The voters have a say.

Over the past several weeks, I have been telling the story of the various courthouses which have served Kerr County since its founding in 1856. I've taken (quite liberally) from the wonderful columns written by J. J. Starkey for the "Kerrville Times" in the 1930s. These columns, by the way, were the basis for Bob Bennett's "Kerr County," the definitive history of our community. (Copies of Bennett's book are available at Wolfmueller's Books.)

The present brick courthouse (not counting the addition which juts toward Jefferson Street) was built in the 1920s. It was preceded by a log building which served as our courthouse from 1856-1876, quite a long time for a structure meant to be temporary; then a small stone building, which was our courthouse from 1876 until 1886; and then, from 1886 until 1926, our community was served by a pretty two story stone structure with a three-story tower, all made of stone.

Since the current courthouse was built in 1926 and still functions as at least part of our courthouse campus, it has the distinction of being the longest-serving courthouse in Kerr County.

In November 1925 the commissioners court, by a unanimous vote, decided it was time to build a new courthouse for "the safety and permanency of the records of [Kerr] county and the safety of its citizens requires a new and adequately constructed courthouse (with fireproof vaults) and jail."

The 1925 court, unlike previous courts or current city councils, put the matter to a vote of the citizens, rather quickly, calling the election the following month, on the 22nd of December. 953 votes were cast, and, by a majority of 227 votes, the county proceeded in January 1926 to issue $110,000 in bonds for the construction of the courthouse.  For those suffering from current the current bond market I'll report these Kerr County bonds paid 5%.

The new courthouse was designed by Adams & Adams, architects out of San Antonio. Bidding on the construction was held in July, and of the nine firms bidding, W. C. Thrailkill of San Antonio won the general contract. A local plumber, W. B. Brown won the plumbing contract, and a local electrician, Roberts Electric Shop, the electrical contract.

The old stone courthouse and jail buildings and furnishings were offered for sale in March, 1927. Various stories are told about what happened to the old stones of these buildings, so I'm thankful the "Kerrville Times" published an account in March 1928. The largest purchaser was Schreiner Institute (now University), who used a lot of the stone to build a fence along "the San Antonio highway," or today's Highway 27. All told 15 individuals bought stone from the old courthouse; 12 lumber. Various hardware and fixtures were also sold. I'm guessing parts of the old courthouse are still in use around the county.

The new courthouse was finished in early 1927, with its use beginning in the spring. It has since been added on to, and the addition recently remodeled.

Until next week Merry Christmas and all the best.

Joe Herring Jr. is a Kerrville native who wants a pony for Christmas. This column originally appeared in the Kerrville Daily Times December 24, 2011.

History Repeats Itself

History has a way of repeating itself, I find. Especially Kerrville and Kerr County history.

Over the past few weeks I have been telling the story of our Kerr County courthouses. The first, built of logs, was meant to be temporary, and was completed in late 1856. Yet it served the county for twenty long years until a stone courthouse was built in 1876, the delay coming from the turmoil of politics as the rivalry between the towns of Kerrville and Comfort played itself out.

That 1876 stone courthouse was planned as a one-story building, but the voters requested the plans changed to include a second floor, and so one was added.

In 1885 an even larger stone courthouse was ordered, designed by Alfred Giles. The old courthouse was not to be torn down; it was going to be recycled as the new Kerr County Jail.

See if this part of the story sounds familiar, given current events in Kerrville:

"On July 16, 1885, at a meeting of the court, a petition was presented from the taxpayers' Precincts Nos. 2 and 3, asking that 'the proposition to build a court house and jail for Kerr County may be submitted to a vote of the taxpayers,'" according to one of the "Pioneer History" columns written by J. J. Starkey for this newspaper back in the 1930s.

Something similar recently occurred here, both with Kerrville's proposed river trail, and also with the proposed new city hall. As you recall, neither project was put to a vote.

What then did our forefathers do when presented with the same demand from the voters?

