History of San Antonio's Market Square

timeline

San Antonio is “one of America’s four unique cities.” The others are San Francisco, New Orleans, and Boston. Many people know of this marvelous designation, but few know of its origin. The statement was made by a very special person who had feelings for the City’s romantic qualities spawned by its rich Spanish and Mexican heritage. That person was Samuel Clemens, better known to most of us as Mark Twain. He spoke volumes about San Antonio in only six words. Market Square plays an important role in this “uniqueness” of San Antonio. It is a favorite place for visitors and natives alike. Market Square truly reflects the flavor that has always been San Antonio. This most colorful area is located between Dolorosa, Santa Rosa, and Commerce Streets with IH-35 serving as its western boundary. A variety of shops and restaurants line the pedestrian plazas within the three-square block area. Included in these shops was the Botica Gudalupana, until recently, the oldest continually operated pharmacy in San Antonio. Mi Tierra Café & Bakery anchors the excellent assortment of restaurants in the area. History surrounds both of these businesses. The building that houses Botica Guadalupana dates back to 1820. It was the first permanent structure on Produce Row. Prior to becoming a drug store in 1893, the building was used as a mercantile-dry goods store, a theater-entertainment house with liquor and cockfights, and as a house for ladies of questionable character. The first pharmacy on this site was Cowen Drug, which opened in 1893. Juan Leal bought the store in 1912 and changed its name to Botica Guadalupana. In 1921 Daniel San Miguel began working for Leal and in 1933 bought the store and retained the name. Daniel San Miguel was known as the grandfather of Market Square. His family operated the store until recently. Mi Tierra Café and Bakery, which actually means “my land” in English, is also a family business. Pete Cortez first opened the doors of Mi Tierra in 1943 and it has never closed – it is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Spicy Mexican food an authentic Mexican bakery and peppy mariachi music have been the mainstays here ever since. The Cortez family tradition is now being carried out by Pete Cortez’s children and grandchildren. In addition to shops and restaurants along the main pedestrian walkways, Market Square also features a large indoor area with 32 shops called El Mercado. Visitors to this historic square avail themselves to a myriad of activities. They sip margaritas in outdoor cafes, savor the finest Mexican foods including tasty fajitas, listen to the music of strolling musicians and visit shops filled to overflow with pinatas, Mexican dresses, curios, candies, jewelry, art, and an infinite variety of other items. There is also the Farmers Market where farmers brought fresh produce from the fields and offered it for sale. Due to the growth of Market Square as a tourist attraction, fresh produce became an item not in demand. Today, the new Farmers Market Plaza, renovated in January of 1994, contains small to large shops and a food court. A blend of merchandise that is representative of the cultural, artistic and ethnic influences of Texas and Mexico. The Centro de Artes del Mercado, or Market Square Arts Center, was also a viable part of this beautiful area. Conferences, civic and social functions, dance and drama presentations, art exhibits and concerts were all part of the many gatherings in this magnificently restored two-story building. In 1998 the Centro Alameda and the Smithsonian Institute have combined to create a museum which will tell the story of the Latino experience in America with traveling exhibits, beginning in the fall of 2005. Market Square, just 10 blocks from the Alamo, is easily reached from any downtown location, including all major hotels. Two of the exciting ways to travel to the area are by streetcar and horse drawn carriage. San Antonio’s Market Square is a perfect example of preserving the past for present and future generations to enjoy and appreciate. There is much history here. As early as 1805, San Antonio had a public market. It was in this year that Antonio Cordero y Bustamante, Governor of the Spanish Province of Texas, ordered the construction of a permanent market for the slaughtering and sale of livestock. The market was built, but was by no means permanent. As a matter of record, San Antonio has had numerous market areas, the last of which is the current Market Square. The 1830’s brought with them an informal market on Plaza de Armas. This area was later simply called Military Plaza and is the current location of City Hall. In its day, the market served as the town square and meeting place for merchants, craftsmen, promoters, and musicians. San Antonio Chili was born here. This spicy combination of meat and beans was sold on the plaza in huge clay pots simmering on charcoal braziers. The actual dispensers of this legendary concoction were women known as “Chili Queens”. Their reputation spread far beyond the city. Many dignitaries of the era sampled San Antonio chili and loved it. This market area flourished until 1889. Four years after the fall of the Alamo and the subsequent victory by Sam Houston and his men over Santa Ana and his Mexican troops at San Jacinto, San Antonio had still another