An Epic Tale Captures

River Walk’s Evolution

By Susan J. Young

If you’ve been to San Antonio, you’ve likely enjoyed the lovely River Walk area, with its canals, sidewalk cafes and boutiques, and Latin charm. But River Walk’s progression to a major tourism hot spot hasn't been an overnight flash but rather an evolutionary process with a lot of bumps in the road.

Author Lewis F. Fisher has penned a gorgeous 184-page coffee table book in “River Walk: The Epic Story of San Antonio’s River.” Untangling the city’s history, he takes readers into the mindset and vision of city leaders in the late 19th and 20th century.

Along the way Fisher details an epic story – one of promise and setbacks, hope and natural disasters, and how today River Walk is fulfilling the dream of so many of those visionaries from years ago.

With 230 illustrations, many in color, the tale takes many turns. This isn’t a traveler’s book (although anyone who is interested in River Walk or traveling to San Antonio will enjoy it). It’s a history tale, filled with old photographs, a sampling of engineer’s drawings, and a whole lot of heart. Many of the historical images have never been published before.

One highlight? Fisher provides the most complete account of the Flood of 1921, the city’s greatest natural disaster. Yet, the flood – which is dramatically illustrated – led to flood control measures that made today’s River Walk possible.

How San Antonio’s river was revived from a sluggish trickle to a model for river development proves to be a fascinating tale, at least the way Fisher tells it in this book. We believe it's a keeper. You may order it from the Amazon.com link on this page. The book lists for $36.95.

ISBN 978-893271-40-1