San Antonio Police History Archive

Photo crop exposure date: unknown.Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1914-1918Subject: Photo crop of what appears to be a book page. View is WSW across the Houston Street-Alamo Plaza intersection. Taken from in front of the US Post Office building showing the Maverick Bank Building and the intersection. Subject page is captioned. Area of interest within the photograph is the umbrella which has been lowered and under which the officer controlling the intersection, is standing. The umbrella is an integral part of the semaphore (stop-go device above the umbrella) that the officer is operating. Note the markers indicating the width of the streetcar lane.1

Photo crop exposure date: unknown.Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1917-1928Subject: Photo crop of intersection of Broadway and Houston Street. View is north and elevated from, most likely, a building on south side of intersection. Area of interest within the photograph is the semaphore device which can be seen quite clearly over the intersection. Some of the devices were on a block and tackle arrangement and could be lowered as needed. This one is mounted high and requires a rod to be attached from below.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown.Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1917-1928Subject: Photo crop of intersection of Soledad and Main Plaza. View is SSW and elevated across the plaza. Taken, almost certainly, from the Kampmann Building showing Main Plaza, San Fernando Cathedral, the Southern Hotel and hack stands at the NE corner of the plaza. Area of interest within the photograph is the semaphore device suspended from wires above the intersection. This device is of the block and tackle variety which allowed it to be drawn down or raised for the passage of wagons or streetcars.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown.Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1918Subject: Photo crop of intersection if East Commerce and North Alamo Street. View is NNW across the intersection. Taken from the SE corner of the intersection showing the Dullnig Building. Area of interest is the semaphore, above the intersection. It would appear that this particular unit is mounted within a sliding pipe (one pipe within another). The draw line can be seen hanging from below the stop-go sign.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown.Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1925-1926Subject: Photo crop of Traffic Officer G.W. Walston, seated on the sidewalk near the Texas Theater operating a traffic control device for intersection lights on Houston Street.