Southton Park is one of the lesser known but historic parks of San Antonio, Texas. This news article will explain what Southton Park was.
Southton Park was established and plotted by Bexar County and Southton Rail Yard in 1914. The park would officially open in the summer of 1914. Southton Rail Yard donated land to Bexar County for a public park on a deed with a revert clause. San Antonio Express advertised Southton Park as being 10 miles from the City Hall of San Antonio. Southton Park was located 10 miles southeast of San Antonio. (Ref: Bexar County Plats, Document Number 368123)
Southton Park had a man-made lake established in 1914. Southton Rail Yard constructed and erected a dam southeast of the Southton Railroad in 1914. A 3 mile lake was established and filled that same year as workers constructed a dam called Southton Dam. A spillway was conveyed to flow into Salado Creek. (Ref: Bexar County Plats, Volume 368, Pages 123-126)
The first Southton Dam raised the water in the creek 10 feet above the bed of Salado Creek. This water would flood onto acreages of land including Southton Park. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/39259906/)
However during World War I, flood waters tore a ravine along the spillway and destroyed the concrete gates connecting to the Southton Dam. Southton Park along with several acreages of land were flooded as a result which led into a major catastrophe. A new dam was built across the spillway in the year of 1919. Waters at the Salado Creek were reinforced by an artesian well to be stored by the Southton Dam at Southton Park and distributed from there. The dam was built at a cost of $23,000. The building of the new dam was necessary because when came on, work had to be halted, the Southton Lake flood waters tore a ravine along the spillway and destroyed the concrete gates put there for holding the water. The new dam improvements made the irrigation, as a whole, one of the cheapest projects in the entire United States. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/39260129/)
Waters at the Salado Creek were reinforced by an artesian well to Be Stored by the dam at Southton Park and distributed from there. The dam was built at a cost of $23,000. The building of the new dam was necessary because when World War I came on, work had to be halted, the Southton Lake flood waters tore a ravine along the spillway and destroyed the concrete gates put there for holding the water. A new dam was built across the spillway. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=70764551)
50,000 fish were placed in the immense 3 mile long lake called Southton Lake at Southton Park on June 11, 1914. Hundreds of bathers enjoyed the cool fresh waters. The water was perfect for swimming in. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth434757/m1/4/)
Southton Park was located at 12507 River Road, San Antonio, Texas, US 78223.
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