Editing Kerr County, Texas (section)

==History==
Around 8000 BC, early Native American inhabitants arrived in the area, with numerous successive cultures following in [[prehistoric]] times. Historic tribes encountered by Europeans included the [[Kiowa]], [[Comanche]], and [[Lipan Apache people|Lipan Apache]].<ref name="Kerr County">{{cite web|last=Odintz|first=Mark|title=Kerr County|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hck06|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>

In 1842, the [[Adelsverein]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Brister|first=Louis E.|title=Adelsverein|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ufa01|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref> [[Fisher–Miller Land Grant]] set aside {{convert|3,000,000|acre}} to settle 600 families and single men of [[Germans|German]], [[Dutch people|Dutch]], [[Swiss people|Swiss]], [[Danish people|Danish]], [[Swedish people|Swedish]], and [[Norwegian people|Norwegian]] ancestry in Texas.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ramos|first=Mary G|title=The German Settlements in Central Texas|url=http://www.texasalmanac.com/history/highlights/german/|work=Texas Almanac|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 27, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207191825/http://www.texasalmanac.com/history/highlights/german/|archive-date=February 7, 2011}}</ref> [[Henry Francis Fisher]] sold his interest in the land grant to the Adelsverein in 1844.

In 1845, [[Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels]] secured the title to {{convert|1265|acre|abbr=on}} of the Veramendi grant, including the Comal Springs and River, for the Adelsverein. Thousands of German immigrants were stranded at port of disembarkation, [[Indianola, Texas|Indianaola]] on [[Matagorda Bay]]. With no food or shelter, living in holes dug into the ground, an estimated 50% died from disease or starvation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Indianola, Texas|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasGhostTowns/IndianolaTexas/IndianolaTx.htm|publisher=Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=November 13, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Block|first=W T|title=The Story of our Texas' German Pilgrims|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/WTBlock/Texas-German-Pilgrims-Death-March-to-Comal-County.htm|publisher=Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref> [[Joshua Brown (Texas pioneer)|Joshua Brown]], in 1846, became the first settler.<ref>{{cite web|title=History Kerr County|url=http://www.co.kerr.tx.us/historical/history.html|publisher=Kerr County Historical Association|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>

The Texas State Convention of Germans met in San Antonio on May 14–15, 1854, and adopted a political, social, and religious platform, including: 1) Equal pay for equal work, 2) Direct election of the President of the United States, 3) Abolition of capital punishment, 4) “Slavery is an evil, the abolition of which is a requirement of democratic principles..”, 5) Free schools – including universities – supported by the state, without religious influence, and 6) Total separation of church and state.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Biesele |first1=R. L. |title=The Texas State Convention of Germans in 1854 |journal=Southwestern Historical Quarterly |date=April 1930 |volume=33| issue = 4 |pages=247–261 |url=http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531,/metapth101090/m1/273/ |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |location=Denton, TX }}{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The next year, United States Army post [[Old Camp Verde|Camp Verde]] was established.<ref>{{cite web|title=Camp Verde|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qbc29|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>
Kerr County was formed in 1856 from Bexar Land District Number 2. Joshua Brown donated the land that became Kerrville, and had it named for his friend [[James Kerr (Texas politician)|James Kerr]]. [[Kerrville, Texas|Kerrville]] was named the county seat.<ref name="Kerr County"/> The [[U.S. Camel Corps]], headquartered at Verde, was the brainchild of [[United States Secretary of War]] (1853–57) [[Jefferson Davis]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Camel Corps|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasHillCountryTowns/CampVerdeTexas/CampVerdeTx.htm|work=Texas Escapes|publisher=Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>
[[Center Point, Kerr County, Texas|Center Point]] was established in 1859.<ref>{{cite web|title=Center Point|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/EastTexasTowns/Center-Point-Texas.htm|work=Texas Escapes|publisher=Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>

