River Trail Cottages

I first blogged about this property in 2012 when it was inexpensive rental housing. The original post is here.

This property located along the Guadalupe has now been restored and is known as River Trail Cottages.  I am pleased to see this happen and hope more people will find ways to use some of the older buildings around the area in innovative ways. 

Trouble at the Depot--1915

You never know when you'll stumble across an interesting little-known tale.  Yesterday, I did some research for the owner of Depot Square, and discovered a little known controversy surrounding the former San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad depot in Kerrville, now housing a restaurant--Rails-A Cafe at the Depot. The depot was erected in 1915 to replace an earlier frame one destroyed by fire. I have just discovered that the construction of this depot was so controversial that the debate appeared in papers across the state. 

A March 20, 1915, story in the Kerrville Mountain Sun reported that this new brick depot was to be ready in 60 days--in time for the summer tourist trade.  Newspaper accounts at the time suggest the depot was finished more or less on time, so that wasn't the controversy.  The story unfolds below.  It began with a lawsuit filed by certain currently unknown parties in Kerrville to prevent the use of the depot.


The first mention of the controversy appeared in the July 31, 1915, Mountain Sun. The newspaper reported the following:

The injunction suit against the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railroad company seeking to prevent that compnay from using their new depot erected between Clay and Tchoupitoulas streets was heard in vacation by Judge Barney Wednesday.  General Attorney A. J. Boyle, General Manager J. S. Peter, Land and Tax Agent Geo. Chamberlain, of the Aransas Pass were among those in attendance.  Barnett & Geddie were attorneys for the plaintiffs.  The trial of the case consumed a greater part of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and resulted in the injunction being granted as prayed for. 

Have any of my readers heard this story?  Does anyone have any idea who the plaintiffs were--other businessmen, local residents, elected officials? 

The following appeared in the Galveston Daily News, May 10, 1916, p. 7, as part of the report of the regular monthly session of the railroad commission, which at that time actually concerned itself with matters pertaining to the railroad! 

Argument was heard in the Kerrville depot controversy, where there is a division between the mayor and some of the citizens.  Today's petition asked the commission to order the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railroad to build and maintain what was characterized as an adequate passenger station at Kerrville, located on the old depot site and on the south side of the tracks.  It also protested against the petition of the mayor of Kerrville and the San Antonio &  Aransas Pass Railroad for permission to use the brick depot constructed by the San Antonio & Aransas Pass.  The new depot is declared inadequate and unsuitable and inconveniently and dangerously located.  There is a injunction pending in the courts to prevent the use of the depot.

Why was this new building considered "inadequate and unsuitable and inconveniently and dangerously located"?

The San Antonio Evening News of September 18, 1919, p. 5 reported that the Kerrville SAP Depot hearing had been postponed.
More items about the controversy appear in the Evening News for several weeks. Then the October 27, 1919, Evening News reported a resolution.

Order Will Compel Use of New Depot
Austin, Tex., Oct. 25?--Assistant Attorney General W. J. Townsend is drawing an order for the Railroad Commission which will require the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railroad Company to use its new brick depot at Kerrville.  This follows the hearing and the two years' legal controversy.  Some two years ago the commission ordered the Sap to build a new depot at Kerrville.  The railroad erected a handsome brick structure, but on an entirely new site.  Its use was enjoined by certain citizens, and it has been closed for 18 months.  When issued the order now being prepared will permit the railroad to move into its new quarters.

Few 1919 issues of the Kerrville newspapers exist, so we cannot determine exactly when the passenger depot finally opened, but presumably before the end of the year 1919.

So, loyal readers, do any of you know more about the lawsuit or the parties involved or have anything to add to this story?  You can comment below, or email me at dgaudier at gmail dot com

825 Earl Garrett Street

Things are not always they seem.  I've been trying to figure out when this house was built for a while.  The first mention of a building at 825 Earl Garrett Street is in an advertisement in the June 7, 1928, Kerrville Mountain Sun for needlework, "baby layettes a specialty."  Other ads beginning in 1929 offered rooms with light housekeeping.  The next mention is May 16, 1940, when Mrs. Della Sommers advertised she did dressmaking and needlework of all sorts. However, there is no property with this address listed in the 1936, 1940, or 1950 city directories.
Finally, I looked in the alphabetic name section of the 1940 city directory and have now figured out that the newspaper misprinted the address. In 1940 Della Sommers lived at 325 Earl Garrett--not 825!

So now let's explore the real history of this house.

According to the Kerrville Mountain Sun for June 14, 1918,"[a] deal was recently closed between Dr. A. A. Roberts and Tom J. Moore whereby Dr. Roberts purchased the residence property of Mr. Moore on Mountain Street." It seems he bought not just the residence property but additional land as well. It doesn't appear that Dr. Roberts ever lived on the property. He certainly never built a house on the vacant lot and there is no evidence he lived in the neighboring rental either.

The census shows some puzzling things. In 1930 the census taker recorded a house at 825 Earl Garrett rented by Jesse E. and Rose L. McCreary and one at 829 owned by Allie B. Burton. The 1930 Sanborn map shows houses at 821 and 829, so the census taker apparently made a mistake.   In 1940, just as in 1930, there was no house at 825.  There were families at 821 (Wm. Sullivan) and 829 (Allie B. Burton. )

 Dr. Alphonso A. Roberts was married twice, his second wife being Madona Roberts. He lived at 912 Water Street from 1892 to his death in 1948. The house is gone now. He was a director at First State Bank, served on the school board, and was a member of the Men's Club, a precursor to the Chamber of Commerce.
The June 1, 1966, Kerrville Mountain Sun described him this way: "He was a man, large of stature with heavy white hair and wore a beard, he had a kindly and gentle disposition and was often called "Santa Claus" by small children, who were seeing him for the first time.  He was a naturalist and was an authority on the native animals, flowers and trees of the area."

Dr. Roberts owned the land a long time, but after he died it changed hands several times in the next few years. His widow, on February 24, 1949, sold this property to Bradley and Gracey Mitchell for $10 "and other consideration". (His name appears as both Bradley Mitchell and Mitchell Bradley in the records. I think the surname is Mitchell.) They may have been the ones who erected the house, because the Mitchells sold the property to Jimmie M. and Hannah Sumner for $5300 on May 17, 1950.  The house turned over again in May 1951 when the Sumners sold to Leonard and Chloe Sharp, the sharps assuming the $4519.55 debt. (Leonard Sharp worked for the VA, receiving a 30 year pin in November 1959.)  Then in February 1952 the Sharps sold the house to R. L. Hardy and wife.
John D. and Helen Buckner, Kerrville Bus Company employees, owned the house from 1965-1972. It later had a series of tenants.

