Upper Pump House - San Antonio, TX USA
N 29° 27.828 W 098° 28.166
14R E 551445 N 3259489
At the horseshoe bend in the San Antonio River, where the San Antonio Zoo's former reptile cages and Brackenridge Park headquarters are separated by the parking lot, the historical Upper Pump House stands at the river side.
Waymark Code: WM13XX8
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 03/09/2021
Views: 2
Visitors to the Brackenridge Park or to the San Antonio Zoo may pass by this area where the San Antonio River takes a sharp twisting turn before continuing to flow on through the Brackenridge Park. This Upper Pump House is a significant remnant of the earlier growth of San Antonio from 1877 through 1925. Although this pump house is no longer active, it is a reminder of the lasting legacy of George W. Brackenridge, and to a lesser extent, to Jean B. LaCoste and their contribution toward the success of the San Antonio Water System.
The sign of history is in the form of an informational panel mounted in a metal frame that is freestanding horizontally near the corner of this old pump house at the turn in the river. The panel has two sections of text that covers most of the upper left and central part of the sign. Three picture with captions are arranged in the lower left, the lower right, and upper right part of the panel. The text on this informational panel about the Upper Pump House reads as follows:
[main body of text]
"San Antonio relied on its river, creeks, and acequias (irrigation ditches) to provide water fro household and agricultural use until 1877 when Jean B. LaCoste built a privately owned water distribution system. Lacoste constructed this limestone pump house on land reserved by the city for the water works. A long canal channeled water that powered turbines and pumps to force water up to a hilltop reservoir a mile away. Water then flowed by gravity from the reservoir to the city below. Lacoste completed the system, but he lacked the funds for its expansion. His largest creditor, George W. Brackenridge, assumed ownership of the water supply company in 1883. Brackenridgeexpanded the system, but when drought threatened spring flow in the early 1890s he assured a reliable water source by drilling artesian wells that still supply San Antonio. The private water company was sold to the city in 1925 and operates today as the San Antonio Water System."
[lower left picture caption]
"Map of pump house location"
[lower right picture caption]
"As seen in this diagram (far left), water to power turbines and pumps was diverted from the river above the pump house through a 650-foot canal and then back into the river. The pumps forced water through pipes to the hilltop reservoir located in today's San Antonio Botanical Garden (left)."
[upper right picture caption]
"The city provided limestone from its nearby rock quarry to construct the water pump house."
Note: The address of Brackenridge Park is posted below as requested. However, the easiest path to find this Upper Pump House sign of history is to go East on Hildebrand Ave and cross over US 281/McAllister Freeway where University of Incarnate Word campus is. Continue on Hildebrand in the right lane and veer off to the right onto Brackenridge Road that takes you into the parking lot where you can then park within sight of the Upper Pump House. You will be right there!
Group that erected the marker: City of San Antonio
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link]
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
3700 N St. Mary's Street
San Antonio, TX USA
78212
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Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the marker, preferably including yourself or your GPSr in the photo. A very detailed description of your visit may be substituted for a photo. In any case please provide a description of your visit. A description of only "Visited" or "Saw it while on vacation" by anyone other than the person creating the waymark may be deleted by the waymark owner or the category officers.