INSIDER
Louis Escalante, original member of historic San Antonio band the Royal Jesters, dies at 86
Read full article: Louis Escalante, original member of historic San Antonio band the Royal Jesters, dies at 86Louis Escalante, an original member of the historic San Antonio band the Royal Jesters, died Thursday. He was 86.
‘Bat Bombs’: A weird, disturbing WWII weapon that used South Texas bats
Read full article: ‘Bat Bombs’: A weird, disturbing WWII weapon that used South Texas batsThe Mexican free-tailed bat, which roosts under our freeways and in caves, even shows up on radars during their evening mass exodus to find food and eats an untold amount of bugs every spring and summer.
From cows to crowds: The history of Stone Oak
Read full article: From cows to crowds: The history of Stone OakMost people in San Antonio recognize the name Stone Oak. The sprawling North Side neighborhood just west of U.S. Highway 281 and north of Loop 1604 was the first master-planned community in Bexar County.
UTSA’s Institute of Texan Cultures launches digital music series charting sounds of the state
Read full article: UTSA’s Institute of Texan Cultures launches digital music series charting sounds of the stateFrom San Antonio’s early jazz icons to the stars who passed away in 2024, a new effort by the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC) is exploring the annals of the state’s music history.
100-year-old pottery company first black-owned business in Texas
Read full article: 100-year-old pottery company first black-owned business in TexasThe Wilson Pottery Foundation is dedicated to preserving and retelling the story of the first known former black slaves turned business owners; they have roots in Seguin, Texas.
San Antonio-area students win laptops, cash in Battle of Flowers' essay contest
Read full article: San Antonio-area students win laptops, cash in Battle of Flowers' essay contestSixty-seven San Antonio-area students from 20 schools entered this year’s Battle of Flowers Texas History Essay Contest. The contest is a competition for seventh graders who write about a Texas History moment of their choice.
San Antonio church provided spiritual comfort for first woman on death row in Texas
Read full article: San Antonio church provided spiritual comfort for first woman on death row in TexasTexas's first female condemned killer received special permission to leave jail and be baptized at New Light Baptist Church in Denver Heights.
San Antonio has a little-known connection to Holocaust concentration camp liberation
Read full article: San Antonio has a little-known connection to Holocaust concentration camp liberationIt’s officially been 80 years since the discovery of Holocaust concentration camps shocked and horrified U.S. troops and their allies. Local experts are just now learning that one of the infantries that liberated the Flossenbürg camp was from San Antonio.
What words will the kids be using in 2050? Predictions are going in a time capsule.
Read full article: What words will the kids be using in 2050? Predictions are going in a time capsule.A time capsule containing predictions from students in 2000 on what words would be popular in 2025 was recently unsealed.
Denver Heights holds its place in history as a hub of Black professionals, entrepreneurship
Read full article: Denver Heights holds its place in history as a hub of Black professionals, entrepreneurshipBeginning in the 1920s, Denver Heights was known as a predominantly African American neighborhood full of doctors, lawyers, teachers, lawmakers and other professionals.

History of Oakland Estates has ties to Battle of Bexar
Read full article: History of Oakland Estates has ties to Battle of BexarThe history of the Oakland Estates neighborhood can be traced back to a land grant awarded to a man who fought in the Battle of Bexar to defend San Antonio and force Mexican forces to retreat.
Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word host thrift sale to preserve historic chapel, grotto
Read full article: Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word host thrift sale to preserve historic chapel, grottoThe Chapel of the Incarnate Word, the Lourdes Grotto, and Brackenridge Villa were all built over 120 years ago and were some of the first buildings in San Antonio.
Texas State’s Wittliff Collections touts ‘doubling’ of Cormac McCarthy archive
Read full article: Texas State’s Wittliff Collections touts ‘doubling’ of Cormac McCarthy archiveTexas State's Witliff Collections has doubled its archive of the late author Cormac McCarthy, whose searing, often brutal works garnered acclaim and several film adaptations.
Before & after Kelly AFB: South San history is held in the memories of those who know it best
Read full article: Before & after Kelly AFB: South San history is held in the memories of those who know it bestFrom Belgian flower fields to a deadly military plane crash, KSAT spoke with long-time residents of South San about what it was like growing up in the neighborhood.
