Click any Picture For Enlargement

V Scroll down for explanative text. V			Click on any Picture For Enlargement (Use your back button to return here)
'	The President At San Jose
On August 29, 2001, President George W. Bush came to San Antonio to address the American Legion Convention then in progress. He also scheduled an appearance at the San Antonio Missions National Park to participate in the dedication of the reconstructed 18th century mill. I took these pictures at San Jose Mission from my seat about 40 feet from the President using my Kodak, DC-240 digital camera with the 3 X optical zoom fully engaged. The poor quality results from the dull overall lighting because of the heavy clouds compounded by the shadow from the tent protecting the President from the heavy rain and light colored surroundings in the background. A 1794 inventory of mission property includes a gristmill. How long after that date it remand in use is unclear, but by the mid-19th century its existence had been forgotten. In the 1930,s a WPA project rediscovered the mill buried under a century of debris. The following "Story of the Mission San Jose Grist Mill" is taken form a National Park Brochure: The Mission San Jose Grist Mill uses no gears or intermediate mechanisms as is typical of horizontal wheel powered mills. When the large wooden wheel revolves, the wheel shaft spins the top mill stone. These components occupy a two-story structure, with the millstone in the top story and the wheel in a vaulted vaulted room in the second story (bottom story). Water from the acequia enters a reservoir, or forebay, outside outside the mill (shaft) when the sluice gate opens. The water, directed to the wheel below by a flume, strikes the blades forcing the wheel to spin. The mill exterior was repaired around 1937 during the WPA restoration but the partially restored interior remained non-functional and eventually deteriorated. In 1996, the vision of a working mill was revitalized with a $326,000 donation from Los Compadres (a Mission civic support organization). This money made it possible for the National Park Service to restore the Mission San Jose Grist Mill.. At the conclusion of the Presidents speech the Presidential party went to the mill where the President pulled a lever opening the sluice gate sending a rush of water to the wheel to turn the stone, producing flour as it had done two centuries before. I think I should add that the 18th century acequia system is not now available to supply water to run the mill as in the past. Today water comes from the water utility with an elaborate system re-cycling used water back to the upper reservoir for re-use. About The Pictures. The upper left hand picture shows a Secret Service guard atop the roof of the 18th century church. The picture in the upper right is of a local ladies Charro group (Mexican horse back riders, note the side saddles). In front of the charros is a high-school mariachie troop. The arched ruins of the two story Convento (Mission office and missionary living area) appears in the background. The three pictures show some Presidential stance and expressions exhibited during the speech. In the two lower pictures the face of the lady in the chair behind the President is effectively blocked by the small Presidential seal and rostrum. Laura Bush seated directly behind the President is also blocked from the camera's view. The President gave an interesting and well delivered speech most appropriate for the occasion.
Harold Arnold's Home Page		Pictures From Our Past