Kendall County Places
Landmarks & Vanished Communities
This index preserves the TXGenWeb collection of named places, geographic features, historic sites, and vanished communities associated with Kendall County, Texas.
About the coordinates:
The USGS no longer maintains the GNIS database links formerly
used by this collection. Copy and paste a latitude/longitude
pair into a modern map service to view the location. Older
coordinates may reflect NAD27 rather than NAD83, so some points
can appear slightly displaced.
| Feature Name | Type | Latitude, Longitude | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen Creek | stream | 29.884722, -098.809722 | — | USGS |
| Ammans Crossing | pop place | 29.894722, -098.670833 | — | USGS |
| Askey Creek | stream | 30.010000, -098.697500 | — | USGS |
| B J McCombs Sisterdale Airport | airport | 29.975833, -098.743611 | — | USGS |
| Balcones Community Center | locale | 29.733611, -098.703056 | — | USGS |
| Balcones Creek | stream | 29.745278, -098.646111 | — | USGS |
| Bankersmith | pop place | 30.125556, -098.821111 | In 1913, the San Antonio-Fredericksburg and Northern Railroad was built through the community of Grapetown, whose construction also included a 900 footlong tunnel through the Big Divide. This is the only railroad tunnel in Texas. In 1935, the railroad was discontinued, but about 1920, some prosperous citizens in Grapetown made an effort to have a depot and post office closer to the center of the existing community. This was done and the town was named Bankersmith after Temple D. Smith, president of the first bank in Fredericksburg. It was located on Rudolph Habenicht land. A store, dancehall, post office, lumberyard and warehouse were built, then dismantled about 1927, but is still known as Bankersmith on the map. | USGS & Bettie Edmonds betts@texas.net |
| Barker Hollow | valley | 30.100278, -098.567778 | — | USGS |
| Bear Creek | stream | 29.902500, -098.675000 | — | USGS |
| Bergheim | pop place | 29.827222, -098.575000 | Bergheim, whose name means "Home in the Hills," was founded in the 1900 by Andreas Engel. It is located ten miles NE of Boerne in the SE corner of Kendall County. Bergheim was later in development as a town than most in the county and has no railroad; but is was and is a major trading station for the area with it's Engel Store and postoffice. | USGS & Bettie Edmonds betts@texas.net |
| Bergheim Cemetery | cemetery | 29.839167, -098.569722 | aka Smith Cemetery | USGS & Catharine Schwarz cstone@gvtc.com |
| Big Hill | summit | 30.103889, -098.805278 | — | USGS |
| Big Joshua Creek | stream | 29.925000, -098.789167 | — | USGS |
| Big Spring Canyon | valley | 29.920556, -098.587778 | — | USGS |
| Black Creek | stream | 29.859722, -098.629167 | — | USGS |
| Blackberry Creek | stream | 30.105833, -098.661944 | — | USGS |
| Block Creek | vanished community | 29.981667, -098.840833 | Small community on the East bank of Block Creek and the old Comfort to Fredericksburg Rd, 2 1/2 miles North of farm Rd 473 and some 8 miles NE of Comfort in Western Kendall County. It was settled in part by Freethinkers. A post office opened at Block Creek in 1884 and closed in 1895. In 1890 the community had 15 residents. The Block creek School opened around 1900 and remained the focus of a common school district until 1949 when it became part of the Comfort Independent School District. In 1913, the Fredericksburg and Northern Railway established a flag stop in Block creek to benefit the nearby Hillingdon Ranch. Two or three houses marked the community on county highway maps in the late 1940s, but by the 1980s these were no longer shown on maps of the area. | Bettie Edmonds |
| Block Creek | stream | 29.981667, -098.840833 | — | USGS |
| Boerne | pop place | 29.794444, -098.731667 | — | USGS & Catharine Schwarz cstone@gvtc.com |
| Boerne Cemetery | cemetery | 29.801667, -098.738333 | — | USGS & Catharine Schwarz cstone@gvtc.com |
