Elm Grove Publishing

San Antonio

The People Who Built the Seventh Largest City in the USA, 1923–2023

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Doug McMurry, Hon. AIA San Antonio

Michele McMurry

Foreword by Mayor Ron Nirenberg

     These are the stories behind the unique and iconic buildings that have shaped San Antonio—and the people who created them-—helping it to become America’s seventh-largest city.

     From the tallest skyscraper in Texas to the largest wildlife land bridge in the United States, construction over the past 100 years has established the Alamo City as a leader in architectural innovation and building technology. 

     Authors Doug and Michele McMurry provide an insightful and entertaining narrative, drawing from archived material and long-forgotten historic documents, as well as the personal recollections of the men and women whose families pioneered the growth of Texas’ most unique city.

     San Antonio looked quite different one hundred years ago. There were no tall buildings, freeway overpasses, or corporate headquarter campuses. 

     The international airport, South Texas Medical Center, and University of Texas at San Antonio did not exist. Nor was the city home to the largest concentration of military bases in the United States. Despite the lack of public works infrastructure a century ago, San Antonio was at that time the largest city in Texas. 

     Economic optimism and transformation, unfolding following World War I and prior to the onset of the Great Depression, were reflected in new buildings and the people who erected them. 

     100 Years of Building San Antonio is a story about how San Antonio became the nation’s seventh-largest city. It is also about how we invested in ourselves and the physical environment that defines us. Focusing mainly on commercial construction and noteworthy renovations of iconic buildings, this book explores who built the familiar and famous places including revered landmarks, such as Trinity University, the Tower Life Building, and USAA’s sprawling headquarters, as well as the Alamodome, SeaWorld San Antonio, and the “enchilada red” Central Library.

     It also recounts how some buildings, like HemisFair Arena and McCreless Shopping City, have sadly been lost to history. 

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150-pages, illustrated throughout with vintage b/w photographs