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

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 (DRTL)
Daughters of the Republic of Texas

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.

BUILDINGS AND SITES

Bexar County Cemeteries
San Antonio Genealogical and Historical Society

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.

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.

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.

Historic Preservation and Urban Design
City of San Antonio Planning Department

Provides a list of the City’s 22 landmark sites and districts. Access to maps of these areas is provided through a link to the City’s GIS mapping system. Information on the City’s ongoing Historic Structures Survey is also available.

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.

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.

Parks Past: A Sampling of San Antonio Parks and Facilities Histories
City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department

Provides links to historical profiles of 37 local parks and facilities, including Brackenridge Park, San Pedro Springs Park, and the now defunct Reptile Garden.

Texas Historical 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.

LOCAL AND REGIONAL HISTORY

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.

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 ITC Library's collections, including historic photographs, may be searched through the UTSA online catalog.

San Antonio: A Chronology, 1691 –1997
San Antonio Public Library Texana/Genealogy Department

Lists important people and events shaping San Antonio’s history, including facts about local buildings. The non-searchable entries are very brief. A bibliography organized by decade can be viewed at http://www.sat.lib.tx.us/central/account.htm