| Brown Spring | spring | 29.850833, -098.874722 | — | USGS |
| Browns Creek | stream | 29.773889, -098.698056 | — | USGS |
| Brownsboro Cemetery | cemetery | 29.973056, -098.828611 | — | USGS & Catharine Schwarz cstone@gvtc.com |
| Bust Buttes | summit | 30.052500, -098.721944 | — | USGS |
| Camp Alzafar | locale | 29.896389, -098.655000 | — | USGS |
| Camp Capers | locale | 29.956667, -098.816667 | — | USGS |
| Camp Idlewide | locale | 29.969444, -098.884444 | Located 1/2 mile South of FM 473 and 1 1/2 miles East of Comfort. Idlewilde Lodge was built in 1902 of long leaf yellow pine. This structure was first used as a Sanitarium by Dr.C.H.Wilkinson of Galveston. The building became a Recorded Texas Historical landmarker in 1982 and is also on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1906 the property was sold to E. Hugo, who operated Camp Reliance here until 1912 when Robert Wilke bought the land and adopted the name camp Good Times. This turn of the century vernacular building then served as the lodge for Camp Idlewilde, a girls summer camp operated by the YWCA for over 60 years. The camp later sold to Marshall T. Steves in the 1980's and in 1992 to Connie and Hank Engel. | USGS & Bettie Edmonds betts@texas.net |
| Cannon Hill | summit | 29.846389, -098.788889 | — | USGS |
| Carlisle Canyon | valley | 29.935000, -098.608889 | — | USGS |
| Carson Spring | spring | 30.059722, -098.650278 | — | USGS |
| Cave Hill | summit | 30.056667, -098.667778 | — | USGS |
| Cedar Mountain | summit | 29.871667, -098.831389 | — | USGS |
| Champee Spring | spring | 29.826389, -098.877778 | — | USGS |
| Coffee Hollow | valley | 29.964167, -098.785278 | — | USGS |
| Comanche Spring | spring | 29.827778, -098.766667 | — | USGS |
| Comfort | pop place | 29.967500, -098.904722 | The official founding date of Comfort is September 3, 1854, when Ernest Altgelt completed his survey and laid out the 301 town lots, which still form the basic community today. By the end of 1854, 50 families and 67 other men had settled in the community. Of the original 50 families, descendants of at least 40 still live in Comfort, many in the original homes built by their pioneer forefathers. It is a very close knit community. Most of comfort's early arrivals migrated from Germany because of its revolution of 1848. They sought peace and comfort and thus the English word "Comfort" was selected by the new settlers as their name for the town. Comfort became a thriving center for trading and commerce, education and "Freethinkers". It became the center for the"Freethinking Philosophy" which was an antireligious movement generated by religious oppression in Germany; another major reason for immigration to Texas. It was to be about 50 years before a church was established in Comfort. A matter of great pride from the beginning was education of both men and women. Comfort was the county seat for Kerr County before Kendall County was formed, and then it fell within the boundry line of Kendall and lost it's county seat. Comfort was chosen for the site of the "Treue der Union" monument. It is the common grave of 35 German settlers, who died in the Nueces Battle of the Civil War in 1862, when they were attempting to join Union Forces in this Confederate area. It is the only known monument to the Union below the Mason-Dixon Line. Today, Comfort is known for its preservation efforts and its Historic District. There are more than 150 19th century structures which are still predominant in this German town and Comfort residents continue to retain the early flavor and philosphies of the community.. It is the second largest town in Kendall County and is unincorporated. | USGS & Bettie Edmonds betts@texas.net |
| Comfort Cemetery | cemetery | 29.972222, -098.911944 | — | Cathy Schwarz |
| Cothrum Ranch | locale | 30.025556, -098.704444 | — | USGS |
| Coyote Canyon | valley | 29.931944, -098.608333 | — | USGS |
