Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
In 1921 Thomas G. Moses was working in Dallas, Texas, at the new Majestic Theatre. His wife Ella was able to accompany him on the nine-week southern trip; there were ample opportunities for sighting seeing and sketching trips. That spring, Moses wrote, “A short trip to San Antonio was thoroughly enjoyed by both of us. It was a very interesting place, being so close to Mexico. It has taken over many ideas in buildings and costumes. One place we enjoyed more than the others was the large Brackenridge Park, which was built in a Stone Quarry. Made several sketches.”
Brackenridge park made headlines that year, as American newspapers focused on the success of San Antonio’s various beautification projects and park system. The “Central New Jersey Home News” reported, “How City Officials Beautified San Antonio by Unique Methods” (New Brunswick, NJ, 22 May 1921, page 11). The article noted, “Once in a thousand years you find a person who possesses the gift of making much form little or nothing. Sometimes it is a woman who can make a stylish dress from a piece of great grandmother’s shawl and a yard of ribbon, in San Antonio it was Ray Lambert who made Breckenridge [sic.] Park blossom like the rose – the whole rose bush, indeed – and did it so economically that people still ask – ‘how did he do it?’”
The “Dearborn Independent” also included an article on the park entitled, “Texan’s Magic Has Brought Beauty to City” (Dearborn, Michigan, April 16, 1921, page 6). It provided a little more information about the man behind the mission – J. R. Lambert. Here is an interesting section from the article, as it gives some history:
“San Antonio was a wide-open town and J. R. Lambert on of the best known bar keeps. Situated within 150 miles of the Mexican border, within easy access of vast stretches of plains and prairies where wandered countless herds of Texas long and shorthorns, San Antonio drew to her bosom the sons of wild and wild stretches. Here they came to take a chance at faro or the cards and drink whisky straight. In the midst of this oasis was J. R. Lambert’s saloon and he stood behind the baar and served the spirit-loving throngs.
“Before he became a barkeep Lambert was a stone mason. He saved his money and finally accumulated enough cash to buy the saloon. Like many of his kind in those days Lambert also became interested in politics. Politics and the saloon were bed-mates before the Eighteenth Amendment went into effect. His power became felt in local election. He was a man to be reckoned with in any local issue that was decided at the polls. His saloon grew more and more prominent as Lambert extended his political power.
“There came a mayoralty campaign in San Antonio. It was a biter contest and after the votes were counted Lambert’s candidate was a declared the winner. And then Lambert, who had exacted no political reward before, demanded one, He insisted on being appointed commissioner of parks and plazas of the city of San Antonio. Since the mayor was morally bound to give Lambert any political appointment he demanded, because of his services at the polls, he had to comply. This he did reluctantly. There was much protesting, much agitation, much denouncing. Giving a job like commissioner of parks and plazas to a saloonkeeper was preposterous. Much in the way of political graft had probably been attempted in San Antonio, but this was too bold, too brazen, too horrid. The public wrath grew, the flame of public indignation swelled and the mayo was denounced along with Lambert. But the mayor was firm and Lambert kept his peace. The tumult subsided as such tumults always do. Lambert sold his saloon and settled himself in a downstairs corner of the city hall and went to work.
“Today J. Raymond Lambert, or Ray Lambert, is the biggest man, as far as could be learned in one month’s time, in San Antonio. Forty-six parks and plazas within the city limits testify to his greatness. In the opinion of the writer he is the most efficient city official in the country today.
Lambert has been commissioner of parks and plazas of San Antonio for a number of years and he will probably be able to continue as commissioner just as long as he cares to. During all this time he has worked within his power, regardless of time, energy, personal hardships and self-denials and to save as much money for the public as possible. In both he has been brilliantly successful.
San Antonio has her Missions and her Alamo, ‘the cradle of Texas liberty.’ San Antonio has her old churches, a wonderful country club and beautiful residential sections, but if you ask the average San Antonian what point he considers of most importance and interest he will answer immediately, ‘Brackenridge Park. Have you seen the Japanese Gardens there?”
“Brackenridge Park is the palace ground of San Antonio’s 46 parks and plazas , and the sunken Japanese Garden the palace. Of the 592 acres that are included in park and plaza allotments, Brackenridge Park is big and complete, a remarkable city playground, but the Japanese Gardens lift it to fame and the history of the gardens shows the creative genius of Lambert.
When Lambert became commissioner of parks and plazas, Brackenridge Park was little more than a larger tract of waste land. It had few possibilities. Many landscape gardeners would have passed it up. Some of the experts said it would never do as a park. It contained an abandoned stone quarry and a garbage incinerating plant, also abandoned. It presented a dismal aspect. Not only was a large portion an eyesore, but most repulsive.
“Lambert gathered his laborers and got busy. He dismantled the garbage plant and tore it down. He saved every part of it, stone and all. After everything was piled up neatly, he sent his army of laborers into the stone quarry and hauled out al the loose stone that remained. The quarry cleared, he began building and after much hard work the Japanese Gardens were created and the disgusting eyesore became a thing of unparalleled beauty in way of landscape gardening.
In this garden are Japanese houses built of stone, lily ponds and flower beds, rustic Japanese bridges and tropical foliage. There are fishponds and shaded nooks. Stone steps wind down into the gardens and the gardens are spotted with the same kind of steps and benches.
“The stone house, the large one, was built of the loose stones picked up in the quarry. They also served for the steps and the benches.
“The stones, now fast, line the lily ponds, and the quaint fishponds with their rare goldfish were made from the dilapidated vats found in the incinerating plant. The roof of the bog house is made of thatched palm leaves. There are many palm trees in San Antonio. You find them in all the parks and plazas. Lambert had his men collect then and, instead of destroying them, they were hauled to the Japanese Garden where they served for roofing. It is said that the only expense of the garden, outside of labor, was for wire used in attaching the palm fronds. And the quaint-looking steeple at one edge of the garden, the one covered with vines and looking so artistic in the distance? Why, that was the chimney of the incinerating plant, the only part of the plant that Lambert left standing when he dismantled the building. At night the gardens are lighted with thousands of globes and to view this spot from a place that was once the edge of the stone quarry, gives a sight that will be long remembered.”
There is a fantastic paper by Susanna R. Katz and Anna A. Fox -“Archeological and Historical Assessment of Brackenridge Park, San Antonio, Texas” (1979). The two identified 15 prehistoric site s and 27 historic sites and features within the boundaries of Brackenridge Park. They noted the sites reflect a variety of activities which have been carried out over a period of several thousand years; here is the link: (http://www.car.utsa.edu/CARResearch/Publications/ASRFiles/1-100/ASR%20No.%2033.pdf)
To be continued…
