Bexar County Texas Real Estate

Bexar County website

Bexar County is located in the interior belt of the Coastal Plain of South Central Texas. The county is bounded on the north by Kendall and Comal counties, on the east by Guadalupe and Wilson counties, on the south by Atascosa County, and on the west by Medina and Bandera counties. The county seat and largest city is San Antonio. Other large population centers include Alamo Heights, Castle Hills, Converse, Lytle, Olmos Park, Timber wood Park, and Windcrest.

Other than being a picturesque county that holds much history, the land is also rich in mineral resources. These resources include sulfur springs, limestone, kaolin, clay, fuller's earth, greensand, lignite, petroleum, and natural gas. The climate offers mild winters and hot summers. The growing season averages 265 days a year. Crops include oats, hay, corn, wheat, and a variety of fruits and vegetables.

The first Europeans to explore the region came with an expedition in 1691 led by Domingo Terán de los Ríos and Fray Damián Massanet, who evidently reached the San Antonio River. The next group of Spanish explorers, an expedition led by two Franciscans and a military officer, did not reach the area until April 1709. Much impressed by the setting and the availability of water, they noted that the area might make a promising site for future settlement.

In 1714 Louis Juchereau de St. Denis crossed the region on his way to San Juan Bautista. In 1716 San Pedro Springs was recommended as a mission site. Near that spot, in May 1718, the San Antonio de Valero Mission and San Antonio de Béxar Presidio was founded. By the end of the winter of 1718 numerous Indians of the Jamrame, Payaya, and Pamaya groups had joined the mission.

During the 1720s the Spanish population was about 200. On March 9, 1731, fifty-five Canary Islanders arrived at Bexar, and the villa of San Fernando de Béxar became the first municipality in the Spanish province of Texas. The five missions, together with the presidio and the villa of San Fernando, constituted the most important Spanish concentration in Texas. By the mid-1730s the total population of the area was some 900, including 300 Spanish and 600 Indian converts.

The missions developed as self-supporting communities, each ringed with farmland. Crops included grain, cotton, beans, sugarcane, and vegetables. Each of the missions also maintained sizable herds of cattle, sheep, and goats on ranchlands located around Bexar.

During the late colonial period, Bexar continued to serve as the capital of the province of Texas as well as the main shipping point for supplies headed for Nacogdoches and La Bahía. Between 1811 and 1813 the city was also center of revolutionary activity against Spanish rule.

Soon after the first Anglo-American colonists came to Texas in 1821, San Antonio became the western outpost of settlement. During the late 1820s increasing numbers of American settlers began moving to San Antonio, though the city remained preponderantly Mexican at the beginning of the Texas Revolution.

The first Protestant churches were not organized until 1844. In 1847 the Presbyterians built a small adobe church, and the Methodists constructed their own building in 1852. Trinity Mission of the Episcopal Church was founded in 1850, the Evangelical Lutheran church was organized in 1857, and the Baptists organized their church in 1861.

The main source of revenue for the county was trade carried on by team trains between San Antonio and Mexico and New Orleans. A number of immigrants opened mercantile establishments in the city, but there was little in the way of industry. In 1860 the county had only twenty-eight manufacturing establishments, with 135 employees.

Except for San Antonio, which continued to be a commercial and military center, the county remained undeveloped. Most of the population continued to be concentrated in the San Antonio River valley, with only a few small settlements in other parts of the county. Economic recovery did not begin until the late 1860s with the start of the great cattle drives. Since Bexar County had a prime location it became an increasingly important center for the ranching industry.

Another important spur to the county's economy was tourism. By the turn of the century, Bexar County and San Antonio began to attract increasing numbers of tourists, drawn by the Alamo and the area's mild winter. A spa and hotel opened in the 1890s at Hot Sulphur Wells and drew guests from as far away as the Midwest. And for a short time just after 1900 San Antonio vied with Hollywood as a center for the infant movie industry.

