Auditorium Circle in San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
The San Antonio River
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 21, 2018
1. The San Antonio River Marker
The San Antonio River begins four miles north of here, fed by springs that rise from the Edwards Aquifer deep below the Texas Hill Country. The river is also fed by tributaries along its winding, southeasterly course to join the Guadalupe River near the Gulf of Mexico. A rich array of vegetation and wildlife sustained Native Americans who camped near the river for thousands of years. After the Spanish established a permanent settlement at San Antonio in 1718, missions, forts, and homes were built close to the river that provided water for agricultural and house-hold use. The meandering waterway remained essential to the growing population until the 1890s when deep artesian wells were drilled to access a steady, pure water supply. Though no longer the city's primary water source, the river was still a centerpiece of the community that some envisioned as a linear park. In 1941 efforts to beautify the river culminated with the dedication of a major Works Progress Administration project in downtown San Antonio. Extended north and south of the city center in the early 21st century to a length of thirteen miles, the San Antonio River Walk has become one of America's unique urban amenities.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work
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Location. 29° 25.865′ N, 98° 29.403′ W. Marker is in San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County. It is in Auditorium Circle. Marker can be reached from Navarro Street north of Hagner Arc, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located on the San Antonio River Walk, on the north side of the river, halfway between the Navarro Street Bridge and the Richmond Avenue Bridge. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: San Antonio TX 78205, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Navarro Street Bridge (here, next to this marker); Toltec Apartments (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Mayor Maury Maverick Mural (about 700 feet away); The Hugman Dam (about 700 feet away); Missions in the San Antonio River Valley (about 800 feet away); a different marker also named The San Antonio River (about 800 feet away); The River in the 1900s
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 21, 2018
2. The San Antonio River Marker (tall view)
Also see . . .
1. The San Antonio River.
Although the San Antonio River has furnished drinking and irrigation water as well as power to turn the wheels of mills, foundries, and tanneries, in recent times it has been most significant for its beauty. In the city of San Antonio, where it is spanned by more than fifty bridges, this unhurried stream runs fifteen miles across six miles of city blocks. In 1939 a $300,000 river-beautification project, financed by a city bond issue and a Work Projects Administration grant, was inaugurated. The river was made a pedestrian thoroughfare flanked by walks from all principal downtown streets.(Submitted on July 2, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. San Antonio River Walk.
The San Antonio River Walk (also known as Paseo del Río or simply as The River Walk) is a city park and network of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River, one story beneath the streets of San Antonio, Texas. Lined by bars, shops, restaurants, nature, public artwork, and the five historic missions, the River Walk is an(Submitted on July 2, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)important part of the city's urban fabric and a tourist attraction in its own right.Source: Harper’s New Monthly, October 18793. Marker detail: Floating bathhousesFloating bathhouses were constructed in the 1800s to provide privacy for swimmers and bathers.
Courtesy: Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library at the Alamo
4. Marker detail: Nat Lewis Home
Prominent local businessman and mill owner Nat Lewis built his home a short distance north of here in the 1850s when there was little surrounding development. The house was replaced with a hotel in 1962.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 21, 2018
5. The San Antonio River Marker (wide view; looking north along river to Richmond Avenue Bridge)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 25, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 2, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 204 times since then and 13 times this year. Last updated on October 29, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 2, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
