Frank and Mary Toudouze lived at 123 Wyoming Street, within the neighborhood selected for demolition to make way for Hemisfair ’68. Frank had lived in the family home for 52 years. When the San Antonio Urban Renewal Agency condemned the property, the Toudouzes refused to leave quietly. They challenged the acquisition through the courts and attempted to prevent the agency from taking possession of their home.
Their resistance was also visible from the street. Signs surrounding the house warned “KEEP OUT” and announced their determination to fight what was happening to their property. The words transformed the house itself into a public protest against the forces reshaping the neighborhood.
The legal fight ultimately failed. In 1966, a court refused to stop the writ of possession. By the time the Toudouzes' appeal was considered, the sheriff had already executed the order, the Urban Renewal Agency had taken possession, and the buildings on the property had been demolished. The appellate court dismissed the case as moot because what the family had gone to court to prevent had already happened.
