Dameron-Damron Family Association
THIS YEAR 2025, OUR ANNUAL DAMERON-DAMRON FAMILY ASSOCIATION REUNION WILL BE HELD IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
Thursday June 5 thru Saturday, June 7, 2025
At The:
The Historic Menger Hotel
204 Alamo Plaza
San Antonio,TX 78205
Phone: 210-223-4361Reservations: (800) 345-9285 Email: reservations@mengerhotel.com
The Menger Hotel is rooted in the rich history of San Antonio, the historic Menger Hotel reigns as the oldest continuously operating hotel west of the Mississippi. Just steps from the historic Alamo is the original Menger Hotel, which was built on the site of Menger’s brewery, the first of its kind in Texas. Opened on February 1, 1859, “the finest hotel west of the Mississippi River” has been host to such notables as Teddy Roosevelt, Sam Houston, Generals Lee and Grant, and former U.S. Presidents McKinley, Taft, and Eisenhower.
Step into our exquisite Victorian lobby and be transported back to a time when Theodore Roosevelt gathered his Rough Riders in our very own Menger Bar. This long-rooted landmark is renowned for its refined architecture, museum-worthy mementos, and esteemed history—including a long line of honored guests.
Spanish courtyard garden, filled with palm trees, azaleas, and a three-tiered fountain, is one of the most peaceful in town; and our gracious service and modern amenities (including the largest heated pool in San Antonio), promises an extraordinary experience all around.
Close to the River Walk and next door to the Alamo, we offer Flat-screen TVs and coffeemakers in all rooms, Historic restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a popular brunch, Famous Menger Bar, recruitment site for Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, Nice heated outdoor pool with hot tub and summer family nights, Room service available until late at night, Free Wi-Fi throughout.
The DDFA has reserved a block of 10 rooms to be released on May 1st, 2025. You are responsible for your own reservations. We have locked in a price of $159.00 a night plus tax. You can book online at
https://res.windsurfercrs.com/ibe/details.aspx?propertyid=16589&nights=4&checkin=6/3/2025&group=060325DAMERON&lang=en-us or call and mention the Dameron Damron Family Association Reunion. Please do so asap. 4 of our rooms have already been filled.
The hotel only offers valet parking only (As all the hotels in San Antonio do). The valet parking fee for our DDFA group pays $30 with in and out privileges. Also, self-parking is available at the Shops at Rivercenter and other nearby parking garages.
You can join us for 1 day, 3 days or for the Meeting/Banquet on June 7.
Our annual meeting/banquet will be held Saturday, June 7 at the Menger Hotel in the Cavalier Room from 11-4 with the deli buffet luncheon at noon. The Menger Hotel will also cater for our luncheon.
With the price of food on the rise again, meals have risen to 35.00 per person. We, (the board) have discussed this and agree on a charge of 30.00 per person and the DDFA will take care of the remainder.
We do not make money from these reunions. We sell T-shirts, hats etc. to cover any additional unforeseen charges that may apply. The goal of the DDFA is to help others connect, this being the reason we take our reunions to different states in hopes of meeting new Dameron Damron cousins, research, connect and enjoy. Please think about joining us on our trips. We are, after all, a friendly bunch of Dameron and Damrons.
***The deadline for paying for the banquet/meal reservation is May 15, 2025. The meal must be paid in advance of $30.00 per person with children 12 and under $15.00, age 3 and under are free with payment made to DDFA and mailed to Cindora Creasman 278 Kaiulani Lane, Andrews, NC 28901 OR
We now have Venmo for those that would like to pay online for your meal, pay membership dues or donate. Venmo; Cindora Damron Creasman @ Dameron Damron. Venmo is owned by PayPal. For more information you can contact Cindora1@aol.com or text – 823-361-1275. I will be happy to help or answer any questions you may have.
Our meeting/banquet will have door prizes, cousins old and new, and lots of friends to visit with. Please feel free to bring any photos, family history, heirlooms, or stories you would like to share. We will have books with Dameron – Damron history displayed, posters, and pictures of past reunions. There will be T-shirts, hats, mugs, and our DDFA newsletters available for purchase.
DDFA membership is not required for our reunion so please feel free to bring a friend or anyone interested in our Dameron-Damron family history. Please join us and help make this year’s DDFA reunion another great success story! We are all just cousins waiting to be met.
Membership renewal and new memberships can also be done at this time. Our annual membership fee is $20.00, which includes the two newsletters printed that year.
PLACES FOR GENEALOGY RESEARCH WHILE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
San Antonio Genealogical & Historical Society Library
Considered the best private repository of historical and genealogical material in southwest Texas, the San Antonio Genealogical & Historical Society conducts educational classes, seminars and the manages the First Families of Bexar County Program which recognizes the descendants of people who were in Bexar County in 1850 or before. The SAGHS Library collection of 16,000+ volumes, periodicals, maps, etc., is housed in an historic 1926 two-story Mediterranean style ranch house.
Our library collection has over 19,000 titles.
Our library catalog is online and searchable by Media Type, Subject, Location, Title and more.
