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The Old Mill Crossing Mural and Historical Marker commemorates a geographical crossing point along the San Antonio River that was widely used by travelers and settlers, including cattle farmers who crossed the river with their animals at this spot. Because this portion of the river was both shallow and gentle, it afforded relatively safe passage, becoming part of El Camino Real, the road which led from San Antonio to Nacogdoches. Initially, this site was known as Alamo Crossing, until Nat Lewis established a grist mill here in 1847, and it later became known as Old Mill Crossing. To commemorate the site, a mural was commissioned by the Daughters of Texas Trail Drivers in honor of their fathers, with artwork created as part of a federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) project in 1942. Historical text embedded within the mural also recognizes this location as "the last known place where horses drank and forded the San Antonio River." The project was supervised by Ethel Wilson Harris, an artisan and patron of the arts who served as the local technical director for the Arts and Crafts Division of the WPA. Completed in 1943, the mural appears on the exterior of the Hotel Contessa along the River Walk.


Old Mill Crossing Mural and Historical Marker

World, Textile, Rectangle, Organism

The mural is on the exterior of the Hotel Contessa along the River Walk

Building, Window, Plant, Urban design

The mural is on the exterior of the Hotel Contessa along the River Walk

Property, Plant, Architecture, Facade

Detail of the mural

Art, Line, Leisure, Paint

An antique postcard showing Old Mill Crossing and the Bexar County Courthouse in the distance

Water, Horse, Vehicle, Plant

During a dedication ceremony in 1942, Violet Haynes (President of the Daughters of Texas Trail Drivers) and Charles Kennon Quin (Mayor of San Antonio) view the completed mural.

World, Human, Black, Black-and-white

Old Mill Crossing Mural on the Hotel Contessa along the River Walk

Building, Window, Tree, Urban design

The Hotel Contessa as it appears today; the mural is on an exterior wall near the river

Plant, Water, Window, Building

The Old Mill Crossing Mural on the Contessa Hotel

Plant, Property, Green, Leaf

Ethel Wilson Harris, who supervised the creation of the mural

Head, Glasses, Chin, Smile

Stone benches under the mural contain decorative tiles selected by Ethel Wilson Harris

Plant, Property, Building, Window

Decorative tile characteristic of the Mexican Arts and Crafts Movement, visible on stone benches under the mural

Flower, Plant, Art paint, Paint

Decorative tile characteristic of the Mexican Arts and Crafts Movement, visible on stone benches under the mural

Rectangle, Azure, Textile, Creative arts

Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) craftsman's mark appears on the lower left corner of the mural, along with the date the mural was completed (1942)

Rectangle, Triangle, Wood, Font

Each of the four corners of the mural contains a cattle brand used by farmers who drove their livestock across the river at this spot

Rectangle, Font, Line, Gas

Each of the four corners of the mural contains a cattle brand used by farmers who drove their livestock across the river at this spot

Azure, Rectangle, Textile, Font

The Trail Drivers of Texas: Interesting Sketches of Early Cowboys (University of Texas Press)

Font, Adaptation, Landscape, Sky

Cattle crossing a river in Texas, date unknown

Water, Sky, Working animal, Lake

Today, there are many bridges spanning the San Antonio River. However, when early travelers and settlers came through the area, they sought places where they could cross the water with their horses and wagons. The area near the Navarro Street Bridge provided a gentle crossing point and thus ensured a relatively safe passage. El Camino Real, the road that stretched from San Antonio to Nacogdoches, traversed the river at this place. Initially known as the Alamo Crossing, it was one of the first routes between the Alamo and the Villa de San Fernando. For families traveling in horse-drawn wagons, or for individuals riding on horseback, the crossing was shallow enough for wading on foot.

