Google It

What did San Antonio Google in 2015? Our most popular searches revealed

The top trending searches of 2015 include Lamar Odom, Straight Outta Compton, and Ronda Rousey.

Cristhian Rodriguez/Wikimedia Commons

No one does an end-of-year list quite like Google. The tech giant recently released the annual "Year in Search," giving us an inside look at what our neighbors were looking for on the world's No. 1 search engine in 2015.

It appears that San Antonio was pretty celeb-obsessed in 2015. Ronda Rousey, Bobbi Christina Brown, and Donald Trump were among our top 10 search terms, while Lamar Odom claimed the No. 1 spot. We were also interested in learning more about Sandra Bland and El Chapo. When we weren't snooping for info on newsworthy people, we were looking for info on Straight Outta Compton, Jurassic World, and American Sniper. The only non-human, non-movie search term in San Antonio's top 10 was the Special Olympics World Games.

Google also provided a breakdown of trending terms in three categories: news/events, people, and films. San Antonio aligned pretty well with the rest of the nation, but we were less interested in "Fallout 4," Brian Williams, and Mad Max than other Americans. Top San Antonio-specific search terms of 2015 included LaMarcus Aldridge, Joan Sebastian, and ... Duke Kahanamoku, the inventor of surfing?

For a more in-depth breakdown of San Antonians' favorite search terms of 2015, check out the top 10 lists below:

Overall trending searches

Lamar Odom
Straight Outta Compton
Ronda Rousey
Bobbi Kristina Brown
Jurassic World
Sandra Bland
Special Olympics World Games
American Sniper
Donald Trump
El Chapo

Trending news/events

Special Olympics World Games
El Chapo
Pluto
Hurricane Patricia
Blood moon
Houston Astros
Cowboys
Paris
Golden States Warriors
Oregon shooting

Trending people

Lamar Odom
Ronda Rousey
Bobbi Kristina Brown
Sandra Bland
Donald Trump
Chris Kyle
Joan Sebastian
Duke Kahanamoku
Caitlyn Jenner
LaMarcus Aldridge

Trending films

Straight Outta Compton
Jurassic World
American Sniper
The Visit
Minions
The Perfect Guy
50 Shades of Grey
War Room
Black Mass
Inside Out

Check out what the rest of the world was Googling in 2015 here.

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Return to Roots

Gruene Antique Company ending its 39-year run to become general store

Photo courtesy of Alan Michnoff, Molak Corporation

In July Gruene Antique Company in New Braunfels will close, returning to its roots as Gruene Mercantile.

For the past 39 years, the historic H.D. Gruene Mercantile Building has been home to Gruene Antique Company, a local favorite for vintage shopping. On July 20, Gruene Antique Company will close its doors for good, and the building will return to its roots as a mercantile store.

The building went up in 1904 in New Braunfels, where Gruene is a historic district. For decades, this beautiful two-story brick building acted as the "community's business and social center," and carried "everything from cheese to farm implements to buggies and ready wear," according to a recent press release.

Ownership of the space will not change hands, as the Molak Corporation has owned Gruene Hall for decades. In fact, the new mercantile store is set to open later in 2025, just in time for the Molak Corporation's 50th anniversary of owning Gruene Hall.

“After prolonged consideration, we are excited to return the building to its former glory as a mercantile store," says Susie Molak, wife of the late founder Pat Molak in the press release. "We aim to preserve the legacy of Gruene while looking intentionally to the future, and we believe this shift will highlight the history of this iconic location."

Aside from Gruene Hall, the family-operated Molak Corporation owns several restaurants, stores, venues, and other real estate in New Braunfels, including Gristmill River Restaurant, Cantina del Rio, Mozie's, and more. The company also owns Down on Grayson and Josephine Street in San Antonio.

This isn't the first time the building has changed businesses. After Gruene Mercantile (known for a time as Gruene Brothers Store) closed its doors in 1938 during an economic slump, it became Hadlock & Fox, a western saddle tree manufacturer. It then transitioned to Gruene Antique Company in 1986.

In the press release, Molak says "While change is never easy, we hope to bring fresh experiences to Gruene while maintaining the rich history and vibrant character that Texans have come to love."

antiques general store gruene historic district mercantile store new braunfels vintage shopping closings