Place Names: Hillcrest Addition

Following up on the study of place names, there is a neighborhood south of the public golf course known as the Hillcrest Addition.  A story in the July 25, 1940, Kerrville Mountain Sun, gave the origins of some of the street names in the subdivision. It was elaborated on in an October 30, 1947, story.

Myrta Street was named for Sid Peterson's wife, Wheless for Judge J. S. Wheless, and Prescott for E. H. Prescott, which the newspaper reported "all of whom were owners of the original site". Edward Prescott later was involved in developing Westland Place.
According to the October 30, 1947, Kerrville Mountain Sun, Judge J. S. Wheless was the legal advisor for the project. He served as mayor of Kerrville1920-21.
Edward H. Prescott was cashier at the Chas. Schreiner bank for 21 years, retiring shortly before his death in 1938. His obituary described him as a civic leader and "active worker for development of highways, summer camps, .... and other community improvements."

Bordered by Golf, Tivy, Myrta, Denton and Hillcrest Streets, Hillcrest was developed on Sid Peterson's land. Based on two ads in the Kerrville Mountain Sun in 1922 and 1923, it may have been the Hillcrest Poultry Farm (telephone 109U) before the land was subdivided.

The first newspaper mention of the subdivision was September 29, 1922, when the Kerrville Mountain Sun announced the opening of "Sid Peterson Hillcrest Addition". Once that section was nearly sold out, a second section opened in March 1924.

The plat map was published in the newspaper and revealed some interesting information.
The narrow street know as Denton in one section and Hillcrest along another section, appears to have originally been known as Hugh Street, but quickly was known by its current names.
Also, originally that part of Tivy Street was known as Cypress Creek Road, probably because it was outside the city limits. I have discovered that Kerrville has a history of changing street names at the city limits, and when the limits extend, the rural section is renamed.  Thus the northern stretch of Sidney Baker Street used to be known as the Fredericksburg Road. The last evidence of that was in the name of the Fredericksburg Road Church of Christ which recent changed its name to Highway 16 Church of Christ. I suppose there were some practical reasons for doing that, but the historian in me hated to see that happen.

To learn about other Kerrville subdivisions, go here.