San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-04
5. A. EMPIRE
I IS GREATEST
Il IN WORLD
Distributing, Exchange,
Social, Educational Gen.
ter Of Southwest.

centuries, San ANTONIO has been the
great commercial and military post
Of the empire Of the Southwest. San
Antonio was q small city in the days
when there were no large cities on
the American continent. While larger
settlements of the north and east,
by virtue Of quicker development, have
created larger cities, no city in Amer
1ca has excelled San Antonio in point
OF steady, natural growth.
Yesterday San Antonio was a typi-
cal American frontier city, unpaved
streets, low-roofed buildings, small
shops, stores and industries.
But then as now, the great trade
routes Of. the southwest led directly
70 the city's gates. Long, winding
caravans of ox-drawn wagons, prairie
schooners. herds of cattle, products of
ranch and farm, merchandise brought
by boat 70 the coast. all converted
upon San Antonio. This was then,
as today, the distributing point. the
exchange point. the social and educa-
tional center of an empire greater than
any empire of the old world.
FINE ROADS
Today San Antonio remains as OF
yore, the self-same center Of bust
ness. industry, commerce, education,
social and civic development. Bexar
county, of which the City of San An
tonic is the heart, ranks second among
all the counties of America in paved
and improved highways. The old trade
routes that spread fanwise from this
pivotal point have become today, the
great paved motor thoroughfares tina.
serve motorists from the four corners
of the United States. The traffic
still flows into San Antonio. With |
the passing of the OK teams, came
the railroad and today, transconti- |
nentla lines add to the commerce and |
prestige of the metropolis Of the Lone
Star State.
There are men living in San An |
tonic today-plenty of them-who re-
call these mighty changes that have |
occurred in their lifetime. There are |
men in San Antonio today. active in |
business and industry. who began hum !
bly,, in the little trading shops of half |
century ago.
There are men in San Antonio who 4
recall when Commerce street was i'm
passable from mud when il rained, |
when Houston street was but a name |
and its great business section not only |
unborn but undreamed of. There are |
men in San Antonio today who as |
boys, tended the cows in the pastures
that once occupied the lands now
known as Laurel Heights, Beacon Hill, |
Terrell Hills, Highland Park. There |
are men in San Antonio today who |
recall when Alamo Heights. was q |
great ranch. when <tSoodlaan HIS
with its million dollars. worth OF new
Improvements was wilderness and a |
favorite spot for deer and quail shoot /
ing.
VALUES INCREASE.
The other day, San Antonio eou-
pie signed a deed TO q small LOT a 4
few blocks off the business section of 4
San Antonio. They bought il 40 |
years ago for less than $1,000 includ-
ing the modest adobe business and /
residence structure thereon. The deed /
they signed transferring the properly
called for $4,000, a sum that will
make them Independent for the TO-
mainder OF their years. During the
interim. they had lived and worked
and prospered on this little domestic
until the city grew up with all the
magic Of Alladin's lamp, and entirely
surrounded them with Ekyscrapers.
The little building they occupied IS
10 be torn down. A 12-story business
structure will replace il. The man
who bought their little site for $40 900
got bargain.
This is but slittle glimpse into the
story OF the making Of San Antonio l
Of today. II enbodies an increase in
realty values almost beyond the minds
ability 70 grasp. Lots that few years
ago went begging for a few hundred .
dollars are worth five and ten times 1
that much per front foot. The his
tory OF San Antonio's business dis
trict is but the repetition OF the great
growth that al America has made I
and i making with this distinct ex-
ception-otaer cities have fluctuated, |
their real estate has gone up and gone
down. eventually striking medium /
at which prices were considered sta
bic. Not 50 with san Antonio.
PROPERTY GETS BOOST.
The history n San Antonio's growth .
IS a story Of steadily mounting values 1
for real estate, Of an absence Of booms .
or wild or unWise development. a sure.
forward movement, never faltering nor .
deyiating from its true course upward .
and onward.
As the business section expanded, I
as property values t-ebled and mount
cd San Antonio expanded in reSiden-
tial area also. The beautiful old |
mansions Of p years ago we're wrecked I
and removed 70 make way for busi- /
ness structures The last Of these old I
homesteads passed within the last five .
yea re. None remain today in the [
business AREA OF the city. In their |
stead, however. were laid out spacious 1
residential additions expanding for |
many miles into what was once the |
rural section. Today for miles and /
miles, in every direction. the rows OF
beautiful San Antonio homes spread
out. The main arteries Of traffic en-
fering the city are being lined now
With country homes. Beautiful and
costly country homes extend for ten
or fifteen miles along these paved
Highways and still. building continues
apace. There will be no hating. no
turning back. And with this develop
ment has come mounting land values
far onto into the rural hills and val
leys. Homesites there today, com
mand ns much IS an entire farm once
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