Photo: Old Mill Crossing mural on the Riverwalk….Author
Photo: Old Mill Crossing mural and Marriage Island …Author
Before there were a variety of bridges across the San Antonio River, locals and travelers looked for accessible locations to ford the river with horses, wagons and buggies.
Near today’s South Navarro Street bridge it was always a shallow part of the river, and it proved to be a popular north – south location to cross the river on horseback or on a wheeled vehicle. It was known for many years as Alamo Crossing, and it was at this point on the river that El Camino Real, which was the San Antonio Road to Nacogdoches, crossed the river, and it was one of the earliest known places on the river between the Alamo and Villa de San Fernando where the original settlers could wade across because it was so shallow at this point.
At the corner of today’s Market and Navarro streets, on the banks of the river near today’s Marriage Island, Nathaniel Lewis established a grist mill in 1847. For many years the mill served farmers by grinding their grain, and it supplied flour and cornmeal to the area. Around this time, this part of the river became known as the Old Mill Crossing. The old mill was the site of the gruesome murder of the caretaker named Stein in 1867, and was rumored to be haunted.
It was always a very pretty part of the river, and a contingent of young boys, up to their waists in water outside the mill, could earn pennies for washing wagons and buggies in the river. The water also provided an opportunity to expand the wooden wheels of the wagons and buggies, which tightened them against their metal rims.
Photo: Old Mill Crossing postcard with the Bexar County Courthouse in the background…Wikipedia
To commemorate this activity at this historic spot, a mural can be found on the river level outside the Contessa Hotel. The 154 tile artwork was supervised by artist Ethel Wilson Harris, who also contributed other tiled murals along the Riverwalk and at other locations around San Antonio.
Photo: Ethel Wilson Harris….San Antonio Express News
The Old Mill Crossing mural depicts a trail rider on a horse, and a horse-drawn carriage, making their way across the river next to the Nat Lewis Mill. The inscription reads
“OLD MILL CROSSING – LAST KNOWN PLACE WHERE HORSES DRANK AND FORDED THE RIVER.
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF OUR FATHERS.
ERECTED BY THE DAUGHTERS OF THE TEXAS TRAIL DRIVERS”
Photo: Old Mill Crossing mural….Author
Each corner of the mural features a popular cattle brand.
Photo: Old Mill Crossing cattle brand…Author
Photo: Old Mill Crossing mural cattle brand…Author
Photo: Old Mill Crossing mural cattle brand….Author
Photo: Old Mill Crossing mural cattle brand …Author
The brand of the Works Projects Administration (WPA), responsible for numerous public works enterprises can be found on the bottom left hand corner of the mural.
Photo: Old Mill Crossing mural WPA tile….Author
Meanwhile, on the Hugman Benches below the mural, Ethel Wilson Harris put three tiles that were created by Mexican Arts and Crafts.
Photo: Old Mill Crossing mural and Hugman benches….Author
Photos: Old Mill Crossing mural tiles on Hugman benches…Author
The mural was dedicated by the Daughters of Texas Trail Riders at a ceremony at the Old Mill Crossing on April 22nd 1942, 80 years ago today.
Photo: Violet Haynes President of the Daughters of Texas Trail Drivers and San Antonio Mayor Charles Kennon Quin inspect the newly dedicated mural in 1942….San Antonio Light Collection
This dedication was followed by a reception in the Cos House in La Villita.
Photo: Cos House…Author
Additional stories:
- This river location was also known for public bath houses, and was also a popular spot for baptismal rites.
Photo: Bath houses on the San Antonio River…”Street Scene in San Antonio”…Harper’s New Monthly Magazine
- In later years, Nat Lewis donated one of the mill’s grinding stones to the Alamo. It was originally used at the Molina Blanco mill at that location. The mill was established in 1733, and ran until about 1830 when it was abandoned. The plaque in the Alamo also mentions Frank Grice who was the owner of the “San Antonio Express” newspaper.
Photo: Grist Mill stone at the Alamo….Dr Roy Winkleman
Photo: Dr. Roy Winkleman
Sources:
“Colors on Clay”….Susan Toomey Frost
San Antonio Light
San Antonio Express News
“San Antonio River.”….Louise Lomax
“American Venice”….Lewis F. Fisher
“Wild West Frontier Town”…Tom Woodley
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