Minutes from the December Meeting of the OST 100  New Contacts

Minutes from the November Meeting of the OST 100  Leon and Salado Creeks Crossings

Minutes from the October OST 100 Activity   San Antonio Founders Day

Minutes from the September Meeting of the OST100  Deco Days

Minutes from the August Meeting of the OST100  Bus Tours

Minutes from the June Meeting of the OST100  Inventories

Minutes from the May Meeting of the OST100  Road Shows & Inventories

Spring 2005 Meetings of the OST100   Tree Plantings

Minutes from the January Meeting of the OST 100 Chambers of Commerce

Minutes from the December Meeting of the OST 100 New Contacts Amid holiday decorations, the December, 2005 OST100 meeting was held in State Representative Trey Martinez Fischer’s district office on the Fredericksburg Rd. corridor of the Old Spanish Trail. The core group of OST100 speakers; OST Researchers Charlotte Travis and Judy Jackman, Woodlawn Jefferson Economic Development Mariana Dannelley and Charlotte Kahl, were joined by our Bihl Haus Arts host for the economic development portion of the spring National American Planning Association (APA) OST Bus Tour, Kellen Kee McIntyre.  Ellen Ott also attended to gather more information about possibilities for local Volksmarch walks that could encourage other OST areas to begin OST Volksmarch activities nationwide.             As more tourists and conventions come into San Antonio wanting to learn about OST Centennial plans, more speakers are needed. Kathy Tarkington, Raymond Kirsch and Carol Haywood also help co-chairs Kahl and Marianna Jones when they can.             The December planning session resulted in an agenda for this winter’s Senior Summer School for a Florida group coming in over the holidays. OST100 is also building a tour along the 1920s Headquarters Section of the Bexar County OST from San Antonio to Boerne. We will give that presentation for the first time in April of 2006 as an APA Mobile Workshop bus tour. Hopefully we will be invited to share that tour with the American Institute of Architects as they hold their national convention in San Antonio in 2007.  As other tour groups and conferences come to San Antonio during the next decade of OST centennial planning, we will add more and more success stories of revitalization and preservation along the corridor. Balcones Heights has also included OST information in the 2006 APA bus tour that will be visiting their city. OST100 will next begin working with the cities of Kirby, Converse and Schertz to put together eastern Bexar County OST tours – making driving, hiking or biking the OST an educational experience. At the end of each year we intend to list new OST contacts. Groups we began working with previously are listed in the website NEWS section February 2004 and December 2004. During 2005 we have added the following: City of San Antonio             New Mayor’s Staff Assistant City Manager Inner City Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Linear Creekways Board Austin-San Antonio Rail Board Metropolitan Planning Organization Bexar County Watershed office Community Economic Revitalization Agency East Texas Tourism Association Beacon Hill Conservation District SPURS San Antonio Conservation Society 2nd VP Farms and Ranch Committee Bexar County Medical Alliance HEB USAA Wurzbach-Mickler Family   Bihl Haus Arts Festivals             Founders Day             Deco Days             Government Hill Homes Tour      ROADSHOWS             Chambers of Commerce Briefing             American Institute of Architecture, San Antonio             Westside Lions             San Antonio Woman’s Club San Antonio President’s Council             NorthEast Partnership Alliance Francaise Converse Economic Development Corporation Balcones Heights Business Alliance Beautify San Antonio Greater Chamber Business Council Leon Creek Greenbelt Coalition Texas Military Institute Reserve Officers Association Seminar Society for the Preservation of Historic Ft. Sam Houston Volksmarchers Optimisses Farms and Ranch Club Florida Senior Summer School Thanks for your continued interest in OST100, Charlotte Kahl (210)735-3503 Co-Chair OST100 (with Marianna Jones)                        Back to Top      Minutes from the November Meeting of the OST 100  Leon and Salado Creeks Crossings   Again we would like to thank State Representative Trey Martinez Fischer and his staff for sharing their Fredericksburg Road office space for Old Spanish Trail Centennial planning meetings.             This meeting, On the Second Tuesday of November, 2005 was devoted to gathering information about the concrete low-water-crossings of the Leon and Salado Creeks. As the OST crosses the Leon as Old Fredericksburg Road at the northwest corner of IH-10 and 1604, there are beautiful stone walls and fragile Hill Country vegetation being damaged by utility construction activities. The Salado crossing on Seguin Road just north of IH-35 across from Splashtown, is the only tree canopy section of the OST in Bexar County – the only area where the trees have been able to maturely arch over the roadway.             Representatives from San Antonio Water Systems, City Public Service, Southwestern Bell, San Antonio River Authority, City of San Antonio Public Works – right-of-ways and engineering, brought copies of their most current plans for work in the two creek crossing areas. San Antonio Fire Department and Public Works transportation shared plans for assessing safety concerns. The City Arborist, Linear Creekways Parks Advisory Board, Leon Creek Greenbelt Coalition, and Conservation Society representatives attended to hear about utility effects and needs on community enhancement and preservation efforts. Councilwoman Sheila McNeil and Representative Ruth Jones McClendon sent staff members to gather ideas of the participants.   LEON AREA San Antonio Water System has embarked on a major effort to protect the Edwards Aquifer from leakage of wastewater. The goal is to identify and repair any defects in the piping or structures of the SAWS wastewater system located within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. Texas law requires testing of the system over the recharge zone every five years. In 2004 and 2005 lines located along the Leon Creekbed on each side of Old Fredericksburg Road were inspected and rehabilitated.  Heavy equipment access followed the north side of the creek.  More aquifer information is included in the LINKS section of www.OLDSPANISHTRAILCENTENNIAL.com              SBC has a pair of overhead cables on the east side of Old Fredericksburg Road that cross the creek. Overhead CPS lines are on both sides of the road. There are street lights at each end of the low-water-crossing. CPS gas lines, as well as those of Grey Forest Utilities are buried along the OST as it crosses the Leon. Tie-ins for new development in that area are frequent. Although the 2005 Proposition 2 Creekways monies will probably not provide enough funding to extend the Leon Linear Park outside 1604, the Metropolitan Planning Organization has proposed a Leon Creek, IH-10, Rails-to-Trails plan from 1604 to Leon Springs. An informal grassroots group is working to find private funding and grants to make that a reality along the northern Bexar County OST corridor.   SALADO AREA SAWS has a major 5-year sewer main construction project to upgrade the capacity of the outfall in the existing Eastern sewershed easement. That construction should impact the new Salado Creekway Trail as it crosses Seguin Road during 2010. SAWS water mains under the pavement are being tapped into at various locations along Seguin Road as residential and light industrial complexes are added.  CPS has extensive overhead and underground electric utilities and buried gas lines parallel and crossing Seguin Road and Salado creek. SBC has a pair of overhead cables along the south side of Seguin Road and a buried line just southeast of the Salado Creek crossing.               The City of San Antonio will be measuring truck and auto traffic at these crossings in the next few days and the Fire Department assessing high water and neighborhood emergency access to help us gain a better understanding of what sort off safety improvements may be needed as hike, bike and OST auto tourist traffic increases.             City transportation, TxDoT, and Bexar County staff members are searching old records to help gather background material about when OST concrete pads were placed for low-water-crossings of the Leon and Salado. The Conservation Society is monitoring OST100 attempts to have some sort of historic designation placed on these last two low-water-crossings of the OST in Bexar County.  