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San Antonio’s new Museo del Westside opened in October. It honors the unique heritage, culture, and people of the historic West Side. It’s housed in a former ice house that served as a grocery and gathering place for the community for decades.
The Museo del Westside is not a large, grand structure. It is a venue for the elders to pass on their wisdom to the younger generation. It stands on the corner of a working class, largely Mexican American neighborhood.
It also honors the legacy of the Reyes family who owned and operated Ruben’s Ice House from 1959 until 1987.
The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center Director Graciela Sanchez had witnessed developers tear down places that held meaning to the Westside community, such as the 2002 demolition of the West Side dance hall, La Gloria. This further cemented the idea to preserve the history of San Antonio’s West Side.
“So that's when our elders, about 2008, when Ruben’s Ice House came up for sale, when we imagined what we could do inside this building,” said Sanchez. “Then people said, let's make this a community museum.”
Ruben’s Ice House was a West Side landmark founded by the Reyes family in 1960. It was originally named M&E Grocers, after founders Manuel Reyes and his wife, Elida. They had 10 children who would assist them with daily tasks in the store.
One of those siblings was Patricia Reyes Zepeda.
“We used to make hamburgers, and they had fried chicken, and they had puffy tacos, and they had hot dogs, hamburgers, crispy dogs, and we did all of it,” said Reyes Zepeda. “Whatever the customers ordered, is what we did. And when they didn't have that open, they had the grocery side open, when we ran the registers.”
Patricia’s sister, Esmerelda Reyes Rocha, said the business was always bustling.
“I told one of my nieces that made a report (about the ice house) that it reminded me of the song from (the television sitcom) 'Cheers,' where 'everybody knows your name,'" said Reyes Rocha. “Everybody knew everybody, and if anybody needed help or support at some point or for whatever reason, somebody was always willing to help. Always.”
Reyes Rocha said her father Manuel would go out of his way to help his customers.
“And Daddy had a little truck where you’d call in your order, and they would go deliver to you. If you didn't have any money at that point, you'd still get your groceries,” said Reyes Rocha. “Daddy would write it down — called it 'credito' — and come payday, whenever that was, you'd come take care of it. It's word of mouth, and your. ... How do they say? ‘Your handshake is as good as gold.’”
Patricia Reyes Zepeda said the family’s customers expressed their gratitude in generous ways, especially on Christmas.
“They would just bring her things because they appreciated her so much for everything she did,” she said.
Esmerelda Reyes Rocha said her mother and father left a beautiful legacy in the community.
“And we still run into families that knew her, and they remember her,” she said. “And they tell us about the times that they got help from her, and they loved her. So it's a beautiful, beautiful thing, and something that'll stay with us forever.”
Patricia Reyes Zepeda says it was their mother’s giving nature that prompted the decision to take the Esperanza’s offer to buy the ice house over developers’ offers to demolish the site for a restaurant.
“And my sister and I talked about it, and figured that my mother, had she known what they were going to do with it, especially what it became, my mom probably would have given it away,” said Reyes Zepeda. “She was the type that was always giving to the neighbors and to the neighborhood. We would see her give away a lot of stuff here at the ice house to families that were in need. We'd see her give them food. She'd give them clothes. And it wasn't on credit. It was just given to them. So my mother, we know in our hearts, my mom would have given it away.”
The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center has renovated and expanded the former ice house to house the Museo del Westside, which currently displays exhibits of the neighborhood midwives, women’s unions, and of course, the M&E store and Ruben’s Ice House.
The Reyes sisters say it’s the perfect place to preserve the unique history of their community and their parents’ legacy.
Museo del Westside is located at the corner of Guadalupe St. and S. Colorado St. in San Antonio.
Disclosure: The Esperanza Peace & Justice Center is a financial supporter of TPR. We cover them as we do any organization, institution or business.
