Dedication of the DRT Library

On December 2, 1950, members of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and honored guests gathered to dedicate the new wing of the DRT Library. Since the opening of the library five years previously, the collections had been housed in Alamo Hall. The new wing, designed by architects Atlee B. and Robert M. Ayres, was built on the west side of the former city fire station; contemporary patrons know it as the library’s reading room.

Speakers at the ceremony, as listed in the "Dedication Program," December 2, 1950.

The history of the DRT library began several years before the dedication. The charter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas states that one objective of the organization is to “encourage historical research into the earliest records of Texas, especially those relating to the revolution of 1835 and the events which followed; to foster the preservation of documents and relics; and to encourage the publication of records of individual service of soldiers and patriots of the Republic.” Beginning in the 1920s, several donations were given to the Alamo for a library. Mrs. Leita Small, custodian of the Alamo, noted in 1928 that:

“We are planning to make an appeal for old Texas publications that we might have a collection for the Alamo…I am continually called upon for historical data, and it will be a great help to have books and allow visitors to get the data they want from them. It is surprising the number of people who come to the Alamo for all kinds of information. When San Antonians cannot answer questions asked by strangers, they immediately refer them to the Alamo.”

Dr. William E. Howard. (CN95.49)

San Antonio native and Dallas physician William Eager Howard provided the nucleus of the library’s collections, as he donated his private collection of Texana materials to the DRT in the late 1930s and early 1940s. On October 12, 1945 the library in Alamo Hall opened with the William E. Howard Collection. Mrs. Small, at that time Chairman of the William E. Howard Library Committee, described the arrangement of the library at that time:

“The front room of Alamo Hall holds the Texana Collection, the next room a case of very rare books…also…the collection of Civil War books. In the third room are the United States and miscellaneous books, and in the small fourth room is the western collection. Many paintings are hung in these rooms which make them attractive.”

During its earliest years, the library was open three days each week. In 1948, the library was allotted an annual budget of $150.00, and the following year its collection was comprised of 2,304 books, 213 pamphlets, 37 manuscripts, 69 rare documents, and 62 Spanish documents.

Portrait of John King Beretta by Lonnie Rees, which now hangs in the DRT Library reading room. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John Ward Beretta. (SC05.054)

Portrait of Sallie Mills Ward Beretta by Lonnie Rees, which now hangs in the DRT Library reading room. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John Ward Beretta. (SC05.055)

After the Texas legislature denied a request from the DRT for funds for the construction of a new library building, Mrs. Sallie Ward Beretta donated $30,000 so that the organization could add a wing to Alamo Hall. Mrs. Beretta wanted to honor the memory of her late husband, Mr. John King Beretta, who had been a close friend of Dr. Howard’s. Mrs. Beretta’s generous gift made possible the wing that was dedicated in 1950 and that remains the heart of the library.

Presentation Address by Mrs. John King Beretta, as reprinted in the "Dedication Program," December 2, 1950.

Second page of Mrs. John King Beretta's Presentation Address.

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Ulysses S. Grant’s Son Honored in San Antonio

San Antonians have welcomed many famous Americans and visitors from abroad to their city. These well-known guests have included presidents and other government officials; artists and entertainers; authors; military officers; religious leaders; and scholars.

Program cover for the banquet honoring Frederick Dent Grant, December 1, 1902.

One famous visitor, Frederick Dent Grant (1850-1912), was the guest of honor at a banquet sponsored by San Antonio’s Business Men’s Club and held on December 1, 1902 at the Menger Hotel. While not easily identified today, Frederick was the eldest child of Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia Dent Grant. An 1871 graduate of West Point, Fred enjoyed a lengthy military career in which he served with William Tecumseh Sherman, Philip Sheridan, and George Armstrong Custer and served in the Bannock War, the Spanish-American War, and the Philippine-American War. According to Frank Scaturro of the Grant Monument Association, Fred “became a Major General in the Army and was the second highest ranking man in the active service at the time of his death in 1912.” Additionally, at times Fred also worked as a civil engineer, businessman, diplomat to Austria, and New York City police commissioner.  

