San Pedro Springs (1) are located in the park at 1315 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212. The natural springs have been the hub of many trails, traces and roads for both animals and people since prehistoric times up to the present. The Payaya Indians resided at the springs before the Camino Real (2) connected the Rio Grande River with the Sabine River. The San Pedro Springs were named in 1709 and the San Pedro Springs Park became a public park in 1729.(3) This is the birthplace of the Spanish missions that have since become and define the city of San Antonio, Texas.
When the expedition led by Father Antonio de San Buenaventura de Olivares, and accompanied by Father Isidro Felix de Espinosa, these springs got a name that lasted in history. On April 13, 1709, Father Espinosa arrived at the springs with the rest of the travelers and wrote: "... after going through a mesquite flat and some holm-oak groves we came to an irrigation ditch, bordered by many trees and with enough water to supply a town. It was full of taps or sluices of water, the earth being terraced. We named it San Pedro Springs." In 1729, the king of Spain, King Philip V, declared the land around San Pedro Springs as public land.(4) Today the park comprises 46 acres. The oldest public park in the United States is the Boston Commons, Boston, MA, having been declared public land in 1634.(5) The second oldest park in the United States is San Pedro Springs Park (6), declared public land in 1729. Since no other public park in Texas can claim heritage before 1729, San Pedro Springs Park is the oldest public park in Texas.(7)
The park grounds have mostly been used for its water source and for the recreational attributes of the park grounds. In the early 1860’s, during the U.S. Civil War, the area around the Springs was used as a prisoner of war camp to hold captured Union soldiers; and later as a staging area for new or reassigned Confederate troops.(8) After the city banned the encampment of troops in 1863, the springs were used to replenish fish ponds and draw people to the park with other attractions.(9) These have subsequently been replaced with more accommodating baseball/softball fields, a bandstand gazebo, pathways, bridges, and landscaping. In the 1920s-1950s the 46 acres of the park gained a swimming pool built on the foundational bed of the San Pedro Springs-fed town lake, tennis courts, a library, and a community theater. In the late 1990s, children's playground equipment was installed in two areas of the park, pathways were repaired, replaced, or added, and more landscaping was done. The swimming pool is a particularly popular attraction to the park during its summer season operations.(10)
The 1997 Texas historical plaque titled “San Pedro Creek and ‘Five Points’" that is found 0.4 miles south from the springs, along the edge of San Pedro Springs Creek, summarizes the history of the San Pedro Springs, Park and Creek better than it could be otherwise paraphrased. Here is the text found of the marker at Five Points at San Pedro Creek: “San Pedro Creek is one of the most historic creeks in Texas. The creek was named by Father Isidro Felix de Espinosa in 1709. The original site of the ‘Mission San Antonio de Valero’ (The Alamo) was established on the banks of San Pedro Creek near here in 1718. Known as the ‘Villas de Bejar’ (Bexar), this area was settled during the 18th century and was one of the first areas of San Antonio to be developed. The Spanish named the creek crossing at this location the ‘Pasito de los Apaches’ after the Indians that frequently crossed here. This area also served as a crossing point of the El Camino Real or ‘The Kings Highway’ which stretched across Texas from the Rio Grande River to the Sabine River. North Flores Street was the primary route from this area to downtown San Antonio. The El Camino Real de San Saba which began here and proceeded north to the Texas Hill Country was named Fredericksburg Road in the 1800's. Traffic crossing here ranged from stage coaches, mail lines, and freight lines to herds of cattle headed north. Today, modern vehicles have replaced the mule drawn and electric trolley cars of the past. Over the years, this historic center of transportation, commerce, and culture has become known as ‘Five Points.’”(11)
Source References:
(1) WM98WF, (
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(2) WM9940, (
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(3) Stover, Scott E., “San Pedro Springs Park, Texas.” Design, Winter 1996, p.4
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(4) Stover, p. 4
(5) Boston Common, (
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(6) San Antonio Springs Park, (
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(7) WM9AV5, (
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(8) WM994E, (
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(9) Stover, p. 7.
(10) Echardt, Gregg. “San Pedro Springs,” The Edwards Aquifer Website, (
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(11) WM9HDJ, (
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