Chili Square By Marcelo Urieta

Where was "Chili Square"?

It was where Republic Square is now, framed by Guadalupe, 4th, San Antonio and 5th Streets. Walker's Austex Chile Company had its office at 310 San Antonio and its plant at 500-502 W. 5th Street from the 1920s to the 1950s.

Also, up until the 1920s, the blocks surrounding this square were populated by a large number of Mexican-Americans.

For more than 50 years (1870 to the late 1920s), the local MexicanAmerican community congregated there, holding public dances, fiestas, and annual Diez y Seis celebrations. Though there's no record of permanent structures on the block, anecdotal information suggests there was once a bandstand and food carts or kiosks. Due to the proximity of the Walker's AusTex Chili canning factory down the street from the 1920s through the 1950s, the area was also sometimes known as "Chili Square." On Saturday, May 3, Republic Square Park becomes home to a weekly community-supported farmers' market, once again a vibrant part of city life.