Editing Converse, Texas (section)

==History==
Converse is on [[Farm to Market Road 1976]], thirteen miles northeast of downtown San Antonio in northeastern Bexar County. It was named for the chief engineer of the Southern Pacific Railroad, a Major Converse, who in 1877 bought a tract of land including the townsite. A post office was established in 1878, and by 1885 a population of thirty was reported. In 1896 the town had a saloon, two cotton gins, and a grocery. In 1990, the community, originally settled by German farmers, reportedly had the oldest 4-H Club in Texas. A singing society, the Salatrillo Liederkranz, had been active for many years. The population in 1946 was 175; by 1965 the town had twenty-two businesses and 900 residents. Over time, Converse has become a suburb of San Antonio. In the 1980s, an influx of middle-class African Americans most of them first-time homeowners were attracted to developing communities northeast of San Antonio. Today, Converse is a prime example of wealthy, Black suburbs in the U.S. <ref name="news4sanantonio.com">{{cite news|url= https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/san-antonio-ranks-high-in-the-best-cities-for-black-professionals-local-texas-top-ten-places-to-live-houston-dallas-austin-housing-jobs-african-american|title=San Antonio makes top 10 list in best cities for Black professionals, #1 in Texas.}}</ref> In 1990, the community had a population of 8,887, and in 1991 it had seventy-three businesses. In 2000 the population had grown to 11,508 with 390 businesses.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/converse-tx#:~:text=Converse%20is%20on%20Farm%20Road,of%20land%20including%20the%20townsite.|title = TSHA &#124; Converse, TX}}</ref>

In 2017, Converse proposed the [[annexation]] of 12&nbsp;mi<sup>2</sup> of territory near [[Randolph Air Force Base]] in northeastern Bexar County. Several large commercial areas are included in the annexation. The additional land would be taken in a series of phased expansions until 2033. Once completed, the area of Converse would triple in size. Municipal services would become available to an often neglected part of the county.<ref>Vlanna Davila, "Plan envisions tripling size of Converse: Land from county, S.A. in play", ''[[San Antonio Express-News]]'', March 8, 2017, pp. 1, A8.</ref> The San Antonio City Council has unanimously approved the annexation; now the measure goes before the Converse City Council and the county commissioners.<ref>Vlanna Davila, "Council approves annexation plan with Converse", ''San Antonio Express-News'', March 10, 2017, p. A3.</ref>