This pathfinder provides links to websites that can help answer general questions about San Antonio’s history and historic sites. The following list of resources is not comprehensive and not every site of interest may be covered. We invite you to contact or visit the San Antonio Conservation Society Foundation Library for more information about the city’s many sites of historical, cultural, and architectural importance.

The Alamo | Bridges | Buildings and Sites | Cemeteries | Farm and Ranch | Geneology | Local and Regional Resources | Maps | Parks

THE ALAMO

The Alamo: An Illustrated Chronology
Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library (DRTL)
Non-searchable chronology traces the evolution of the Alamo site from 1716 to 1997. Brief facts provided for each entry frequently reference significant local people and events. Chronology also gives limited information on the urban development of the area surrounding the Alamo. Website includes images from the DRTL collection and a bibliography.

Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library
Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRTL)
Part of the Alamo historical complex. The non-circulating collections, including archives and photographs, pertain to the history of Texas, San Antonio, and the Alamo. An online catalog is available.

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BRIDGES

Bridges in Bexar County
James Baughn & contributors
Database of over 25,000 bridges in the US, past and present. Searchable by state.

Historic Bridges of San Antonio (PDF)
City of San Antonio Municipal Archives
An online exhibit featuring historic photos and a narrative history of the city’s oldest bridges.

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BUILDINGS AND SITES

Buildings of San Antonio
Emporis.com – “The World’s Web Site about Buildings”
Technical data, photos, and facts about high-rise and other buildings. Searchable by city.

Casa Navarro Historic Site
Texas Historical Commission
Learn about the life of rancher, merchant, and Texas patriot José Antonio Navarro at his original 1850s limestone and adobe home, saved from demolition and deeded to the State of Texas by the San Antonio  Conservation Society. Open for tours.

Courthouses of Bexar County 1731 – 1978
Sylvia Ann Santos, Bexar County Historical Commission
Provides history and descriptions of Bexar County’s four courthouses. A bibliography and historic photos of the current courthouse are included.

Historic Properties: San Antonio Conservation Society
San Antonio Conservation Society
Profiles nearly 30 historic structures that the Society either owns or has helped to preserve. Includes thumbnail pictures.

River Walk
Paseo del Rio Association
A chronology of events in the history of the San Antonio River and the development of the famous River Walk that transformed downtown San Antonio.

San Antonio Theatres: Now and Then
Gary Yantis and collaborators
Provides visuals, sounds and text information for current and historic theaters in San Antonio from 1906 to present.

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CEMETERIES

Bexar County Cemeteries
Texas USGenWeb Archives
A list of cemeteries in Bexar County arranged alphabetically by name, along with the location and notes on where records and published information can be found.

City Cemeteries
City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department
A brief history of the development of the city cemetery complex on the East Side.

City Cemetery No. 1
Cemeteries of Texas/Lavonne Bradfield
A history and plot map for the first public cemetery in San Antonio.
DISTRICTS AND NEIGHBORHOODS

Historic Districts in San Antonio
City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation
A short history of each of San Antonio’s historic districts, including photos and a boundary map.

Historic Neighborhood Survey
City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation
An ongoing project of the City and the San Antonio Conservation Society, the survey identifies buildings and districts that are eligible for historic designation.  Scroll down to survey summaries for available histories of Collins Gardens, Dilworth Green, Highland Park, Motor Courts and Lodges, Oak Hills, St. Cecilia, Tobin Hill, Uptown, and Woodlawn Place Addition.

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FARM & RANCH COMPLEXES

Historic Farm and Ranch Survey
City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation

Between 2003 and 2010, the Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) and the San Antonio Conservation Society (SACS) surveyed and researched 19th century vernacular properties that qualify as Historic Texas Farm and Ranch Complexes.  Over 100 properties have been identified within the city limits and the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ).  Scroll to bottom of survey page for individual links.

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GENEALOGY

San Antonio Genealogical and Historical Society
This website provides information about the Society’s library, genealogy classes, and publications. Learn how to do genealogical research and what sources are available.

