Thompson Field
Encyclopedia
Thompson is a primarily residential community in San Antonio, Texas
. The neighborhood is 6 miles (9.7 km) west of downtown San Antonio located between U.S. Highway 90 and Port San Antonio
, with the Union Pacific railroad tracks and Lackland AFB servings as its east and west boundaries, respectively. Thompson is a collection of individual residential areas that were developed independently over a wide span of time. The area is the gateway to Port San Antonio and saw heaviest development during the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Many residents and families in the community were once stationed at or otherwise employed at the former Kelly AFB which gives the area its strong working-class and military tradition.
The history of Thompson is fundamentally tied to the history of the former Kelly Air Force Base
and now Port San Antonio
http://www.portsanantonio.us/. Kelly helped many of the areas residents by giving them higher-wage jobs that otherwise would have been inaccessible, allowing the area to achieve a slightly higher affluence than the surrounding area.
The Colonel J. George Cisneros Apartments are an assisted living community operated by the San Antonio Housing Authority.
http://www.eisd.net. The northeastern tip is serviced by the San Antonio Independent School District
http://www.saisd.net.
The area is home to John F. Kennedy High School
, Brentwood Middle School and Norman Winston Elementary, all Edgewood schools. Edgewood's Frank Mata Memorial Stadium is located in Thompson, adjacent to Kennedy High School. The Stadium serves as the home of Kennedy's Mighty Rocket Football team and is used for various other athletic and non-athletic events throughout the year.
The community is also home to St. John Berchmans School. The school is a parochial, coed, Catholic elementary functioning under the auspices of St. John Berchmans Catholic Church. School and church alike are operated by the Archdiocese of San Antonio. The school serves PK-8 and is one of the largest elementary schools operated by the Archdiocese.
Rocky's Taco House is a local institution and hang out spot, especially on weekends and after Kennedy Football games.
Tellez Tamales is a local tamaleria that has served the community for decades. It is well known in the area for its Mexican breakfast foods including tamales, barbacoa and other standard Mexican fare.
Tuby's Pool Hall is the only pool hall and bar in the community and the only one for several miles around the area.
Much as with the rest of Texas, Thompson residents have a strong affinity for high school football. During the high school football season residents will regularly fill Mata Stadium on Friday and Saturday nights to watch Kennedy's football team take on opponents from across the San Antonio region.
A 35.8 acres (144,877.6 m²) public park at the intersection of Roselawn Avenue and South General McMullen Drive. The park includes the Kennedy Softball Complex which has five fields used for tournament and league play. The park also includes a pool, several pavilions basketball and tennis courts, and half a mile of hard-surface walking trails.
Located at the intersection of Duncan Drive and Crickett Drive on the grounds of Port San Antonio.
Popular among residents for events ranging from large birthday parties to music festivals and car shows. The 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) park is located along the Highway 90 Access Road, just west of the Callaghan intersection.
The cemetery has been renamed San Fernando Catholic Cemetery No.3 and currently functions under the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
Thanks to the numerous on base facilities maintained for the military, Port San Antonio is littered with numerous small recreational areas including ball fields, running tracks and pavilions.
Employers in the area include: Boeing
, Lockheed Martin, EG&G, General Electric and Gore Design.
As the area was developed before the spread of the suburban strip-mall, Thompson Field lacks the large stripcenters common in other parts of the city. Only two strip centers currently exist in the community, the rest of the area is full of small, stand-alone businesses. Kelly Center, a small strip area on Billy Mitchell Blvd, once full of thriving local businesses has seen its fortunes go south with the exodus of workers from Kelly.
The proposed Austin–San Antonio Commuter Rail will terminate with a station south of the neighborhood at Port San Antonio.
Approximately 89.9% of area residents are native born and 10.1% being of foreign origin. Of those born outside the United States approximately 90% were born in Latin America.
The median household income was $23,114 and the median family income was $25,754. The median homevalue was $47,000.
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. The neighborhood is 6 miles (9.7 km) west of downtown San Antonio located between U.S. Highway 90 and Port San Antonio
Port San Antonio
Port San Antonio is a multi-purpose, facility in San Antonio, Texas established to serve as an aerospace complex, international airport and industrial hub with two railroads and close access to three interstate highways...
, with the Union Pacific railroad tracks and Lackland AFB servings as its east and west boundaries, respectively. Thompson is a collection of individual residential areas that were developed independently over a wide span of time. The area is the gateway to Port San Antonio and saw heaviest development during the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Many residents and families in the community were once stationed at or otherwise employed at the former Kelly AFB which gives the area its strong working-class and military tradition.
History
The Thompson moniker originates from Thompson Place, the primary east-west thoroughfare.The history of Thompson is fundamentally tied to the history of the former Kelly Air Force Base
Kelly Air Force Base
Kelly Field Annex and is a former United States Air Force facility located in San Antonio, Texas. In 2001, the runway and land west of the runway became "Kelly Field Annex" and control of it was transferred to the adjacent Lackland Air Force Base, part of Joint Base San Antonio...
and now Port San Antonio
Port San Antonio
Port San Antonio is a multi-purpose, facility in San Antonio, Texas established to serve as an aerospace complex, international airport and industrial hub with two railroads and close access to three interstate highways...
http://www.portsanantonio.us/. Kelly helped many of the areas residents by giving them higher-wage jobs that otherwise would have been inaccessible, allowing the area to achieve a slightly higher affluence than the surrounding area.
Single family neighborhoods
- Aiken Farms
- Brentwood Village
- The Enclave at Summerhill
- The Grotto
- Jamar Village - Located across Gen. McMullen from Kennedy High and Kennedy Park, the village sprung from the need for housing for the booming Kelly AFB during the 1960s. The neighborhood follows a more traditional grid layout with streets running east-west from Jamar Blvd to Imperial Blvd.