605 Earl Garrett Street

This Victorian at 605 Earl Garrett Street was erected by Banks B. Lowrance, a native of Mississippi.  I have been told this house was built in the 1890s, however Lowrance and his wife Linton did not purchase the land from I. N. Denton until May 4, 1904. They paid $45, a price that indicates a vacant lot. The house was probably built shortly after.

Banks Lowrance was a paperhanger.  On March 8, 1902, an ad ran in the Kerrville Mountain Sun "Lowrance and Goodwin.  Crackerjack Painters and Paperhangers.  Shop next to Dr. Palmer's Office." (Dr. Palmer's office was in the 600 block of Water Street.)
On July 26, 1902,  the newspaper reported "Lowrance & Goodwin left this week for the Shell Lowrance ranch on the Divide, where they will be engaged for the next two weeks painting Mr. Lowrance's house."

Politically active, Lowrance served as a city alderman 1903-1905. In 1920 he and Ben Smith were appointed judges for the municipal elections, then in 1926 he lost to Frank Moore in the race for Constable, County Precinct No. 1. That appears to have been his last foray into local politics.

His wife Mabel Linton Lowrance died of pneumonia died in 1932.
Her obituary from the February 4, 1932, Mountain Sun:

Pneumonia Fatal to Mrs. Banks Lowrance.
Following a brief illness of pneumonia, Mrs. Mable Linton Lowrance, 53, wife of Banks Lowrance, died Monday at the family home on Earl Garrett Street.
Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon from the chapel of Smith Funeral Home, with Rev. Clift M. Epps, pastor of the First Methodist Church, officiating.  Burial was in Glen Rest Cemetery.
... Members of Miss Hardie Avera's Sunday School class served as flower girls.
... Mrs. Lowrance was a native of Kentucky, where she was born November 20, 1878; but she had lived in Kerrville much of her life.  ...
Surviving are her husband, Banks Lowrance; her mother, Mrs. Nyal Estell Davis; a son, Howard Lowrance; two daughters, Mrs. Elvie Morgan and Miss Amie Lee Lowrance; two sisters, three brothers.

I've never heard of flower girls at a funeral.  Does anyone know what they did?

In 1934 "Miss Amy B. Lowrance " was in a car wreck.  The Mountain Sun reported it this way:

Girl Victim of Wreck Improving.  Miss Amy B Lowrance, 19, daughter of B. B. Lowrance, Wednesday was reported to be making satisfactory improvement from injuries received in an automobile collision which occurred Wednesday night of last week.
Miss Lowrance, who is at the family home on Earl Garrett Street, suffered a compound fracture of the pelvic bone.  ... expected to recover.  [She was thrown from the car when it was hit from the rear.]  On E. Water Street near the Lucas Cafe.

Five year earlier her father had been struck by an automobile at the corner of Main and Earl Garrett, knocked down and badly bruised.  He was also taken to Secor Hospital, but his injuries were not as severe as his daughter's.

Banks Lowrance died in 1941 and is buried at Glen Rest.
From the January 9, 1941, Kerrville Times: 

Rites for B. B. Lowrance, 70, Held Friday.
Attack of Pneumonia Is Fatal to Pioneer Man Who Had Lived Here 53 Years. 

Mr. Lowrance passed away on New Year's Day at 5 p.m. at the family residence, 605 Earl Garrett Street.  He had been in failing health for several months and was stricken with pneumonia, resulting in his death within a few hours.

Funeral rites for Banks B. Lowrance, 70, a resident of this city for the past 53 years, were held Friday afternoon from the Smith Funeral Home chapel with Rev. J. R. Hilliard, pastor of the First Methodist Church, officiating.  Burial was in Glen Rest Cemetery.

Born April 17, 1870, at Burnsville, Miss., Mr. Lowrance, as a youth of 17, moved with his parents to Kerrville in 1887.  He grew to manhood in the city and until recent years followed his trade as a painter and paperhanger.  Soon after Kerrville was incorporated he served one term as an alderman in the '90's.  [correction: 1903-1905]
While he was of a retiring disposition, Mr. Lowrance took an interest in public affairs and was an advocate of community advancement.  ...
Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Elvie Morgan and Miss Amy Lee Lowrance, and one son, Howard Lowrance, all of Kerrville.  The grandchildren also survive.

For a bit of local color, B. B. Lowrance is mentioned in a March 12, 1936,  Kerrville Times story.
The first water delivery in Kerrville was water hauled from the river to individual water barrels all over the city.

"When housewives were low on their supply, they would hang out a red flag as a signal for more water. Wash day was 'Trades Day' to the water haulers, and businesslike and civic-minded, they did everything in their power to sponsor cleanliness in the community.  B. B. Lowrance, an old-timer here who remembers the conditions, says that red flags hung out by housewives for rush orders looked more like a small-pox epidemic or a modern communist uprising than wash day."

B. B. Lowrance's heirs transferred the property to A. P. Allison "assuming all taxes" in 1941. Allison made repairs to the residence, rented it to Cecil Roe for a while, then sold it to Ruby Phillips in December 1943 for $2,000.  
She later sold it to Delia Whitehouse, who owned it until 1954. 
It has had a series of owners since and since 1992 has had commercial use, most recently as a bed and breakfast.

*****
If you have a house more than 50 years old that you would like me to research, please contact me at dgaudier at gmail dot com. 

Pursley's Jitney Service

1915. Kerr County Historical Commission collection.

Here I am, off on a tangent again.  I saw this photo in the Kerr County Historical Commission collection and was curious as to where it was taken. I thought it might be on Water Street, but turns out it's not. I now know that most of the buildings in the photo no longer stand. They were in the 200 block of Mountain Street (now Earl Garrett Street) and have been replaced by the Baehre Building. The only building that still survives is the rock building, a corner of which is on the far right in the photo. That building is the Weston Building, home to Francisco's restaurant.

On the bottom of the photo is written  "Pursley's Service Line 'Kerrville's Pride'."
From March 1915 to June 1916 W. W. Pursley "The Man that Put 'Jitneys' in Kerrville. Fare is 10 cents.  Will do jitney service out of town." advertised that his office and station were "next to" the Post Office.  Research shows that it was near, not next to, the Post Office.  In June 1916 he sold the business to Henry James.
During this time period the Post Office was in the Masonic Building on Mountain Street so that is where I began looking for the jitney office location.

