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7 little known facts about San Antonio

POSTED JANUARY 2024

  1. Church's Fried ChickenGatorade was invented by San Antonio native Robert Cade. Cade was a professor of medicine and nephrology at the University of Florida when he was doing research about the football team and why players didn’t urinate after a game. It was determined players lost so much fluid that none was left to form urine and that is when he invented a drink that had salts and sugars which was the basis for Gatorade, according to the University of Florida. Cade was born in San Antonio in 1927.
  2. San Pedro Park is the oldest park in Texas and one of the oldest municipal parks in the United States, according to the Texas State Historical Association. The park located just north of downtown on North Flores Street and San Pedro Avenue is 46 acres and features the San Pedro Springs swimming pool. The area was an early settlement dating back to 1729 when the Canary Islanders settled in San Antonio.
  3. Church’s Chicken first opened in San Antonio and the first location used to be across the street from the Alamo. According to the Church’s website, George W. Church opened the location in 1952.
  4. The largest Mexican market outside of Mexico is the Historic Market Square. This popular area has been around since the 1700s. Over 100 locally-owned businesses provide a unique shopping experience. It’s also the place to go for many fun events and celebrations.
  5. The Milam building downtown was the first high-rise office building in the U.S. to have air conditioning. According to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the 21-story building was opened in Jan. 1928. The air-conditioning design was created by Willis H. Carrier of the Carrier Engineering Corporation.
  6. San Antonio is considered one of the most haunted places in the United States, according to Yahoo Travel. Many historical buildings, hotels, museums and parks are reportedly haunted in the city.
  7. The San Antonio Stockshow and Rodeo reuse the same dirt every year. It was purchased from near Charolotte, TX in 1988. If the dirt wasn’t recycled it would cost nearly $25,000 to purchase new dirt every year. The dirt is stored on a back lot on the grounds of the AT&T Center and it is cleaned and refined before it’s used again.