George Holmgreen

Directions to this stop: See the Independent Order of Odd Fellows San Antonio Lodge No. 11 Cemetery PARK AND WALK map.

German immigrant George Holmgreen established Alamo Iron Works in 1879, when he became the sole owner of a former iron and brass foundry in San Antonio. His sons joined the business in 1883, and the company was responsible for the production of ornamental iron work, storefronts, balconies, railings, columns, fencing, cresting, iron and brass castings, and machinery repair.  Alamo Iron Works provided metal work for the construction of a number of San Antonio's commercial buildings in the late 19th century. By the 1920s the company had grown to include branches in Corpus Christi, Brownsville, and Houston.  Alamo Iron Works manufactured parts for Navy ships during World War II and continued to grow into the mid-20th century.  The company is still in operation and services steel and a variety of supplies to both the United States and Mexico. (Alamo Iron Works Website: www.aiwnet.com; and Historical and Descriptive Review of the Industries of San Antonio. Land & Thompson. San Antonio. 1885)