This photo appears to show two wood frame buildings and a brick building.

The Sanborn fire insurance map was an important help to figure this out. To the left is a clip from the 1916 Sanborn map showing the stretch of Mountain Street between the Masonic building at the top and the Weston building at the bottom.  In between are three small buildings between the vacant Masonic Building and the Weston Building. Two of the buildings were frame, the one between was an iron-clad frame building. So the one that appears to be brick in the photo is not brick. The  map shows that two of these buildings were jewelers. That would mean that the remaining small building, labeled "office" must be the jitney location. From the photo above it is clear that the one right next to the jitney service office is a jeweler. (Note the watch-shaped clock outside.)  The other is probably A. E. Self's jewelry store.  It closely matches other photos of Self's.

I have uploaded the photo to http://www.whatwasthere.com.  You can go there to see a comparison of the stretch in 1915 and today.  There are other Kerrville buildings there too.  To simplify the search, enter the zip code 78028 where it says "Where to."  Have fun!

417 Elm Street

1932. Kerr Regional History Center Collection.

This Tudor style bungalow at 417 Elm Street in Westland Addition with delightful eyebrows in the roof was built by William W. Miller, Jr.  The neighborhood began developing in May 1925 when the first lots were auctioned off. I wrote about Westland here.

This house was one of the earliest built in Westland.  On June 23, 1926, Kerrville Development Company sold this lot to Miller for $250.  The deed carried the provisions that the building must cost a minimum of $2,000 to build and finish, and that it was a whites-only community. The only non-whites who could live there had to live in separate servant quarters at the rear.  This racist provision was, of course, voided by law decades ago.

On August 7, 1934, W. W. Miller sold the house to W. E. and Marian Hahn for $3,400.  There was a requirement in the deed that Hahn must carry insurance against fire and tornado.  Within the year the Hahns moved to Baca County, Colorado, and sold the house to Mrs. J. E. (Rose) McCreary "feme sole" for $2,500.  "Feme sole" means "single woman" and indicated she had the right to own property in her own name.  In this case she was widowed.

In 1936 her daughter and grandson were living with her.

On November 4, 1939, her son-in-law and daughter, A. Edward Granes and Emma Pearl Granes, sold the adjoining vacant lot, no. 11, to Rose McCreary for $300 and moved to Cherry Street.  She died 1941 and is buried next to her husband at Glen Rest Cemetery.

While researching this house I came across the best, funniest obituary I've ever seen.
It appeared on the front page of the Kerrville Times August 4, 1938.

Parrot, Hero of San Francisco Fire, Dies at 41.
Closing with peaceful death an adventurous, action-filled life of 41 years, during which he survived fire, earthquake, and revolution, "Polly", a parrot owned by Mrs. J. E. McCreary, 417 Elm Street, toppled over backward in his cage Saturday.

["Polly"... what other name could you possibly give a parrot?!]

"Polly", a native of Mexico City, was a cosmopolite, globe-trotter and and accomplished linguist.  He could converse both in English and Spanish. 
Highpoint in the bird's career came on April 18, 1906, in San Francisco when the great earthquake and fire destroyed the city and brought death to hundreds.  When the first major shock was felt at 5 o'clock in the morning "Polly," with cries of "Help!", awakened the McCreary household.
"Polly" had traveled across the continent, from San Francisco to New York.  He had been to Cuba and returned often to his birthplace, Mexico, a country which he left several times during revolutions, escorted by bullets.
"Polly" was buried under a rose bush, and his spirit doubtless has gone to the parrot heaven where a cracker can always be had for the asking.

After Rose McCreary died the house was rented out.
In 1953 the house was advertised for rent as a 5-room house.  By October, 1955, it was a 6-room house, so this may indicate an addition on the house.

While doing renovations, the current owners discovered evidence of a fire in the past.  Digging around in the old newspapers brought up the Kerrville Mountain Sun, Dec. 23, 1964, report that sparks from a fireplace had ignited the shingle roof. A few weeks later a building permit was issued to W. A. Sullivan to make repairs estimated at $1,500.

The next owners were members of the Leinweber family. Mrs. Lena Pearl Leinweber died here in 1976 at the age of 80.  She had been living with her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Cid Bluemel. Sometime after Pearl died her daughter Ferne Eckert retired, moved home to Kerrville from South Carolina, and lived in this house with her husband Clifford Herman Eckert. In 1988 she was one of seven candidates for Kerr County Commissioner, District 1, losing to Dr. Gordon Morgan.
The Eckerts eventually returned to Summerville, South Carolina, where he died 2002.

*****
If you have a house more than 50 years old that you would like me to research, please contact me at dgaudier at gmail dot com. 

602 Bluebell Road

This ranch-style house in Blue Bell Hills, erected in the early 1950's, has provided meeting space and parking for Trinity Baptist Church since 1990.
I wrote about the Blue Bell Hills development here.
There have been many property owners, few of whom lived here long--averaging about three years each until the church bought it. This won't be a particularly interesting blog post. Most of them weren't in the news much, probably because most didn't live here long. Perhaps one of you can add some color.

In November 1949, Blue Bell Hills sold to Jim W. Weatherby, trustee, part of lot 12 block 1 of the Blue Bell Hills Addition.  In August 1950, Weatherby in turn sold the property to Don and Marjorie Bowen who, two months later, sold the lot to Carroll and Ethel King.
The Kings may be the ones who built the house.  He worked for the Kerrville Bus Company before moving to Midland in September 1951. 
In the 1950 city directory the address does not exist.  In the 1952 directory the house was up, but vacant. As a matter of fact, the house was listed as vacant in all the city directories from 1952 to 1956, sometimes with the address of 600 Bluebell.

In 1952 T. O. "Dick" and Hattie Mae Midkiff sold to A. A. and Georgia Wehmeyer.  After Georgia died in 1954, her widower continued to live here until December 1956 when he sold the house to Paul Meredith.
In March 1957, the newspaper reported as front page news that Mrs. Courtlandt Eaton, age 73, of 602 Blue Bell Road, had died.  A native of Montreal Canada, Mrs. Eaton (nee R. H. Martel Davis) had lived in Golden, Colo., coming to Kerrville in September of the previous year.

James R. England purchased the property in 1958.  The April 2, 1958, Kerrville Times reported his arrival along with the news that his first duty was to go to Austin for a briefing.  Sgt. England was the new head of the Kerrville sub-district office of the State Highway Patrol.

