A Kerrville magazine from 1920: get outside and explore Kerr County

Page from Grinstead's Magazine, June 1920.
No, gentle reader: I did not take this photograph.
Click on any image to enlarge.

Have you ever wondered what life in Kerr County was like 125 years ago?

Fortunately for us, there is a publication which can take us back to those days – complete with photos.  In June 1920, a little over a century ago, J. E. Grinstead published an edition of “Grinstead’s Magazine,” with a subtitle of “Kerrville, Texas: On the Spanish Trail.”

It’s a small magazine, 10 ¼ x 6 ¾ inches, printed on a nice gloss stock, all in black ink. It has 68 pages, counting the cover. Most pages include a photograph. This copy was a gift to me from Jon and Sandy Wolfmueller.

“This issue is the first issue of Grinstead’s published since the fateful day when America was drawn into the frightful vortex of the world war,” Grinstead writes in the introduction. “There have been graver things to employ the minds of the people than seeking playgrounds and pleasures. But now, the strife is sometime ended.”

It’s a magazine, but it’s also a brochure for our community. “This issue is an invitation to the world to make the Hill Country about Kerrville their playground. If still your mind is not at peace and rest, after the trying years just past, let us call your attention to those lines of Wordsworth:

 

One impulse from a vernal wood,

May teach you more of man,

Of moral evil and of good,

Than all the sages can.

 

Grinstead is celebrating the natural beauty of our area in this issue of his magazine, but he’s also celebrating two other things.  First, he’s celebrating a ‘return to normalcy’ following World War I and the influenza pandemic of 1918.  And he’s celebrating something relatively new to the Texas Hill Country: reliable automobiles. Several of the images in the issue show groups of automobiles on area roads, exploring Kerr County.

“We invite you,” he writes, “through these pages, to travel a little way into the Hill Country…This is not only an invitation to the vacationist, but a glad hand to the home-seeker. Texas still needs thousands of good men to help develop her resources. There are no battercake trees, honey ponds, or soup springs in this country, but there are splendid opportunities for men that are will to work a reasonable part of the time. There is nothing coming to those who won’t work.”

He also provides an ‘historical sketch’ of Kerr County, starting with brief mentions of prehistoric people, he proceeds through the colonization efforts in this area, projects of Spain and Mexico, followed by the settlers who eventually organized the county in 1856.

Of course, the thing that interests me the most are the old photographs.  He shows homes and businesses in Kerr County, and some of the images can only be found in this issue of his magazine.

Here’s the thing I noticed, as I read through the pages: 125 years ago, people were longing to return to normal times. Grinstead was encouraging people to explore our county, find recreation and rest, and, hopefully, make their home here.

And now, so many years later, that’s still good advice.

Until next week, all the best.

Joe Herring Jr. is a Kerrville native who needs to wander more, but might wait until gasoline is less expensive. This column originally appeared in the Kerr County Lead March 5, 2026.

I have two books available -- free shipping in the USA. Click here to learn more: https://joe-herring-jr.square.site/

The story of Gibson's Discount Center in Kerrville

Gibson's Discount Center - May, 1968
Click on any image to enlarge.

Reorganizing some of my Kerr County History files this month, I came across a small stack of photographs from the grand opening of Gibson’s Discount Center in May of 1968. I sat there with them longer than I meant to. Old photographs have a way of doing that with me, capturing not only memories, but also encouraging me to look closely at the photographs for details I might have missed earlier.

Gibson’s has been part of the fabric of Kerr County for more than half a century now. There’s an old saying that’s been passed around here for as long as I can remember: “if you can’t find it at Gibson’s, you probably don’t need it.” That has always rung close to the truth. Whether you’re looking for a particular washer, a certain garden tool, or something you can only half describe, somebody in that store will know what you mean and point you in the right direction. That kind of knowledge doesn’t happen overnight. It’s built over time by people who care about what they’re doing.

Walking into Gibson’s still feels like stepping into an older way of doing business. It has the spirit of a general store, the kind that tried to keep a little bit of everything on hand. You go in the store for one thing and come out remembering three more.

