History Project
This summer we are working with summer research assistants Sophia Gonzales and Alex Oshman.
Sophia has been focusing on the mapping aspect of the project, investigating city directories and local newspapers to piece together what the St. Mary’s Strip looked like in the past.
Alex has been working on the advertisements portion of the project, clipping ads from college newspapers in the 80’s and 90’s to investigate how the strip interacted with local college communities.
Both students assisted in our most recent history harvest and will be conducting oral histories. Check back at the end of the summer to learn more about their projects.
The St. Mary's Strip History Project is working to get the strip designated as a Cultural Heritage District with the City of San Antonio. We know that the strip has long contributed to the music scene of our city and serves as a nexus for different musical genres and other creative arts, food, religion, and communities. We've also seen it change over time. Anticipating more change as new development comes in, the project wants to advocate and promote awareness of the strip's history and legacy. The city wants to see proof that this is a wanted designation from residents of Tobin Hill and patrons of the strip. If you are in support of the St. Mary's Strip becoming a Cultural Heritage District, please sign the petition here.
Read the latest newsletter here.
Visit our new digital collections site.
Contact thestripSA@gmail.com to get more information on the project.