San Antonio Police History Archive

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1886-1891 Subject: The San Antonio Club and Grand Opera House. Opened Dec. 20, 1886. 487 seats at the orchestra level; 343 in the balcony; and 500 in the gallery. Closed in the 1930s. Razed in 1954. Replaced by the H.L. Green department store. View is WNW from Alamo Plaza. Reuter building (1892) across Crockett Street to the south is not present. Note the round sign on the sidewalk in front of the building that reads Grand Opera House.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 7 April 1905. Subject: Crowd scene at Alamo Plaza. President Theodore Roosevelt’s visit of the Alamo during “Rough Rider” reunion in San Antonio. View is east from west side of Alamo Plaza.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 21 Nov 1915 (theatrical release date) Subject: Scene from silent epic “Martyrs of the Alamo or The Birth of Texas.” Location filming at Hot Wells Resort, San Antonio.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1920s. Subject: Alamo Chapel with tour buses at door, vehicle parking to left, and street lamp on corner. View is east from Alamo Street.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: unknown. Subject: Dreiss Building (Alamo Drug Store cornerstone of 1877). View is west from across Alamo street.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1889-1890 Subject: Alamo Chapel. Hugo &Schmeltzer (Grenet) Building (1877-1912) is present. Street construction is evident. View is NE from what will become Alamo Plaza Park.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1934-1939 Subject: Alamo Street, view is south from Alamo Plaza.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1905-1910 Subject: Photo crop of book page of US Post Office and Customs House (1890), north side of Alamo Plaza. Subject view is NE from Maverick Bank Building. Exposure window established by the fourth floor of the R. A. Arthur Building (1905) being present and the Asphalt Paving of Houston Street (1910) not being present.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1909-1912. Subject: Post card face of Alamo Plaza. Subject view is north and elevated (almost certainly from Gallagher Building (1877). Gibbs Building (1909) is present. The Hugo & Schmeltzer Building has not been razed (1912).

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1920s. Subject: US Post Office and Customs House (1890). North side of Alamo Plaza. View is north from across Houston Street.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1930s. Subject: The Menger Hotel(1859). John M. Fries, architect. J.H Kampmann, contractor. View is ENE (hotel front) from Alamo Plaza Park sidewalk.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: Subject: Photo Crop of a photo of Watercolor sketch of Alamo ruins done in 1838 by Mary Ann Adams Maverick (1818-1898).

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1913-1915. Subject: Photo crop showing the Alamo Plaza (east elevation) face of the Swearingen-McCraw Building, formerly the Maverick Bank Building (1884). View is west from the plaza. The photo crop is the "left side" slice from a panoramic photograph. The "middle" crop can be accessed under Media ID 23853. 

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo:1901-1909. Subject: San Antonio Club and Grand Opera House. View WNW from Alamo Plaza. See "Photo #1" for additional details of Grand Opera House. Note: cover over front sidewalk. Extends width of building. Cover was in place for speech by President McKinley 4 May 1901. Sunset Railroad maintained office at location from 1892 to 1909.  Round Grand Opera House sign has been moved around to the side. New lateral electric light sign THE GRAND.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1922 Subject: Photo montage composed of crop of San Antonio Club and Grand Opera House (1886) in 1922 and crop of page from San Antonio Light newspaper in 1915. View of Grand Opera House is NNW from Crockett street. The lateral electric bulb light is gone and replaced with a much larger vertical electrical sign of one word GRAND. See "Media ID 203 and Media ID 187" for additional details. Note the advertisement and the electrical enhancement for the radio presentation of the game.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 26 Oct 1918. Photo crop of a Summerville (Goldbeck) panoramic photograph with dated exposure. Subject:  Alamo chapel and convento “Long Barracks”. View is ESE from a balcony of the Swearingen-McCraw (Maverick Bank) Building (1884). The Hugo & Schmeltzer building has been razed and second course stonework removed. The “Food-Don’t Waste It” sign is a World War 1 (1914-1918) U.S. Food Administration message created by Frederic G. Cooper. See also "Media ID 34".

