San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
San Antonio River Walk
San Antonio has a river walk.
The San Antonio river has been an important resource since long before the arrival of the Spanish when the area was home to Native Americans. The first mission, San Antonio de Valero, was established here in 1718. Following the flood of 1724, the mission, which we call the Alamo, was moved to its present site. As San Antonio expanded into a major city, floods continued to disrupt the area. A Downtown flood in 1913 forced the city to study the problem. An engineering report in 1920 forecast serious damage and losses of life if a big flood occurred. 1921 proved the engineers right, when more than 50 lives were lost and millions of dollars of damage occurred during a flood. San Antonio took steps to reduce the risk of floods; Olmos Dam was constructed upstream to trap incoming flood waters and the horseshoe bend through downtown was cut off.
What to do with the bend became the big question. Many people wanted to fill it in and pave it over. But the San Antonio Conservation Society took up the fight to save the beautiful tree lined bend that we now enjoy. Once the bend was saved, San Antonio became a truly unique city. Beautification and development of the bend started with a plan proposed by Robert H.H. Hugman in 1927 and has continued through today.
Erected 1993 by Association of Engineering Geologists.
Location. 29° 25.467′ N, 98° 29.55′ W. Marker is in San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County. Marker is on W. Market Street. Click for map. The plaque is located on the W. Market Street bridge over the San Antonio River. Marker is in this post office area: San Antonio TX 78205, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. John Twohig Lived on These Grounds (within shouting distance of this marker); The Casas Reales (within shouting distance of this marker); Twin Cypress Mexican Sniper Tree (within shouting distance of this marker); San Antonio's River Walk and Flood Control System (within shouting distance of this marker); San Antonio: The Flavor of Its Past (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Storming of Bexar Main Plaza Fortifications (about 300 feet away); San Antonio Mutual Aid Association (about 300 feet away). Click for a list of all markers in San Antonio.
Categories. • Bridges & Viaducts • Colonial Era • Waterways & Vessels •
Credits. This page originally submitted on , by R. C. of Shrewsbury, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 2,050 times since then and 59 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. submitted on , by R. C. of Shrewsbury, New Jersey. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016.