- Los Jardines - Developed in 1989 by Gordon Hartman Homes, the Los Jardines neighborhood is a collection of 84 garden homes. Residents are known as Jardineros, the Spanish word for gardener.
- Jesusita - Developed in 1997 the Jesusita neighborhood was the last multiple-home development in Thompson Field.
- Menefee
- Parkers Garden
- Wescott Place
Apartment living
In addition to Billy Mitchell, the Thompson community offers several rental options for those interested in apartment living. Complexes include Darby Place, The Diplomat Apartments, Kennedy Arms, Roselawn Apartments, Thompson Place Apartments and Winston Square.The Colonel J. George Cisneros Apartments are an assisted living community operated by the San Antonio Housing Authority.
Primary education
Approximately 90% of Thompson is served by the Edgewood Independent School DistrictEdgewood Independent School District (Bexar County, Texas)
Edgewood Independent School District is a public school district based in San Antonio, in Bexar County, Texas .The Edgewood district is most notable as the original plaintiff in a Texas court case which led to the infamous "Robin Hood" school finance plan .In 2009, the school district was rated...
http://www.eisd.net. The northeastern tip is serviced by the San Antonio Independent School District
San Antonio Independent School District
San Antonio Independent School District is a school district based in Downtown San Antonio, Texas .San Antonio ISD is one of 15 school districts serving San Antonio. San Antonio ISD serves the downtown and inner city areas of San Antonio. San Antonio ISD also serves a small portion of the city of...
http://www.saisd.net.
The area is home to John F. Kennedy High School
John F. Kennedy High School (San Antonio, Texas)
John F. Kennedy High School is a comprehensive high school located in the Thompson Field area of San Antonio, Texas.-History:The school opened in 1963. Today the school is a Texas 4-A school with a population of approximately 1,400 students....
, Brentwood Middle School and Norman Winston Elementary, all Edgewood schools. Edgewood's Frank Mata Memorial Stadium is located in Thompson, adjacent to Kennedy High School. The Stadium serves as the home of Kennedy's Mighty Rocket Football team and is used for various other athletic and non-athletic events throughout the year.
The community is also home to St. John Berchmans School. The school is a parochial, coed, Catholic elementary functioning under the auspices of St. John Berchmans Catholic Church. School and church alike are operated by the Archdiocese of San Antonio. The school serves PK-8 and is one of the largest elementary schools operated by the Archdiocese.
Colleges
Immediately south of the neighborhood, across General Hudnell, is St. Philips College-Southwest Campus.http://www.accd.edu/spc/spcmain/swc/ The campus serves a vital role as the city's primary center for technical and industrial education. The campus serves approximately 2,000 students each semester and provides instruction and training for careers in high-skill, high-wage fields such as aviation technology, railroad operations and architectural drafting. Southwest Campus serves as a center linking welfare recipients and displaced workers to area opportunities, including those available with employers at Port San Antonio. The Southwest Campus aids in creating a much-needed, high skilled workforce for the area.Culture and life
The community is serviced by several national food chains as well as several local, independent restaurants.Rocky's Taco House is a local institution and hang out spot, especially on weekends and after Kennedy Football games.
Tellez Tamales is a local tamaleria that has served the community for decades. It is well known in the area for its Mexican breakfast foods including tamales, barbacoa and other standard Mexican fare.
Tuby's Pool Hall is the only pool hall and bar in the community and the only one for several miles around the area.
Much as with the rest of Texas, Thompson residents have a strong affinity for high school football. During the high school football season residents will regularly fill Mata Stadium on Friday and Saturday nights to watch Kennedy's football team take on opponents from across the San Antonio region.
Parks and Recreational Space
- Kennedy Park
A 35.8 acres (144,877.6 m²) public park at the intersection of Roselawn Avenue and South General McMullen Drive. The park includes the Kennedy Softball Complex which has five fields used for tournament and league play. The park also includes a pool, several pavilions basketball and tennis courts, and half a mile of hard-surface walking trails.
- Lindbergh Park
Located at the intersection of Duncan Drive and Crickett Drive on the grounds of Port San Antonio.
- Mateo Camargo Park
Popular among residents for events ranging from large birthday parties to music festivals and car shows. The 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) park is located along the Highway 90 Access Road, just west of the Callaghan intersection.
- Roselawn Memorial Park
The cemetery has been renamed San Fernando Catholic Cemetery No.3 and currently functions under the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
- Port San Antonio
Thanks to the numerous on base facilities maintained for the military, Port San Antonio is littered with numerous small recreational areas including ball fields, running tracks and pavilions.
Economy
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
, Lockheed Martin, EG&G, General Electric and Gore Design.
As the area was developed before the spread of the suburban strip-mall, Thompson Field lacks the large stripcenters common in other parts of the city. Only two strip centers currently exist in the community, the rest of the area is full of small, stand-alone businesses. Kelly Center, a small strip area on Billy Mitchell Blvd, once full of thriving local businesses has seen its fortunes go south with the exodus of workers from Kelly.
Transportation
The community is home to an office of the Texas Department of Public Safety http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/ at the intersection of South Gen. McMullen and Weir Ave.The proposed Austin–San Antonio Commuter Rail will terminate with a station south of the neighborhood at Port San Antonio.
Demographics
The area population was approximately 8,000 as of the 2000 Census. The median age is 29 and approximately 10.1% of the population holds a college degree.Approximately 89.9% of area residents are native born and 10.1% being of foreign origin. Of those born outside the United States approximately 90% were born in Latin America.
The median household income was $23,114 and the median family income was $25,754. The median homevalue was $47,000.