In 1847, Nat Lewis founded a grist mill at this location, and farmers could bring sacks of grain here for grind into cornmeal and flour. The site later became known as the Old Mill Crossing. As recounted by a local historian on the Memories of San Antonio blog, an unintended benefit for wagon-drivers who traversed the river was that the process of crossing resulted in naturally tightening the wheels of their wagons, as the wood absorbed water and expanded against the vehicle's metal rims. In addition, there were usually a few boys who would stand in the water and offer to wash the wagons or buggies of people traveling across the river, in exchange for a small sum. Thus, it would seem, that generations before the invention of the automobile and the neighborhood "car wash," these entrepreneurial youths found a way to earn a few pennies through their practical thinking and commitment to the task at hand.

The mural on the exterior wall of the Hotel Contessa commemorates this site as the Old Mill Crossing. The colorful work of tile art, which includes 154 separate tiles, was overseen by Ethel Wilson Harris. A founding member and former president of the San Antonio Conservation Society, Harris worked to preserve many landmarks throughout the city. She contributed to the creation of several titled murals in San Antonio, including two along the River Walk, while serving as the local technical director of the Arts and Crafts Division of the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). In the lower left corner of the mural, she incorporated a WPA craftsman's mark that includes the year in which the project was completed (1942). Under the mural are wide stone benches, each containing a decorative tile characteristic of Mexican Arts and Crafts traditions that Harris championed. In 1943, she was recognized by the Texas State Legislature for her role in celebrating and promoting the rich heritage of Mexican Arts and Crafts.

The Old Mill Crossing Mural was commissioned by the Daughters of Texas Trail Drivers, who dedicated it to the memory of their fathers. On each corner of the mural, a blue tile is emblazoned with one of four historic cattle brands associated with the cattle farmers who traversed the river with their animals at this spot. A book titled, The Trail Drivers of Texas: Interesting Sketches of Early Cowboys, published in the 1920s but reissued in 2010 by the University of Texas Press, chronicles the lives of these early trail drivers. They have been described as "rugged men—and, sometimes, women—who drove cattle and horses up the trails from Texas to northern markets in the late 1800s." Based on oral histories collected from the Old Time Trail Drivers' Association, the book features "hundreds of real-life stories—some humorous, some chilling, some rambling, all interesting."

Fischer, Jr., William. "Old Mill Crossing", HMDB. March 29th, 2010. Accessed March 14th, 2023. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=30862.

Frost, Susan Toomey. Colors on Clay: The San José Tile Workshops of San Antonio.

Hunter, J. Marvin (Editor). The Trail Drivers of Texas: Interesting Sketches of Early Cowboys. Edition 3rd Edition. Austin, TX. University of Texas Press, 2010.

"San Antonio River Walk: Tile Plaques, The Living New Deal. Accessed March 15th, 2023. https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/san-antonio-river-walk-tile-plaques-san-antonio-tx/.

Walker, River. "Remembering the Old Mill Crossing mural…dedicated 80 years ago today", Memories of San Antonio. Accessed March 14th, 2023. https://memoriesofsanantonio.com/2022/04/22/remembering-the-old-mill-crossing-mural-dedicated-80-years-ago-today/.

"W.P.A. Era Mural to return to River", The Heritage Foundation. September 10th, 2018. Accessed March 14th, 2023. https://tileheritage.org/files/aa8e7ab41d0dae0c0af441eb36ad7080-3.html.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Photograph by William Fischer, Jr. / HMDB

Photograph By William Fischer, Jr. / HMDB

Photograph by William Fischer, Jr. / HMDB

Photograph by William Fischer, Jr. / HMDB

Memories of San Antonio / WikiCommons

Memories of San Antonio / San Antonio Light Collection

Photographed by Memories of San Antonio

US News and World Report

Photographed by Memories of San Antonio

Memories of San Antonio / San Antonio Express News

Photographed by Memories of San Antonio

Photographed by Memories of San Antonio

Photographed by Memories of San Antonio

Photographed by Memories of San Antonio

Photographed by Memories of San Antonio

Photographed by Memories of San Antonio

Google Books

University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History