Camp Meeting Creek

 Here's an item I've been sitting on a long, long time. I cross Camp Meeting Creek whenever I go to town.  flows in an easterly directly in Kerrville crossing Medina Highway before finally emptying into the Guadalupe.

I've wondered for years where the camp meeting was--and who sponsored it. The Presbyterians had an assembly ground where Schreiner University is today. The Methodists have the Methodist Encampment on the west side of Kerrville. There were probably others. 

Camp Meetings were a common religious social event, some  lasting a week. People gathered from all around the area for worship, singing, preaching, visiting.

According to a story in the June 18, 1989, Kerrville Daily Times, in 1860 there was a large camp meeting at Camp Ives on Turtle Creek.  It was at that meeting William Pafford, Kerrville's first paid teacher, was licensed to preach.    Which brings up the next question--Where was Camp Ives?

Seems it was a military outpost on Turtle Creek four miles north of Camp Verde in Kerr County and operated from early October 1859 to the end of  January 1861 when the soldiers left to prepare for the oncoming War Between the States.

Hazy Hills

 This  small subdivision was requested by E. S. Bammel and was approved November 1964.  The 24 November 1964 Kerrville Daily Times reported:

The construction plans for E. S. Bammel's Hazy Hills subdivision Unit Number 1 were approved by the council.  The council also agreed to set a public hearing for a rezoning request by Bammel to change Lot 1, Block 4 of the subdivision from residential to apartment.  The subdivision is located in the Bluebell area. 

More specifically, it is located in the 900 block of Bluebell. This neighborhood includes one church, Foursquare Gospel Fellowship, which is at 915 Bluebell.

 Edwin Bammel, the developer, advertised that he erected custom homes. Advertising indicates they were mostly three bedroom, two brick houses. Some were colonials, some ranchers.

The Bear at Henke Bros. City Meat Market

 In his column this week, Joe Herring mentioned the pet bear at Henke Bros. City Meat Market.  I wrote about that story seven years ago. It's time to resurrect.  Enjoy!

http://kerrhistory.blogspot.com/2013/07/bear-on-loose.html

Blue Bell Hills

Kerrville has several distinctive neighborhoods worthy of recognition. One of them is Blue Bell Hills. which I blogged about several years ago. I was stunned to discover back then that the neighborhood was planned by Hare & Hare, a pioneering landscape architect firm in the United States.  A number of their works are on the National Register of Historic Places. Some also have Texas historical markers. I believe this neighborhood, which retains most of its original homes and characteristics, is also eligible for listing on the National Register. Learn more about Hare & Hare here.

There is currently a proposal by Trinity Baptist Church to close part of Bluebell Road from Jackson Road to Cypress for church expansion. It appears that Hare & Hare's work will be affected.

I wish the residents the best in their effort to protect their neighborhood and its historical characteristics.

Clay Street

There is a new-ish group in Kerrville, "Kerrville Urban Trail System, or "KUTS" the first section of which runs along Clay Street from Water Street to the historic depot.  I thought I'd remind you of some places along that route that I've blogged about before--several architectural gems you may not have noticed.

212 Clay Street (now Voelkel Engineering)
223 Clay Street
324 Clay Street (Edward Dietert Cottage)
332 Clay Street (Edward Dietert House "Pint and Plow")
A couple of items from the historic Depot (which houses Rails--a Cafe at the Depot):
Trouble at the Depot part 1
Trouble at the Depot, part 2
And here is a link to the Depot Square historic area with three buildings. Now go explore!


 

Centennial of the World War One Armistice

November 11, 2018 is the centennial of the World War One Armistice, the end of the "War to end all wars". Nineteen Kerr County men gave their lives in that war, five in battle, the others died of illness.  I have blogged about them before. Here are links to their stories.
Kerrville men Sidney Baker, Earl Garrett, and Francisco Lemos had streets named for them and have been frequently written about, but apparently not on my blog, so there is no link. That is something I should remedy.  In the meantime here are the stories of  The Other 16 .

Guadalupe Heights

In August 1950, A.C. Ervin was granted permission by the county commission to plat a subdivision called Guadalupe Heights. This subdivision of mid-century ranch houses lies between the Guadalupe River and San Antonio Highway "overlooking Flat Rock Park".  A rural subdivision, it is located past the VA Hospital and near the Kerrville-Schreiner Airport.

In June 1951 Theodore and Irene Goldman bought the first lot, lot 6, in Guadalupe Heights.

In July 1962, the community residents organized the Guadalupe Heights Club. Its purpose was to promote friendships of the residents of the area.  The first officers were S.M. Udden, President; Warren Stout, First Vice-President; Ted Goldman, Second Vice-President; Secretary, Mrs. Ann Fleece.  The first meeting, a covered dish suppper, was held at the Ace Ranch-O-Tel. [ACE, by the way, comes from A.C.Ervin.]

In January 1963 rural mail service was extended to the neighborhood. By 1964 First Baptist Church had a mission church there, known first as Guadalupe Heights Mission and later as Laurel Way Mission.

In April 1965 the Great Texas Land Company purchased all remaining lots and land in the neighborhood with the intention of immediately selling and developing it. The part of the neighborhood along the highway was put to commercial use. At this time Darwin Instrument Factory purchased the large commercial building on the highway to manufacture and assemble flight and engine instruments for Mooney Aircraft. (It was offered for sale about four years later.)

Additionally, the April 21, 1965 Kerrville Mountain Sun reported

J.D. Brance of Hunt and Houston has purchased the water works and will install storage tanks, large mains and auxiliary pumps, and has pledged to furnish each customer all the water they can use and to maintain adequate pressure all of the time.  It will be comparable to that of City of Kerrville.

At this point 87 homes had been constructed,. All lots had electricity, water (although apparently inadequate for demand), and phone, and were being piped for natural gas.

This subdivision was in the news in 2015 and 2016 with the fight over the annexation of the Martin Marietta quarry which the community abuts.

To learn about other subdivisions in Kerr County go here.