In a small Mexican town, Juneteenth is a day of solidarity
Read full article: In a small Mexican town, Juneteenth is a day of solidarityWhy would a small town in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila have a long history of celebrating Juneteenth? It began after Black Seminole Indians were forced to join other tribes on the harrowing Trail of Tears in the mid-1800s.
Here’s how San Antonio celebrated Juneteenth 2024
Read full article: Here’s how San Antonio celebrated Juneteenth 2024Wednesday marked Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston and announced that enslaved people in the United States were free. San Antonio organizations honored the holiday with educational events, festivals and more.
School of Ballet San Antonio aims to teach students the art of ballet and its history
Read full article: School of Ballet San Antonio aims to teach students the art of ballet and its historyThe School of Ballet San Antonio aims to teach children all aspects of the ballet when they attend its programs.
St. Philip’s College swimming program has long history of serving community members
Read full article: St. Philip’s College swimming program has long history of serving community membersSummer time means hitting the pool for many families, but during segregation not everyone was allowed to go to just any pool.
How the forecast on D-Day changed the course of history
Read full article: How the forecast on D-Day changed the course of historyImagine the pressure of having to accurately forecast the weather with countless lives and the fate of the free world at stake. That's exactly what a team of British and American meteorologists were tasked to do 80 years ago for the battle of D-Day.
‘A piece of who we are now’: Uvalde library preserves stories of healing, items donated after Robb shooting
Read full article: ‘A piece of who we are now’: Uvalde library preserves stories of healing, items donated after Robb shootingEl Progreso Memorial Library has partnered with Humanities Texas to organize and catalog hundreds of items donated after the shooting. They will also start an oral history program.
Military community shares memories of old Wilford Hall Medical Center as it gets demolished
Read full article: Military community shares memories of old Wilford Hall Medical Center as it gets demolishedThe military community is saying goodbye to the old Wilford Hall Medical Center at Joint Base San Antonio – Lackland.
Mission San José among 19 new additions to Underground Railroad Network, research says
Read full article: Mission San José among 19 new additions to Underground Railroad Network, research saysMission San José in San Antonio is now one of three sites in Texas connected to the Underground Railroad, new research says.
One man is credited with creating the River Walk. He got fired halfway through the project.
Read full article: One man is credited with creating the River Walk. He got fired halfway through the project.Locals and tourists alike think of the River Walk when they think of downtown. Here’s how it all got started.
From the heart of San Antonio: ‘Urbanistas’ share what it’s like to live downtown
Read full article: From the heart of San Antonio: ‘Urbanistas’ share what it’s like to live downtownThe Alamo, River Walk, San Fernando Cathedral. They are all iconic places that serve as icons of San Antonio and touchstones in the middle of a bustling city. But what is it like to live in the shadow of these tourist hot spots? In this episode of "Know My Neighborhood," we talk to those who live and work in the downtown neighborhood.
Historical photos show Fiesta parade floats and crowds from 100+ years ago in downtown San Antonio
Read full article: Historical photos show Fiesta parade floats and crowds from 100+ years ago in downtown San AntonioLooking back at vintage photos of Fiesta from the early 1900s, it seems like that excitement has remained timeless.
Wurzbach corridor considered for Cultural Heritage District designation
Read full article: Wurzbach corridor considered for Cultural Heritage District designationThe City of San Antonio’s Office of Historic Preservation is hosting community meetings to consider naming parts of Wurzbach Road as Silk Road.
History shows Northern Hills/Valencia has an Alamo connection
Read full article: History shows Northern Hills/Valencia has an Alamo connectionMany Northern Hills and Valencia residents probably don't realize that this part of Northeast San Antonio has a connection to the Mission San Antonio de Valero, best known as the Alamo.
‘Dawn at the Alamo’ ceremony commemorates 188th anniversary of pivotal 1836 battle
Read full article: ‘Dawn at the Alamo’ ceremony commemorates 188th anniversary of pivotal 1836 battleOn Wednesday, a large crowd will gather at the Alamo downtown to pay tribute to the valor and sacrifices of those who died while defending the mission.
Digitizing handwritten history - city clerk wants to speed up archive preservation plan
Read full article: Digitizing handwritten history - city clerk wants to speed up archive preservation planSan Antonio’s city clerk wants to accelerate an ongoing plan to digitize and preserve the city’s archive, which she says could otherwise take decades.