In 1860–1861, the county population was 634, including 49 slaves. The [[Sons of Hermann]] lodge, for descendants of German heritage, was established in the county. The lodge is named for German chieftain folk hero [[Arminius|Hermann the Cherusker]].<ref name="Kerr County"/> A bitterly divided Kerr County voted 76–57 in 1861 for [[Texas in the American Civil War|secession]] from the Union, with most [[Germans|German]] residents being against it. Unionists from Kerr, [[Gillespie County, Texas|Gillespie]], and [[Kendall County, Texas|Kendall]] Counties participated in the formation of the [[Union League]], an organization which supported [[Abraham Lincoln|President Lincoln's]] policies.<ref>{{cite web|last=Moneyhon |first=Charles H|title=The Union League|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/wau01|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref> The Union League formed companies to protect the frontier against Indians and their families against local Confederate forces. [[Conscientious objectors]] to the military draft were primarily among [[Tejanos]] and Germans. Confederate authorities imposed martial law on Central Texas. The [[Nueces massacre]] occurred in [[Kinney County, Texas|Kinney County]]. [[Jacob Kuechler]] served as a guide for 61 conscientious objectors attempting to flee to Mexico. [[Scottish people|Scottish]]-born Confederate irregular James Duff and his [[Texas Civil War Confederate units|Duff's Partisan Rangers]] pursued and overtook them at the Nueces River; 34 were killed, some executed after being taken prisoner. Jacob Kuechler survived the battle. The cruelty shocked the people of Gillespie County. About 2,000 took to the hills to escape Duff's reign of terror. Spring Creek Cemetery near [[Harper, Texas|Harper]] in Gillespie County has a singular grave with the names Sebird Henderson, Hiram Nelson, Gus Tegener, and Frank Scott. The inscription reads, “Hanged and thrown in Spring Creek by Col. James Duff’s Confederate Regiment.”<ref>{{cite web|last=Shook |first= Robert W. |title=Duff, James|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fdu06|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Spring Creek Cemetery|url=http://www.txgenweb2.org/txgillespie/spring.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202123507/http://www.txgenweb2.org/txgillespie/spring.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 2, 2008|publisher=Texas Gen Web|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>

The [[Treue der Union Monument]] ("Loyalty to the Union") in Comfort was dedicated to the Texans slain at the Nueces massacre August 10, 1866. It is the only monument to the Union outside of the National Cemeteries on Confederate territory, and is one of only six such sites allowed to fly the United States flag at half-mast in perpetuity.<ref>{{cite web|title=Treue der UnionMonument|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasHistory/Treue-Der-Union-Loyalty-to-the-Union.htm|publisher=Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=List of Dead-Treue Der Union Monument|url=http://www.txgenweb2.org/txkendall/treue.htm|publisher=Texas Gen Web|access-date=November 27, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226175800/http://www.txgenweb2.org/txkendall/treue.htm|archive-date=February 26, 2012}}</ref>
The Y O Ranch was founded in 1880 by Charles Armand Schreiner, who had opened a [[Schreiner's|store]] in the area in 1869.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hollon|first=W Eugene|title=Charles Schreiner|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fsc15|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>

On October 5, 1878, the last Indian raid in the county occurred at the present day community of [[Mountain Home, Texas|Mountain Home]], when four children of the Dowdy family were murdered by Indian raiders.<ref>https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=159833</ref>

In 1887, the [[San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway]] was built through Kerrville. The [[American Legion]] of Texas established what eventually was called the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Kerrville, in 1919.<ref>{{cite web|last=Herring|first=Rebecca|title=Veterans Affairs Center-Kerrville|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/sbv07|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>

The [[Schreiner University|Schreiner Institute]] was established in Kerrville from 1917 to 1923.<ref>{{cite web|last=Baulch|first=Joe R|title=Schreiner University|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/kbs16|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref> In 1926, Ora Johnson established Camp Waldemar Christian girls camp in [[Hunt, Texas|Hunt]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Camp Waldemar|url=http://www.waldemar.com/Content/AboutUs/AboutUs.asp?Link=Welcome|publisher=Camp Waldemar|access-date=November 27, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626224706/http://www.waldemar.com/Content/AboutUs/AboutUs.asp?Link=Welcome|archive-date=June 26, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Mooney Airplane Company|Mooney Aircraft]] was established in 1929 in Kerrville.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mooney Aircraft |url=http://www.mooney.com/about-us/mooney-history.html |publisher=Mooney Aviation Company, Inc |access-date=November 27, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228171100/http://www.mooney.com/about-us/mooney-history.html |archive-date=December 28, 2010 }}</ref>
Kerrville was begun to be called the "Mohair Capital of the World" in 1930.<ref name="Kerr County"/>
The Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital was completed in 1949.<ref>{{cite web|title=Peterson Regional Medical Center|url=http://www.petersonrmc.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=2|publisher=Peterson Regional Medical Center|access-date=November 27, 2010|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120907040156/http://www.petersonrmc.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=2|archive-date=September 7, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Kerrville State Hospital opened in 1951.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kerrville State Hospital|url=http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/mhhospitals/KerrvilleSH/KSH_About.shtm|publisher=State of Texas|access-date=November 27, 2010|archive-date=January 26, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126004502/http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/mhhospitals/KerrvilleSH/KSH_About.shtm|url-status=dead}}</ref>