As increasing traffic and high water leads to more and more new bridges, these remnants of past transportation features could be lost.             OST100 appreciates the spirit of cooperation exhibited by those who were able to attend our November meeting. The care with which utilities are placed and maintained can make an important contribution to a more scenic Old Spanish Trail auto highway.                                                                                               Our December 2005 activity will be the final Scenic San Antonio Beautification of North Flores Street tree planting and awards ceremony on Saturday morning December 10th. Please watch for time and place notice and invitations.                                                                                                             Thanks for your continued interest in OST100, Charlotte Kahl (210)735-3503 Co-Chair OST100 (with Marianna Jones)                        Back to Top    Minutes from the October OST 100 Activity  San Antonio Founders Day    Founders Day in San Pedro Park Saturday, October 22, 2005 was a great success again this year. Organizers and participants fostered a proud recognition of the accomplishments of past citizens to make San Antonio the thriving city it is today. This annual fall event is an opportunity to learn more about San Antonio. Organizations active in keeping ethnic traditions alive create a beautiful backdrop for more formal preservation activities with their authentic costumes, lively reenactments and beautiful music. A wonderful outdoor family day in the park.     Information from our OST booth of maps, photos and documents, commemorating OST road-building pioneers and presenting revitalization, beautification and preservation centennial plans, was presented to the public by OST volunteers: Mary DeHoyos, Loyd Hawkins, Carol Haywood, Charlotte Kahl, Raymond Kirsch, and Carl Oberlender. For their help and support, each of their names will be posted on the OST100 Founders List on http://www.oldspanishtrailcentennial.com/.  Thanks for your continued interest in OST100, Charlotte Kahl (210)735-3503 Co-Chair OST100 (with Marianna Jones)                        Back to Top    Minutes from the September Meeting of the OST100  Deco Days For September of 2005, OST100 would like to thank the Jefferson/Woodlawn Lake Community Development Corporation for inviting us to participate in their Deco Days Street Festival and Art Celebration. They allowed us to set our OST100 displays within the center of entertainment for the main event and included an OST100 ROADSHOW in the preceding lecture circuit. The Deco District on Fredericksburg Rd. is rapidly becoming the most prominent model for Bexar County and the rest of the OST as they move forward with business revitalization and the neighborhood associations take up the commitment to inventory their OST Fredericksburg Rd. corridor.             For our October, 2005 activity, OST100 will again participate in San Antonio Founders Day, Saturday, October 22, at San Pedro Park from Noon to 5PM. A great family event and great venue to share OST Centennial Planning.             Below is the complete outline of the Deco Days Festival. The Community Development Corporation is managed by Executive Director Mariana Dannelley under the direction of the 2005 Board of Directors, President Paul Stahl, Vice President Liz Provencio, Secretary Steve Avery, Treasurer John Davis and Members Andy Simpson, Andy Mireles, Becky Whitehead, and Alejandro Soto.      http://DecoDistrict.org DECO DAYS STREET FESTIVAL & ART CELEBRATION August 29 - September 11, 2005   Main Event: FREE Performances by a variety of local artists, including: Academia de Arte Flamenco, Bomba Brazileña Performance Company, and the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center Dance Company and Mariachis with guest MCs Roy Galvan of News 4 WOAI, Edmund Tijerina of the San Antonio Express-News, and Rob Thompson, co-host of Prime Time San Antonio on News Radio WOAI. Where: at the corner of Elmendorf and Gramercy (near the 1800 block of Fredericksburg Road) When: Saturday, September 10, 2005 from noon to 6 PM FREE Activities for Children: making of papel picado, paper flowers and cascarones   Main Event will be preceded by: FREE Lectures, as follows: Monday, 8/29, 7 PM:  Dr. Char Miller at the Woodlawn Theatre, 1920 Fredericksburg Road Author and Professor of History and Director of Urban Studies at Trinity University, speaking on The Best Laid Plans: How San Antonio Grew and Why, focusing on the forces that have shaped this community and its neighborhoods   Wednesday, 8/31, 7 PM: Brett Ruiz (location to be announced - check website) New President of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, explaining how the Deco movement influenced many aspects of 20th century life.   Wednesday, 9/7, 7 PM: Charlotte Kahl at Trey Martinez Fischer's Office, 1910 Fredericksburg Road Co-Chair of the Old Spanish Trail (OST) Centennial Celebration Association and author of short histories of Deco District, Lake Blvd. and Little Flower Basilica, will present the OST Roadshow with photos, documents and maps of the 1920s paved auto highway.   Thursday, 9/8, 7 PM: Dr. Maggie Valentine (location to be announced - check website) Author and Professor of Architecture and Interior Design at UTSA, discussing Deco architecture.   Friday, 9/9, 6 - 9 PM:  Opening reception for the inaugural exhibition at Bihl Haus Arts, 2803 Fredericksburg This exhibition will highlight the work of professional practicing artists who live and/or work in the area.    Main Event will be followed by: Sunday, 9/11, 3 - 5 PM: Bihl Haus Arts, 2803 Fredericksburg First in a poetry reading series organized by well-known poet Trinidad Sanchez    Special art displays will appear in storefront windows throughout the Fredericksburg Road Deco District corridor in the days before the event.   Information available at: http://www.decodistrict.org/ or by calling 210.732.2238.  Deco Days is sponsored by the City of San Antonio's Office of Cultural Affairs through a Neighborhood Heritage Initiative Grant and produced by the Jefferson Woodlawn Lake Community Development Corporation (the "Deco District"), in partnership with the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and Centro Cultural Aztlan.   Thanks for your continued interest in OST100, Charlotte Kahl (210)735-3503 Co-Chair OST100 (with Marianna Jones)                        Back to Top      Minutes from the August Meeting of the OST100  Bus Tours Tuesday, August 9, 2005, Mariana Dannelly, Lynn Calkin and Charlotte Kahl took a practice run of a section of Fredericksburg Road to be included in a bus tour OST100 is preparing. We will be presenting the bus tour for the National American Planning Association (APA) Conference to be held in San Antonio in April next year. If successful, we will be offering the tour to other conferences, conventions and tourists. Mariana, Executive Director of the Jefferson/Woodlawn Lake Community Development Corporation is preparing the Deco District segment of the OST Headquarters tour to point out infrastructure, landscaping and business improvements along the corridor. How these improvements have been achieved over the years will be discussed in the beautifully restored historic limestone Bihl House on the property of Southwest Housing’s Primrose of Monticello Park senior development. Lynn Calkin, Executive Director of Balcones Heights Business Alliance is preparing a similar explanation of businesses along Fredericksburg Rd. through Balcones Heights.             For the (APA) conference the Deco District will also be included in a San Antonio Operation Facelift bus tour and the City Manager of Balcones Heights is preparing a separate tour showcasing the planning achievements of Balcones Heights as a city once on the outskirts that in the past 35 years has become completely surrounded by San Antonio.             SeptemberOSTuesday will be a practice run of other areas of the OST Headquarters Section Bus Tour. It will follow the Motorcade Routes posted in the July and August 2004 NEWS section of this website. We are still looking for folks who have special interest or knowledge of various parts of the route to become guides for those sections as more and more tours are required during this decade of centennial planning. Thanks for your continued interest in OST100, Charlotte Kahl (210)735-3503 Co-Chair OST100 (with Marianna Jones)                        Back to Top