I think theirs was a clever response: "The court decided it had no authority for ordering an election for that purpose."  Meaning, I suppose, the commissioners could support the idea of putting a new courthouse to a vote and wishing they had the authority to do so, but going forward with the project full steam ahead.

Gentle reader, please note: when the voters asked for a change in plans which increased the size of a courthouse project (1876), the commissioners agreed; when the voters asked to vote whether to build a new courthouse at all (1885), the commissioners declined. Some things don't change.

Kerr County Courthouse, built around 1886

The 1886 courthouse was a pretty thing, and I have three good photographs of the building. Most of the building was two stories, but it also had a three-story tower. The building faced Main Street, and, like the courthouse it replaced (which was recycled into a jail), it was not in the center of the courthouse square. Both buildings were close to Main Street, with a lot of room behind them on the square.

This courthouse was completed in 1886 at a cost of $19,545. A total of $25,000 in bonds were sold by the county for the project; $3,000 of which went for the jail "cages," and $500 for the court house furniture. $100 was paid to Mrs. Jane Brown, widow of Kerrville founder Joshua Brown, for the stone used in the construction of the courthouse; it came from the Brown's quarry, which was near where the V. A. Hospital stands today.  I'm not sure what the commissioners found to spend the remaining funds upon.

This third courthouse served our community for forty years, until 1926, when the present courthouse was built. More on that next week.

***

My long-time friend Phil Houseal has finished his first book, a walking tour of Fredericksburg. For those who like weekend adventures, Phil's book "Finding Fredericksburg" should be a lot of fun, because it includes photos and history and would make an afternoon in Frederickburg even more enjoyable. The book is available at Wolfmueller's Books here in Kerrville.

Until next week, all the best.
This column originally appeared in the Kerrville Daily Times December 17, 2011.

Parade, 600 Block of Water Street, Kerrville

My block of Water Street -- the 600 block, where the print shop stands -- rarely gets in photographs.  This parade was an exception.  I'm guessing it was taken in the late 1940s or early 1950s.  Let me know if you recognize anyone.  The lead marchers are about in front of the old Rialto Theatre.

Click on image to enlarge

Parade, 600 Block of Water Street, Kerrville, around 1950.

Kerr County finally builds a courthouse.

Over the past few weeks, I've been telling the story of the Kerr County courthouses, starting with the first one, a log building, which was on Jefferson Street, opposite the present courthouse, about in the middle of the block.
It was to be temporary, but because politics reared its nefarious head, that little log courthouse had to serve much longer than planned.
The conflict in those days was between Kerrville and Comfort. Both wanted to be the county seat. The "Chief Justice" of Kerr County, an office I assume was similar to today's county judge, seems to have played one faction against the other, going so far as to throw out votes from Kerrville when the election was held to determine which town was to be the seat of government.
During this conflict in Kerr County, another greater conflict was consuming the nation: the Civil War. Most of the German immigrants living in Comfort and Fredericksburg opposed secession; most of the citizens of Kerrville supported it.
"There were attempts made to erect permanent court houses, 'California Style' courthouse in Kerrville in 1859, and in 1861 at Comfort," according to J. J. Starkey's "Pioneer History" columns which appeared in this paper in the early 1930s.
This conflict might have continued indefinitely had Kendall County not been formed in 1862. Comfort found herself just over the county line, in Kendall instead of Kerr County. And so the county seat returned to Kerrville.
Court was held during the war and during Reconstruction at several buildings, including a church building which was on the corner of Water and Sidney Baker streets, where until recently the Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital stood, and later at John Ochse's building on the corner of Washington and Main streets, where the old Notre Dame Church building still stands.
It wasn't until 1875 that Kerr County finally built a more permanent courthouse on the courthouse square.
This second courthouse was built by Hamer & Faltin, the only bidder the project, for $4,460. It was to be made of stone and have a single story.
However, a petition "from a majority of the taxpayers of the county" was presented to the court "asking for a modification of the contract to admit of  a second story," which raised the price by $2,000.
This courthouse was accepted by the commissioners court in August, 1876.
I have photographs showing this second courthouse, though only in relation to its successor, the third courthouse. Even though it had taken Kerr County twenty years to construct a stone courthouse, the newly built structure only served as the courthouse for about ten years.
But our frugal pioneers didn't tear down the 1876 courthouse, they recycled it: it became the Kerr County jail. I'll tell that story next week.
Until then, all the best.
Joe Herring Jr. is a Kerrville native who finally sighted the flannel-breasted blanket snatcher this week, arriving here a little later than normal. This column originally appeared in the Kerrville Daily Times December 10, 2011.