The Kerrville store was originally owned by Morris and Gloria Harris, who at one time also operated locations in Fredericksburg, Brady, Junction, and Pleasanton, according to a 2018 article I read elsewhere. Today, as best I know, the Kerrville store is owned by the Kemp and Odle family.

I am just old enough to remember when the building went up on West Main, and just old enough to remember when the doors opened for the first time. I watched the construction process closely, as it was on the way to and from work for my parents.  (In 1968, I was in 2nd grade at Starkey.)

A grand opening advertisement in the May 1, 1968 issue of the Kerrville Mountain Sun announced a three-day celebration for May 2 through the 4th at “our new store, 99 W. Main.” The first five hundred ladies through the door received a free string of pearls.

The specials tell their own story. Nine-cent hand lotion. A $1.77 garden hose. A $4.88 Zebco spin-cast rod and reel. Forty-four-cent cans of Aqua Net. Men’s putter pants for $1.33, with the note that “girls like ’em too.” You can almost picture the aisles.

The ad promised even more than what made it to print. Shoppers were encouraged to look throughout the store for additional values not listed, with new items arriving daily. Some merchandise had not even made it in time for the opening ad and would be added as it came in. There’s something endearing about a store opening its doors before everything is quite in place and inviting you in anyway.

The Gibson’s story started in Abilene in 1936, when Herbert “Herb” R. and Belva Gibson opened the Gibson Novelty Company. From that single beginning, the business grew into a national chain. By 1978, there were 684 locations across the country, stretching as far as Hawaii and Guam. That’s a long road from Abilene.

Like a lot of businesses, the chain eventually gave way to changing times and larger competitors. Today, the Kerrville store and a “Gibson’s Ace Hardware” in Weatherford still carry the name. Both are independently owned. They are, in a real sense, the last of what Gibson’s used to be.

My late father loved Gibson’s. Part of that was because one of his closest friends, David McCutchen, managed the store for many years. If you were looking for my dad on a Saturday morning, Gibson’s was a good place to start.

Gibson's, 2018

One Saturday, before heading out from home, I told Carolyn I needed to run by Gibson’s.

“Tell your father hello,” she said.

We both laughed, and I drove over.

Sure enough, there he was.

“Carolyn says hi,” I told him as I turned toward the plumbing aisle. He gave me that familiar look, the one where he was amused but not entirely sure he’d heard me right. He accepted the greeting just the same.

Dad has been gone since 2012, but I still find myself looking for him when I’m in that store. I expect I always will. And truth be told, I’m glad for that.

Until next week, all the best.

Joe Herring Jr. is a Kerrville native who collects historical items from Kerr County and the surrounding area. If you have something you’d care to share, it would make him very happy. This column originally appeared in the Kerr County Lead March 19, 2026

I have two books available -- free shipping in the USA. Click here to learn more: https://joe-herring-jr.square.site/

The story behind Kerrville's new Chenault Boulevard

Newly-installed street sign and traffic signal,
Chenault Boulevard, on Veterans Memorial Highway (Loop 534).
Click on any image to enlarge.

A friend let me know a street sign has been installed, along with traffic lights, at the entrance to the second Lennar Homes project on Veterans Memorial Highway (Loop 534). The sign reads “Chenault.”

The new Windridge Subdivision neighborhood will have streets named in memory of Kerr County men who gave their lives for our country. The process takes a long time -- names are submitted, then checked against current street names throughout the county, then approved as part of the platting process.

“Chenault Boulevard” honors two men from Kerrville: James E. Chenault, who died in Korea, and Robert Glen Chenault, who died in Vietnam. Both were only twenty-one years old when they died.

* * *

James E. Chenault

James E. Chenault was just twenty-one years old when he was killed in Korea.

