Popular Texas Star Trail map is revised and ready for walking
Established in 1986, the Texas Star Trail began as a Sesquicentennial project of the San Antonio Conservation Society in cooperation with the City of San Antonio Sesquicenennial Committee and the Granaderos de Galvez. The Conservation Society and the Meadows Foundation jointly funded the original project which included creation and underwriting of the map, the brochure and 1,000 blue aluminum markers which depict the image of the Alamo beneath a lone star.
With the help of the City of San Antonio’s Office of Historic Preservation, Downtown Operations Department, Public Works Department and Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Conservation Society is now updating the tour map and brochure in 2011 to reflect the changes to the city’s core over the past 25 years. Six sites were removed from the older version; three buildings and several historic markers were added. The new route changes include a small deviation from Market Street to include the Tower Life Building and the Mexican Consulate. The 2.6 mile route is circular, so walkers can start at any point and end up at same point where they started. Street addresses are also listed for those who wish to drive the route.
Historic sites on the trail are physically marked with a 12-inch “Texas Star” medallion imbedded in the sidewalk in front of each structure. Smaller medallion markers in the sidewalk point the way to the next site along the trail. The new Texas Star Trail brochure will be available as of May 25, 2011 at the San Antonio Conservation Society at 107 King William Street and the San Antonio Visitor Center at 317 Alamo Plaza. The map will also be available online at http://www.saconservation.org/events/TXStarTrailUnveilInviteElectronic.pdf and http://www.visitsanantonio.com/visitors/play/history-heritage/index.
Then and Now: When the Texas Star Trail was first developed in 1968, Janet Francis was the Society President; Society board member Emily Pressly (daughter of Ralph Cameron who designed the Medical Arts Building, now the Emily Morgan Hotel, as well as the downtown post office) headed up the Society’s Sesquicentennial Committee, aided by her husband Tom Pressly as co-chair. Susie Monday designed the graphics for the brochure and Maria Watson Pfeifer wrote the text. The markers were designed by Tom Pressly and produced by Alamo Iron Works. When completed, the $25,000 project was a gift bestowed upon the city of San Antonio to celebrate its 150th Birthday.
Now, Society President Rollette Schreckenghost charged Marlene Richardson, third vice president of the Conservation Society, with the task of updating the trail. “Marlene and Elizabeth Porterfield from the City’s Office of Historic Preservation evaluated and updated the old trail and then the brochure,” says Schreckenghost. “We appreciate the time they took to walk the route many times to verify the sites, location of medallions, and make necessary changes to the route.” Key support also came from Downtown Operations, who coordinated the project and the installation of new medallions at missing and added locations, along with the Public Works Department and Ron Bauml from the Conservation Society.
The San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau produced the revised brochure layout and new map, which has 29 "must-see" places indicated by a star for those who are unable to visit all 79 locations. The Society will pay for initial print runs of the brochure. Satellite readings for each stop on the tour have been determined so a Smartphone app or QR code can be produced for the trail in the future.
“Originally created as the Society’s Sesquicentennial gift to the city in 1986, the Texas Star Trail is the gift that just keeps on giving!” adds Schreckenghost. For more information, photos, etc. contact the Conservation Society at 210.224.6163 or conserve@saconservation.org, or visit www.saconservation.org.
Media Contact: Jeanne Albrecht
210/496-6686
Founded in 1924, the San Antonio Conservation Society is one of the oldest and most active community preservation groups in the United States. Beginning with efforts to prevent historic structures from being razed and to preserve such unique features as the San Antonio River Bend and the city's Spanish Colonial missions, the society has been responsible for saving most of the historic attractions which now make San Antonio one of the top tourist destinations in Texas. For more information, contact the Conservation Society at 210.224.6163 or conserve@saconservation.org, or visit www.saconservation.org.
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