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Charles Schreiner Company receipt

I'm having a hard time reading this receipt, but I thought some of you might be able to decipher it.  From a collection of paper items given to me as a gift recently.

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Receipt, Charles Schreiner Company, Kerrville, 1913

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Charles Schreiner Bank counter checks

Here are some old counter checks from Charles Schreiner Bank -- two of them look similar, but there are some subtle differences between them, other than the dates.  Counter checks, for you youngsters out there, were on the counters of most merchants.  To purchase something from the store, a customer had only to fill one of the checks out and give it to the merchant as payment.  I suppose in those days fewer foks carried a checkbook, and none had a credit card.

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Counter checks, Charles Schreiner Bank, Kerrville, early 20th century

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1918 War Bond letter from L A Schreiner

I'm old enough to remember Louis Albert Schreiner, who died when I was almost 9.  I remember him at his desk at the old Chas. Schreiner Bank.  Here's a letter he wrote to Mr. Sproul of Mountain Home.

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Letter from L. A. Schreiner to W. W. Sproul, for War Bonds.  Kerrville, 1918

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Wednesday Ephemera: 1886 Kerr County Republican Candidates

I think this is particularly interesting given that Charles Schreiner has gotten an opponent for Kerr County Treasurer, an office Schreiner held since 1868, according to the Handbook of Texas Online.  This was included in a box of items recently brought to me as a gift.

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1886 Republican Candidates, Kerr County

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The mystery of the building that should not be there

I had seen hints of a building beside Pampell's in some of my old photographs of Kerrville, but I dismissed the hints because the building I thought I saw wasn't listed on my Sanborn-Perris maps, which go back to 1898.
Look behind the children on the bench in this photograph. You can clearly see the mystery building to the right of Pampell's, right in the middle of what will become Sidney Baker Street.

Children, on St Charles Hotel bench, Kerrville, around 1905

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The mystery of the California-style Courthouse.