| Coyote Spring | spring | 30.066111, -098.883889 | — | USGS |
| Crabapple Creek | stream | 30.101944, -098.511111 | — | USGS |
| Currey's Creek | vanished community | 29.786667, -098.714722 | The highway sign says Curry Creek, the map says Curry's Creek and many oldtimers say that its Currie's Creek. Nothing is known of the man it was named after and there is a legend that he drowned in the creek bearing his name. The community, 3 miles South of Kendalia, was settled in 1850 when Judge William E. Jones established a sawmill along the creek. While Boerne was still a small hamlet, Curry's Creek was florishing with a population of 100 or more. Men who helped to shape Texas history lived here. Judge Samuel B. Patton moved here in 1847 when the area was still in Blanco County. He became its first County Judge in 1858. He is buried on his old property and his grave site is a Recorded Texas Historical landmark. The Lawhon brothers, Jesse and John, came with Judge Jones, who himself had a colorful career in San Antonio. Jesse was overseer for the Judge and was killed by Indians in 1855. John settled here, became a rancher and farmer and his descendants are still in the area. Jesse L. McCrocklin was in the Battle of San Jacinto and the Somervell Expedition and was given a large land grant for his military service. Parson Daniel Rawls of Austin's "Old 300" brought 50 slaves here and settled on the creek that bears his name. He built the first cotton gin in the county and organized the Methodist Church in Blanco County. Captain John Sansom, a famous Texas Ranger lived here. George Wilkins Kendall, whom Kendall County is named after, lived here at one time. Still standing is the house with a slot in the door for letters, which was the Curry Creek Post Office, on land now owned by the Herrin family. | USGS & Bettie Edmonds betts@texas.net |
| Darmstadt Creek | stream | 29.986667, -098.731667 | — | USGS |
| Deep Hollow Creek | stream | 29.774444, -098.776667 | — | USGS |
| Delaware Creek | stream | 30.100556, -098.621944 | — | USGS |
| Delaware Spring | spring | 30.071111, -098.652778 | — | USGS |
| Double U Ranch Airport | airport | 29.922222, -098.480833 | — | USGS |
| Dry Creek | stream | 29.972778, -098.596111 | — | USGS |
| Dunners Mountain | summit | 30.050556, -098.755556 | — | USGS |
| East Sister Creek | stream | 29.962222, -098.720000 | — | USGS |
| Easter Creek | stream | 29.818889, -098.759722 | — | USGS |
| Edge Cemetery | cemetery | 29.925000, -098.512500 | — | USGS & Catharine Schwarz cstone@gvtc.com |
| Edge Falls | falls | 29.913611, -098.506111 | — | USGS |
| Elm Bottom | valley | 30.079167, -098.849444 | — | USGS |
| Elm Hollow | valley | 29.928611, -098.626944 | — | USGS |
| First Coffee Hollow | valley | 29.976389, -098.792500 | — | USGS |
| Flat Rock Creek | stream | 29.966944, -098.867500 | — | USGS |
| Frederick Creek | stream | 29.789167, -098.731944 | — | USGS |
| Gaddis Bluff | cliff | 29.975556, -098.919167 | — | USGS |
| Golden Fawn Ranch | locale | 29.888611, -098.664167 | — | USGS |
| Goss Creek | stream | 29.923333, -098.613056 | — | USGS |
| Grapetown | vanished community | 30.125556, -098.819444 | Was located about 10 miles South of Fredericksburg on the San Antonio-Fredericksburg Road, which was the main thoroughfare for stock, cattle and freight drives. (Please see Bankersmith history) It was settled in 1855 by German immigrants of the Meusebach group from Fredericksburg, which was founded in 1846. This area was selected because of it's abundant wildlife and cattle ranges. Most were not farmers but factory workers from the industrialized areas of Germany, such as Hamburg and Berlin.. In 1860, Friedrich Doebbler opened a grocery and dry goods store named Doebbler's Inn. It was also the post office and a relay station for stagecoaches, with stables and an inn which was located in his home. It became the central gathering place for the Grapetown area. Some early names associated with Grapetown are Hemphill, Doebbler, Honhenberger, Tatsch, Ebers, Rausch, Enderlin and Hoffman. For 91 years Grapetown florished but now the schools, stores and dance halls are all gone with just a few social gatherings and reunions. | Bettie Edmonds |
