’s extensive research into the development of Texas’s oldest city. Beginning with San Antonio’s formation more than three hundred years ago, Johnson lays out the factors that drove the largely uneven and unplanned distribution of resources and amenities and analyzes the demographics that transformed the city from a frontier settlement into a diverse and complex modern metropolis. Following the shift from military interests to more diverse industries and punctuated by evocative descriptions and historical quotations, this urban biography reveals how city mayors balanced constituents’ push for amenities with the pull of business interests such as tourism and the military. Deep dives into city archives fuel the story and round out portraits of Sam Maverick, Henry B. Gonzales, Lila Cockrell, and other political figures. Johnson reveals the interplay of business interests, economic attractiveness, and political goals that spurred San Antonio’s historic tenacity and continuing growth and highlights individual agendas that influenced its development. He focuses on the crucial link between urban development and booster coalitions, outlining how politicians and business owners everywhere work side by side, although not necessarily together, to shape the future of any metropolitan area, including geographical disparities. Three photo galleries illustrate boosterism’s impact on San Antonio’s public and private space and highlight its tangible results. In the Loop recounts each stage of San Antonio’s economic development with logic and care, building a rich story to contextualize our understanding of the current state of the city and our notions of how an American city can form.
