Old Villita and La Villita Continues

Overview

Old Villita is reissued by Wings Press in celebration of the Tricentennial of the founding of San Antonio, Texas on May 5, 1718. Earlier in the 1930s, U.S. Congressman Maury Maverick Sr. had worked closely with his friend, President Roosevelt, to implement FDR's New Deal policies. His 1937 autobiography, A Maverick American, was something of a Depression-era bestseller. Among the many progressive acts in his life — which included securing W.P.A. funds for the initial development of the San Antonio Riverwalk — he was proudest of the restoration of La Villita, the 18th century settlement from which the city of San Antonio grew. Maverick's grand daughter, Lynn Maverick Denzer, wrote La Villita Continues, the story of the "Little Village" from its restoration to its present incarnation as La Villita Historic Arts Village.

Reviews

"A valuable contribution to the literature of La Villita, complete with vivid personal memories and bright graphics." — Lewis Fisher, noted San Antonio historian, author, River Walk: The Epic Story of San Antonio's River, Saving San Antonio: The Precarious Preservation of a Heritage and others

"With this well-researched, delightful book, Lynn Maverick Denzer has reminded us of the jewel Mayor Maury Maverick gave San Antonians in 1939 when he decided to restore La Villita, the birthplace of our city. If the San Antonio River is the heart of our city, then LaVillita with its cool shady places and its romantic history is our soul. I am grateful that there is a bust of Mayor Maverick in LaVillita for he was surely one of our best mayors. I remember conversations with his son, Maury Maverick Jr., as we walked through La Villita. Maury said that when politics were behind his father the former mayor told him that he wasn't worried because while he was no longer mayor of San Antonio, he would always be the mayor of LaVillita. With this book, filled with great stories and beautiful images Lynn has brought the small village back to life." —Jan Jarboe Russell, author, The Train to Crystal City and San Antonio: A Cultural Tapestry

Author Biography

Lynn Maverick Denzer is an artist, teacher, and writer. Lynn studied art at University of Texas in Austin and the College of Marin, and received a secondary teaching degree at the University of Texas in San Antonio in English. Upon retiring from public education, Lynn pursued her own art, exhibiting in several galleries. Maury Maverick, Sr. (1895-1954), was born in San Antonio, the eleventh child of Albert Maverick and Jane Lewis Maury Maverick. He was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the 28th Infantry, 1st Division, U.S. Army, and received a Silver Star for actions in the Battle of the Argonne. Maury served as U.S. congressman from the 20th District (1935-38), where he organized a group of "maverick" legislators who sponsored legislation to "out-New Deal" FDR's New Deal.