| Roosevelt Park | |
|---|---|
  Roosevelt Park | |
| Type | Public City Park |
| Location | 330 Roosevelt San Antonio, Texas |
| Coordinates | 29°24′3″N 98°29′19″W / 29.40083°N 98.48861°W |
| Area | 12.9 acres (0.052 km2) |
| Created | 1920 |
| Operated by | San Antonio Parks and Recreation |
Roosevelt Park in San Antonio, Texas is named for President Theodore Roosevelt. The origins of the park date to 1888, when it was known as the International Fair Grounds. The name was changed to Roosevelt Park in 1920. [1] Its current layout and design was created by the architectural firm of Hare & Hare, and for a brief time was known as Lambert Park, before returning the name to Roosevelt Park [1]
In 1898, Army Lt. Colonel Roosevelt, and then-recent Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Col. Leonard Wood, [2] established recruitment headquarters for the Spanish–American War at the Menger Hotel, with Wood signing up volunteers on the hotel patio [3] and Roosevelt working out of its bar room. [4] Enlistees were encamped and trained by Roosevelt in what is now the 12.9-acre Roosevelt Park. [5]
The recruits would come to be known as Roosevelt's Rough Riders. Roosevelt himself noted that Texans, in particular active Texas Rangers, made up a large percentage of the volunteers. [6]
The current park was once owned by Bexar County. When the City of San Antonio assumed ownership of the facility in 1920, the park was named Roosevelt Park. [7]
References
- ^ a b "Roosevelt Park - San Antonio | TCLF". The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ "Leonard Wood". The Hall of Valor Project. valor.militarytimes.com. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ Oko, Dan (October 29, 2019). "Teddy Roosevelt, San Antonio, and the Birth of the Rough Riders". Texas Highways. Texas Dept. of Highways. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ White, Meghan (September 29, 2016). "The Menger Hotel Bar in San Antonio, Texas | National Trust for Historic Preservation". savingplaces.org. The National Trust for Historic Preservation. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ "TSHA | "Rough Riders" ordered from San Antonio to Florida". Texas Day by Day. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ Cutrer, Thomas W. "First United States Volunteer Cavalry". Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ "Roosevelt Park". The City of San Antonio - Official City Website. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
External links
- Parks in San Antonio
- Tourist attractions in San Antonio
- Theodore Roosevelt
- Rough Riders
- Military history of the United States
- Cavalry regiments of the United States Army
- American military personnel of the Spanish–American War
- Military units and formations of the United States in the Spanish–American War