History of Shearer Hills reflects San Antonio’s post-war housing boom
Read full article: History of Shearer Hills reflects San Antonio’s post-war housing boomIts 1950s and 60s vibe permeates Shearer Hills; it's one of the first developments during San Antonio's post-war building boom. Back then, the area was considered to be outside the city limits. Yet it was created during a time of racial segregation by developer H.J. Shearer, who had a racial covenant in the deed restrictions, a common practice at the time.
Descendants of families buried at Hockley Clay cemetery learn about family tree
Read full article: Descendants of families buried at Hockley Clay cemetery learn about family treeThe Hockley-Clay Cemetery is a site of a family revelation and a place where its descendants are working towards preservation.
MLK March 2024 spotlight: Bexar County Buffalo Soldiers Association honors trailblazers
Read full article: MLK March 2024 spotlight: Bexar County Buffalo Soldiers Association honors trailblazersMeet one of the hundreds of groups marching together, the Bexar County Buffalo Soldiers Association. The group has been marching every year since 2000.
‘Victory or Death’: Travis Letter returns to the Alamo for the first time in more than a decade
Read full article: ‘Victory or Death’: Travis Letter returns to the Alamo for the first time in more than a decadeThe original Travis Letter, one of the most famous letters in American History, will return to the Alamo for the first time in more than a decade.
Interpretive signs at Old Town Helotes aims to help visitors understand its history
Read full article: Interpretive signs at Old Town Helotes aims to help visitors understand its historyThe Historical Society of Helotes helped bring eight interpretive signs in front of historic buildings in Old Town Helotes.
Before Olmos Park and Alamo Heights, there was Dignowity Hill
Read full article: Before Olmos Park and Alamo Heights, there was Dignowity HillAn African American community at its heart, vestiges of its affluent past remain in Dignowity Hill. But over recent decades of demolition and rebuilding, one historian worries that the integrity of the neighborhood was also lost in the process.
New museum on West Side aims to preserve Mexican-American history of San Antonio
Read full article: New museum on West Side aims to preserve Mexican-American history of San AntonioA special project is underway at the corner of Guadalupe and South Colorado -- a museum that will hold some of the community’s history.
Land sold by group of nuns helped jump-start Alamo Ranch
Read full article: Land sold by group of nuns helped jump-start Alamo RanchFew, if any, planned communities can thank a religious order for jump-starting their developments, but 175 acres sold by the Cordi-Marian Missionary Sisters about 20 years ago, led to what is now the mega-subdivision Alamo Ranch.
What is the history of Israel and Gaza? KSAT Explains
Read full article: What is the history of Israel and Gaza? KSAT ExplainsThousands of years of history are hard to sum up in one article on the internet, but here, the KSAT Explains team is breaking down some of the key conflicts that have transpired involving Israel, Gaza and its surrounding areas since Israel gained its independence in 1948.
Google Doodle honors late San Antonio media pioneer Raoul A. Cortez
Read full article: Google Doodle honors late San Antonio media pioneer Raoul A. CortezA Google Doodle on Tuesday honored the legacy of Raoul A. Cortez — a staunch community advocate who revolutionized the Spanish-language media landscape in San Antonio.
Researchers may be close to finding the location of the infamous Battle of Medina
Read full article: Researchers may be close to finding the location of the infamous Battle of MedinaThe Battle of Medina, the bloodiest battle in Texas history that is often forgotten, is one step closer to being found, thanks to a podcaster and a group of veteran archeologists.
San Antonio Charro Association celebrates 76 years with traditional charreada tournament
Read full article: San Antonio Charro Association celebrates 76 years with traditional charreada tournamentFor Hispanic Heritage Month, we explore Mexico’s national sport that involves skillful roping, talented horsemanship and much more.
Historical photographs show Texas Rangers confiscating alcohol, arresting bootleggers during prohibition in 1920s
Read full article: Historical photographs show Texas Rangers confiscating alcohol, arresting bootleggers during prohibition in 1920sProhibition outlawed the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcohol from 1919 to 1933 but that didn’t stop Texans from imbibing during those dry years.