Between 1910 and 1930 cotton became one of the county's most important cash crops. The same period also saw a steady rise in the number of tenant farmers in the county. The majority of the leaseholders were Anglos, but much of the labor was performed by persons of Mexican descent, who were poorly paid and frequently lived in poverty.

During the twentieth century Bexar County developed into a major educational center. The earliest mention of a school in the county occurred in 1789. There were several private or free schools in the late Spanish and Mexican period, usually meeting in private homes. By 1828 there was also a school for Anglo-American children in San Antonio called McClure's School. During the revolution most of these schools closed, but by the early 1850s two private schools were in operation, one for boys and one for girls, run by the Brothers of Mary and the Ursuline Sisters respectively.

Today over 66 percent of the land in the county goes for farms and ranches. Principal crops included oats, hay, corn, wheat, pecans, and vegetables; primary livestock products included cattle, milk, sheep, wool, and hogs.

Tourism, now the number one provider of jobs in Bexar County, has played an increasingly important role in the county's economy. The construction of two large theme parks, Sea World of Antonio and Fiesta Texas, combined with the areas other attractions, including the annual Fiesta San Antonio, the Texas Folk life Festival, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, the zoo, and the many museums, have made San Antonio and the surrounding area a prime tourist destination.

Kendall County Texas Real Estate

Kendall County website

Kendall County is in south central Texas, 170 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, and is bordered by Gillespie, Blanco, Comal, Bexar, Bandera, and Kerr counties. Boerne, the county seat, is on Cibolo Creek is located thirty miles northwest of San Antonio. Wildlife in the area includes deer, coyote, bobcat, beaver, badger, fox, raccoon, weasel, squirrel, and a variety of small birds, fish, and reptiles. Among the county's mineral resources are dolomite and limestone.

The Central Texas region, including Kendall County, has supported human habitation for several thousand years. Archeological evidence suggests that hunting and gathering peoples established themselves in the area as early as 10,000 years ago. Lipan Apaches, Kiowas, and Comanches became the dominant tribes in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and were present when Germans began arriving in the 1840s.

Most of the Kendall County area was part of the Bexar County; it later became part of Kerr County, which was separated from Bexar in 1856. Comfort served as county seat of Kerr County for two years before Kendall County was formed. In 1859 residents of Boerne and Sisterdale petitioned the legislature for a new county; the legislature granted the petition in 1862, and the new county, carved from Kerr and Blanco counties, was named in honor of George Wilkins Kendall. Boerne was chosen as the county seat. The earliest schools in the area were private institutions that met in someone's home or in donated space.

Kendall County retained much of its German heritage, reflected in the surnames of many of its residents, as well as in the atmosphere of its communities. Residents enjoyed celebrating their local history, holding the annual Easter Walk in April, the Berges Fest in June, and a Founders Day celebration in October. These events, in addition to the Guadalupe River State Park, attracted many visitors to the area and provided the county with significant tourist trade.

Comal County Texas Real Estate

Comal County website

Comal County is located in South Central Texas on the divide between the Blackland Prairies and the Balcones Escarpment. Its largest city and county seat is New Braunfels. The city of New Braunfels is located twenty-nine miles from San Antonio and 45 miles from Austin.

The County consists of prairie land and hill country terrain. The Guadalupe River flows through the length of the county and feeds three of the area lakes- Canyon Lake, Dunlap Lake, and McQueeney Lake. The Comal River starts in New Braunfels with several springs feeding the river.

Permanent settlement of the county began in 1845 by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels. Prince Carl immigrated from Germany and secured title of 1,265 acres of the Veramendi Grant. Most of the early settlers of the county were German immigrants. The county was formed by the Texas Legislature in 1846 and held its first elections on July 13, 1846. It is estimated that New Braunfels was the fourth largest city in Texas by 1850.

Today, the county's primary industry is tourism. With moderate weather and the beautiful hill country, Comal County has become a favorite retirement location. Its proximity to Austin and San Antonio provide both city conveniences with country living.

