They Hid This History
East Commerce Street, often called Black Commerce Street in the community, was the business heart of the East Side’s Black community. Here, Black residents could secure services not available to them elsewhere in segregated San Antonio. St. Paul Square was much larger than it is today as it included surrounding streets to the North, South, East and West. The area according to some researchers included La Fitte and Santa Clara Streets in the Baptist Settlement to the South, North Walnut to the East, Crockett Street to the North, and Bonham and Nacogdoches to the west. According to U.S. Census Bureau reports for 1920, St Paul District had a population that was 32.8% was Black. The area was also called St. Paul District.
The name is derived from the old St. Paul Methodist Episcopal Church, which was constructed between 1870 and 1880. Sparsely developed in the early 19th century, the area grew significantly with the arrival of the railroad in 1877 and the “Cemetery Line” street car system during the 1890s down East Commerce Street, the commercial corridor’s main artery. Later a street car line was established to the North and East of St Paul Square, called the Africa to Mexico Street Car Line as it followed track from N. New Braunfels Street to the deep Westside. Though this line was away from the area it nevertheless provided close proximity to the area for residents. The original location of the Saint Paul congregation, is now known as The Spire.
The Church was also the Lewis Funeral Home in 1954 and the Mount Zion Funeral Parlor under the ownership businessman Frank E. Lewis and G. W. Bouldin (Bouldin also owned the San Antonio Inquirer Newspaper – an African American Newspaper at 207 N. Center). Interestingly, there was a Black medical service called “KNEELRIGHT AMBULANCE SERVICE” at 112 Live Oak Street. Bouldin’s Newspaper, the San Antonio Inquirer (now owned by The SA Observer), was across the street from the church. Bouldin worked for the Pullman Company for the railroad system at the Sunset Depot. The building that housed the Inquirer eventually became known as the “Bouldin Building.” The church was also the Civil Rights Ligation Center and was owned by attorney Ruben Sandoval.
St. Paul Square it is said to include Center and Crockett Streets to the North, I-37 Expressway to the West, the railway to the East, and the Sunset train station to the South just North of the Alamo Dome. What you don’t hear about, located across the street from the original St. Paul Church, was a training center for black youth of the community which later became the offices of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union office Local 142. The district served as ground zero for San Antonio’s successful fight against white supremacy in San Antonio where training was provided for protests against white racism in San Antonio.
East Commerce Street had a strong history of Black life that once dominated the area. Most of it is now gone, the result of the McAllister Freeway named after segregationist Walter McAllister who was once mayor. Now, erased by the I-37 Expressway was the Dreamland Theater which was purchased by Charles Bellinger who renamed the theater the “Bellinger Theater” in 1922. Apparently, a silent film theater predated the Dreamland and Cameo Theaters and was on E. Commerce Street. The area demolished by the expressway, also included Macedonia Second Baptist Church and also included a Black Lodge and Ellis Alley, an area once owned by arch racist Sam Maverick who wanted Blacks to live in houses that faced away from the street.