Minutes from the June Meeting of the OST100  Inventories  JuneOSTuesday evening was an outdoor workshop to acquaint volunteers with the Old Spanish Trail Inventory form. (click here to open Bexar County, Texas  OST100  Inventory Sheet)             Past Five Points Neighborhood Association President Marti Garza and Community Activist Brother Charles Fucik will lead the effort to list structures, landscaping and infrastructure of the N. Flores Old Spanish Trail corridor from IH-35 north to Fredericksburg Rd. Due to the historic nature of this section, overlaid upon El Camino Real los Tejas, previous information collected by the City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation and the San Antonio Conservation Society can be included. Inventory information will be shared with Scenic San Antonio as beautification of N. Flores continues, VIA Metropolitan Transit Authority during Bus Rapid Transit alignment, Council District 1 as infrastructure needs are assessed and with developers looking for restoration or infill opportunities within this downtown Tax Incentive Empowerment Zone. The form will be used by Neighborhood Associations, Conservation Society and other OST100 volunteers to document their portions of the 50-mile Bexar County OST. Residential and business descriptions prepared by the City of San Antonio Historic Preservation office are used to identify structure types. Interested groups of volunteers wishing to help inventory their area or areas between active neighborhood associations may schedule training sessions in their immediate vicinity with OST100. Phone and FAX: 210-735-3503, e-mail: OST100Kahl@aol.com. As centennial planning progresses, Bexar County OST100 will begin working with the other 67 OST counties as cities and towns study their highway corridor in search of original OST roadbed, signage, commemorative sites and OST service related lodgings, restaurants, shops or fuel and auto repair stations. Thanks for your continued interest in OST100, Charlotte Kahl (210)735-3503 Co-Chair OST100 (with Marianna Jones)                        Back to Top