The city directory reported that the house was vacant between 1962 and 1965.
Over the next twenty five years there were seven owners.
For those really interested other owners and residents include: 1967-1972 realtor Temple J. Duderstadt, 1975 Shirley Swindel, 1975-76 Dean Guy (who remodeled), 1977 H. Ellis Thomas who sold to Norman E. Mayfield in September of that year, September 1977-February 1980 Mr. and Mrs. Norman E. Mayfield, 1980-86 Mrs. Lillian D. Edwards; 1986 Marguerite and Floyd Forehand.  Forehand was a football, track and basketball coach at Peterson Middle School for a short time before going to Schreiner College (now Schreiner University) in a coaching position.

In September 1990, Trinity Baptist Church bought the properties at 602 and 606 Bluebell Road for parking. While 606 is gone, this house is not.  Instead, much of its lot was paved and the house used for church activities. Newspaper mentions call it the Trinity Baptist Annex.

223 Clay Street

2014

According to the Sanborn fire insurance maps, this building at 223 Clay Street

1931

was constructed sometime between 1924 and 1930, and more likely close to the later date since the first mention in the newspaper was in 1931. (It was not on the map in 1924, but was in 1930.)

These two photos do indeed show the same building. The second story was removed in the 1950s when it became rickety and unsafe.

The first mention of this building was in the September 3, 1931, Kerrville Mountain Sun, when the following ad appeared: "Rusche Grocery, 223 Clay Street.  'The Store with Dependable Foods'--We Deliver."  In late March, 1931, Alfred Rusche had bought the Heiman grocery at the corner of Jefferson and Clay.  Within the next five months he moved the business one block down the street to this building.  He was in business in this location less than two years. By March 2, 1933, Rusche had moved to the Brown Building at the corner of Earl Garrett and Main and opened a Maytag dealership in conjunction.

The September 7, 1933, Kerrville Mountain Sun reported the following

Bud Neely Opens Grocery Store at 223 Clay Street.
Bud Neely, who has been connected with the grocery business for a number of months in Kerrville will open a new grocery store Friday at 223 Clay Street.  The store will be known as the C. O. D. grocery, and will be a serve-yourself store with the additional features of a delivery service on orders telephoned where the amount purchased is one dollar or over.
The building in which the store is to be operated was formerly used as a grocery and was known as Ruche's store.  Mr. Neely has had the building entirely renovated and redecorated. The stock is being placed on the shelves at this time. ...

The six weeks later the following item appeared in the Kerrville Times:

"Bud" Neely in Water Street Location.
...Mr. Neely expects to move the stock of groceries from his present establishment, the C.O.D. Grocery at 223 Clay Street, to the Kerrville Food Store.  The new institution willbe known as the C.O.D. Grocery,  He will close up the 223 Clay street place, and concentrate all of his business at the new location.

The next mention is a report in January 1934 that the "[o]ffices of the Kerr County Board of Welfare and Employment were moved early this week from the Brown building on Earl Garrett Street to 223 Clay Street."
It was followed by D-C Cleaners, a firm owned by Nelson Davis and J. C. Cavness, which offered cleaning, dyeing, and general tailoring. Although ownership changed in 1945, D-C Cleaners continued from October 1937 to June 1948.

When it was D-C Cleaners

 In June 1948 John Potts Weatherford, from Amarillo, purchased the business from Bernard Sherlock and changed the name to Potts Dye Works.
Although one story today, during the early years there was a second story apartment. It was frame construction and probably intended as living quarters for the business owner.  The 1936 city directory shows tenants living upstairs.  I found one newspaper announcement indicating use as a rental apartment.  The June 11, 1942, Kerrville Mountain Sun reported

Daughter's Marriage Announced
Mrs. Mary Brusher has announced the marriage of her daughter Mary Patricia, to Frank James, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank James.  The ceremony was performed in Boerne on April 7.  Mr. and Mrs. James are residing at 223 Clay Street.

They would have occupied the now-removed second story.

E. B. Meeker & Sons feed store was here in 1951, then in March 1952, Charles Adamek purchased the land and building from the executors of the estate of Richard Holdsworth, deceased.  Adamek immediately obtained a permit for building alterations. When completed he moved his business, the Kerrville Saddle Shop, in.
The Adameks ran the Saddle Shop here from April 1952 until retirement in 1978.
A  western store followed, until early 1988. It has since been home to a taekwondo studio, then a music studio.

Article updated April 4, 2018, to include D-C Cleaners photo.

328 Hays Street--Helping build a photographic history

The focus of this blog has been exploring the built environment of the Hill Country, with an occasional side trip.  I have several building histories in the works with I need to finish, but today I'm doing something different to introduce you to a new website I've just discovered http://www.whatwasthere.com

This is the Collins Company building.  Its address in 1932 was 328 Hayes Street, but that address today is part of the HEB employee parking lot on Hays between Main and Jefferson Streets.  This photo was taken in 1932, but when I looked at the 1930 Sanborn fire insurance map, there was no building in that block that matched this.  I turned to http://www.newspaperarchive.com and found a number of news items about the Collins Company, a wholesale grocery business.  Here's one from the July 10, 1931, Kerrville Mountain Sun.

Collins Company Again Victimized by Burglars; Loot Valued at $1,000.
For the third time in recent months, the Collins Company, wholesale grocery firm, Tuesday night became a victim of cigarette thieves who made away with a large haul.
The loot consisted of 14 cases of cigarettes, valued at approximately $1,000.  Entry to the warehouse, corner of Schreiner and Hays Streets, [emphasis mine] was gained by breaking the lock on a rear door.  ...
It is believed that an organized band of cigarette thieves is at work in this section, since similar robberies are occurring frequently in small cities and towns surrounding San Antonio.

Some building numbers have changed over time, this being one of them.  The Sanborn map showed that this business once was located in the same block where the city recycling center is, in the corner nearest the traffic light. 

You can find this photo and others at a new website http://www.whatwasthere.com .  It ties historical photos to modern locations using Google maps, building a photographic history of the world. I have put a number of Kerr County photos up--as well as couple from other places.  You can link to it from Facebook as well.  Come join me!

235 Earl Garrett Street

This small building at 235 Earl Garrett Street was built sometime between 1904 and 1910. It has a distinctive skylight, a feature I've not seen in any other local building of that period.
The Sanborn Fire Insurance maps show that in 1904 there was a frame building at this approximate location. By 1910 it had been replaced by this stone building and housed a jewelry store. In 1916 it was a jewelry and millinery shop.
There is a gap in the record between 1916 and 1925.