He grew up here, attended Tivy High School, and enlisted in the Army in December of 1950, not long after the Korean War began. By the summer of 1951, he was serving as an infantry corporal on the front lines. Earlier that year he had already been wounded and hospitalized. He suffered frostbite during the United Nations advance into North Korea, and was later wounded in combat, spending nearly a month recovering before returning to his unit. On June 3, he went back to the front.

He was killed in action on August 17, 1951. Just three days before his death, he wrote a final letter home to his parents on Ross Street.

The local papers made clear he was more than a statistic. His death was felt deeply. He was the first serviceman from Kerr County killed in Korea whose body was returned home for burial, and the community turned out in large numbers to honor him.

Funeral services were held at Trinity Baptist Church, followed by full military rites conducted by the American Legion. He was laid to rest at Glen Rest Cemetery. Later, at Fort Sam Houston, his parents received the Bronze Star with “V” for valor, a quiet but lasting recognition of the courage he showed under fire.

James Chenault left behind his parents, John and Hazel Chenault, a brother also serving in Korea, four sisters, and a grandmother. What remains is the story of a young Kerrville man who was wounded, returned, and did not turn away from his duty. 

* * *

Robert Glen Chenault

Robert Glen Chenault was a Sonora native, a Tivy High School graduate, who attended Schreiner Institute and the University of Texas before entering the U.S. Marine Corps. In September 1967, the local paper noted his completion of recruit training and his readiness for service.

Just months later, he was killed in action on January 21, 1968, near Quang Nam, Vietnam, while serving with the Third Marine Division. He had been in Vietnam only about two months. He was twenty-one years old. 

He was remembered not only as a Marine, but as a son, a brother, and an active member of First Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School. His funeral was held in Kerrville with full military honors, and flags across the city flew at half-staff. 

He worked at my parents’ print shop, and he and my father had a special bond.

I have a letter he wrote to my parents on Christmas Eve, 1967, where he expresses his hope that he would celebrate Christmas 1968 back in Kerrville.

* * *

Here are the names of the men who will be honored. Only last names will be used, so each street in this new neighborhood will carry the name of a local hero. There are still many additional heroes to honor, but this is a step in the right direction, adding more streets in addition to those named for Francisco Lemos, Sidney Baker, and Earl Garrett. I'm grateful Lennar Homes agreed to honor these men in this way.

I thought it was especially significant that this subdivision (behind the new Hal Peterson Middle School) will face Loop 534, which is named "Veterans Highway" in honor of those who served our country in uniform.

Windridge Subdivision, Unit 1
James E. Chenault (Korea) • Robert Glen Chenault (Vietnam)
Edwin Dischinger Jr. (Korea)
Leon W. Pollard Jr. (Korea)
Lawrence L. Dwyer Jr. (Vietnam)
Anthony E. Kunz (Vietnam)
Curtis C. Dees (Vietnam)
Jacob C. Leicht (Global War on Terrorism Operation Enduring Freedom)
Lawrence D. Ezell (Operation Iraqi Freedom)
Michael Pfeuffer • Ronald H. Pfeuffer (Vietnam)

Windridge Subdivision, Unit 2
Pete Castillo (World War II)
Anthony E Kunz (Vietnam)
Alfredo M Villareal (World War II)
Cody J. Orr (Operation Iraqi Freedom)
Edwin Kaiser (World War I)
William M. Reeves (World War I)
Leon W. Ritz (World War II)
John D. Masters (World War II)
Ben F. Zumwalt (World War II)

Until next week, all the best.

Joe Herring Jr. is a Kerrville native who is interested in local history. This column originally appeared in the Kerr County Lead February 5, 2026

A history mystery: the Case of the Carved Rock

A carved stone near the Guadalupe River in Kerrville.
It survived the tragic flood...but not the clean up after the flood.

Gentle Reader: I occasionally keep history secrets from you.

Most of the time, these secrets involve things for which I have no answer. Sometimes, secrets are kept to help preserve an historical object. I never give out the locations of archeological digs, for instance, or the locations where certain fossils can be found.

And sometimes I keep secrets for both reasons: because I really don’t have a good explanation of an object and also to help preserve that object.