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: Pre-1915. Subject: Dullnig Building(1883) at Alamo Street and Commerce. Older portion of building proclaims date of 1879. Southeast tower and 17 feet of eastern façade was lost to Commerce street widening project 1913-1915. Southwest tower remained until at least 1922.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1905-1910. Subject: Photo crop of Post Card. Marked “Mexican Chili Stands, San Antonio, Texas.” Subject card depicts US Post office (1890) and North side of Alamo Plaza. Plaza fountain (1903-1910) is shown surrounded by tables. View is NNE from a point south in the Plaza.  Additional cut block in top left corner carries “www.thealamocity.com”.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1892- Subject: Reuter Building(1892). Designed by James Wahrenberger in the Victorian-Empire style for William Reuter. “Billy’s Saloon” first floor. Offices 2nd and 3rd floor, Elks Club and Knights of Pythias Lodge, 4th floor. View is SSW from Alamo Street. Catered to the crowds at the Grand Opera House across Crockett street with a type of electrical signal system that would give alert for intermissions and close of curtain. Operated by William Reuter and half-brother George Benseler who used the last name Reuter. First listed as Barkeepers (both) working for A. Scholz in 1877. Ran the saloon “Billy’s and Joe’s” at 8 Soledad during 1880s. Ran the “Two Brothers” Saloon in the Dullnig Building late 1880s. William died 17 August 1897 at age of 53. George died four months and 7 days later, 23 December 1897, unknown age.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1910. Subject: A type of asphalt paving being placed on Houston Street in front of US Post Office and Courthouse (Ref "photo #9"). North side of Alamo Plaza. View is ENE from Houston Street.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: the week of 8 January 1922. Subject: Photo crop (#109) of a book page of the West side of Alamo Plaza with a typed and incomplete ascription assigning a date of 8 January 1922. The first silent film version of the play “Baby Mine” was released in 1917 and is playing for one week beginning Sunday 8 January 1922 along with “Riding With Death” starring Buck Jones as can be partially seen under the street cover. The view is north from Crockett Street intersection. Buildings on West side are the San Antonio Club and Grand Opera House (1886) on the NW corner, then the Wickes Building (1886), then the Crockett Block (1882), the Woolworth Building (1921) at the SW corner of Houston and Alamo Plaza. The tallest building in the view is the Gibbs building (1909) on the NW corner of Houston and Alamo Plaza, west and across Alamo Street from the US Post Office and Customs House (1890).

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: ca. 1890-1893. Subject: US Post Office and Customs House (1890). North side of Alamo Plaza. View is NNE from Alamo Plaza at a point about even with the southern corner of the Swearingen-McCraw Building (formerly the Maverick Bank building). The R.A. Archer Building (1893) to be located just north of the Post Office on North Alamo Street, is not yet present, but can clearly be seen in, "media ID 195".

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1879-1883. Subject: The Gallagher building (1877) which housed the US Post Office, is present at left foreground. The two story Dreiss Building (1877), at right foreground, is present, The Dullnig Building (1883) at Commerce and Alamo is not present. View is south on Alamo Plaza from the North side of the Blum street intersection.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: Post 1912. Subject: Photo crop of Houston Street. View is WNW from a position on south side of Houston street. The US Post Office and Federal Building is in the foreground on the north side of Houston with the Gibbs building (1909) west and across Alamo Street, followed by the New Moore Building (1912) and last, the Hicks Building (1896) can just be seen at the NW corner of Houston Street and Avenue C.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1908-1909. Subject: Photo crop of a book page of Alamo Plaza. View is north from an elevated position (most likely the Gallagher building 1877). The police sub-station in the Alamo Chapel has been removed. Hugo & Schmeltzer building (1877) is present. The Gibbs building (1909) is under construction. Several of the parked vehicles are automobiles.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1866. Subject: Bordered photo crop with ascription and date. View is SW towards Alamo Plaza and Blum Street taken from the Menger Hotel.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo:  1892-1896. Subject: Alamo Plaza. North end of park with concession wagon at curb. Hand printed ascription. View is WSW across plaza from the Hugo & Schmeltzer Building.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1919. Subject: Alamo Plaza Rotary Christmas Tree.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1886-1888. Subject: Alamo Plaza. Gallagher building (1877) is present, also the Menger Hotel (1859) extending north to the Carter & Mullaly Livery. Horse drawn street car on single track is present at the Post Office (Blum Street) bypass. The San Antonio Club and Grand Opera House (1886) and the Wickes building (1886) are present, although there appears to be a developmental defect causing a foreshortening effect marring the upper right corner of the photograph. View is SSE and elevated across the plaza, almost certainly taken from the Swearingen-McCraw (Maverick Bank) Building (1884). There is no evidence of either the plaza paving (1889) or the park landscaping projects(1889). Hand printed ascription.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo:  Post 1926. Subject: Alamo Plaza. Medical Arts Building (1926) in background(r). US Post Office and Courthouse (1890) in background. Vehicles parked at curb of plaza park as well as head in parking against convento (long barracks) wall. Street lights frame Alamo Chapel and are placed on sidewalk along convento. View is north from sidewalk of plaza park. Hand printed ascription COPYRIGHT BY HARVEY PATTTESON 1. Research is on-going as to the exact date of the photograph.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: Post 1926. Subject: Photo crop of north end of Alamo Plaza. Medical Arts Building (1926) in foreground(r), US Post Office and Courthouse (1890) in foreground(l). The Morgan Hotel (1909) and the Scottish Rite Theatre and Grand Ballroom (1924) can be seen in the 200 and 300 blocks, respectively, of Avenue E. View is NNE from the Woolworth Building at Houston Street and Alamo Plaza.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1922-1924. Subject: Photo crop of Alamo Plaza. Alamo Chapel in foreground (l). Convento (Long Barracks) exhibited as ruins. Tour vehicles at north sidewalk of plaza park. Quick Tire Service moves to 300 Alamo Plaza in 1922 and is present in photograph as is Standard Motor Sales at 314, which is vacant by 1924. The view is SSE and elevated, taken from (most probable) the Woolworth Building on the west side of Alamo Plaza.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1921-1932. Slightly better quality photo crop than #146 of an Alamo Plaza Christmas crowd scene. View is WNW from Alamo Chapel. Woolworth Building (1921) is present, so are street cars (last run April 1933).

