Saturday, July 12, 2008

Strutting the alley

If you've ever been strolling down Navarro Street in downtown San Antonio, you might have stumbled upon Peacock Alley.

















And the name might have conjured up images of an iridescent bird, a beautiful fowl courting his mate with a pretentious display of plumage.



















And then you might have actually looked down Peacock Alley.




















Oh well, I guess one name's as good as another for alleys.

3 comments:

AlanDP said...

I wouldn't be surprised if a hundred years ago or more there was a good reason why it was given that name.

Kels said...

Nah... alleys generally have a negative connotaion for me... maybe it's all the movies I saw as a child where bad guys killed people there or something...? And any kind of bird is not welcome in my little world... yeah, ever thought about what it would be like to see a 26 year old gal get jittery when a sparrow hops nearby...? That gal in your mind at this moment is me... I'm terrified of birds... especially large, vibrantly colored ones...

John from Pleasanton said...

Ralph William Peacock was the first post master of San Antonio. He later changed his name to John Bowen, to preserve a relatives name and gain his inheritance. He lived on Bowen's Island, now the site of the Tower Life building on the San Antonio River. He also founded the town of Pleasanton. I haven't found evidence that Peacock Alley is named after Ralph William Peacock but the alley is next to the old post office building.