Area attractions include such things as water parks, museums, sporting arenas, shopping centers, restaurants, parks, movie theaters, and more. The following are just a small list of places you can visit while you are in the area. River Outfitters, Schlitterbahn Water Park, Texas Ski Ranch, Alamo Classic Car Museum, Sophienburg Museum, Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture, Wonder World Wildlife Park, Blue Streak Riding Stables, Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre Assn., Inc., Circle Arts Theatre, and The Farmyard Rides & Petting Zoo.

Guadalupe County Texas Real Estate

Guadalupe County website

Guadalupe County is located ninety miles from the Gulf of Mexico in south central Texas. Guadalupe is bounded by Comal, Hays, Caldwell, Gonzales, Wilson, and Bexar counties. Seguin, the county seat and largest town, is located twenty-five miles southwest of Austin and eighteen miles northeast of San Antonio.

The central Texas region, including Guadalupe County, has supported human habitation for several thousand years. Archaeologists believe some of the artifacts found in the area to be from the Archaic Period while other pieces are more recent, dating from 1200 to 1500. Indian tribes in the area included the Karankawas, Tonkawas, Comanches, and Lipan Apaches.

Guadalupe County takes its name from the Guadalupe River. The Spanish government made one of the first land grants in the Guadalupe County area to José de la Baume in 1806. Early communities in Guadalupe County had little formal structure. They began as river crossings, mills, churches, or schools that served widely scattered populations.

By the late 1840s and early 1850s, other settlers had established themselves along York, Mill, Elm, and Santa Clara creeks. The population of the county grew rapidly. The people who settled the county placed great value on education. Residents of Seguin worked to establish Guadalupe College in 1848 and organized the Guadalupe High School Association in 1849. When the association had financial difficulties in the 1850s, the women of the area held a craft sale and supper to raise money, and the men held a fair.

Churches in Seguin ran private schools, such as the Montgomery Institute. The Lutheran Church operated Seguin's public schools in the 1880s and established Texas Lutheran College at Seguin in 1912. Nearly every community in Guadalupe County either had its own school or was near a community that did. Schools such as Live Oak, Elm Creek, Tiemann, Cibolo Valley, and Geronimo provided the basic educational structure of the county until the district system was established in 1901.

The Methodists established the first church in the county at Seguin in 1841. Services were held at the county courthouse until the church building was completed in 1849. By 1853 Seguin had Baptist, Presbyterian, and Episcopal congregations, in addition to founding a church. The Lutheran Church was organized in 1869. Catholics in the area occasionally received sacraments from a visiting bishop, but more frequently traveled to San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio.

In later years as much as 80% of the land was used for farming and ranching. Among the primary crops were hay, oats, wheat, and corn. Other popular crops included watermelon and peaches, not to mention the county's pecan production was sixth in the state. Over 70% of the county's agriculture came from livestock and products, mainly cattle, hogs, poultry, and milk. Professional and related services, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail trade involved nearly 60 percent of the work force. In recent years many people have moved to Guadalupe County from San Antonio, choosing to live in Guadalupe County and work in Bexar.

Local attractions include Lake McQueeney, touted as the "water ski capitol of Texas" you will have the chance to swim, water ski, fish, or just enjoy a hot day by the cool lake. The area also has numerous historic homes and buildings.

San Antonio, Texas. San Antonio is one of Texas’ premier tourist cities. It is located at a spot separating the hills from the plains and offers an over abundance of recreational sites and attractions. According to the latest census reports, San Antonio reported the population as being 842,779.

Five Spanish missions were established when San Antonio was an outpost of Imperial Spain, and today, residents and guests can visit them. One of the five missions is the Alamo.

San Antonio offers a series of superb historical and art museums, large parks, the excellent San Antonio Zoo, the Institute of Texas Cultures, a restored Mexican village of 150 known as La Villitia, a plenty of colorful festival events, and the enchanting river walk.