Obituaries update: The obituaries list from San Antonio newspapers has been updated to include deaths in 1961.
Library is open Sunday 1 pm – 5 pm Monday 10 am – 4 pm
Wednesday 10 am – 7 pm Saturday 10 am – 4 pm
We are located at: 911 Melissa Dr, San Antonio, TX 78213
Convenient location, great parking, and easy to find.
From I-410, exit onto Blanco Rd north. Go 3/4 mile and turn left onto Melissa Dr. San Antonio Historical Association.
The San Antonio Historical Association was organized for the purpose of promoting the study and appreciation of the history of Texas with special emphasis on San Antonio and its environs. It operates under a state charter approved on February 15, 1940. Fifty-two charter members joined. Joseph William Schmitz was the association’s first president. Although the association has no publications of its own, in 1947 it received the publications of the Yanaguana Society upon that organization’s dissolution.
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TEXAS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The business of the association is transacted by a board of five directors who are elected annually and include the president, vice president, and secretary-treasurer. Regular meetings are held on the third Friday of January, February, March, May, September, October, and November of each year. After functioning for a time with no regular meeting place, the association adopted the Cos House in La Villita as a permanent assembly place. By the 1970s the association was meeting in Alamo Hall, and in the 1980s and early 1990s the meeting place was the Fort Sam Houston Officer’s Club. At each meeting a book on Texas is given as an attendance prize, and during the years quite a library of Texana has been given away. At regular meetings papers are presented that focus primarily on local topics of historical interest, although subject matter pertaining to the entire Southwest is acceptable. Though most speakers are business and professional persons engaged in historical research as an avocation, participation by professors and graduate students from local universities has increased. Speakers have brought to life again such figures as William Sydney Porter (O. Henry), George Washington Littlefield, James Stephen Hogg, Abel Head (Shanghai) Pierce, Sterling C. Robertson, King Fisher, Federico Zerván, Samuel Maverick, Mrs. Amelia Barr, and Asa Mitchell.
Places to visit while in San Antonio, Texas
There is so much to see and do in San Antonio, Texas. I have listed a few of the top interesting attractions. There are also many things for children to do. Aquarium, Lego land, Fun parks and more.
The Alamo
If there’s one thing San Antonio is known for, it’s the Alamo. Once a Franciscan mission, it was here that 189 Texans fought and lost their lives in 1836 during a 13-day siege by Mexican ruler, President Antonio López de Santa Anna. The fight sparked Texas’ struggle for independence and today, the Alamo stands as a tribute to these men, displaying artifacts belonging to some of the Alamo’s most famous defenders, including Davy Crockett and James Bowie. Visit the Alamo Church on your own or by guided tour, and then check out the many other sites of interest and artifacts on the grounds. These include the Long Barrack (the Alamo’s oldest building), the Alamo Exhibit (featuring more than 500 artifacts), restored historic cannons and the Statues of Heroes, bronze statues of Alamo soldiers in the Cavalry Courtyard. At the Living History encampment, visitors can learn more about frontier life in early Texas through hands-on demonstrations.
Located in the heart of downtown San Antonio, the Alamo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission to the Alamo Church is free, but you must reserve a ticket in advance. Alamo website.
Historic Missions
Aside from the Alamo, there are San Antonio’s historic missions – Mission San José, Mission Concepción, Mission Espada and Mission San Juan. These are a must-see site for history buffs. Established along the San Antonio River in the 18th century by Franciscan friars, the missions stand as a reminder of Spanish colonizers’ success in spreading Catholicism through the Southwest and into Mexico.
The missions have complicated stories, as many Native Americans who lived within the missions adapted to the Spanish way of life forgoing their religions, languages and customs. However, the missions still retain many of Native American influences including the building frescoes and mission customs. In honor of this history, the park was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.
Free tours are offered by the park rangers. You can hike or bike the Mission Trail (there are also roads for visitors with cars), which links all five missions; there are viewpoints, water fountains and bathrooms along the way.
Located a few miles south of downtown San Antonio, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free.
San Fernando Cathedral
If you’re touring San Antonio, the San Fernando Cathedral is hard to miss. Still an active house of worship, the cathedral is one of the oldest in the country, constructed in the mid-1700s by colonists from the Canary Islands. It was here that Wild West legend James Bowie was married and that General Antonio López de Santa Anna indicated his plans for the Alamo. Local legend claims that many heroes from the Alamo battle (including Davy Crockett) are buried here in an unmarked tomb. Despite enduring damage from a fire in the 19th century, the San Fernando Cathedral maintains its antique appearance, beckoning you to tour its breathtaking interior.
While the interior is open during the day, travelers insist that you visit the church at night to take advantage of the free light show. Every Tuesday through Sunday at 9 and 9:30 p.m., a dazzling video art installation entitled “The Saga” is projected onto the building’s facade. You’ll want to double-check the Main Plaza website to make sure the show is occurring.
The cathedral is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. Entry is free, but it’s a good idea to check the San Fernando Cathedral website to avoid interrupting Mass.