(Caitlin was formerly a Library Aid and Park Guide at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in St. Louis, Missouri. As a result, she has an enduring interest in the Grant family and was very excited to find the program included in this entry. It should be noted that Ulysses S. Grant also visited San Antonio on at least a couple of occasions. As a soldier during the Mexican War, Grant traveled around southeastern Texas, visiting Corpus Christi and Austin as well as San Antonio; he described these travels and the countryside he saw in some detail in his Personal Memoirs. His later visit(s) to the city were much more social in nature, as, for example, he stayed at the Menger and was a guest at the Casino Club.)

Program and menu at the banquet.

The library’s collection of banquet programs in the DRT 2 Ephemera Collection documents this special event held for Frederick Dent Grant. Note also that the men who spoke at the banquet were among San Antonio’s most prominent citizens at the turn of the twentieth century.

For more information about famous San Antonio and Alamo visitors, please ask about the library’s vertical files about these topics.

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Alamo Premiere Weekend

Today is the 48^th anniversary of the world premiere of the John Wayne classic, The Alamo. The film premiered in San Antonio, and the city threw a weekend-long celebration to honor the movie and its stars.

On Saturday, the 22^nd, the city welcomed guests, including Wayne, at an airport reception. That was followed by a press reception, a symphony concert featuring the film’s score, and a San Antonio Press Club Gridiron Show. Also, according to the San Antonio Light, Frankie Avalon (pre-Annette) made an appearance at the Trinity-McMurray football fame. In the film, Avalon played “Smitty,” a fictional character.

Sunday, the 23^rd, was marked by other receptions and a special Night in Old San Antonio in the evening. Like NIOSAs during Fiesta, the event took place at La Villita and featured a wide variety of food and entertainment. The San Antonio Light reported that about 8,000 people attended. Below is a broadside advertising the event.

Broadside for the special NIOSA during the premiere.

Monday, the 24^th, began with a breakfast held at Alamo Plaza and ceremony honoring the Alamo defenders. This was followed by a luncheon at the Menger Hotel. Then, that evening, the highly anticipated premiere occurred at the Woodlawn Theatre.

The library has several copies of an official program created by the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce for the weekend. Below is the schedule of official events from that program. Because of the document’s 18 inch by 12.5 inch size, a few words were cut off from the scan. The broadside featured above and the program reside in the library’s Ephemera Collection. Click on the images for larger views.

A list of events for October 22nd from the Chamber of Commerce's program.

The program's list of events for October 23rd and 24th.

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1899 State Fair of Texas

The State Fair of Texas, which takes place for three weeks during September and October each year in Dallas’ Fair Park, ended this past weekend. The event attracts a huge number of visitors and has an economic impact in Dallas of about $350 million each year.

The State Fair began in 1886 as the Dallas State Fair and Exposition. For more details on the history of the State Fair of Texas, click here. The library’s Ephemera Collection contains the program for the 1899 Fair, donated to the library by Edith White. The program includes descriptions of several exhibits and photographs from the fair grounds as well as a rundown of special days during the Fair, such as Texas Day, Confederate Day, Press Day, A&M College Day, Shriner’s Day, etc.

In addition, two notable events happened at the 1899 Fair. First, the National Democratic Carnival was a gathering for Democratic leaders to address political issues. One prominent Democrat in attendance was William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic nominee for President in 1900.

Second, the Grand Pageant of the Grand Orders of the Kaliphs was set up by liquor wholesaler Charles Mangold. According to Nancy Wiley in her book, The Great State Fair of Texas, the event “had been organized to present a gala civic entertainment along Mardi Gras lines. The three-day program would take place during the fair and include a welcome for the ceremonial Kaliph of Baghdad, a nighttime parade of illuminated floats through downtown and a grand ball that promised to rival any existing social event in the state.”

The following images are from the 1899 program. Click on the images for a larger view.

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Cover of the 1899 program for the State Fair.

An exhibit from a San Antonio ostrich farm.

Photographs of the State Fair Grounds.

The Grand Pageant of the Grand Order of the Kaliphs was meant to be a Mardi Gras-like celebration.

Democratic Carnival Day featured William Jennings Bryan as its main speaker.