The men who built the Kerrville State Park in 1936

Company 1823, Civilian Conservation Corps, the men who
built the Kerrville State Park in 1936.
Click on any image to enlarge.

Recently, my friend Linda Stone created a display at the Kerr County courthouse telling the story of the Kerrville State Park. It is inside the old portion of the courthouse, just past the front doors.

The park is known today as the Kerrville-Schreiner Park; it’s no longer a state park, but is owned and operated by the City of Kerrville.  Not many people know its story, so I’m thankful to Ms. Stone for making such an attractive display at the courthouse.

Many of the state parks in Texas were created, in part, by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), including nearby parks such as Garner State Park, Blanco State Park, and others, more distant from us, like Indian Lodge at Fort Davis State Park and the giant swimming pool at Balmorhea State Park.

Did you know that the Kerrville State Park was also created by the CCC?

Created during the Great Depression, the CCC provided employment when few jobs were available.  Over 50,000 Texans joined the CCC, and constructed many of the parks we know today.

As early as 1934, Kerrville was hoping to have a park built here. A committee made up of Kerrville mayor Richard Holdsworth, W. A. Fawcett, Hal Peterson, E. H. Prescott, and J. L. Pampell began work.  They met with the chairman of the State Parks Board, D. E. Colp, in the summer of 1934.

The plan for the park

They also had a task: find a tract of 500 acres or more, lying on both sides of a stream, and easily accessible by a state highway. 

A suitable location was identified and approved by State and Federal government representatives, yet a challenge emerged: negotiations with the landowner for the purchase of the property, situated near Kerrville with a half-mile stretch along the Guadalupe River, reached an impasse. The property owner would not agree to sell.

By October 1934, this issue had been resolved, although specifics remain vague. The property in question was the James Holloman homestead, found on the opposite side of the river from the Veterans Administration hospital. Its acquisition was made possible through a community fundraising effort with a goal of $8,000. Additionally, the City of Kerrville contributed $2,500 in cash, and Kerr County raised $5,000 through bond issuance.

By December 1934, the tract had been surveyed, and plans were submitted to Washington for approval. This step was necessary to allocate a workforce of 200 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) members to undertake the project.

By April 1935, Kerrville had successfully secured the backing of both Texas senators and its representative in Congress.

The efforts to garner political support evidently paid off; in December 1935 it was reported that 225 CCC members were set to begin work on the park. They would be accommodated in pre-built cabins and barracks upon their arrival.

Company 1823 of the CCC, established on June 28, 1933, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, was initially sent to Abilene, Texas, that December to work on the Abilene State Park at Buffalo Gap near Lake Abilene. Subsequently, the company underwent reorganization to become an all African-American unit, composed entirely of World War I veterans.

This company made its way to Kerrville on December 1, 1935.

"After a period of camp improvement...work on the park area began. The entire park area was cleared of undergrowth, details were assigned to moving and planting trees and shrubs, the entire park area was fenced, and a beautiful entrance to the park built of stone pillars and native wood logs was completed." The company also constructed a caretaker's house, a stone water tower, a stone amphitheater, roadways, and made various other enhancements.

Educational courses were made available to the members of the company, and religious services took place every Sunday. Reports detail the company's involvement in community activities, including performances for the public both in the town and at the camp.

Some of the work completed by Company 1823 remains visible at what is now known as Kerrville-Schreiner Municipal Park. This park continues to attract thousands of visitors annually.

Until next week, all the best.

Joe Herring Jr. is a Kerrville native who enjoys walks with his family at Kerrville-Schreiner Park. This column originally appeared in the Kerr County Lead February 15, 2024.

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