In January 1925 Isaac W. Van Hoozer purchased the dry good and grocery stock of bankrupt J. W. Burney's store on Schreiner Street and moved it to the building Van Hoozer owned on Earl Garrett, "next to the Kerrville Tailoring Company" according to the February 19, 1925, Kerrville Mountain Sun. Van Hoozer had remodeled and refinished the building and opened the store for business the previous Monday morning (February 16).
Also in January, 1925, I. Van Hoozer, along with other property owners on Earl Garrett Street, was assessed for street repairs. (I was reminded of the game Monopoly!) His assessment was based on owning 13 feet of frontage on Earl Garrett.  The other property owners on the block were M. F. Weston who owned 129 feet; A. C. Schreiner, 50.5 feet; E. E. Dietert 31.0 feet; E. Hawes, 78.9 feet; Sid Peterson 75.5 feet; and C. Wheelus 43.1 feet. (Wheelus owned the Guthrie Building.)

Van Hoozer's business didn't last long, because the July 7, 1927, Mountain Sun reported the following: "Richard Smith, John Burkhardt, and Charles Durrin have opened a restaurant and lunch on Earl Garrett Street in the building formerly occupied by the grocery of I. W. Van Hoozier [sic] & Son.  The interior of the lunch room, which is under the management of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Durrin, is nicely arranged." There is no indication of the name of this business.  Durrin had previously owned a lunch room called the "Midget Lunch Room", also on Earl Garrett Street, and later owned one in the 800 block of Main Street.

The next mention in the newspapers of a business at this location is the Post Office Barber Shop, which is mention for the first time in the newspaper in 1936--the year the new Post Office opened in Earl Garrett Street. This is very likely the same time the barber shop opened. It was owned for many years by W. L. Tillson. When he retired in 1973 he sold to John F. Tom.

When, after many years the Post Office Barber Shop closed, it was followed by the Smokehouse, which sold tobacco products and paperback books. The Smokehouse moved from an earlier location on Water Street. This building is still often referred to as "The Smokehouse" even though it most recently was a law office.

An interesting item I found is the fact that after Isaac Van Hoozer died his son Floyd sold off part of the building, keeping one side, renting out part.  The other part may be in the area where the small garden is today, but I am not sure.  I need to spend more time in the deed books. 

"Texas Treasure" Business Award

The Kerr County Historical Commission is compiling a list of businesses in Kerr County that qualify for the "Historic Business--Texas Treasure" award.
This award recognizes Texas businesses "that have provided employment opportunities and support to the state's economy for at least 50 years."
http://www.thc.state.tx.us/preserve/projects-and-programs/texas-treasure-business-award

The full requirements can be found at the above link, but in general, businesses must have been in continuous for-profit operation in Texas for at least 50 years and must continue to operate the same or very similar business.  The business may have changed hands.  Businesses that have stayed in the same family or have operated from the same place for more than 50 years get special recognition. 

The business gets an attractive certificate to hang on the wall--which it agrees to display. 

Mosty Brothers Nursery, Center Point, est. 1897, is the first business in Kerr County to receive this award.

Here is a list of other for-profit businesses based in Kerr County that appear to qualify.  There may be more. City is Kerrville unless otherwise indicated.

Have been in continuous for-profit operation in Texas for at least 50 years. 

Continue to operate the same or a very similar type of business as it did at least 50 years ago.

Have a continuous record of employment for at least the past 50 years.

Continue to operate as an independent, for-profit business (i.e., it cannot be operating as a subsidiary of or have been absorbed into another business)

Maintain a good business relationship with the state.

- See more at: http://www.thc.state.tx.us/preserve/projects-and-programs/texas-treasure-business-award#sthash.wyOqJbeu.dpuf

• FIRST Insurance Agency of the Hill Country, 1890.
• T. J. Moore Lumber Yard, Ingram, 1892. 
• Kerrville Daily Times, 1910.
• Sanchez Barber Shop, 1911.
• Garrett Insurance,  1918.
• Grimes Funeral Chapel, 1920.
• Camp Rio Vista, Hunt, 1921.
• Camp Stewart, Hunt, 1924.
• Kerr County Abstract Company, 1924.
• Camp Waldemar, Hunt, 1926.
• Camp Mystic, Hunt, 1926.
• Camp La Junta, Hunt, 1928.
• Camp Waltonia, Hunt, 1928.
• Crider's, Hunt, 1926.
• Mosty's Garage 1926. 
• Kerrville Bus Company, 1929. 
• R.C. McBryde Oil, by 1931. 
• Fidelity Abstract and Title,  1936.
• Heart of the Hills Taxidermy,  1937. 
• Kickapoo Kamp, 1943.
• Del Norte Restaurant, 1946.
• The Hunt Store, Hunt, 1946. 
• Mooney Aircraft, 1946.
• Heart O' the Hills Camp, Hunt, 1949. 
• Hill Country Telephone Cooperative, Ingram. 1951.
• Hester Window Coverings, 1951.
• Bernhard's Meat Processing and Market, Ingram,  1952.
• Hill Country Affordable Motors,  1954.
• Hunt-Ingram Gas Company, Ingram, 1955.
• The Rose Shop, 1955.
• Inn of the Hills, 1963.
• Herring Printing, 1964.

If you have others to add to this list, you can comment below or contact me at my blog email address, dgaudier at gmail.com, and I will update this list.

Ally Beitel House

Myrta Street entrance, 1929. Kerr County Historical Commission collection.

Washington Street entrance, 2013.

This stucco house at 901 Myrta Street, at the corner of Washington, was built for Ally Beitel in 1925.  Ally Beitel operated the Beitel "Old House" Lumber Yard on Clay Street.  You can read more about the Beitel Lumber Yard and about Ally Beitel here.
The front of this house faces Washington Street and had an address of 847 Washington, but for many years the Myrta Street entrance has been preferred.

Because of his business, Beitel was able to carefully selected the best quality materials to build his dream home. The house is so well designed and built and the quality of materials is so high that very little has been altered.  It still has original lighting and plumbing fixtures. Designed and built by local builders Otto Schwethelm and Bruno Schott at a cost of $18,500, it was valued at $20,000 in the 1930 census.  Interestingly, ten years later, in the 1940 census, it was valued at $8,500.  That is a rather steep decline in valuation even for the Great Depression era.  I'm not sure what to attribute this to.

