Editing Selma, Texas (section)

==History==
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Selma was settled in 1847 by immigrants from several European countries. The name Selma is a traditional German feminine name. In 1849, the Harrison and Brown [[stagecoach]] stop was built in Selma to handle passengers and freight on the San Antonio to [[Austin, Texas|Austin]] stagecoach line. John Harrison and his wife Martha moved to Selma in 1852, and he became the first postmaster of the town when the post office opened in 1856. Harrison was also co-owner of the Harrison and McCulloch stage line, which ran a postal route through Selma. Harrison's house still stands by [[Cibolo Creek]], where it was built and is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

[[Germans|German]] and [[Polish people|Polish]] immigrants constituted most of the next wave of immigrants who settled in the area. By 1885, the population was 145, and at the turn of the century, the population peaked at 600. The population went into a rapid decline, so much so that by 1906, the post office was closed. Selma's population dropped to 100 in 1940. The city incorporated in 1964 and has seen tremendous growth along the [[Interstate 35 in Texas|Interstate 35]] corridor since 2000.

The Retama Racing Park opened in 1995, and The Forum, a 110-shop outdoor mall, opened in 2000. The old Harrison and Brown stagecoach stop was restored and rechristened the Selma Stage Stop, along with a visitor center and park.

Today, Selma is a bustling suburb of San Antonio, but it retains its German and European heritage in its name and in the descendants of Europeans who still call this town home.