Old Town Trolly 
2nd Consecutive Day FREE! See the best of San Antonio with Old Town Trolley! Climb onboard the Old Town Trolley of San Antonio and enjoy a fully narrated, fun-filled tour. With 12 stops around the Alamo City, you can disembark along the way and enjoy the Alamo, the historic Pearl District, San Antonio Zoo (9 min walk from Witte Stop), Botanical Garden, Witte Museum, River Walk, La Villita, Tower of the Americas, Market Square and much more!
Stay on board for a complete, live narrated, 90-100 minute tour or hop-on and off any of the 12 stops. Tour all day at your own pace. Enjoy all the wonderful sites of this historic magical city.
Read more about – San Antonio Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour
River Walk 
Many agree that the best way to see San Antonio is by taking a stroll along the River Walk, or Paseo del Rio. San Antonio’s most-visited tourist attraction meanders along the banks of the San Antonio River through the center of the city, connecting major attractions like Brackenridge Park and the San Antonio Museum of Art.
Flanking the River Walk are dozens of restaurants, boutique hotels and sidewalk cafes shaded by colorful umbrellas. Street performers often fill the air with mariachi music.
If you want to see the River Walk from a different vantage point, try a boat tour. GO RIO offers a variety of cruises, including two-hour dinner cruises, short narrated excursions, private charters and river shuttle service from downtown to Museum Reach. Ticket fees vary depending on what type of journey you want, but you can expect to pay at least $14.50 per person, with discounts for locals, children, seniors and military members.For more information, including a calendar of events and a directory of stores and restaurants, visit the River Walk website.
Hopscotch
Participate in an out-of-the-box experience during your time in San Antonio when you visit
Hopscotch
an immersive art experience. Make your own way to the gallery downtown to begin your experience.
This gallery showcases a curated collection of 14 collaborative displays, featuring light installations, optical illusions, and impactful art pieces. Designed to bring artists together, Hopscotch serves as a platform
for creative expression that com
Explore a uniquely curate 20,000 sq. ft. immersive art experience
in the heart of downtown San Antonio. Enjoy fourteen collaborative displays, specialty cocktails, and rotating food trucks on our patio. Hopscotch allows artists to showcase their works in sustainable and creative ways, encourages them to be inspired by new mediums, and empowers them to reach new audiences. Read more about – Hopscotch Immersive Art Experience
Towers of Americas 
Located in downtown San Antonio, the 750-foot-tall Tower of the Americas provides guests the most spectacular view of the Alamo City. Enjoy the gorgeous panorama from the Tower’s revolving Chart House Restaurant, take in the scenery from the Observation Deck or experience the thrilling 4D Theater Ride. For a taste of the best dining and fun that San Antonio Riverwalk restaurants have to offer, come take a flight with the Tower of the Americas.
Underground Escape Room Adventure at Extreme Escape San Antonio
Extreme Escape strives to take the normal escape room experience to the next level! From the moment you walk in the door, our mission is to provide the best experience for each of our guests. Our designers have worked to ensure each minute of your experience is filled with adventure and fun!
The Ghosts of Old San Antonio
Venture into the haunted corners of San Antonio after sunset and hear chilling tales of the city’s spooky history. Take in storied landmarks like the Alamo, Cathedral, and other sights while delving into their dark past, plus learn about the most famous ghosts that still wander the streets in Old San Antonio with this family-friendly experience.
Rainforest Cafe
Part adventure, part restaurant, and wholly entertaining. The Rainforest Cafe is a A WILD PLACE TO EAT® and exciting thrill for all ages. Wild times await in a decorative jungle with animatronics and a menu of delicious American and tropical fare. Visitors can also hover over “Wild Bunch” attire and hundreds of private-label souvenirs at the Rainforest Cafe Retail Village, while Tracy the Talking Tree speaks up every 30 seconds with an earth-friendly message. CAUTION: Flashing lights and thunder sounds inside restaurant. May cause discomfort and/ or seizures for those with photosensitive epilepsy.
Legoland Discovery Center
LEGOLAND® Discovery Center San Antonio is the Ultimate Indoor LEGO® Playground! LEGOLAND Discovery Center features 2 rides, a 4D cinema, MINILAND® San Antonio, 10 LEGO Play Zones and more! Families with children ages 3-10 won’t want to miss out on the fun! LEGOLAND Discovery Center
SEA LIFE San Antonio
Be transported to an underwater world as you explore SEA LIFE San Antonio. Walk through the underwater ocean tunnel and come face-to-face with sharks, rays, sea turtles, and several fish species. Enjoy an immersive experience at the touch pool where you can see starfish, sea anemones, hermit crabs, and more. There are over 20 exhibits for children and adults to enjoy.
The Buckhorn Saloon & Museum and Texas Ranger Museum
More than two-centuries of Texas law artifacts with a visit to the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum and Texas Ranger Museum. A truly authentic Texas attraction, these conjoined museums include everything from a taxidermy Hall of Feathers to ‘Ranger Town,’ featuring its own working jail cell and
a Bonnie and Clyde exhibit. Grab a locally brewed beer at the onsite saloon, where Teddy Roosevelt supposedly recruited his famous Rough Riders. You can even tour the museum with it.
