Established | 1881 |
---|---|
Location | 318 E. Houston Street, San Antonio, Texas, US |
Coordinates | 29°25′34″N98°29′23″W / 29.426232°N 98.489692°W |
Type | Wildlife exhibits Shooting gallery Texas Rangers exhibit |
Founder | Albert Friedrich |
Website | Buckhorn Museum |
The Buckhorn Saloon & Museum is a privately run museum located at 318 E. Houston Street in Downtown San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Originally privately owned by Albert Friedrich, the Buckhorn became a tourist attraction for its unique collections. Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders were reputed to frequent the establishment. Housed in 1956 in the Old Lone Star Brewery, the collection passed to Friedrich's heirs who had it moved to its current location.
The Buckhorn Saloon & Museum began as a private collection of Albert Friedrich (1864–1928) in 1881. He was the youngest son of Wenzel and Agnes Urbaneck Friedrich. The elder Friedrich was an award-winning cabinetmaker who expanded into horn furniture and included Queen Victoria, Otto von Bismarck and Kaiser Wilhelm I among those who owned his creations. [1]
Friedrich eventually acquired a saloon on Dolorosa Street and opened his collection for display in the saloon. The name and date of the first saloon is undocumented. In 1890–95, Friedrich purchased a seventy-eight point buck that remains on display in the museum. [2] [3] By 1896, Friedrich opened the first Buckhorn Saloon on the corner of Soledad and West Houston streets. Friedrich amassed his collection from his own hunting trips, and from other hunters and trappers, eventually acquiring the collection of a hunter named Capt. Ernest Dosch. [4] In its early years, Friedrich would swap a drink for anyone who would bring in a set of horns to be displayed. [5] The collection became known as the Buckhorn Hall of Horns. A collection of firearms and a mirrored bar were added to the collection of horns. [6] The saloon was reputed to be frequented by Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders during the time period that the Rough Riders were deployed to San Antonio. [7]
When Prohibition went into effect, Friedrich could no longer sell alcohol. In 1922, he relocated his business to 400 W. Houston Street, renaming it Albert's Curio Store and eventually the Buckhorn Curio Store and Cafe. In 1956, the Buckhorn Saloon and the Buckhorn Hall of Horns collection were restored at the Lone Star Brewery. The collection added a 1964 Hall of Fins, as well as a 1973 Hall of Feathers. [3]
The Buckhorn Museum hosts the SA Live television show.
When Lone Star Brewing Company changed owners in 1977, the Buckhorn collection was sold off. Mary Friedrich Rogers, granddaughter of Albert Friedrich, and her husband Wallace Rogers, acquired the collection in 1997. The collection was moved to 318 E. Houston Street and became managed by Twisthorn Holdings and the Buckhorn Museum and Saloon Limited.
The Buckhorn Museum features mounted wildlife from all over the world, including mammals, birds and fish. The animals represent over 520 species of wildlife, including fish from the seven seas and animals from every continent.
Highlights of the museum include a 78 Point Brady Buck, a world record holding 1,056-pound black marlin, [8] a longhorn with an 8-foot spread, [9] and the first gorilla ever on public display in the United States. Comedian and San Antonio native Carol Burnett claimed to have been frightened by the gorilla as a child. [10]
The Texas Ranger Museum features authentic Texas Ranger Division artifacts including automatic handguns, shotguns, badges, photographs and more. The museum also features Ranger Town, a recreation of San Antonio at the turn of the century which includes a replica Buckhorn Saloon, jail cell, blacksmith shop and a replica of the 1934 Ford V8 Deluxe — the famous Bonnie & Clyde getaway car. [11] The Texas Ranger Museum is not affiliated with the official Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum [12] in Waco. [13]
In addition to the horn collection, a visitor will also find rattlesnake art, and memorabilia of both Native Americans and the cowboy culture. Some of the exhibits include the "Carnival of Curiosities" and the "American Sideshow". [14] [15]
The Hall of Texas History Wax Museum portion of the Buckhorn depicts historic events in Texas. [16]
The Rough Riders was a nickname given to the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish–American War and the only one to see combat. The United States Army was small, understaffed, and disorganized in comparison to its status during the American Civil War roughly thirty years prior. Following the sinking of USS Maine, President William McKinley needed to muster a strong ground force swiftly, which he did by calling for 125,000 volunteers to assist in the war. The U.S. had gone to war in opposition to Spanish colonial policies in Cuba, which was then torn by a rebellion. The regiment was also nicknamed "Wood's Weary Walkers" for its first commander, Colonel Leonard Wood. This reflected their dissatisfaction that despite being cavalry, they ended up fighting in Cuba as infantry, since their horses were not sent there with them.