| Grier Airport | airport | 29.872500, -098.732222 | — | USGS |
| Haag Creek | stream | 30.027500, -098.690278 | — | USGS |
| Haag Ranch | locale | 30.033333, -098.683333 | — | USGS |
| Heiliqmann Canyon | valley | 29.919167, -098.619722 | — | USGS |
| Herff Park Fairground | locale | 29.787222, -098.707222 | — | USGS |
| Hillingdon Ranch | locale | 30.090556, -098.874722 | Near Block Creek, on the old San Antonio Rd, between Fredericksburg and Comfort, was a 3500 acre ranch purchased by Alfred Giles, noted architect. Alfred came to San Antonio from England, where he was born at Hillingdon, near London. He began his architectural career as an apprentice in England; he came to San Antonio in 1873 for his health at age 20. Employed by contractor, John Kampmann, he became a well-known architect and worked on several known structures such as the Bexar County Courthouse and the newer addition to the Kendall County Courthouse. On the ranch he built a 1 1/2 to 2 story structure, with stucco portions with towering capped chimneys reflecting an English influence Many out buildings include a dog-trot log cabin dating to C1855. The ranch became Alfred Giles retreat and remained in the Giles family after his death. His son Palmer lived on the ranch for over 70 years before he died at the ranch in 1986 at age 91. | USGS & Bettie Edmonds betts@texas.net |
| Hog Hollow | valley | 30.095278, -098.543333 | — | USGS |
| Holliday Creek | stream | 29.957222, -098.873889 | — | USGS |
| Holy Angels Cemetery | cemetery | 29.784722, -098.734722 | — | Cathy Schwarz |
| Hunt Ranch Airport | airport | 30.036389, -098.697500 | — | USGS |
| Insall Cemetery | cemetery | 29.974722, -098.839444 | — | USGS & Catharine Schwarz cstone@gvtc.com |
| Jacobs Creek | stream | 29.965278, -098.676389 | — | USGS |
| Jones Cemetery | cemetery | 29.970556, -098.588333 | — | USGS& |
| Joshua Creek | stream | 29.946111, -098.767778 | — | USGS |
| Jung Creek | stream | 30.050556, -098.741389 | — | USGS |
| Jung Ranch | locale | 30.073056, -098.821389 | — | USGS |
| Jungfrau | summit | 29.936389, -098.856667 | — | USGS |
| KBRN-AM (Boerne) | tower | 29.812222, -098.728056 | — | USGS |
| Kendalia | pop place | 29.968889, -098.521944 | Located about 25 miles NE of Boerne, was surveyed and plotted by Carl Gustav Vogel in 1883; however, the first records of Kendalia were in 1852. It is not certain whether the town was named for George Wilkins Kendall or for the county of Kendall. A plat was made of the town but it never attained the promise of the survey for a "Mountain College", a square, a park and a garden. Most proposed streets are now in pasture and never materialized. George Elbel built a store in 1911 and a cotton gin was built. The first merchant was J.J. Merchon, whose store housed the postoffice. There was an octagon store but that has been replaced by the current Kendalia Store and postoffice. Post Office records were transferred from Curry's Creek Settlement to Kendallia in 1895. J.W. Lawhon built a rock store before 1900 where everything imaginable was sold at now ridiculously low prices. Record books of the store contain the names of most of the people in the community. Dr. Herrin had a drugstore and after him, Dr. Putnam added cold drinks. There was also a "Buck Horn Saloon." Three schools were built in the area, There were two churches but now the Baptist Church is gone and the Methodist Community Church remains in use and is a Texas Historical Landmark. There are family cemeteries with such names as Jones, Kneupper, Lawhon, Schmidt, Gerfers and Edges which reflect early pioneer names. Kendalia today is a small community surrounded by ranches with an active volunteer fire department, community center, library, store and post office and a newly activated Dance Hall. | USGS & Bettie Edmonds betts@texas.net |