Such was the case of a carved rock near the Guadalupe River within the city limits. A long-time friend told me about this particular rock several years ago. I’ve been working behind the scenes to try to figure out its story. Full disclosure: I still don’t know its story.

I’ve kept the rock and its location secret because I was concerned someone might damage the thing. And so it remained a secret for several years.

Then the flood happened. This carved rock was one of things I checked when I had proper access to the floodway. Surprisingly, it survived the flood. The photo above shows it still in the same location after the July 4, 2025 tragedy.

What it didn’t survive was the clean up after the tragedy. Though I shared its location with a few folks, those working the area did not understand the need to preserve the rock in its permanent location. It wasn’t intentional: It just happened. The large earth-moving machines displaced the carved stone.

Thanks to some kind (and very strong) Parks and Recreation folks, the stone was removed from its location before it could be destroyed, or buried under a pile of river cobble and sediment. I am grateful they saved the odd thing.

So – what is it?

Let me first describe the symbol carved on the stone. It’s a five-rayed symbol, which is not incised or cut into the stone, but carved in relief, meaning the material surrounding the symbol was removed, and the symbol itself is higher than the remaining surface of the stone. It’s not a star, exactly. It’s more like five arrows joined at the center, each separated by a roughly 72° angle. The arrows don’t seem to point in any particular cardinal or ordinal direction. The rock itself seems to be limestone.

I have several opinions about what I think the stone is not.

First, I have not been able to find this particular symbol anywhere. There are some interesting symbols which look similar, but none match it exactly. A Luther Rose, which is a German symbol, has several features similar to the design on the rock – but again, not an exact match.

Secondly, I don’t think it’s a fossil, largely because of the carved outlines which recess into the stone.

Third, I don’t think it’s a surveyor’s mark. I have the actual surveyor’s field notes from the area, recorded in December, 1846. There is no mention of a carved stone. Further, most surveyors were in a hurry; any marks they made were incised, or scratched into the surface of a convenient stone. From what I’ve learned most of those surveyor’s marks were an incised “X” or “*” – nothing carved in relief.

Here are some things it could be: It could be a trail marker – both Spanish and Mexican trails come near the site. It could be a German-inspired carving. Or, honestly, it could be that a youngster received a stone carving set for Christmas only a few decades ago and decided to leave a mark on a nearby stone.

I’m thankful to the friend who showed me this stone years ago – and to the Parks and Recreation staff who helped save it.

If you have any ideas what this carved stone might represent, I’d be happy to hear your ideas.

Until next week, all the best.

 

Joe Herring Jr. is a Kerrville native who enjoys local history – even the secrets associated with our community’s past.

A Brief History of Summer Camps in Kerr County

Heart o' The Hills Camp for Girls, on the South Fork of the Guadalupe River
in Kerr County, Texas.
Click on any image to enlarge.

Camp Mystic, Hunt

Last month, the world learned about summer camps along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas, because of the tragedy which occurred on July 4th, 2025. A nine-mile-high column of water fell in the Divide region of our county over a very short time, causing a wall of water to rush downhill and crash through everyone and anything in its path.

We are grieving. We are shaken. But we are not broken.

Camp Mystic suffered terrible losses, losing campers and my friend Dick Eastland. Heart o’ The Hills Camp for Girls, though thankfully not in session that morning, lost its longtime director, my friend Jane Ragsdale.

So many families have lost loved ones – from Hunt to Kerrville. My heart breaks for each of them.

Heart tennis court

If you’re not from here, you might have questions about the summer camping industry. Perhaps I can help. What is the history of those summer camps? What is their story? Here’s a brief history:

When the first sleepaway youth camps in Kerr County opened, in the 1920s, there were no Interstate highways and air travel was extremely rare. Most campers came from Texas's largest cities -- but especially from Dallas and Houston -- and they arrived by train or bus. Leaving the cities in the heat of summer, and then arriving here, where it's cooler because of the elevation, would have been a welcome trip. Then campers were taken from town to camp, traveling unpaved roads which dipped into the riverbed here and there. Higher and higher the campers would travel, winding their way deeper into the green hills, following the ribbon of river. 

