Name/Title
Military Plaza [Lithograph]Description
View of Military Plaza with the Alamo, first Turner Halle, and Menger Hotel. Both of the latter buildings were designed by John Fries and built about 1876, just before this lithograph was published. The hotel would later displace the hall in one of its four expansions and the basement was used to chill beer from Menger's Western Brewery.Context
Military importance of the Plaza declined in Republic of Texas Era (1836-1845), but the place came to be one of the liveliest spots in Texas. A busy market, it teemed with noisy vendors of vegetables, fresh eggs, chili peppers, and live chickens. Oxcarts and wagons stood bulging with hay, hides, and wood. Strolling guitarists, tourists, and girls selling songbirds mingled with pickpockets and other characters. Frequently cock fights were held.