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1901-1906. Subject: Photo crop of corner of Alamo Plaza (west side) and East Crockett. Reuter Building (1891) at 130 E. Crockett (corner) with tenants DITTMAR & OPPENHEIMER (1901-1906), Doctor's Offices on second floor and DRAUGHON’S COLLEGE (3d Floor).  View is WNW from in front of the Menger Hotel.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1987. Subject: Copy of a "Walking Tour" overlay of Alamo Plaza, depicting the 1987 plaza with the 1836 plaza. The current (2026) streets and plaza (2026) have changed again. 

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1859. Subject: Photo crop of a bordered photograph. The Menger Hotel (1859) appears under construction. The Menger was designed by John M. Fries and built on Alamo Plaza by J. H. Kampmann. The subject view is ENE from the unpaved Blum Street and Alamo Street intersection.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: late 1940s. Subject: Photo crop of Alamo Chapel. Streetlights have been removed. Sidewalk and buildings to south of Chapel have been removed and Faux ruins constructed. Plaza park removed. Some type of memorial object implaced in ground to the south west of the Chapel. Vehicle traffic rerouted to pass the Chapel further to the west. No close parking. View is ENE from Alamo Street.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1882-1889. Subject: Photo crop of Alamo Plaza. The Alamo Plaza (originally Plaza De Valero) Market House (1857) has been removed (1882). The Gallagher Building (1878) on Corner of Blum Street and Alamo Street houses the US Post Office on its first floor. Construction has not yet begun on the US Post Office and Customs House (1890) at the north end of Alamo Plaza. The Millinery and Fine Goods shop of Miss Paulina Schneider at 20 North Alamo (opened in 1884/1885) is present. The plaza is not yet paved (1888). The View NNE and elevated, is almost certainly from the Dreiss Building at 19 North Alamo Street. 

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: N/A  A conceptual reconstruction/overlay of how the Plaza might have looked at different time periods.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1890-1908. Subject: Photo crop of Alamo Plaza. Close-up of Hugo & Schmeltzer Building (1878), and the north edge of the plaza park (1890). The view is NNE from Alamo Street. The Hugo & Schmeltzer Building is closed by the State Supt. of Buildings in April of 1908. 

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1925 -1939. Subject: Photo crop of Alamo Plaza. Crockett extension through Alamo Plaza (1925) is present. North Plaza Park is razed for installation of  the Cenotaph in 1939.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: Post 1925. Subject: Photo crop of Alamo Plaza. Menger Hotel (1859) and south portion of plaza park, showing the Crockett Street separation of the park. Sconce style Streetlights in evidence. View is ESE and elevated from the Grand Opera House (1886), at NW corner of Crockett and Alamo Plaza.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1915 -1920. Subject: Photo crop of Alamo Chapel. Convento walls have been espaliered (1914-15) . View is ENE from street. The chapel will receive a new roof  in 1920.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1915-1920. Subject: Photo crop of a stereo view of Alamo Plaza. The View is north at an elevated wide angle taken from the roof of the Gallagher Building at Blum and Alamo. The plaza park and the new bandstand (1915) is in foreground with the entire north center of plaza and beyond in view. The Swearingen-McCraw Building (formerly the Maverick Bank Building 1884) at the SW corner of Houston and Alamo is present (will be razed in late 1920 for the Woolworth Building opening in June of 1921) The Gibbs Building (1909) is next, across Houston to the north. The US Post Office and Customs House (1890) facing Houston Street, dominates the background center of the photograph. Note the traffic signal hanging from a lateral pole half-way up the east side of the park sidewalk. It is handling the westbound Crockett Street traffic. 

