Old Villita and La Villita Continues

Old Villita is reissued by Wings Press in celebration of the Tricentennial of the founding of San Antonio, Texas on May 5, 1718. It was originally published in 1939 by the City of San Antonio as part of the American Guide Series (Federal Writers Project, under the Work Projects Administration). It was overseen and edited by the mayor of San Antonio, Maury Maverick, Sr. Earlier in the 1930s, U.S. Congressman Maverick 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. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, La Villita serves as a lively arts and cultural hub at the center of downtown San Antonio. Denzer's watercolors enliven the pages, along with historical photographs and documents.

Lynn Maverick Denzer is an artist, teacher, and writer. Growing up on Sunshine Ranch in San Antonio as a descendant of Sam A. Maverick and Maury Maverick enhanced her interest in a range of topics from the beauty of nature to the passion of politics. 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, including High Wire Art Gallery, Carver Cultural Center, Bijou Theater, Galleria II at La Villita, the Jingu House at the Japanese Tea Gardens, and the Starving Artist Gallery at La Villita. Lynn continues to teach watercolor and other art classes at Inspire Fine Art Center. She is also involved in creative activities at Celebration Circle and San Antonio Art League. Maury Maverick, Sr. (1895-1954), was born in San Antonio, the eleventh child of Albert Maverick and Jane Lewis Maury Maverick. Albert owned a real estate and Land Office in the downtown Maverick Building; Jane ran their Sunshine Ranch and was important in civic affairs. Maury's grandfather was a Texas Ranger, politician, businessman, and memoirist. Samuel Maverick, Jr., his great grandfather, was a Yale-educated early Texas politician and land baron. Samuel Augustus Maverick fought in the 1835 Seige of Bexar and signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. When it comes to Texas lineage, the Mavericks are in a class by themselves. Maury Maverick, Sr. graduated from college and law school at the University of Texas. 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. His 1937 autobiography, A Maverick American, was something of a Depression-era bestseller. As the mayor of San Antonio (1939-41), he was long admired for his reform-minded administration. 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, preserving the 200-year-old Spanish village as a modern city grew up around it.