Beitel died of an extended illness in 1933 at the age of 44. Two months later his widow transferred the property to A. C. Schreiner (who held the mortgage).  It appears she continued to live in the house while she was building a smaller house next door at 849 Washington Street.

In April 1935 A.C. Schreiner sold the house to Edward H. and Maydee Patton. Edward Patton was general manager of the Kerrville Amusement Company which built the Arcadia Theatre and operated it for many years. In 1947 he bought the Blue Bonnet Drug Store and owned it until his retirement. She died in 1955, he in 1973. They are buried in Waco.
The following item appeared in the Sept. 9, 1943, Kerrville Mountain Sun.
"Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Patton have moved to their home on Myrta Street. Mr. and Mrs. David Bruton and children, who spent the past year in the Patton home, have returned to Houston."
Just one month later, on October 6, 1943, the Pattons sold the property to Bennett and Archie Nance who lived there until about 1991.  The Nances owned the house the longest. They were ranchers in Wichita Falls before coming to Kerr County and later on the Divide.

Dr. Tom and Susan Nau were the next owners.  In 1993 Gary and Kathy Miears bought the house and reside there today.

2102 Memorial Drive

This is the original Mosty Nursery location in Kerrville. Mosty Nursery was established in 1897 in Kerrville by L. A. Mosty. The house, reportedly erected circa 1921, originally was frame.  The rock facade was added later.

ca 1929

When Leander A. Mosty (generally known as “L.A.”) arrived in Kerr County in 1897 he took in the landscape and saw a need for fruit, shade, and ornamental trees, not just for the growing town of Kerrville, but also to supply the many farms and ranches being established. He saw an opportunity, purchased land down river from Kerrville, just to the east of where Schreiner University stands today, and with his sons began to grow and sell trees and plants. Trees planted in the early years still stand around Kerr County today.

From a family history compiled by Harvey Mosty, one of L.A.’s sons, comes this account:
“When we came back here from Lampasas in the fall of 1897, we brought a sack of old Indian peach seed. I planted them southeast of the present well, down in the field where the two pecan trees now stand. These pecan trees were planted from nuts given to me by Mr. Hy Welge. They were from the Oliver tree near Junction. The peach seed came up and Lee and I budded them. A friend named Mr. Jump showed us how to bud a tree. The buds did very well and we got a nice lot of trees out of the planting. This was the start of the L.A. Mosty & Sons Nursery. Most of the trees were planted on the farm; however some were sold to neighbors.”

L. A. Mosty developed new varieties of trees, including Mosty’s Cling peach, Mosty’s Free peach, and the Mosty pecan, and shrubs including a two horticultural varieties of the Arizona cypress, a juniper, a yellow Hypericum and a variety of nandina.  He joined the fledgling Texas Nurseryman’s Association. By 1907 the nursery, which at that time had four acres in roses and ornamentals, was certified by the State of Texas.  Operations expanded to Center Point in 1908. When L.A. Mosty died in 1917, the nursery was taken over by his two oldest sons, Lee and Harvey, who changed the name of the business to Mosty Brothers Nursery.   The Mosty brothers soon turned the venture into a wholesale nursery business. Lee and Harvey were able to grow the nursery to become one of the largest in the Southwest offering a second location in Center Point, Texas and expanding the Kerrville operation to include a retail business including the Mosty Flower Shop. Harvey operated the Kerrville location, Lee the Center Point one.
In 1985 the Kerrville location of Mosty Brothers Nursery closed. C.H. Mosty continued the Mosty Brothers Nursery in Center Point with his son Scott N. Mosty where the business continues today.

I'm not sure what the use was between 1985 and 1998. Tannenberger Nursery was here from 1998-2005,  followed by Alexandra's Tea Room.  Currently the property is vacant and for sale.

149 Francisco Lemos Street

Built in the 1920s, this cottage at 149 Francisco Lemos Street currently houses a B&B. There is also a double cottage that was advertised as new in 1936.

Robert L. and Sallie Jonas purchased this property in 1919 and are most likely the ones who had the house built.

Described in the deed books as the Schreiner Herzog block, this section was subdivided by Nathan Herzog in 1889, the same year Kerrville was incorporated.

Nathan Herzog was born 1857 in Prussia, arrived in this country in 1870, and died 1934 in Kerrville at his home at 325 Water Street.   He married Lena Valeska Dietert on November 10, 1878, in Kerr County.
Nathan Herzog was Jewish, one of the first to settle in Kerrville. His wife however was Lutheran. When he died, the pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church officiated at his funeral.  Herzog worked as a clerk at Schreiner's store for 56 years.  He was so highly thought of by the firm that the store closed for half a day for his funeral. Herzog was one of the first aldermen elected in Kerrville and was a charter member and first treasurer of the local Masonic lodge. He was also one of the organizers of the Kerrville Concordia German singing society.
There is an interesting story told about him in the August 4, 1955 Kerrville Mountain Sun. When Charles Schreiner first went into business, he partnered with August Faltin.  After several years the partnership was dissolved and "as good merchandise was hard to obtain in those days, neither member of the firm would take a cash settlement, so the stock had to be divided.  Herzog took down all of the merchandise, divided it evenly, even to the piece goods--which he unwound from the bolts, measured the proper lengths, cut them off and rewound both sections of the bolt.  So careful was he and so meticulous with his measurements and his packing, that both partners were well satisfied with the division." 
He left the Schreiner store for a while to establish his own store, but later returned to Schreiner's.

In 1889 Herzog cut out a 150 strip of land from property he owned in Block 33 of Schreiner's Addition to Kerrville.  This strip is along Lemos Street between Water Street and the Guadalupe River. He then sold off the lots, including these three, part of which went to Henry Boeckmann and part to H. Nuernberger.
On August 9, 1919, the heirs of Henry and Emilie Boeckmann sold the land to R. L. and Sallie Jonas for $800.
The Jonases must have erected the house, and probably shortly afterwards.  They were on Water Street in 1920, but living here by the 1930 census in a house valued at $3500.   Robert Jonas had been a rural mail carrier, but in 1930 he was a truck driver doing local hauling. Daughter Effie Fullen, who was divorced, was living with them, and working at a saleslady at a variety store.  

