Boerne History

Boerne, Texas, the county seat of Kendall County, is just off of Interstate Highway 10 and U.S. Highway 87, some thirty miles northwest of San Antonio.

The First Settlement

The city of Boerne is named for Ludwig Borne, who inspired many young men to leave Germany in the 1840’s and travel to the new world. Some of these German pioneers created a settlement called “Tusculum” near present day Johns Road.

Even after most of the original creators had moved on, a few of the men decided to remain and named the area Boerne. The land on which the settlement stood was eventually bought by Gustav Theissen and John James, who platted the town in 1851.

First Businesses

As businesses grew and stagecoach routes began to appear in the area, Boerne itself began to develop as well. A post office and stage stop was opened by August Staffel in 1856.

William Dietert established Boerne’s first business, a gristmill and sawmill on the Cibolo Creek. Soon the town was in possession of a blacksmith shop, a livery stable, a butcher shop, a saloon and a general store. Professor Karl Dienger even created a private school in the 1860’s.

Because Boerne had been established by “free thinkers” – Germans who had no religion – churches were not permitted in Boerne. Legend tells of signs posted outside the city limits warning that preachers found inside the town after sunset would be shot.

German Cultural Influence

In spite of the influx of different ethnic groups, the German cultural tradition has dominated the community in many ways.

The Boerne Gesangverein, or singing society, which was established in 1860, was an important social and recreational organization until it disbanded in 1977. German community organizations still active include the Boerne Schuetzen Verein (shooting club), which was formed in 1864, and the Boerne Village Band, which was formed about the same time as the singing society. Boerne has also held an annual celebration, the Berges Fest, since 1967.

Arrival of George Kendall, County Founder

George Wilkins Kendall decided to build a Catholic church to honor his wife in 1860, and he was forced to build south of town, outside the city limits. Kendall, a famous author-journalist of his day, helped to establish the county named for him in 1862.

He made his mark while part-owner of The Picayune in the 1840s, predecessor of the current newspaper, the New Orleans Times-Picayune. When the Mexican War erupted in 1846, Kendall set up a system of couriers and steamboats to cover it. He consistently delivered news ahead of the military messengers, enabling The Picayune to scoop its competitors. The Mexican War was the first to be covered daily by the newspapers and Kendall was one of journalism’s first famous war correspondents.

Arrival of the Railroad

In 1887, the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad began daily treks to Boerne from San Antonio, replacing the use of the stagecoach. The railroad brought mail and newspapers from San Antonio daily and cut travel time between the two cities to three hours. Tourism expanded, and Boerne grew considerably larger.

Boerne As A Place To Heal

Many people suffering from lung ailments traveled to Boerne to recuperate. It has been said that at one time, Boerne contained more invalids and sick people than healthy citizens.

Apparently, the people of Boerne grew tired of having so much illness around. When a Veterans Administration Hospital was offered to Boerne, it was turned down. Instead, the hospital was erected in nearby Kerrville.

A Time of Technology and Change

Not long after the turn of the century, Boerne acquired electricity, telephone capacity and telegraphs.

An opera house was built to house cultural events and was the site of the first Kendall County Fair in 1906. Agriculture was thriving, with crops such as cotton, corn, wheat, rye, Irish potatoes and tobacco reigning in the area. Shortly after the opera house opened, automobiles began to arrive.

The town was incorporated in 1909 and taxes were set at 25 cents per $100 assessed value.

World War I, II & The Great Depression

The entire community felt the heartache and loss brought home by the deaths of family and friends in World War I. A monument was erected and dedicated in 1923 to honor the deceased. Still standing in Veteran’s Park (Military Plaza), that monument now includes memorials to those who fought and died in all subsequent wars.

The Great Depression was perhaps the biggest shock to the town since its founding. After the stock market crashed, tourism slowed considerably and the cotton crop was all but destroyed by the boll weevil. Many of the soldiers who returned home from World War II in the 1940’s found that Boerne had changed significantly and moved on to bigger cities, but the area continued to expand.

Boerne Utilities Company was established, as well as a sewer plant. Boerne City Lake was made to prevent flooding and a dam was built on the Cibolo Creek.

The population nearly doubled in size from 1940 to 1970 and the city was again prosperous.

Boerne Today

Today, Boerne is a popular place for tourists to search for antiques, view historic buildings and relax in the comfort of a small town.

Several community activities take place throughout the seasons and Boerne can now boast that it has more than 9,153 citizens who are proud to call this town home.

(Source: Boerne CVB, C of C, Historic Images of Boerne 1982 book, Times-Picayune Web site history.)