San Antonio Public Library Texana and Genealogy
San Antonio Public Library
See web site for listing of online research guides, including family history, local history, and Texas history. Hours and classes available also listed.

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LOCAL AND REGIONAL HISTORY RESOURCES

Bexar County Deed Records
Bexar County Clerk
Scanned images of public records, including property deeds, can be viewed online and printed.  Users must register, but there is no charge.

Bexar County TXGenWeb
TXGenWeb Project
The TXGenWeb project attempts to provide a single entry point for web sites providing information on Texas counties. This site features links to a number of useful research sources for Bexar County, including cemetery information, census data, early city directories, genealogical and historical societies, limited obituaries, photographs, postcards, and more.

HABS/HAER Collection
Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record
Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division
The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) are collections of documentary measured drawings, photographs, and written historical and architectural information for over 31,000 structures and site in the United States and its territories. This online collection contains 138 records for Bexar County, including the missions, several military bases, bridges, residences, plus some commercial and public buildings. Several search options, including full-text, are available. Pay attention to the options in the drop-down menus below the search window, since these parameters will affect the search.

Handbook of Texas Online
Texas State Historical Association
The online handbook is a searchable, electronic version of the print encyclopedia of Texas history, geography, and culture. It contains over 23,000 articles covering a wide range of topics, including San Antonio history, architects, and an assortment of historic buildings. Users can search by keyword or browse a listing of articles either alphabetically or by subject. The bibliographies at the end of each article can be extremely useful. No images appear in the online version at this time.

Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC)
University of Texas at San Antonio
A university educational center dedicated to enhancing the understanding of the history and diverse cultures of Texas through exhibits, programs, and publications that encourage acceptance and appreciation of our differences as well as our common humanity. The UTSA Special Collections manuscript and photo collections are housed at the ITC and may be searched through the UTSA Libraries online catalog, UTSA’s digital collections website and Texas Archival Resources Online.

National Register of Historic Places
National Park Service, Department of the Interior
The National Register of Historic Places is the Nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. Properties listed in the Register include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture. The San Antonio Conservation Society Library has National Register nominations for many listed buildings in San Antonio, but the Texas Historical Commission Library is the official repository for National Register nominations from Texas.

San Antonio: Municipal Archives
San Antonio Office of the City Clerk
Digitized collections include ordinances and many other local records.

Texas Historic Sites Atlas
Texas Historical Commission
More than 200,000 site records, including data on Texas Historical Markers, National Register of Historic Places properties, museums, neighborhood surveys, and sawmills. The database is searchable by county, site name, full text of historical markers, or address. The address search allows the user to view maps identifying historic site locations in the vicinity of a known address.

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MAPS

Bird’s Eye View Maps of Texas
Amon Carter Museum
Bird’s-eye views appear as something between a panoramic view and a map. They were drawn by hand using, most often, two-point perspective to produce a three-dimensional rendering. The city views are surprisingly accurate and represent a much neglected source for understanding the history of Texas. This site showcases fifty-nine Texas views, documenting forty-four different cities.

San Antonio: Municipal Archives
San Antonio Office of the City Clerk
Digitized collections include historic city block maps, 1898-1990; Edward G. Trueheart maps, 1899-1901; and city engineer maps, 1847-1929.

Texas Digital Sanborn Maps
San Antonio Public Library
These maps show the footprints of buildings and are useful for comparing changes in basic physical form over time. Construction materials and use are also indicated, as well as prior street names and addresses. Scroll down the list of resources.  You must use your San Antonio Public Library card to log in.

Texas General Land Office Archives
Texas General Land Office
Established in 1837, the Archives consist of land grant records and maps dating to the 18th century that detail the passage of Texas public lands to private ownership. Many of these documents continue to be used even today by surveyors, land men and others researching land ownership. 

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PARKS

City Parks
City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department
Choose a local park from the directory to view its history.  Not every park has a history available, but many of the older and larger ones do.

San Antonio Missions National Historic Park
National Park Service
Links found on this page take you to research, management documents, and general information on the history and culture springing from the San Antonio Missions.

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