When they finally arrived at their camp, and settled into their cabins, tired and hungry, a type of paradise greeted them. The green river beckoned. Horseback riding was available. Campers were taught to shoot guns, arrows; they were instructed in athletics; they learned to paddle a canoe. 

Rec Hall, Camp Mystic

And more than one camper wrote home to tell how good the food was at camp, how it was piled high on the tables, and how, after a day busy with camp activities, the food tasted so good.

Why wouldn't campers, even later in life, think of Kerr County as paradise?

Summer youth camping in Kerr County began in 1921 when Herbert Crate opened Camp Rio Vista between Ingram and Hunt. Crate was the CEO of the Houston YMCA. Knowing the "Y" had established camps along the eastern seaboard, Crate was certain the idea would work in Texas.

According to an article written by the late Jane Ragsdale in the "Kerr County Album," Crate called Rio Vista the "Summer Character Camp for Boys."

Crate's first summer was not what he expected: "100 men promised to send their sons if he opened a camp -- yet the first summer, Crate found himself with 21 counselors, and only 16 boys." His words of wisdom for those who followed: "Never start a camp from scratch."

Despite his advice, other camps soon followed.

Heart o' The Hills Inn

Edward J. "Doc" Stewart, the head football and basketball coach at the University of Texas at Austin in the early 1920s, is responsible for the beginning days of three well-known Kerr County camps: Camp Stewart for Boys, Heart O' the Hills Camp for Girls, and Camp Mystic.

Stewart started his first camp here, "Camp Texas" in 1924, using the old West Texas Fairgrounds, between today's Junction Highway and Guadalupe Street in Kerrville. Not surprisingly, the camp's colors were orange and white.

For three summers Stewart operated his camp in Kerrville, offering two 30 day terms. In 1927 the camp moved to its present location, 16 miles west of Kerrville, on the north fork of the Guadalupe River.

"Doc" Stewart started another camp in 1926, Camp Stewart for Girls, on the south fork of the Guadalupe; a year later it became Camp Mystic for Girls. In those early days, Camp Mystic had 1400 acres, and the girls were housed in 18 log cabins constructed from cypress logs cut on the camp.

Camp Mystic waterfront

Sensing another opportunity, Stewart also built "Heart O' the Hills Inn" as a place for parents to stay after they'd dropped their children off at camp. This inn later became Heart O' the Hills Camp for Girls, under the leadership of Kenneth and Velma Jones, opening for campers in 1953.

Another pioneer in Kerr County camping was Miss Ora Johnson, who founded Camp Waldemar in 1926. Miss Johnson was the principal of Brackenridge High School in San Antonio, and many of her early campers were from that city. 

In 1928 Miss Johnson brought in from Mexico a "Russian-born German rock mason, Ferdinand Rehbeger." It was Rehbeger who constructed many of the stone and cedar buildings that give Waldemar its distinct architecture.

Miss Johnson died in late 1931; ownership fell to her brothers, and eventually a niece, Doris Johnson, became director in 1934. She continued in this role until 1978.

Waldemar was noted for its horseback program, and was, for a time, known as "the Texas Horseback Camp for Girls." Connie Reeves, a noted instructor and rider, was hired in 1937 and continued with the camp for many decades.

Other notable camps begun during this time include Camp La Junta, Camp Arrowhead, and Kickapoo Kamp. Later additions include the much-needed Texas Lions Camp, Camp Loma Linda on the grounds of Mo-Ranch, and Echo Hill Camp in Medina.

Summer camps in Kerr County are a paradise for children and young people, a paradise with a long history. They provide jobs, help the local economy, and, in many cases, they bring Kerrville and Kerr County new residents. 

It is my hope the summer camping industry survives. Please know I am working hard to ensure it does.

Until next week, all the best.

Joe Herring Jr. is a Kerrville native. This column originally appeared in the Kerr County Lead July 31, 2025.

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