| Kendall County | civil | 29.933333, -098.716667 | — | USGS |
| Knuepper Cemetery | cemetery | 29.991944, -098.523333 | — | USGS & Catharine Schwarz cstone@gvtc.com |
| KONO-FM (Fredericksburg) | tower | 29.840556, -098.825556 | — | USGS |
| Krause Creek | stream | 29.948333, -098.485278 | — | USGS |
| Kreutzberg | pop place | 29.863333, -098.675000 | In 1847, Vincent Phillip and his family moved to a new home on the Sabine River located about 8 miles East of Boerne. He erected a large wooden cross on a high hill overlooking the valley as a landmark. This was in thanksgiving for the many blessings received on their perilous trip from the old country. The cross has been replaced several times and is now made of concrete; erected by descendants of Vincent Phillip and family in 1928. Kreutzberg, which means "Cross Mountain" in German, once had a schoolhouse and has a shooting club. Today, some new developing, with the sale of old family lands is beginning. | USGS & Bettie Edmonds betts@texas.net |
| Lake Oz | reservoir | 29.777778, -098.787778 | — | USGS |
| Lenz Cemetery | cemetery | 29.813056, -098.614722 | Just north of the Pleasant Valley Community Center. | Catharine Schwarz |
| Lindendale Community Hall | locale | 30.111389, -098.622500 | Was formed in 1872, and named for the Linden trees that grew along the Blanco River, being brought there from Pennsylvania. The old Sisterdale- Lindendale Road was closed in 1961 since it had long been abandoned as a county road. Land around the springs at the head of the Blanco River, about 18 miles West of Blanco, was preempted by Valentine Gates from the State of Texas in 1870. Gates was a horticulturist and nurseryman and his life long interest was fruit trees.. One of his first projects after building his house in 1865 was to plant his famous apple orchard, the first of its kind in the Hill Country. He was the only nurseryman near Boerne for a number of years and he propogated hundreds of apple, peach and pear trees in his day. T.E Patton, grandson of Gates and brother to Captain Sam Patton, said that one of the hardest jobs he had was to keep the deer and wild animals of of the gardens and orchards. Even today, wildlife abounds in that area. Springs used to run through the springhouse to keep the butter, milk and vegetables cool. Persimmon and pecan trees still provide abundant yields and large cypress trees provide constant shade for the house and yard. Old Grandpa Gates wanted to build out in the woods away from noise. He got his wish because even today, the current owner, Dr. Dan Peavy, is still a mile away from neighbors. There used to be a school in the Lindendale area and church services were held there. A teacher, Miss Mary Holesworth of England taught in the late1890's and built the education up to the third best in the country. She gave concerts on Saturday nights and people from Blanco came in their wagons and buggies from the sparcely populated region. The last school building is now a community center and 4-H Club meeting place. | USGS & Bettie Edmonds betts@texas.net |
| Little Joshua Creek | stream | 29.925000, -098.789167 | — | USGS |
| Lone Hill | summit | 30.059167, -098.689167 | — | USGS |
| Malikoff Mountain | monument | 29.827222, -098.708333 | On Malakopf Mountain, 1.5 miles, NE of Boerne, via FM 474 and Kennon Ranch Road, is a monument to Dr. Ferdinand Ludwig von Herff (1820-1912). The son of a prominent German family and a veteran of the Prussian War, physician Herff first came to Texas in 1847. By the 1860s he had set up a practice in San Antonio, where he was an active civic leader. His medical innovations made him a prominent physician in the Southwest. Dr. Herff and his wife, Mathilda (1823-1910), owned a ranch at this site and their interest in the area led to the development of Boerne. Local residents and descendants, honored their many contributions with the monument on Malakopf Mountain, a site favored by the Herffs. | Bettie Edmonds |