Minutes from the May Meeting of the OST100  Road shows & Inventories              Again, thanks to State Representative Trey Martinez Fischer for sharing his local Fredericksburg office with OST100 for the MayOSTuesday meeting May 10, 2005. And to his lovely mother for opening the office Tuesday evening while Legislative Staff continues their Texas House responsibilities in Austin.             This MayOSTuesday meeting included discussions on sharing the OST100 information locally in our ROAD SHOW and Motorcade formats, and OST inventory progress. Some not able to make the meeting did commit beforehand to help with OST100 tours and inventories.             The San Antonio Federation of Women’s Clubs has been involved in OST promotion since the early 1920s. Present Federation member, Kathy Tarkington will become one of our speakers. Mariana Dannelley, Jefferson Woodlawn Lake Community Development Corporation (Deco District) Executive Director and Scott Hubbartt, Guadalupe/ East Bexar County OST researcher will also help with ROADSHOWs and tours.             Judy Jackman and Toni Cadena’s inventory of Fredericksburg Rd. properties has led to refinements of the OST Inventory forms. Cynthia Spielman of Beacon Hill Neighborhood Association, Marti Garza of the Flores St. area and Loyd Hawkins’ friends of the Government Hill Neighborhood will begin those inventories as other Neighborhood Associations continue efforts to recruit help for their inventories.             Pam Hodges, resident of Boerne and member of Balcones Height Convention and Visitors Bureau and Balcones Heights Business Alliance is looking for OST inventory help in those areas. Lisa Aguirre, architect with L. K. Travis is preparing a program to map the inventory information  on http://www.OLDSPANISHTRAILCENTENNIAL.com.             Marcie Ince, chair of the San Antonio Conservation Society Outdoor Committee attended Tuesday to bring news of new San Antonio downtown signage, a summer Conservation Society newsletter OST article and recruitment efforts of Conservation Society volunteers to help with preservation of buildings identified in Neighborhood Association inventories and help with OST inventories where no strong neighborhood associations exist. Scott Hubbartt shared documentation information of the Randolph Air Force Base area and OST Co-chair Marianna Jones, the Fort Sam Houston area.             JuneOSTuesday will be a hands-on field training for filling out OST Inventory forms. The 50 miles of OST route in Bexar County has plenty of historic and new buildings and empty lots to keep us busy. If you or anyone you know would like to help with this inventory model for the rest of the 3000-mile OST, please join us Tuesday evening June 14, 2005 at 7pm on the 900 block of N. Flores St. at Elmira St., under the IH-35 overpass. Thanks for your continued interest in OST100, Charlotte Kahl (210)735-3503 Co-Chair OST100 (with Marianna Jones) Back to Top Spring 2005 Meetings of the OST100  Tree Plantings      A gigantic THANK YOU to Scenic San Antonio and all the volunteers involved in The Beautification of N. Flores St. corridor of the OST. The three plantings, that were our work days for OST100, Nov. 6, 2004, Feb. 5, 2005 and April 2, 2005 resulted in 119 trees planted by donations through Scenic SA, and another nearly 50 on the Fox Tech campus April 29, 2005. This first beautification project directly related to OST centennial revitalization will be posted on www.OLDSPANISHTRAILCENTENNIAL.com as a model for corridors of the OST in Bexar and the other 67 counties in the rest of the 8 OST states.     While trees were being planted outside, within the offices of San Antonio OST work was also moving forward. Mayor Garza and Judge Wolff mailed letters to 20 large OST cities and the other 67 counties inviting them to become involved in OST100 activities. Bus tours of the OST have also been submitted for the National American Planning Association Conference in San Antonio next spring. Thanks for your continued interest in OST100, Charlotte Kahl (210)735-3503 Co-Chair OST100 (with Marianna Jones) Back to Top