The Texas Ranger Division, also known as the Texas Rangers and also known as Diablos Tejanos, is an investigative law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in the U.S. state of Texas, based in the capital city Austin. In the time since its creation, the Texas Rangers have investigated crimes ranging from murder to political corruption, acted in riot control and as detectives, protected the governor of Texas, tracked down fugitives, served as a security force at important state locations, including the Alamo, and functioned as a paramilitary force at the service of both the Republic (1836–1846) and the State of Texas.
Franzisca Bernadina Wilhelmina Elisabeth Ney was a German-American sculptor who spent the first half of her life and career in Europe, producing portraits of famous leaders such as Otto von Bismarck, Giuseppe Garibaldi and King George V of Hanover. At age 39, she immigrated to Texas with her husband, Edmund Montgomery, and became a pioneer in the development of art there. Among her most famous works during her Texas period were life-size marble figures of Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin, commissions for the Texas State Capitol. A large group of her works are housed in the Elisabet Ney Museum, located in her home and studio in Austin. Other works can be found in the United States Capitol, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and numerous collections in Germany.
Sängerfest, also Sängerbund-Fest, Sängerfeste, or Saengerfest, meaning singer festival, is a competition of Sängerbunds, or singer groups, with prizes for the best group or groups. Such public events are also known as a Liederfest, or song festival. Participants number in the hundreds and thousands, and the fest is usually accompanied by a parade and other celebratory events. The sängerfest is most associated with the Germanic culture. Its origins can be traced back to 19th century Europe. Swiss composer Hans Georg Nägeli and educator Carl Friedrich Zelter, both protégés of Swiss educator Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, established sängerbunds to help foster social change throughout Germany and Prussia. University students began to choose the art form as an avenue for political statements. As the sängerfest concept gained popularity and spread around the world, it was adapted by Christian churches for spiritual worship services. European immigrants brought the tradition in a non-political form to the North American continent. In the early part of the 20th century, sängerfest celebrations drew devotees in the tens of thousands, and included some United States presidents among their audiences. Sängerbunds are still active in Europe and in American communities with Germanic heritage.
Pompeo Luigi Coppini was an Italian born American sculptor. Although his works can be found in Italy, Mexico and a number of U.S. states, the majority of his work can be found in Texas. He is particularly famous for the Alamo Plaza work, Spirit of Sacrifice, a.k.a. The Alamo Cenotaph, as well as numerous statues honoring Texan figures, such as Lawrence Sullivan Ross, the fourth President of Texas A&M University.
KTAE is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Elgin, Texas, and serving the Austin metropolitan area. It is owned by Genuine Austin Radio, with a sale to Norsan Media pending, with studios and offices along Loop 360 in Southwest Austin. KTAE airs a Spanish classic hits format.
The culture of San Antonio reflects the history and culture of one of the state's oldest and largest cities straddling the regional and cultural divide between South and Central Texas. Historically, San Antonio culture comes from a blend of Central Texas and South Texas (Southwestern) culture. Founded as a Spanish outpost and the first civil settlement in Texas, San Antonio is heavily influenced by Mexican American culture due to Texas formerly being part of Mexico and, previously, the Spanish Empire. The city also has significant German, Anglo, and African American cultural influences. San Antonio offers a host of cultural institutions, events, restaurants and nightlife in South Texas for both residents and visitors alike.
Roosevelt is a historical community located 16 miles west of Junction on Texas Loop 291 in Kimble County, Texas, United States. Roosevelt has a small population of nine people, with several other ranching families outside the community limits. In 1997, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark number 4343 was designated to acknowledge the community of Roosevelt, Texas. Roosevelt is home to the Simon Brothers Cafe, Lyssy & Eckel Feeds and Allison Well Drilling.
The Witte Museum is a museum located in Brackenridge Park in San Antonio, Texas, and was established in 1926. It is dedicated to telling the stories of Texas, from prehistory to the present. The permanent collection features historic artifacts and photographs, Texas art, textiles, dinosaur bones, cave drawings, and Texas wildlife dioramas, in addition to nationally acclaimed traveling exhibits. Artwork in the collection includes sculpture by San Antonio-born Bonnie MacLeary.
The Sporting District was a red-light district in the U.S. city of San Antonio, Texas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was established by the city council to manage prostitution in the city. For a time it was one of the nation's largest vice districts with venues ranging from brothels to gambling halls. The area was officially shut down in 1941 resulting from the mobilization for World War II.
The history of vice in the U.S. state of Texas has been an important part of the state's past and has greatly influenced its development. Vice activities, such as gambling and prostitution, have historically been a significant facet of both the state's culture and its economy.
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The following is a timeline of the history of the city of San Antonio, Texas, United States.
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The Buckhorn Exchange is a historic landmark restaurant and American frontier museum located in Lincoln Park, Denver, Colorado. The restaurant opened in 1893 and is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Denver.
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Media related to Buckhorn Saloon (San Antonio, Texas) at Wikimedia Commons