| Manahan Creek | stream | 30.013056, -098.492778 | — | USGS |
| Meier Creek | stream | 30.108333, -098.680000 | — | USGS |
| Menger Creek | stream | 29.775000, -098.708611 | — | USGS |
| Meta Mountain | summit | 30.019722, -098.641389 | — | USGS |
| Mount Rigi | summit | 29.993611, -098.890000 | — | USGS |
| Neal Spring | spring | 30.071389, -098.891667 | — | USGS |
| Nelson City | pop place | 29.877222, -098.795000 | Located off IH 10 at the Welfare exit, 7 miles N. of Boerne and 10 miles S. of Comfort. The town was built up by Mr. Edwin Nelson, who owned the propert. He built a small store, living quarters and a Gulf filling station in the 1920s; then placed a sign at the entrance calling it Nelson City. Edwin Nelson was a rancher and dairyman. The structure next built was a dance hall in 1929. There were just gravel roads to the area at that time, but nelson City was put on the map and is still on the Texas Highway map, although there is no post office there.. The dance hall was open during prohibition so no alchoholic beverages were allowed inside. That wasn't a problem because bootleggers peddled moonshine outside the building for 25 cents a shot.. This was also the time of the great Depression and people didn't have the money for gasoline to get there. The dance hall eventually failed. The building was sold to Edwin Houston, a colorful rancher known for his large export business of animals to latin America. Houston started a restaurant in the old dance hall building and named it Po-Po Cafe after the great Mexican volcano, Popocatepetl. It changed hand several times, then in 1950, it was sold to Luther and Marie Burgon and a great restuarant was born; well known to the San Antonio and Texas Hill Country area. In 1983 it was sold to Jerry, Jenny and David Tilley and continues to operate as a popular family restaurant, winning many Taste of the Town Awards in San Antonio. With the addition of sound stages and covered outdoor areas, complete kitchen and private party room, Po-Po is the famous place to go in Nelson City. Continue down the country road and you come next to Welfare and then Waring, other interesting places to visit. | USGS & Bettie Edmonds betts@texas.net |
| No Name Hills | summit | 30.097500, -098.866667 | — | USGS |
| North Creek | stream | 29.983056, -098.926389 | — | USGS |
| Oberly Crossing | pop place | 29.919722, -098.587500 | — | USGS |
| Offer Ranch | locale | 30.018056, -098.702222 | — | USGS |
| Panther Creek | stream | 29.879722, -098.531389 | — | USGS |
| Phillips Cemetery | cemetery | 29.858333, -098.687778 | — | USGS & Catharine Schwarz cstone@gvtc.com |
| Platte Creek | stream | 30.049167, -098.740278 | — | USGS |
| Pleasant Valley | valley | 29.806111, -098.614722 | — | USGS |
| Pleasant Valley Community Center | locale | 29.813056, -098.628333 | — | USGS |
| Polecat Spring Creek | stream | 30.050278, -098.831111 | — | USGS |
| Possum Creek | stream | 29.882222, -098.870556 | — | USGS |
| Rafter Hollow | valley | 30.061389, -098.830833 | — | USGS |
| Ranger Creek | stream | 29.815278, -098.755556 | — | USGS |
| Rattlesnake Mountain | summit | 30.013333, -098.892222 | — | USGS |
| Rausch Ranch | locale | 30.060556, -098.827500 | — | USGS |
| Rawls Creek | stream | 29.948611, -098.530556 | — | USGS |
| Reed Spring | spring | 30.105833, -098.862500 | — | USGS |
| Reeh Creek | stream | 30.009444, -098.736944 | — | USGS |
| Richter Cemetery | cemetery | 29.876389, -098.518611 | — | USGS & Catharine Schwarz cstone@gvtc.com |
| Ring Mountain | summit | 29.880556, -098.820000 | — | USGS |
| Rock Creek | stream | 29.851111, -098.629722 | — | USGS |
| Round Mountain | summit | 29.965000, -098.624167 | — | USGS |
| Rundale Creek | stream | 29.716667, -098.740278 | — | USGS |