Minutes from the January Meeting of the OST 100 Chambers of Commerce

Mayor Garza's office graciously hosted the JanuaryOSTuesday meeting in the City Hall Media Briefing Room Tuesday evening January 11, 2004. Various Bexar County, Texas area Chambers of Commerce viewed the OST ROAD SHOW maps, photos and documents and listened to an abbreviated version of the military and beautification aspects of 1920s OST planning and in-depth coverage of the Chambers of Commerce role in OST development and promotion.
     The cover letter to the Chambers' packet stressed, "Without the strong leadership of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, during the 1920s, this southern transcontinental paved auto highway would not have been possible." The packet included an excerpt from the Introduction of J. Wordsworth Travers' 1929 book From COAST to COAST Via the Old Spanish Trail. Mr. Travers also stated "... if our readers do not see anything pertaining to their community, ask the [Chamber of Commerce] secretary why and do not blame us," noting the importance of Chambers of Commerce not only in the development, but in promotion of the OST. The packet also included the cover of the Chamber of Commerce hosted 1929 Motorcade Banquet Program, Xeroxed 1925 OST Travelog, OST Basic History, 1920s Founders List, and the May 2004 "Funding" letter. These items can be found on www.OLDSPANISHTRAILCENTENNIAL.com.
     Open discussion followed the ROAD SHOW presentation about how Chambers today may be able to become involved in OST100 revitalization and preservation of the businesses and historic sites. Marcel Johnson of the Greater SA Chamber was interested in others working with OST100 and where the OST is in San Antonio. Such lists are in the NEWS section of the OST website in minutes from the February and December 2004 meetings and the OST is in the GENERAL file of the main website map on http://maps.sanantonio.gov.  Pam Hodges from Balcones Heights Convention and Visitors Bureau continues to encourage an OST working relationship with state historical commissions. Lynn Calkin of the Balcones Heights Business Alliance envisions an OST theme as a boost to businesses in their Fredericksburg Rd. corridor. Mary Cruz of the West SA Chamber shared information about a mapping company specializing in maps of business corridors. Barbara Ankamah of the SA Hispanic Chamber will carry the OST information to her group.
     Other ways Chambers could be helpful to OST Centennial planning would be in encouraging businesses to participate in projects of OST inventory, revitalization, beautification or preservation by offering goods, services, meeting rooms, etc. to groups working on such projects. They could encourage OST ROAD SHOW presentations to developers and businesses, and share OST information with other Chambers outside of Bexar County.  

Thanks for your continued interest in OST100,
Charlotte Kahl
(210)735-3503
Co-Chair OST100
(with Marianna Jones)

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