Last week I told the story of Kerr County's first courthouse, a log structure, about 16 by 10 feet in size, which was built in 1856 on Jefferson Street. It was built where the parking lot for Grimes' Funeral Chapel is today, with a door facing Jefferson Street, and one window, which faced Earl Garrett Street.
Though meant to be temporary, the little log courthouse served Kerr County much longer than was intended, largely because politics got in the way.
I know, Gentle Reader: it surprises me, too. Imagine politics happening around the Kerr County courthouse!  What a surprise.
Two short years after the log courthouse was built, the commissioners court directed "a contract be let out to the lowest bidder for the building of a Court House in the California fashion, thirty-two feet long, twenty four feet wide, weather boarded outside, a partition across the room of twenty-four feet, also one partition of twelve feet making two offices of twelve by twelve feet. One door leading from the main room into each office, also two doors in the main room, six windows and three chimneys."
I've done an Internet search on courthouses in the "California fashion," but I've not found any references.
This proposed courthouse offered several advantages to the log courthouse: it would almost be five times larger and also offer two heated offices. It would also be the first courthouse built on the "Public Square," land set aside for that purpose by Joshua D. Brown when he platted the lots in Kerrville.
The commissioners also ordered, in the winter of 1859, "Jonathan Scott (Kerr County's 'Chief Justice') take up a subscription for the purpose of building a Courthouse in the town of Kerrville...."
It sounded like a good plan, but then the politics started.
In 1859 it was obvious war between the States would soon begin. There were many in Kerr County opposed to secession; in fact, the vote for secession was 76 for and 57 against. A closer look at the returns, however, tells a story.
Precinct 1, whose population was centered in Kerrville, voted 42 to 4 for secession; Precinct 2, whose population was centered in Comfort, voted 53 to 34 against. Comfort, then a part of Kerr County, was solidly against secession.
There was another difference with the voters of Comfort: they were mostly German immigrants whose votes here had been suppressed by application of loyalty oaths.
This rift between the two precincts spilled over into other areas of county politics: both Kerrville and Comfort were vying to be the county seat, a source of pride, but also a source of income, with all the economic activity a courthouse brings to a community.
If you think Kerr County politics sometimes becomes adversarial, consider this: in March, 1860, the county held an election to determine which town would be the county seat, Kerrville or Comfort. There were two voting precincts, one which included Kerrville, and the other which included Comfort.
In a decision by Chief Justice Jonathon Scott, the votes in Precinct 1 (Kerrville) were thrown out on the grounds "the tickets were not returned, and the poll books had not been sealed up."   The votes in Precinct 2 (Comfort) were counted, and the county seat was moved (big surprise) to Comfort, by a vote of 78 to 21.
Once Comfort became the county seat, the commissioners again sought to build a new courthouse, though not in Kerrville, but in Comfort, on five acres of land given to the county as a public square. This square was bounded by Broadway, Train, Fourth, and Fifth streets in Comfort. I'm guessing "Train" Street is now called Water Street there.
So, history buffs -- riddle me this: was the California style courthouse ever built?  I think the record shows the commissioners tried to build it twice -- once in Kerrville, and once in Comfort.
Until next week, all the best.
Joe Herring Jr. is a Kerrville native who thinks Kerr County politics is much tamer today than it once was. This column originally appeared in the Kerrville Daily Times December 3, 2011.

Kerrville area music events

Compiled by my friend Joseph Benham:
SUNDAY DEC. 4
 2 p.m., Notre Dame Church: Voci di Sorelle women's choir from San Antonio (excellent group singing Christmas music and spirituals).
 6:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, concert by Schreiner University choirs under Michael Kahl.  We guarantee an evening of good music.
 MONDAY, DEC. 5:
 7:30 p.m., Evangelical Free Church, F'burg, Christmas concert by Canto, a regional choir with singers from all over the Hill Country.  We think that they're the best choir in this area, and well worth the drive to F'burg.  If you can get there in time, you can have a great German meal there and see the Christmas lights before the concert.
TUESDAY, DEC. 6: 
 7 p.m. First Presbyterian Church, K'villle, Scrooge, a musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol.
THURSDAY, DEC 8:
 7:30, First Presbyterian Church, K'ville, concert by Camerata, a string ensemble from the San Antonio Symphony.  They come here several times a year, and they're always good.
SUNDAY, DEC. 11:
3 p.m., Cailloux Theater, Hill Country Youth Orchestra Christmas concert.  The little kids are fun to
watch as they play quarter-sized instruments and the advanced orchestra is as professional as anyone could ask.
MONDAY, DEC. 12:
7:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, K'villle, concert by the San Antonio Brass, another ensemble of San Antonio Symphony musicians who play here several times a year.

1980 Kerr "Country" Almanac

Ms. Helen Eisaman, who taught me English my sophomore year at Tivy High School, brought by a little booklet for my collection of historic Kerr County items.  The problem with this "historic" item is this: I recognize most of the people on the front cover and they're all my age or younger.  When did I get old enough to be "historic?"
Thanks Ms. Eisaman for the nice booklet.  It brought back a lot of memories.

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Kerr Country Almanac, Kerrville, 1980.
I remember those pretty twirlers from the Tivy High School Band.
From left to right: Deborah Dobbs, Karen Keith, Carol Neely,
Donna Weinheimer, Stephanie Menn, and Gayle Murphy.

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