| Rust Field | airport | 29.956944, -098.790556 | — | USGS |
| Sabinas Creek | stream | 29.894167, -098.670833 | — | USGS |
| Sabinas Mountain | summit | 29.859444, -098.745556 | — | USGS |
| Schleicher Mountain | summit | 29.997500, -098.813611 | — | USGS |
| Second Coffee Hollow | valley | 29.976389, -098.792500 | — | USGS |
| Sheps Creek | stream | 29.950833, -098.569167 | — | USGS |
| Short Cemetery | cemetery | 29.919167, -098.603611 | — | USGS & Catharine Schwarz cstone@gvtc.com |
| Simmons Creek | stream | 29.898889, -098.486944 | — | USGS |
| Sister Creek | stream | 29.956944, -098.716667 | — | USGS |
| Sisterdale | pop place | 29.972778, -098.720556 | The late 1840s was a period of prolific German settlement of Texas because of the political unrest and german Revolution of 1848 Small groups of well educated, city dwelling political refugees founded several "Latin Colonies". These well educated intellectuals had never farmed before and didn't know where to begin. Sisterdale, located 15 miles North of Boerne, was one such community of intellectuals. Sisterdale was originally known as Zink's Settlement for Nicholas Zink, an engineer who had previously laid out the town of New Braunfels for Prince Solm. He saw and fell in love with the valley of the Sister Creeks. Dr. Ernst Kapp was another early settler who came in 1850 and established his famous Kapp Hydropathic Clinic because of cures possible with the many natural mineral springs on his property, which have dried up now. The place is called Badenthal which translates into " natural spring valley." Badenthal is on the National Register of Historic Places as is Ottmar von Behr's Homestead. Ottmar von Behr, the second permanent settler in Sisterdale, built his log cabin to the South of the Guadalupe River and his homestead contained the first post office and the first library for the colony and the county. The period of the Civil War ended the dominance of the Latin Colony settlers, replaced by new German immigrants who were farmers and workers; your butcher and baker and candlestick maker variety. Stores and schools and buildings expanded with a Dance Hall and an Opera House. Sisterdale never became an incorporated city, only a series of farms and was established as a township in 1883, although it was one of the oldest German settlements in the county. | USGS |
| Sleepy Hollow | valley | 30.097500, -098.566944 | — | USGS |
| Smith Hill | summit | 29.850278, -098.690556 | — | USGS |
| Soell Creek | stream | 30.030278, -098.667778 | — | USGS |
| South Fork Blanco River | stream | 30.098611, -098.603333 | — | USGS |
| Spanish Pass | gap | 29.856389, -098.768056 | — | USGS |
| Spicewood Canyon | valley | 29.956667, -098.670000 | — | USGS |
| Spring Creek | stream | 29.888056, -098.604722 | — | USGS |
| Swede Creek | stream | 29.877778, -098.575833 | — | USGS |
| Sycamore Ridge Camp | locale | 29.834444, -098.836111 | — | USGS |
| Sycamore Spring | spring | 29.838611, -098.895556 | — | USGS |
| Thornton Canyon | valley | 29.930000, -098.596944 | — | USGS |
| Turkey Hollow | valley | 30.090556, -098.898611 | — | USGS |
| Turkey Hollow Ranch | locale | 30.090556, -098.905556 | — | USGS |
| Turkey Knob | summit | 29.834722, -098.908611 | — | USGS |
| Violet Creek | stream | 29.949167, -098.728611 | — | USGS |
| Wallace Ranch Airport | airport | 30.016667, -098.850278 | — | USGS |
| Walnut Grove | pop place | 29.868056, -098.734444 | — | USGS |
| Walter Creek | stream | 29.877222, -098.510556 | — | USGS |
