Thelka in San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

The River Landscape

Photographed by James Hulse, January 29, 2023

1. The River Landscape Marker

Inscription. This Land Near The San Antonio River has been a human gathering place ever since native people first camped here 11,500 years ago. The spring-fed river provided water and fish, and nearby trees and shrubs were a source of fruit, nuts, and seeds. Beyond the tree-lined waterway, the land opened onto a flat plain where members of hunting and gathering bands, known collectively as Coahuiltecans, stalked game and harvested grasses to build huts. By 1731 the Spanish had established five missions, a presidio, and a civilian settlement, all of which relied on the river for survival. The rural landscape was gradually transformed to meet the needs of the growing population. Grasslands and woods were cleared for farms and ranches, streets and houses were built, and the river was straightened to protect the town from flooding. Today, though the natural landscape is forever changed, the San Antonio River Improvements Project has restored the river's ecosystem here in the Mission Reach, reintroducing native vegetation and creating an environment suitable for both recreation and wildlife.

Captions
1. Coahuiltecans hunted and fished here along the river and found shelter under the area's trees. This artist's depiction illustrates their lifestyle thousands of years ago.
2. San Antonio is at the junction of three major biological areas of the state - the western edge of the southeastern prairies and forests, characterized by deep loamy soils; the southern edge of the Texas Hill Country with its shallow rocky soils covering deep deposits of limestone, and the northern edge of the sandy, arid soils of South Texas and northeastern Mexico. Birds migrating in the middle of the great central flyway can be observed here along the San Antonio River.
3. In the 1700s Spanish missionaries found dense vegetation near the river that included mesquite, walnut, live oak, and mulberry trees and wild grapes. They also observed fox squirrels, wild turkeys, ducks, geese, and cranes. Egrets and spiny softshell turtles can still be seen today in the river's Mission Reach.

Painting: Frank Weir, Bastrop, Courtesy: TexasBeyondHistory.net, Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory, University of Texas at Austin
Based on a map in W. Frank Blair, "The Biotic Provinces of Texas," Texas Journal of Science 2 (1).
Courtesy: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin.
Courtesy: San Antonio River Authority

Topics.

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This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1731.

Location. 29° 23.305′ N, 98° 29.88′ W. Marker is in San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County. It is in Thelka. It is on East Theo Avenue 0.4 miles west of Mission Road, on the right when traveling west. The marker is located in the western section of the Concepción Park near the River Walk. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1800 River Walk, San Antonio TX 78210, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Texas.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

and one of the Confederate States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The San Antonio River at Mission Concepción (here, next to this marker);

The River Landscape Marker is the marker on the left of the two markers image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, January 29, 2023

2. The River Landscape Marker is the marker on the left of the two markers

Water for the Concepción Community (here, next to this marker); The Concepción Neighborhood (here, next to this marker); Missions in the San Antonio River Valley (here, next to this marker); Concepción Park (here, next to this marker); The San Antonio Missions World Heritage Site (within shouting distance of this marker); Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción (within shouting distance of this marker); San Antonio River Tributaries (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Antonio.

Also see . . . Concepcion Park. City of San Antonio (Submitted on February 15, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

The pavilion has 6 markers around it image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, January 29, 2023

3. The pavilion has 6 markers around it

Credits. This page was last revised on February 15, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 15, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 163 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 15, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.