San Antonio is a Mecca of Texas history. Native Americans first lived along the San Antonio River, calling the area "Yanaguana," which means "refreshing waters." A band of Spanish explorers and missionaries came upon the river in 1691, and as it was the feast day of St. Anthony, they named the river "San Antonio."

The actual founding of the city came in 1718 by Father Antonio Olivares, when he established what would one day be known as The Alamo. This is where 189 defenders held the old mission against some 4,000 Mexican troops for 13 days.

Located in the heart of downtown, today The Alamo is a shrine and museum. A tour of downtown San Antonio will uncover centuries of history that include: La Villita, The Spanish Governor's Palace, The San Fernando Cathedral, The Jose Antonio Navarro State Historical Park, Market Square, And the Steves Homestead.

Just northeast of downtown is Fort Sam Houston, another "must-see" for history lovers. Military greats like Pershing, Stilwell, Krueger and Eisenhower all served at Fort Sam. San Antonio was also a training site of the Buffalo Soldiers; the famed African-American cavalry fighters who helped bring peace to the Western Frontier. Today, Fort Sam is headquarters for the Fifth U.S. Army and the Health Services Command and home of the Fort Sam Houston Museum and the U.S. Army Medical Department Museum.

Other area attractions include: Buckhorn Saloon & Museum, Casa Navarro State Historical Park, IMAX Theatre At River center, Japanese Tea Garden, King William Historic Area, Guenther House, Guinness Book of World Records and Ripley's Haunted Adventure, Majestic Theater, Market Square, Mission San José, Mission San Juan, Natural Bridge Caverns, Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, Old Spanish Trail, San Antonio Botanical Garden, Southwest School Of Art & Craft, and the Tower Of The Americas.

Boerne, Texas. The County Seat of Kendall County is just 30 miles north of San Antonio. The City of Boerne offers a variety of Businesses.

The community offers a balanced mix of the culture of yesterday and the current and future opportunities of tomorrow.

The town hosts a number of events throughout the year that encourage businesses to locate to the Boerne area as well as recreational events that showcase the community and allows everyone to experience the hospitality of the locals.

If you are looking for recreation, you will find no better place. There is always something to see or do. Everything from the summer music series, by The Boerne Village Band, to shopping for antiques through the whole city is represented. The town has a huge amount of festivals throughout the year, some of the festivals include: St. Valentine's Day Motorcycle Massacre, Boerne Business EXPO ShrimpFest, Texas Corvette Association Show, Boerne Haupstrasse Quiltfest, Key to the Hills Antique Show, and Dickens on Main. Community Theater also plays a big part in the area.

Bulverde, Texas. Bulverde is nineteen miles from New Braunfels in Comal County. The area was settled in 1850 and called Pieper Settlement, after Anton Pieper. A local post office that operated from 1879 to 1919 was named for Luciano Bulverdo, an early area landowner. Since 1959 Bulverde has been served by a community post office that originally opened in Charles L. Wood's store.

The town had a population of nearly 100 until the 1960s and has steadily grown since then despite there occasional ups and downs. Today as of 2000, the population reports as being at a record 3,761 people and 1,292 families. The Herrera, Ufnau, Honey Creek, Mustang Hill, and Green Hill schools were consolidated with the Bulverde school district and continue to give all area children the above average education while making sure there needs are met.

Canyon Lake, Texas. Located on the Guadalupe River in Comal County, Texas, Canyon Lake is one of the deepest lakes in Texas. Canyon Lake is located approximately half way between San Antonio and Austin.

There are five communities located around the shores of Canyon Lake. Hancock and Canyon City are located to the north. Two Yacht Clubs are also located on the lake. Sattler, Startzville, and Crane’s Mill are located on the south side of the lake.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages eight public parks on the Canyon Lake shoreline. Cranes Mill Park, Comal Park Potters Creek Park, Canyon Park, Jacobs Creek Park, North Park, Overlook Park, and Guadalupe Park are all around the lake. These parks offer camping, trailer, and picnic areas, as well as boat ramps.

