Oak Meadow History

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After chatting with long time residents Tudy and Gary Dick, Jim Fowler, and Mary Poole, we, Celia and Mike Glasgow,  decided it would be fun to write a little about the history of Oak Meadow subdivision.

In 1959 Louis Voelcker deeded 223 acres of tree-covered land on the outskirts of San Antonio to L. S. and Elizabeth Reed and Fernald and Virginia White for $146,000. They in turn sold the land in 1971 to Lloyd Denton of Denton Development Corporation. Mr. Denton was president of Oak Hollow Corporation and established the covenant for the first section of the subdivision, from Grey Wing to Indian Ridge, in 1973.

In the 1970s, the Hollywood Park Volunteer Department covered Oak Meadow, but response time was slow due to the relatively long distance. During this time period, a stolen Lincoln Continental car was set afire on Indian Ridge; it burned completely before the fire department arrived. During this same time, a small building at the pool with restrooms/changing rooms also burned down. A meeting to discuss establishing a fire station in Oak Meadow was held in the auditorium of Churchill High School with Jeff Wentworth and other city officials. However, after hearing estimates for the cost of building and equipping a fire station, residents decided that this option would be too expensive and decided instead to ask for the subdivision to be annexed to the city. After the annexation, residents were pleasantly surprised to find that their property taxes did not increase as much as they feared. There was some talk of re-numbering the OM streets because they did not coordinate with the city numbering system, but nothing was changed.

In the early and mid 1970s, the land behind the subdivision at Indian Ridge was an undeveloped wooded area. Deer roamed freely and would come up behind the back fences to eat the tender leaves from newly planted trees. Unfortunately people from outside the area would dump old mattresses, discarded plumbing equipment, and trash in the woods. Marijuana plants were found growing in a large pot in the woods and reported to the sheriff. Small rattlesnakes were common in the area and would show up on the porches, sunning themselves. Scorpions flourished in the piles of lumber and in the newly completed houses, often crawling out from fireplaces, attics, and bathrooms.

Cattle from Mr. Max Voelcker‘s dairy farm would wander down into the subdivision and residents would call the farm to send workers to herd them back.

Max Volcker’s widow, Minnie Voelcker, established the Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund. After her death the Voelcker Fund sold 311 acres to the city for Voelcker Park (now renamed Phil Hardberger Park.) The Fund distributes the income on the millions of dollars from the sale to charities, especially local medical research. *(See the footnote below.) Minnie Voelcker also worked with area homeowners groups to place many restrictions on the development and use of the property that would be sold to commercial developers. Lorene Voelcker, a relative of the original Voelcker family, lived here in the subdivision for many years until she passed away at the age of 101.

When the subdivision was first opened, Northwest Military Highway was a two-lane road and remained so for several years. At that time, the nearest grocery stores were at Central Park Mall and at Blanco and West Avenue. The post office substation for Oak Meadow was on inside the loop at West Avenue.

In the early 1970s, Bexar County had very lax laws about massage parlors and very lax enforcement of those laws. There were three “X-rated establishments” on Hunters Green where the karate studio is now. The residents invited the local news reporters to come out and film these establishments in a residential area, and the coverage was shown on the six o’clock news. Due to negative publicity and public pressure, shortly after the subdivision was incorporated into the city of San Antonio, “X-rated” establishments here were closed.

There were three builders in the subdivision; Lloyd Denton sold a number of lots to homebuilder Frank Sitterle and a few to Robert Gragg. Four model houses were built at various times; in three of these the garage was converted into an office. Mr. Denton, as president of Oak Hollow Corporation, built the swimming pool and park area. In 1980 he turned it over to the pool members. In the early 1980s, Bill Phelps was elected as the first president of the Oak Meadow Homeowners Association. Gary Dick was a member of the first board. The subdivision was built in seven units at different times, so there are seven covenants. Oak Meadow Unit 7 is the only section that required mandatory membership in the Swim Club and the Oak Meadow Homeowners Association. In 1995 the residents opted out of the OMHA and started the Oak Meadow Unit 7 Homeowners Association. Some of those residents now join the OMHA anyway as they feel a part of the whole subdivision.