Mexican-American activist, journalist to be memorialized on commemorative quarter
Read full article: Mexican-American activist, journalist to be memorialized on commemorative quarterOn September 14, UTSA will host a ceremonial quarter release to honor Idar’s legacy. The celebration will feature two events that are free to the public at UTSA’s downtown campus.
IN PHOTOS: 60th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech
Read full article: IN PHOTOS: 60th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speechThe speech was a part of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, an event organized to advocate civil and economic rights for African-Americans.
Comal Springs have only stopped flowing once in recorded history. Could it happen again?
Read full article: Comal Springs have only stopped flowing once in recorded history. Could it happen again?Comal Springs is one of the most prolific springs in Texas. It's only stopped flowing once before. Could it happen again?
Couple who unknowingly bought ex-slave plantation learn about mansion’s past, history of slaves along Cibolo Creek
Read full article: Couple who unknowingly bought ex-slave plantation learn about mansion’s past, history of slaves along Cibolo CreekA retired military couple, Keith and Robin Muschalek bought a dilapidated Wilson County home in 2015. They soon found out the property was a slave plantation, and are now trying to learn more about the enslaved people who lived and worked there. The other unanswered question revolves around their emancipation: Where did they go?
Preservation Race to educate San Antonio youth on history, architecture
Read full article: Preservation Race to educate San Antonio youth on history, architecturePut on by the City of San Antonio’s Office of Historic Preservation, the race utilizes a family-friendly scavenger hunt that explores San Antonio’s history and architecture.
Lavish 5,000-year-old tomb belonged to woman previously thought to be high-status man
Read full article: Lavish 5,000-year-old tomb belonged to woman previously thought to be high-status manAn ornate tomb discovered in 2008 in Valencina, Spain was previously thought to belong to a high-status young man but new research shows it was actually the tomb of a woman.
Discovery of Titanic was like finding treasure for historians, collectors
Read full article: Discovery of Titanic was like finding treasure for historians, collectorsTuesday marks the anniversary of a significant discovery made in an ocean: Sept. 1 is the 35th anniversary of the remains of the Titanic being discovered in the Atlantic, an occasion that brought headlines around the world in 1985.
How the forecast on D-Day changed the course of history
Read full article: How the forecast on D-Day changed the course of historyImagine the pressure of having to accurately forecast the weather with countless lives and the fate of the free world at stake. That's exactly what a team of British and American meteorologists were tasked to do 79 years ago for the battle of D-Day.
Vintage photos show Fredericksburg just 50 years after it was founded in the mid 1800s
Read full article: Vintage photos show Fredericksburg just 50 years after it was founded in the mid 1800sVintage photos give an insight in the history of Fredericksburg, which was founded by German immigrants on May 8, 1846.
VIDEO: Archeologists find underwater remains of hospital, cemetery in Florida
Read full article: VIDEO: Archeologists find underwater remains of hospital, cemetery in FloridaRemains of a 19th-century quarantine hospital and cemetery were found submerged at Dry Tortugas National Park near the island of Garden Key, Florida in August 2022.
Cinco de Mayo: UIW professor explains its origins and significance
Read full article: Cinco de Mayo: UIW professor explains its origins and significanceUIW history department professor gives us an understanding of the historical origins of Cinco de Mayo, and what it means not just Mexicans but all Americans.
El Camino de San Antonio Missions Center opens for tourists, pilgrims from around the world
Read full article: El Camino de San Antonio Missions Center opens for tourists, pilgrims from around the worldA new center aims to link all five San Antonio missions and serve as a starting point for a curated experience that also encompasses Europe.
San Antonio community observes Holocaust Remembrance Day
Read full article: San Antonio community observes Holocaust Remembrance DayThe San Antonio Jewish community gathered Monday night to mark Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day that honors the six million jews who perished in the Holocaust, along with those that also survived.
These old Titanic photos show just how much has changed since April 1912
Read full article: These old Titanic photos show just how much has changed since April 1912Each year on April 15 marks another Titanic Remembrance Day, a time to reflect on the lives lost when the famed ship sank into the North Atlantic’s icy waters back in 1912.
Native American Cultural Arts Center and Gallery opens in San Antonio
Read full article: Native American Cultural Arts Center and Gallery opens in San AntonioThe first center to support the cultural restoration of the American Indian peoples of South Texas is getting a permanent location after nearly three decades of serving the community.