Nature lovers will find plenty to observe including a wide variety of sea birds. You will also be able to spot white-tail deer around the lake or you might notice them grazing in the front yards of many of the area homes.

Cibolo, Texas. Cibolo is located sixteen miles west of Seguin in the western portions of Guadalupe County. Cíbolo is Spanish for "buffalo." The banks of Cibolo Creek are quite steep, in fact there were few places where pioneers could find a safe crossing before the development of bridges.

History states that Indians stampeded buffalo over the banks to disable them so they could be slaughtered. Jacob Schlather bought land in the area in 1867, and his son George built a store to supply neighboring settlers, who were mostly German. The store was sold to Charles Fromme in 1882, and the settlement became known as Fromme's Store. When the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway built through the area in 1877 the station was called Cibolo Valley. A post office called Cibolo opened in 1883. By 1890 the community had a church, a cotton gin, a general store, and 100 residents.

The Cibolo Valley school became a reality in 1904. In 1914 a second frame school building was constructed to accommodate the growing number of students. In 1916 the voters approved a bond for a new high school. The census of 1940 recorded a post office, a bank, nine businesses, and a population of 250.

When the town was incorporated in 1968 the population was 398. The major economic influences on Cibolo have been Randolph Air Force Base and the expansion of San Antonio. The town reported 1,757 residents in 1990. Today there are 9,286 residents according to the latest census. There is much to do in and around the area. You will find shopping, museums, and outdoor events that top the list.

Live Oak, Texas. Live Oak, Texas incorporated in 1960 with a current population of approximately 11,000. The town of Live Oak is nestled amid the gently-rolling hills of the beautiful Texas landscape. This favorable location has often earned this area the title of The Gateway to San Antonio.

Live Oak's past is steeped in a rich farming and ranching tradition which today has yielded to peaceful suburban home developments. The natural beauty of the region makes it a prime neighborhood located just northeast of San Antonio. Whether you are just passing through or planning to stay, you will find Live Oak to be the ideal place to relax and enjoy your visit. There are many area attractions. These would include Fiesta Texas, Sea World of Texas, The Alamo, The Riverwalk, and The Alamodome.

Alamo Heights, Texas. Alamo Heights is located five miles northeast of center San Antonio in north central Bexar County. Alamo Heights has always been economically and socially a part of San Antonio. The area below the headwaters of the San Antonio River in Brackenridge Park in Alamo Heights was an Indian campground and a safe place for many explorers.

In 1836 the land known as Alamo Heights was included as public land in the original survey of the city of San Antonio, but in December 1837 a city ordinance provided for sale of public lands at auction to provide funds for city improvements. From this point the land would change hands many times. Finally the property was bought by Mrs. Isabel Brackenridge in 1869. In 1897 her son, George W. Brackenridge, sold the family estate, Fernridge, and 200 acres of land containing the springs of the San Antonio River to the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. Incarnate Word College is on the boundary line between San Antonio and Alamo Heights, and Fernridge is preserved by the sisters as a museum building.

Currently located in Alamo Heights are a public swimming pool, a post office, and a shopping center; the McNay Art Institute adjoins the municipality on the north. Newspapers that have been published in Alamo Heights include the Alamo Heights Herald in the 1920s and the Alamo Heights News, from 1939 to the early 1960s. Today in Alamo Heights had a reported 7,319 residents.

Converse, Texas. Converse is located thirteen miles from downtown San Antonio in northeastern Bexar County. It was named for the chief engineer of the Southern Pacific Railroad, Major Converse, who in 1877 bought a tract of land including the town site.

A post office was established in 1878, and by 1885 a population of thirty was reported. In 1896 the town had a saloon, two cotton gins, and a grocery. In 1990 the community reportedly had the oldest 4-H Club in Texas. A singing society, the Salatrillo Liederkranz, had been active for many years.

The population in 1946 was 175; by 1965 the town had twenty-two businesses and 900 residents. Converse has become a suburb of San Antonio. Today the town has close to 100 businesses.

Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas. Fair Oaks Ranch is a Hill Country community located in northern Bexar County. The city is approximately 22 miles from San Antonio and 7 miles from Fair Oaks Ranch, and its limits also stretch into neighboring Comal and Kendall counties. During the 1930s Ralph E. Fair, Sr., a successful oilman and rancher, purchased several land tracts that became the 5000-acre Fair Oaks Ranch. He originally focused his efforts on raising racehorses, but in the 1940s Fair began cattle ranching and developed his own Hereford strain.

After the deaths of Fair and his wife in the late 1960s, family heirs opened sections of the ranch for development, and a land office sold ranchettes of 5 acres and 10 to 12 acres. During the 1970s expansion continued, and a homeowner's association was formed in 1975. In 1978 builders expanded on the original Ralph Fair home to create the Fair Oaks Ranch Golf and Country Club.

By the mid-1980s residents explored the option to form a city. Due to state restrictions regarding population density, two cities, Fair Oaks North and Fair Oaks South, were incorporated. In 1990 Fair Oaks Ranch had a population of 1,860. Throughout the 1990s development of new homes and businesses continued, and by 2000 the population of the high-income community had increased to 4,695.

The city had a police force, emergency services, and fire protection from the nearby Leon Springs Volunteer Fire Department. An elementary school was part of the Fair Oaks Ranch Independent School District. As of 2003 Boots Gaubatz had served as the only mayor of Fair Oaks Ranch during its fifteen-year history.

Floresville, Texas. Floresville, the county seat of Wilson County is located thirty miles of San Antonio in the central portion of the county. The area was settled by Canary Island immigrant Don Francisco Flores de Abrego, who established a ranch headquarters six miles northwest of the site of present Floresville in the eighteenth century.

In 1833 the nucleus of the town included the Flores home, a chapel, and a graveyard. The community was called Lodi and served as the Wilson County seat from 1867 to March 1871, and again from July 1871 to 1873. In 1867 Floresville, named for the Flores family, was founded; its site included part of the area known as Lodi. In the early 1870s a town site was surveyed and laid out.

The town continued to grow during the early years of the twentieth century, supported by both the cotton and livestock industry, and by 1910 it had two banks and a population of 1,800. Peanuts were developed as a cash crop in the surrounding region around 1915 and in later years residents nicknamed Floresville the "Peanut Capital of Texas." Between 1930 and 2000 the town grew steadily, from 1,581 residents in 1931 to 5,868 in 2000. There were 342 rated businesses in 2000.

The town serves a market center for area peanut, small grain, and cattle producers. Many residents now commute to work in San Antonio. Floresville is best known for its annual Peanut Festival, started in 1938, which attracts 10,000 to 15,000 visitors each year.

Helotes, Texas. Helotes is located sixteen miles from downtown San Antonio in northwestern Bexar County. It was first settled around 1856 by Mexicans who intermarried with the Apache Indians camped in the vicinity. A man named Chaca was supposed to have been the first person to build a house and cultivate a cornfield at the site.

Another tradition claims that the name stems from the problems Anglo settlers had with Indians stealing their ripening corn. Yet another story has it that San Antonio merchants could always rely on the town for corn, even in periods of drought. A post office opened at Helotes in 1873, and by 1885 the community had a hotel, a school, a general store, a blacksmith, and a growing population.

In the later years many of the area San Antonio residents moved into the area. The town incorporated in the 1980s and today there are over 50 businesses and a population of 7,656.

New Braunfels, Texas. New Braunfels was founded on March 21, 1845, Good Friday. The founding of New Braunfels often referred to as the "City of a Prince," had a major impact upon the immediate area as well as the beginning of West Texas heading towards a civilized economy. In addition to economic growth this early colony brought religion, organized public education, and other benefits to the area.

