Marker Inscription
Started here by early Spanish settlers; for making powder to hunt meat and resist Indians. Used charcoal made of wood of hill country. From bat guano in such caves as Longhorn caverns, got saltpeter. Sulphur came by ox-cart or wagon from Mexico. These ingredients blended were highly explosive. Though powder was dampened during the work of grinding it fine, fires at the mill were not uncommon. In the Civil War, 1861-1865, supplied powder to state and frontier troops and the home guard. Workers young boys and men past military age.
About this site
Old Powder Mill is a historical marker in San Antonio, Bexar County, dedicated in 1965. It is one of 239 historical markers documented in Bexar County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 542 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 29.4204, -98.4691 near San Antonio. The nearest cataloged historic site is Alamo Masonic Cemetery (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include John Lang Sinclair, Alamo Masonic Lodge, and Driscoll, Clara.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5029004102. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