| Waring | pop place | 29.950556, -098.802778 | Started out as a stagecoach stop on the road between San Antonio and Fredericksburg. At the time it was called Winsor and was on the North bank of the Guadalupe River. Waring was created in 1888 following the completion of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad along the South side of the Guadalupe. The town was laid out into 50 city blocks by E.M. Burr and was named after R.P.M. Waringford. The name was officially changed to Waring in 1891. Waring prospered in it's early days with two daily connections to San Antonio and Highway #9 going through to Fredericksburg. Waring provided warehousing, shipping and shopping services and had a post office, general store, school, meat markets, dance hall and other services. The decline of Waring came with the completion of the railroad to Fredericksburg bypassing Waring in 1913. Then came the new roads bypassing the town, the automobile, the Great Depression, and discontinuance of the railroad after WWII. Herman Rust came to Waring in 1900 and became the leading blacksmith in the area for over 50 years. He added a large hardware store, built a garage and a gas station. He was the leading Case Machinery Agent for a large territory. This developed into R&F Automotive & Welding, Inc. Today, people are discovering that Waring is a great place to live in the Texas Hill Country and some of the old families are still in residence. | USGS & Bettie Edmonds betts@texas.net |
| Wasp Creek | stream | 29.910833, -098.668889 | An intermittent stream that rises in Kendall County and flows east northeast about 8 miles to the Guadalupe River. The stream received its name when a surveyor with George Erath discovered a wasp nest and mistook it for a beehive. A small community of Wasp Creek settled in the area in the mid-1800's that included the Oscar Bergmanns, William Magers family and Behr/Herbst families. | USGS & Bettie Edmonds betts@texas.net |
| Wasp Creek Cemetery | cemetery | 29.889444, -098.765278 | — | Cathy Schwarz |
| Welfare | locale | 29.909167, -098.786389 | The name of Welfare, located between Boerne and Comfort, possibly comes from the German word Wohlfahrt, meaning "pleasant trip." In 1846, the town was known as Bon Ton (French for "the proper way") but was changed when the railroad came through from San Antonio to Kerrville. Like Waring, much of Welfare's history involves transportation routes and the railroad. Mail was delivered first by bicycle, then by stagecoach twice weekly and then by the railroad. There used to be a depot and water tank, saloon, hotel and cotton gin. The train picked up mail, milk cans, cattle, chickens and produce. The railroad tracks were laid in 1886, the postoffice began in 1889 and the Welfare store in 1890. Mr. Percy Laas worked in the post office for 53 years and the Welfare store for 55 years. In 1960, the railroad tracks were removed and the new interstate highway #10 bypassed Welfare and everything is now gone. Old family names of Welfare are Zink, Laas, Bartel, Beseler, Magers, Klemstein and Pfeiffer. | USGS & Bettie Edmonds betts@texas.net |
| Wenzel Creek | stream | 30.066389, -098.739444 | — | USGS |
| Wenzel Spring | spring | 30.061389, -098.740000 | — | USGS |
| Werner Creek | stream | 29.958333, -098.676667 | — | USGS |
| West Sister Creek | stream | 29.962222, -098.720000 | — | USGS |
| Whiskey Spring | spring | 30.074444, -098.884444 | — | USGS |
| Whitworth Ranch | locale | 30.038611, -098.735000 | — | USGS |
| Willie Creek | stream | 30.039167, -098.687222 | — | USGS |
| Willke Cemetery | cemetery | 29.856667, -098.523056 | — | USGS & Catharine Schwarz cstone@gvtc.com |
| Willow Spring | spring | 29.844722, -098.577778 | — | USGS |
| Wilson Spring | spring | 30.075556, -098.878056 | — | USGS |
| Wolf Mountain | summit | 30.018333, -098.662500 | — | USGS |
| Zinke Creek | stream | 29.901667, -098.789444 | — | USGS |
| Zoeller Cemetery | cemetery | 29.958333, -098.774444 | Located near Waring at Zoeller Crossing of Guadalupe River. | USGS & Catharine Schwarz cstone@gvtc.com |
Help Improve This Collection
If you can supply missing GPS coordinates, identify a vanished community, or provide additional historical context, please contact TXGenWeb so the information can be preserved for future researchers.
Return to County Index Research Resources