In August 1932, there was a fire in a neighboring one-story cottage at 151 Lemos Street. The newspaper reported "Firemen said that apparently the fire had started on a sleeping porch in the rear of the cottage, but did not determine the origin of the blaze. Prompt work by vigilant firemen prevented the fire from spreading to a 14-room one-story building within 15 feet of the cottage, the home of R. L. Jonas." (Presumably this house although it doesn't appear to be that large.)

In April 1936 they sold to Charles L. and Maud Brandon. He was a wholesale oil salesman. She took in boarders, offering tray service to the residents.

J. C.  and Hilda Christine Shaw were the next owners, purchasing the property in 1946 for $2499, the balance left of the note.  Although it was reported in November 1949 that they were moving to their ranch, in April 1950 they were still at their home on Lemos Street, finally selling it in July 1951 to Lewis J. and Dorothy Lott.  The Lotts sold just a few months later to L. A. and Lucyle Motl who opened the Guadalupe Haven Rest Home. Later they rented some of the rooms as apartments.

As a bit of local color:  The 1950 city directory indicates that Wm. A. Moellendorf was living at this address. This would have been about the time Bill and Peggy Moellendorf became the parents of the first set of twins (a boy and a girl) born at Peterson Hospital.  The Kerrville Mountain Sun reported on May 25, 1950, that "They were greeted by hundreds of the people of the city through the nursery window." You have to love it!

 John L. Clay was the next owner, then Rollie P. Dobyns, who lived here from 1965 until his death in 1981. After he died there was an unsuccessful attempt at rezoning for a riverside restaurant.  Then is 1987 a conditional use permit was granted to allow a retail store called "The Home Place" to open.
Later there was a law office for a few years in the 1990s before restoration and conversion to  its current use as a B&B.

Why is there no George Wells Street?

As I said in my previous post concerning the World War I dead of Kerr County, I had heard, and newspaper reporting implies, that Sidney Baker, Earl Garrett, and Francisco Lemos were the only three who lived in Kerrville, that the others were county residents. That may not be so.
There was a man named George S. Wells as well. 

George S. Wells was born August 5, 1894, and died January 25, 1917, before official American involvement (which came 6 April 1917).   He is buried at Glen Rest Cemetery in Kerrville.

Here is his obituary from the February 1, 1917 Kerrville Mountain Sun: 
"George Wells, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Wells of this city died at Brownsville last Thursday after an operation for appendicitis at the Army hospital.  He was stationed with the National Guard at Corpus Christi, being a member of Company B, Second Texas Infantry, when he took sick.  The body was brought to Kerrville, arriving here on Saturday, and on Sunday the funeral was held from the Presbyterian Church, Rev. W. P. Dickey conducting the service.  The Woodmen of the World, of which he was a member, then took charge of the body and tenderly laid him to rest in Glen Rest Cemetery.
The family have the deepest sympathy of our entire citizenship in the loss of their son, who was a young man with a bright future and well liked by all who knew him."

Brother Erwin Charles Wells also registered for the draft--on 15 Sept 1918.  Erwin was a drug clerk at Rawson's drug store and later became a pharmacist there.

The history I've been able to find suggests that George Wells lived in Kerrville before he joined the armed forces.

Their parents were Egbert G. and Elizabeth Wells. Egbert's name appears as both Ed G. and as Elbert in the US Census records.  Egbert, a native of Missouri, was a machinist at the Schreiner windmill shop.  Elizabeth was a Texan. In 1900 the family lived in Kerrville, exact location unknown; in 1910 they were on Main Street; by 1920 they were at 408 Jefferson Street where they continued to reside for some years.  George was with them in the household in 1900 and 1910.

Egbert G. Wells died 2 Jan 1943 at the age of 88 and was buried at Glen Rest. His obituary named his widow and surviving children: son Ervin C. Wells and three daughters, Mrs. C. M. Francis of Chicago, Illinois, Mrs. W. A. Jacoby and Mrs. G. H. King of San Antonio. No mention was made of other children. 
Elizabeth Schmidt Wells died at the age of 85 in 1948 and is also buried at Glen Rest. Her obituary in the 9 December 1948 Kerrville Mountain Sun stated she had made her home in Kerrville for more than 50 years, and for a number of years lived in the 400 block of Jefferson Street. She moved to San Antonio after the death of her husband and youngest daughter Bonnie Lee Wells (which occurred in 1942).  This is the only mention of a deceased child in either obituary. 

If the Wellses lived in Kerrville for more than 50 years prior to 1943, that would mean they were here before 1893.  George Wells was born in 1894. So why was George Wells not honored with a street named for him? Is it because he didn't die overseas?

808 Earl Garrett Street

2012

A note on the back of the photograph indicates this Tudor-style house at 808 Earl Garrett was built in 1916 by Otto Schwethelm at the time of his marriage to Ysabel Faltin, of Comfort. They lived here until 1943.  This was a substantial house for its time. In 1930 it was valued at $10,000.  Otto Schwethelm was a rancher and banker and worked for the Schreiner Bank for 46 years.  At the time the house was built, he was an assistant cashier at the bank.
He died at the age of 89 in 1981.  She died at the age of 96 in 1991. They are buried together at Glen Rest Cemetery.
The Schwethelms were charter members of a dance club known at the German Club of Kerrville.  I learned about the club from a January 14, 1984, article in the Kerrville Mountain Sun marking its 50th anniversary.   You did not have to be German heritage to belong. "German" referred to a "French-style dance" called the German popular when the Club was organized in in 1934.   When the dances first began they were held on one of the Real ranches in Upper Turtle Creek about 17 miles from town. Otto Schwethelm told a tale that when some of the men got out to open the seven gates on the way, they "took a drink at each one and arrived at the dance in high spirits."
(Just a bit of local color for you.)

ca 1988

Bobbie Baldwin was the next owner, living here from 1944 until 1949 when he sold to H. W. Harlin. Harlin was a rancher who lived part-time in Kerrville. In 1952 he sold to Arthur W. Brock, who in 1954 received a permit for additions to the property.  He was a career Air Force Colonel.  The Kerrville Times reported that during his last four years he served as director of the intelligence division of the Air Force.  Brock sold to James Clanton in 1961. In 1964 Clanton in turn sold to William M. Tomlinson who owned it about three years. The next owner was Robert Nuetze. The Nuetzes occupied the house until 1977. There were a series of short-term occupants after that and in 1983 Olde House Partnership obtained a permit to convert the house into the current apartment units at a cost of $30,000.

19th Century Commercial Buildings in Kerrville

Following up the list of 19th century residential properties in Kerrville, here is a list of non-residential and commercial buildings constructed in Kerrville in the 19th century. If I've forgotten something I'm sure you'll remind me!

