Old Mill Crossing Mural and Historical Marker

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.

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.