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The history of San Antonio’s Finesilver building dates back to the 1800s

The building once housed a business that used to be the largest employer in San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO – It’s a name that many of us of have heard but perhaps don’t know about.

In recent years, the name Finesilver has been associated with the curve that links Interstate 35 and Interstate 10 and that is notorious for many traffic accidents involving 18-wheelers that tie up traffic for hours.

READ MORE: Experts: San Antonio’s Finesilver Curve tricky to navigate, fix

But, the curve got its name from the building, and the building’s history is one that dates back to the 1800s.

Those who have lived in San Antonio for years likely know that the Finesilver building once housed the Finesilver Manufacturing Company, a clothing manufacturer.

To get a better understanding of the rich history, we walked the halls with one of the last remaining links to the building’s original heyday: Lynn Finesilver Crystal.

”It was the pants and overalls company,” Crystal said. “My grandfather started it in 1897″

Nowadays, the Finesilver building has been re-imagined and is a modern workspace, with numerous businesses calling it home. Crystal walked the building with us, taking us back to the time when large quantities of quality clothing were manufactured.

“We’re probably around the stock room right now,” remembered Crystal. “Sometimes you’ll see that they left the size marks on the floor.”

Crystal’s grandfather, Abraham Finesilver, started the company, in its current location. It was part of his American dream.

”He was from Latvia. The country of Latvia, and he came here,” Crystal said. “His parents sent him as a young boy.”

It would later become a bustling, successful clothing manufacturer, with a cutting department on the third floor, a sewing department on the second, and the shipping department on the ground floor.

Employees sew inside the Finesilver Manufacturing Company

”At one time, it was the largest employer in San Antonio,” Crystal said.

The Finesilver label was well-known and the mostly utilitarian-type clothing could be found in department stores.

“The label says made in Texas, USA,” explained Crystal, holding up a pair of blue jeans. “Everything was made in America. Every product.”

The Finesilvers joined the war effort during World War II by producing military uniforms. They were also known for their jeans and other lines of clothing.

”Khaki pants, matched shirts, flannel shirts, chambray shirts,” Crystal said listing the clothing items.

Employees work within the Finesilver Manufacturing Comany

Business was good for decades, as Crystal’s father and uncle took over the company. Eventually, in the 1980s, imports began to eat away at the American textile industry. The last portion of the Finesilver business officially shutdown in 1993. Still, Crystal said that San Antonio’s older generation still remembers the old label.

”When I was in the military, that was the best pair of pants I ever had, or best shirt,” said Crystal, recalling a conversation. “It was done with pride.”

Her pride remains, considering the building is still in use and has been repurposed into a modern office building. The three-story building now houses numerous businesses.

”I’m thrilled that there’s businesses and that there’s life going on here now,” Crystal said.


About the Author
Justin Horne headshot

Justin Horne is a meteorologist and reporter for KSAT 12 News. When severe weather rolls through, Justin will hop in the KSAT 12 Storm Chaser to safely bring you the latest weather conditions from across South Texas. On top of delivering an accurate forecast, Justin often reports on one of his favorite topics: Texas history.

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