San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-21
Some ofSan Antonio 5 Park
Land Granted by Spanish King

two young men who as avidtors were
killed in France in the late war and
who were residents of that section of
the city. In East End-is another park.
On East Crockett street is we'll
equipped playground fol the colored
children. Back in the heart of the city
we have Travis Park, Maverick Square
at Avenue e and 10th street, Madison
Square. over five acres, fronting west
ON Richmond between Cadmen and Dali
las streets, and a little farther out.
Crockett Square, commonly called
Twin Parks" intersccted by Main
avenue between Cypress and Laurel
streets. You go to San Pedro Springs
Park, where the Canary Islanders
first reached San Antonio, and you
now find. in addition to its old charms,
new athletic grounds and the splendid
new swimming pool. BY then return
ing out River avenue way, you pass Ma
hncke Park of 43 acres, just new be-
ing developed. And then you come
to the largest and most beautiful
Breckenridge. Nature blessed this spot
but man has done himself proud in its
improvement. My short time only al
lows me 10 mention features-the ZOO,
the burros for children, Alpine drive,
lily pond and tea garden, sunken gar
den, Mexican village, municipal polo
field and race track, target range, free
camping grounds. playground and pic
nice ground, facilities for band con-
certs and motion pictures, swimming
pool that meets the wants of everyone
from little wading toddlers TO high
diving, dare-devils, a nursery from
which thousands of plants and trees
are distributed each year, varied ath-
letic facilities, the chief of which is
the golf course and the new municipal
clubhouse. Most of the things that l
have mentioned have been added TO the
park, but above all these are the drive
ways, through its natural scenery-the
gift of mother Nature, which man can
never adequately describe, much less
pretend TO initiate.
"The foregoing facts should prove the
statement made at the outset, San An
tonic is excelled by none and equaled
by few in its park system IL not.
the data now wish TO give you should
at least show the parks of our city, in
their title and history, TO be absolute
~ unique, with traditions all their own.
Some BY Spanish Grants.
at is interesting TO note that the
city of San Antonio acquired title TO
some of the property now in our parks
from the Spanish government just a
few years after the first settlement was
founded.
"Let me digress a moment TO call
your attention to this ancient grant.
1t was in the year 1913 or 1874, that
the King of Spain, under the great seal
of the kingdom, issued title 10 the
city of San Antonio, then called San
Fernando, of about eight leagues of
land. This important parchment was
preserved in the archives of Bcxar for
at least a century, having been seen
as late as the year 1884. About that
time it finally disappeared, and has
evidently been lost or destroyed. In
the suit of Lewis VS.. City of San An
tonic, decided in the Supreme Court in
1851 and its decision reported in
Texas, pages 2SS to 322, it was proved
on the trial that this document was
sewed into n book with the other pa
perS relating to the foundation of the
municipality, among such papers be-
ing one relating TO the introduction at
the royal expense, of fifteen families
from the Canary Islands, who were the
first settlers of the town. In 1929,
when the people were aroused By what
they deemed n fraud On their rights
by Balmaceda, then delegate to the
Congress of COahuila and Texas, in pro-
curing a decree of the Congress grant
ing two leagues of land TO the town,
these two leagues being within the eight
league originally granted by the king,
the corporate authoriti,s instituted a
search for the deed and found it,.
Thereafter n distinction was made be-
tween the land covered by the two
league grant and the land without, the
later being called the ejidos. After the
overthrow of the Mexican government
and the establishment of the Republic,
the state granted, or issued patents on,
nearly all the lands within the eiidOs
although an act of the Texas Congress
in 1887 was claimed by the city as
confirming its title TO all this land.
This resulted in several suits, and it
was in one of these suits, Lewis VS..
City of San Antonio, which | have al
ready mentioned, that the title of the
city was finally established by the Su-
preme Court. The history of the origi-
nal royal grant was brought out in the
evidence in that suit and thus preserv-
cd. Also the metes and bounds of this
grant were clearly established therein
By proof of competent witnesses. Its
existence and location have since re-
manned unquestiOned.
Among the most prominent parks
owned by the city as part of this grant
are Franklin Square, Market Plaza,
Market House Square, Washington
Square, Milan Park, Pittman-Sullivan
Park. and the northwestern portion of
Breckenridge Park.
An Interesting Title.
"The title TO a part of San Pedro
Springs, together with all of Crockett
Square, is of exceptional interest. A
tract of land was granted by the gov
eminent TO one Rodriguez, one of the
parties who constructed the upper labor
ditch. However, he failed to fulfill the
conditions of his grant failing, it
seems, TO keep up his fences). and the
land was confiscated. 1t was then
granted TO one ArOcha, but in the war
between Spain and Mexico be took the
Mexican side, was captured by the Span
ish. executed, and the land again con-
fiscated. The property was then sold
to other parties and later acquired by
one George Antonio Nixon. By a
deed from Nixon dated October 1G, 1898.
Alfred Shelby claimed the property and
sold it TO Sam Maverick on December
= 1910 In 1890 Maverick Supd the