School has been held uninterrupted in New Braunfels since the morning of August 11, 1845. Hermann Seele began teaching the children of the new settlement in both English and German under the elm trees in the grass prairie at the foot of Sophienburg Hill. Religious services were also held under the same elm trees where Seele began teaching the area children.

St. Martin's Lutheran Church is said to be the oldest Lutheran Church in Texas. The church was built in 1851. The First Methodist congregation was organized on March 7, 1853 and the First Baptist Church building was constructed in 1905.

Landmarks and historical sites are now getting serious attention as evidenced by the revitalization of the Sophienburg Museum, restoration of the Ferdinand Lindheimer Home, the development of Conservation Plaza and the creation of the Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture. The old is being preserved but modern local government is bringing the latest in facilities and services to its citizens.

Shavano Park, Texas. The land composing the township of Shavano Park is a part of the original Stowers Ranch. In 1947, Wallace Rogers and Sons purchased this land for residential purposes starting in 1948. The City of Shavano Park, Texas was incorporated as a town June 19, 1956 and became a general law city.

At the date of incorporation, Shavano Park's population was 167; in 1960, the census showed 343; in 1972, the census showed 881; in 1980, the census showed 1,440; and in 1990, the census showed 1,709. Today the population is has risen slightly since then.

Spring Branch, Texas. Originally, the ranch was occupied by Indians. There was a water hole on the ranch known as the Shavano Water Hole. There was also a small station and switch on the railroad known as the Shavano Switch. The name "Shavano Park" was taken from the Indian language, which is said to mean "Mighty Mountain". Spring Branch, Texas. The site of Spring Branch is located around twenty miles from New Braunfels in the hills of Comal County. Spring Branch was settled in 1852 and named for a spring that flows into the Guadalupe River.

The post office opened in 1858. The post office has since continued to serve the community. The population of Spring Branch was estimated at twenty-five for most of the twentieth century. After the completion of Canyon Dam and the filling of nearby Canyon Lake in the mid-1960s, the population has since grown to over 200.

Spring Branch has experienced tremendous growth over the past few years. Comal County officials and the area city council are working hard to see that every area residents needs are met to the best of there ability. By providing additional services this adds to the quality of life as well as the pride in community, making the Spring Branch area a great place to live.

Schertz, Texas. The first settlers came to Schertz around 1843. Members of the Schertz family still reside in the City.

The first settlers planted wheat, oats, and corn, which did not need special equipment to harvest and process. In later years, cotton was planted, and proved to be very productive and a cash crop. In fact, so much so, that there were two cotton gins in Schertz at one time. In 1870 the first gin was built by the Schertz family. It was powered by mules and then in later years by steam. This gin was located where the post office is at the present time.

The City's population is estimated at 23,000. There are several churches of all denominations located in and around the area. The parks provide a great source of recreation and the city is very proud of them. They also take great pride in the area swimming pool and the festivals they conduct every summer for the enjoyment of there residents.

Universal City, Texas. Universal City is located near the Southern Pacific Railroad on the northern edge of San Antonio in Bexar County. It was named by the developer to show the universal importance of the air base. Randolph Field opened on October 25, 1931, and the city was incorporated in 1960.

The first restaurant opened in 1939. The owner of Acme Lumber Company began the first profitable development of Universal City in 1950. He built the first homes in the Rosegarden area, and other builders followed, but there was little concern for expansion until the transfer of the Air Force Manpower Personnel Center from Washington, D. C., in June 1963.

By the 1970s Universal City had 7,613 people and today they have a population of 19,002 and over 100 businesses. Universal City is 90 percent active and retired military.

Coronado Elementary School was established in 1971, Olympia Elementary in 1980, and Kitty Hawk Junior High in 1976. These three schools are in the Judson Independent School District of Converse, Texas. Rose Garden Elementary opened in 1961, and North View, which handles special and alternative education, began in 1956.

Universal City has four parks and two annual events: the Veterans' Day parade and the annual Children's Christmas Party. There are churches of all denominations and a public library, which has over 18,000 books.