top of page

Community History

In 1967 two developers, Denton Developments and Prestige Homes, began construction of new homes on a large tract of land north of Castle Hills. It would be one of the first large-scale efforts undertaken north of the I-410 loop and would generate significant anticipation. Today, Whispering Oaks remains one of San Antonio’s most admired and desired neighborhoods because the beauty of its terrain and charm of its homes have largely been preserved.

 

The land itself was formerly territory of the Apache and Tonkaawa tribes until the 1800's when the Comanche tribe pushed them into what is now Mexico. Local archeologists have uncovered artifacts and remains dating as far back as the Paleo-Indian period (8000–10000 BCE).

​Adorned with hundreds of grand Oak trees, the area had become ranch land, and many of the roadways leading to it were unpaved. The Whispering Oaks subdivision was roughly divided into two parts by the Olmos Creek drainage channel and developers began construction on the Eastern side that would lead to a total of 415 properties. Some 337 more would eventually follow to the West, creating a current-day total of 752 residences.​

jackson build.JPG

The Jackson family home at 11111 Whisper Ridge was one of the first built. Courtesy of family, Spring 1969.

​The first homes appeared along Whispering Wind and Whisper Hill, extending down to Whisper Valley that dead-ended near the new swimming pool. Denton constructed the pool in 1968 and operated it for 15 years before selling it to a group of residents who had formed a non-profit corporation for the benefit of the community. The tennis courts that were later added to both the East and West sides are managed by the same group, which is not affiliated with the Whispering Oaks Homeowners Association (WOHA).  

The next round of homes were constructed along Whisper Path, which received an entrance monument at Lockhill-Selma Road similar to those previously built by the developers near Whispering Wind. All of these monuments were later replaced by WOHA with the current larger versions that adorn most entrances.  Development continued along Whisper View and Whisper Valley that featured mostly duplex homes. The latter street eventually connected to Wurzbach Parkway, which extended no farther East than Lockhill-Selma at that time.

​Development of the Western side began in 1975. Denton offered the land between Whisper Willow and Olmos Creek to the Northside School District, but the offer was declined. Drainage in that area was then diverted to its current configuration so that a small park and tennis courts could be built. Show homes were constructed along Whisper Dew, which were featured in the San Antonio Homebuilders Association Parade of Homes that year.

The developers forged on with the addition of Whisper Sound and Whisper Fern. Construction continued on the Western side for several years adding several more streets and hundreds of residences including gardens homes and a few duplexes. The majority of new home construction in the subdivision was completed by 1980 and residents settled in to one of San Antonio's most admired communities. Some of the original residents remain part of our community today.

bottom of page