From the Brackenridge Park footbridge to the 1927 Alamo Heights streetcar-turned-bus stop, the sculptures of Dionicio Rodriguez and his protégés are an artistic legacy for San Antonio. Rodriguez' work, in the style of trabajo rustico (rustic work), or faux bois (imitation wood) technique, uses natural elements as inspiration for cement creations. According to Texas Highways, "fifteen of his Texas works, and six in other states, are listed in the National Register of Historic Places...second only to Frank Lloyd Wright in the total number of locations listed on the register."

Born in 1881 in Toluca, Mexico, Rodriguez settled in the San Antonio area in the early 1920s after working in construction and dabbling in art throughout Mexico City, Monterrey, and Laredo. During 30 years in the San Antonio area, Rodriguez and colleagues such as nephew Maximo Cortes crafted bridges, benches, fences, and other functional artwork throughout the city to resemble crosscut logs, tree trunks, and branches with peeling bark. Today, Mexican American artisans continue this traditional Mexican handicraft, including Cortes' great-nephew Carlos, who runs Studio Cortes. From public art installations to smaller garden sculptures, the third-generation artist keeps the area's trabajo rustico tradition alive.