I have not blogged about all these yet.  One day...

631 Water Street
701 Water Street (Pampell's Opera House)
709 Water Street (The Favorite Saloon)
816 Water Street (Rock Drug Store) (now the telephone co. equipment building)
824-826 Water Street (The Old Bakery)
201 Earl Garrett Street (Weston Building)
208 Earl Garrett Street (1882 Schreiner Store)
211 Earl Garrett Street (Masonic Building) 
241 Earl Garrett Street (Guthrie Building)
415 Clay Street  (Beitel's Lumberyard "Old House")
415 Clay Street (Dietert Mercantile)
305 Tivy Street (Old Tivy Hotel)
1009 Barnett Street (Old Tivy High School)
corner Broadway and Travis Street (Old Union Church)

816 Water Street is now the telephone equipment building, but behind part of that 1960s facade is history.  The original outline of the old Rock Drug building is clearly seen in aerial views.

The oldest building on this list is the 1875 Favorite Saloon.
 

1312 Water Street

The original address for this house was 1212 Water Street.  The streets in this area were renumbered about 1929.

This house at 1312 Water Street has some characteristics that have caused me to think this might be a 19th century house.  However, continued research indicates that it is more likely this was built by Ben Davey sometime between 1910 and 1914.  Here's my reasoning:

The legal description of this property is Block 10, Lot 17, Tivy Addition.  On July 31, 1907, Sid Peterson sold lots 9 and 10 for $525 to J. H. Chapman.  On Oct 16, 1907, J. H. and Ida Chapman sold lots 9 and 10 for $550 to Oscar P. Garrett, an average of $225 per lot.
Oct February 25, 1910, Garrett sold these two lots to Miss Mabel Grace Davey for $600. At the time she was a 23-year-old schoolteacher at Tivy. On June 10, 1914, she married Robert B. Knox.
On January 31, 1920, R. B. and Mabel Knox sold just lot 10, the one this house stands on, to John F. and Visa Surber for $600. Note that the value of the property had doubled in the intervening ten years. This suggests that the house was built in that time period.

ca 1932.  Courtesy, Kerr County Historical Commission Collection

Mabel's father Ben Davey was a building contractor. He very likely built this house for her, perhaps in anticipation of her marriage.
Ben Davey was at one time in partnership with Bruno Schott, veteran Kerrville builder. Many of the early buildings in the area were constructed by the firm.

John F.  and Visa Ann Surber, the next owners, and their heir Annie Rotge together owned the house for fifteen years. He had been a farmer but by 1920 he was no longer working.
In 1936 Charlie Hansen, an employee at the VA Hospital, purchased it.  He died in 1961, but his family owned it another six years until 1967. The Hansens owned the property the longest--31 years.

Over the next dozen years there were four separate owners.  It continued to be residential property until D. K. Livingston bought it in 1979. Liquidation Outlet opened here at the end of that year--the first of a series of small businesses located here ever since.

19th Century Houses in Kerrville

I'm back!  I've had some other projects occuping my time.  Did you miss me?

I've been wondering how many 19th century buildings remain in Kerr County.  So far I have come up with about three dozen, and I believe there are many more than that in the rural areas.  My two mile long rural road has three, including my house!  I've asked some locals, including fellow blogger Joe Herring, to put their thinking caps on.  I'm asking my loyal readers now too. Do you know of others?  Please use the comments box below, or you can email me at  dgaudier at gmail dot com.
(I use this address only for my blogs.)
The list below is only of buildings that were originally erected as residences and are inside the current city limits of Kerrville.  I am certain the list is incomplete.
Another day I will do non-residential and rural properties.

226 Earl Garrett Street (Schreiner Mansion)
1013 Main Street (Wm. Rawson house)
1100 E. Main Street
328 Jefferson Street (Max Grona house)
902 Jefferson Street
1001 Jefferson Street (Comparette house)
513 Earl Garrett Street (Anderson house)
413 Sidney Baker Street 
400 block Water Street  (A.C. Schreiner house)
Henry Dietert House, off Goat Creek Road
The following houses may also be 19th century
713 Sidney Baker Street (date uncertain, may be 19th century)
408 Water Street (date uncertain. predates 1904, may be 19th century)

War Memorials

Most people probably think of the monument on the courthouse grounds when they think of a war memorial in Kerr County. Some also think about Francisco Lemos, Sidney Baker, and Earl Garrett, the World War I soldiers for whom three Kerrville streets are named.
There are at least two others. One is the Cailloux Theater which I wrote about here. Another is the Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library which I mentioned here.
Today I am writing more about the B-H Memorial Library.
 
In the January 11, 1957,  Kerrville Times, in the column called "Brother Red Sez", the author pointed out that $26,000 had been collected some twelve years earlier to be used as a War Memorial.  The Memorial had not been built and he argued for using the money to build a library for Kerrville.  At the time it was housed in two rooms of the Schreiner Mansion,  the rest of which served as the Masonic Temple.  They wanted to take over the space that the public library was in, but the library had no place to go.  Plans had been drawn but fundraising was going very slowly for a memorial library for Kerr County. This was a county wide effort as reported in the November 14, 1957, Kerrville Mountain Sun.   

The April 3, 1958, Kerrville Mountain Sun reported, "Out of a desire to have the new building to stand as a memorial to deceased Kerr County veterans of all wars, the sponsors have designated the proposed structure as the Kerr County Memorial Library." Even though the public library in Kerrville is designated as a memorial to all deceased Kerr County veterans--not just Kerrville veterans, the County Commissioners at this time will not financially support the Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library.  The name of the library was originally the Kerr County Memorial Library.  The fundraising for the library was a county-wide effort with many clubs, individuals, and businesses making donations.

The Kerr County War Mothers Association took on the responsibility of collecting the names of Kerr County men who died in the service of their country. The list was to include the names of men who died while their families were residents of Kerr County, or who went to the Armed Forces giving Kerr County as their home.
When in 1958 the library moved from space in the Schreiner Mansion to the former Pentecostal church on Water Street, a bronzed plaque was hung in the entrance to the Memorial Library. 

This war memorial is older than the Memorial Auditorium, erected 1960, which became the Cailloux Theater,  and older than the memorial on the Courthouse square and yet it seems forgotten.

As for that $16,000... I'm not sure if it went to the Memorial Library, or to the Memorial Auditorium.  When I find that information I'll update this site.