official market. In 1840, the City Council passed an ordinance establishing the first City Market House. The decree mandated that a long, low building of stone on the north side of Plaza de Armas be utilized for this market. The building was believed to have been the last remaining portion of the original Spanish Presidio. Strict rules were written by the council on how the market was to be operated. It was a meat market providing a central place for the display and sale of beef, mutton, cabrito (young goat) and hog. A commissioner was appointed to enforce the rules which included a provision that beef on sale be “certified”, meaning the hide, with the brand, had to be displayed to guarantee that no rustlers were involved. From 1840 to 1860 the Market House and the market on the Plaza de Armas operated side by side. It was a colorful time. The old plaza teemed with life. Ox carts and wagons shared space with anxious vendors and satisfied buyers. Fruits and vegetables were brought to the outdoor market each morning direct from countryside fields. Strolling housewives and chefs from the finest hotels and restaurants in the city purchased fresh goods for the day. German, Mexican, French, English, Chinese and Italian citizens came to the market place, or Mercado, to buy and sell. In 1860, a new Market House was constructed at 511 W. Market Street, just north of Plaza de las Islas, or Main Plaza. Grecian architectural design was utilized in the construction of this building. Locals called it “The Greek Temple”. It was completed with classic Doric columns and served as the city’s main meat market until it was sold to private entrepreneurs in 1893. The building was converted into a hardware store, then eventually torn down in 1926 to make way for a flood channel cut-off in the San Antonio River. This new Market House continued to complement the Plaza de Armas outdoor market until 1889. It was in this year the outdoor market closed forever giving way to the city’s plan to build City Hall on the exact spot. The official founding of what we now call Market Square followed in 1892. On petition of the citizens of San Antonio, Presidio Square was designed as an open market and not as a park, which it had previously been. Later, the portion of Presidio Square which fronted on Commerce Street, where Centro de Artes del Mercado now stands, was designated as Paschal Square. This was done in 1894 in honor of Mayor George Paschal who died in office. On the west side of this area was a haymarket where fresh produce was sold from wagons. This new marketplace was further developed with the construction, in 1899, of a Victorian style new City Market House designed by Alfred Giles. It stood as the premier market for San Antonio until 1938 when it was replaced by the building that we now know as El Mercado. The present Mercado was built with federal funds and remodeled in an urban renewal sponsored project in 1976. Since 1894, this area has been the public marketplace of San Antonio. Through the years, private businesses grew up around the market. Establishments on Produce Row flourished. In 1920 the building now housing Centro de Artes was constructed. The market, or El Mercado, thrived until 1950 when a more modern Terminal Market was established on the city’s west side. Most produce farmers and major fruit and vegetable establishments moved south, leaving El Mercado and surrounding merchants in an unenviable position. The years from 1950 to 1976 were not easy ones for the businessmen and women of the area. But, through the leadership of individuals like Pete Cortez and Daniel San Miguel, they found a way to survive. One of the remaining produce farmers sold a customer a bean pot for 25 cents. This small transaction led to the eventual selling of curios and souvenirs in El Mercado and it opened the way for increasing diversity as exemplified by today’s various shops selling products from all over the world. Concerned area merchants from the private sector, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the City of San Antonio, and the Urban Renewal Agency joined efforts in the early 1970’s to bring new life to Market Square. They agreed upon a plan of action and saw it through to completion. The construction of the present Farmers Market, with roof top parking at the west extremity of Market Square, the renovation of the Market House, were all a part of the plan as was the development of pedestrian plazas on Produce Row and Concho Street. Centro de Artes del Mercado was also initiated as a part of this Urban Renewal project. This new Market Square was completed in 1976 with completion of the Centro de Artes renovation following in 1978. Millions of visitors come to Market Square each year. They come to see and feel history. They also come to celebrate during special occasions like Fiesta in April, Cinco de Mayo in May, a Forth of July celebration with a unique style in July, Diez y Seis in September, a Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead presentation in November, and Fiestas Navidenas in December. In addition, it seems there is a celebration every weekend. Market Square is a world of beauty, charm and historical elegance. It is yesterday revisiting today, with a future which remains bright. Market Square plays an important role in the uniqueness of San Antonio, “One of America’s Four Unique Cities.”