In 1980 the Oak Meadow Woman’s Club was organized and elected Kathryn (Kathy) Benedetto as president. A few years ago many of the past presidents of the OMWC returned for a twenty-year reunion. The Woman’s Club holds an annual membership drive covered-dish supper, and activities such as a gardening seminar open to the neighborhood, donations to a sweets sale booth at the OM Swim Club fundraiser, a fourth of July neighborhood parade with refreshments at the park area, a contribution of one third of the cost of mailing the neighborhood newsletter, a progressive dinner for members and their guests, and in 2014, the organization and publicity for a series of seminars for caregivers in the neighborhood and surrounding area. On the years when there is a neighborhood celebration for National Night Out at the park OMWC donates part of the expenses. The Women’s Club also has a very active collection of side groups for a number of interests from a book club to a craft group to a Trivial Pursuit group!

The OM Woman’s Club for years held a yearly neighborhood luminary sale and used the profits to purchase playground equipment for the park area and other neighborhood projects. One year the OMWC donated money for a diving board for the pool. The luminaries were all lighted on Christmas Eve and looked very beautiful. Someone reported that pilots would even draw attention to the lit-up subdivision out as they flew over. Over the years the cost of supplies for luminaries became more expensive and after several years of erratic winter weather the demand for them become less. In 2012 the Women’s Club began selling mailbox bows instead as the yearly fund raiser. Interested residents are still encouraged to put out luminaries on their own; electric luminaries are easier to use and can be left out all of the month of December.

The Oak Meadow Swim Club provides different levels of membership and also asks for donations such as a “park supporter” donation. The Swim Club provides a chance for neighborhood children to join a swim team and compete against other area teams. Water exercise classes for adults have been offered the last couple of years. The Swim Club is responsible for the upkeep and insurance of the park area also, even though that area is open to all residents. With more home pools in the subdivision, an older neighborhood population, and the opening of the Jewish Community Center pool, pool membership has declined. A Fall Festival was held by the Swim Club in 2013 and again in 2014 to both provide a good time for the neighborhood and to raise money for pool operation. The Fall Festive included a hayride, children’s games, a bounce house, a car club show of classic cars, a pumpkin patch, raffles, bake sales, a chili cook-off and other activities. The Woman’s Club and the Oak Meadow Homeowners Association have made cash donations to the Swim Club; running and maintaining an older pool and park area is very expensive.

Families enjoy walking here in Oak Meadow, a subdivision with beautiful Live Oak trees over 200 years old, giant crepe myrtle bushes, and other well-developed landscaping. Many residents have birdbaths and/or bird feeders to enjoy the wild birds such as the blue jays, cardinals, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, mockingbirds, and even occasional hawks. Residents have mixed feelings about the ubiquitous squirrels, but their antics are funny. Most of the homes here are over thirty years old; most of the fences and roofs have been replaced at least once or twice.

Over the years many residents of the neighborhood, through various organizations, have contributed to making Oak Meadow a great place to live. Many of these “pioneers’ are not able to do as much as they once did so it is up to the rest of us to become more active and keep OM vibrant and thriving.

If you want to add to this history or you have corrections, send them to the Glasgows at celia@om-wc.org. If you would like to be interviewed, please let us know. Maybe it’s time to write a Part II of the history!

*The Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund is a private foundation to be held in perpetuity. The Trustees are authorized to distribute the income of the Fund to the following public charities:

1. 10% of annual distributions shall be to one or both of the following charities:

• CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health Care Corporation, to be used for the care of crippled children in need of medical treatment and financial assistance, and
• Boysville, Inc., San Antonio, Texas.

The balance of annual distributions shall be to charitable organizations engaged in medical research with emphasis in awarding grants to be given to research to find cures for cancer, heart disease, arthritis, muscular dystrophy, retinitis, and/or maculative degeneration of the retina.