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1915-1920. Subject: Photo crop of an aerial view of Alamo Plaza. Commerce street runs left to right at bottom of photograph. The massive Joske’s building (1887) with its 1909 renovation has not yet completed the surrounding of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and rectory at Commerce and St. Joseph. To the west of Joske’s across Alamo Street on the NW corner of Commerce and Alamo is the Dullnig Building (1879/83) with its single western tower after losing 15 feet of its front and the eastern tower to the Commerce Street Widening Project (1913-1915). Crossing back to the east side of Alamo Street and moving to the north of the massive Joske’s building, there is the Gallagher Building (1877) at the south east corner of Blum and Alamo, which once housed the US Post Office. Across the street to the west is the Reuter Building (1891) sitting on the SW corner of Crockett and Alamo Plaza. It is the large white building with the three slit like windows to the left and down a little from the bandstand in the middle of plaza park. Across Crockett Street to the north of the Reuter Building is the San Antonio Club and Grand Opera House (1886). Continuing up the Westside of the plaza from the Grand is the Wickes Building (1886), the Crockett Block (1882) and then the Maverick Bank Building (1884) renamed the Swearingen-McCraw Building in 1894, on the SW corner of Houston and Alamo Plaza. Across Houston Street to the north is the Gibbs Building (1909) and across Alamo Street to the east is the US Post Office and Customs House (1890). Moving south across Houston is the Alamo Convento (Long Barracks) and then the Alamo Chapel and continuing south, the Menger Hotel (1859).

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1889 -1910. Subject: Photo crop of the Menger Hotel (1859), south end of plaza park and a portion of Blum Street. Block paving (1889) and landscaping (1889) is evident. Asphalt paving (1910) not present. View is east and slightly north from Blum and Alamo intersection.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1918. Subject: Damaged photo crop of north side of Alamo Plaza. The US Post Office and Courthouse (1890) in background. A section of the north traffic island in Alamo Plaza as well as the northwest corner of the Alamo compound can be seen. Good close- up of Street car. View is north on Avenue E. from a lower balcony of the Swearingen-McCraw (Maverick Bank) Building (1884).

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1903-1910. Subject: Photo crop of Alamo Plaza. Plaza fountain (1903-1910) is present.  Hugo & Schmeltzer building present but missing southern tower (removed by 1904). Plaza is paved (1889) and landscaped with south plaza park (1890) and bandstand (1893). St. Joseph’s Church Steeple (1898) is evident. Eastern tower of Dullnig building can be seen (removed 1912-1915 street widening project). Gallagher building (1877) is present. Side entry touring cars are parked at the north curbside of plaza park. View is south and elevated almost certainly taken from the US Post Office and Courthouse (1890). Cropped short at bottom to eliminate PROPERTY OF DRT LIBRARY ascription.

Photo crop exposure date: unknown. Exposure date (or window) of subject photo: 1890-1903. Subject: Photo crop of Alamo Plaza. Southern corner of Swearingen-McCraw (Maverick Bank) Building (1884), then (moving south on the west side of the plaza) the Crockett block (1882), The Wickes Building (1886), the San Antonio Club and Grand Opera House (1886). Crockett Street intersects, then the Reuter Building (1891), the Dreiss building (1877), and finally on the corner of Alamo and Commerce the Dullnig building (1883) with its eastern tower still intact (removed 1912-1915). Paving and Landscaping (1890) of the park with advanced foilage is evident. Streetcar with electric service (1890) is present passing in front of the Crockett block. No indication of internal combustion automobiles. “The Katy Flyer” of the MK&T (advertisement on side of Wickes Building) begins service in 1896. View is SSE and elevated almost certainly from the US Post Office and Courthouse (1890). The Plaza fountain (1903-1910) is not present.