Kerrville, Texas

Archeological evidence suggests that humans dwelled in the area known as Kerrville as early as 10,000 years ago. The early modern residents were successful shinglemakers whose mercantile business became a hub that served the middle and upper Hill Country area in the late 1840s. One of the earliest shinglemakers was Joshua D. Brown. With his family, Joshua Brown had led several other families on an exploration of the Guadalupe Valley. These early pioneers organized their settlements near a bluff just north of the Guadalupe River in the eastern half of today's county. The settlement was referred to as "Brownsborough", but after the area was formally platted in 1856 by James Kerr, a major in the Texas Revolution, the settlement was formally known as "Kerrville" and maintained a county seat with Texas.

Starting in 1857, a German master-miller named Christian Dietert and millwright Balthasar Lich started a large grist and saw mill on the bluff. This mill established a permanent source of power and protection from floods, and became the most extensive operation of its kind in the Hill Country area west of New Braunfels and San Antonio. Soon afterwards, Charles A. Schreiner rode Kerrville's newly found popularity by serving Kerrville's mercantile needs. Schreiner established a family-run empire that helped build Kerrville's early prosperity by owning almost all of Kerrville's business sectors, including freighting enterprises, retail, wholesale, banking, ranching, marketing, and brokering operations. Schreiner's elegant downtown home, a Romanesque stone structure at 226 Earl Garrett Street, is the site of the Hill Country Museum in downtown Kerrville.

The Civil War slowed Kerrville's development, but with the start of the Reconstruction era, Kerrville's economic boom and ethnic diversification continued anew as demand grew in San Antonio for lumber, produce, and craftsmen. Kerrville's boom was also catalyzed by the combination of the cessation of Indian raids and the expansion into the business of cattle, sheep, and goat ranching. Cattle drives punctuated the boom-years of the late 1880s and the 1890s. In 1887, the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway reached Kerrville, and in 1889 the town incorporated, with an aldermanic form of city government.

The Kerrville Water Works Company began to provide water for town dwellers in 1894. Telephone service was introduced in 1896, and the city began to pave streets in 1912. Kerrville adopted a "commission" form of city government in 1917, then changed to the "city-manager" form in 1928. In 1942, the town adopted a home-rule charter, while continuing with a city manager. Kerrville has displayed steady population growth throughout the 20th century, increasing from 1,423 residents in 1900 to 2,353 in 1920, 5,572 in 1940, 8,901 in 1960, and 15,276 in 1980. Its economic base has diversified and broadened through business, agriculture, light manufacturing, health care, transportation, services, education, the arts, and tourism. By the mid-1990s the Wall Street Journal described Kerrville as one of the wealthiest small towns in America. By 1995, the city's official population was still under 18,000, with another 20,000 people in relatively affluent residential areas south of the river and in the rest of the county. In 2000, the population reached 20,425. Much of the growth in population included retirees and young professionals and semiprofessionals; for many years Kerrville also experienced significant out-migration of young adults raised in the area.

Kerrville is located in eastern Kerr County at 30°02′47″N 99°8′26″W.[10] Via Interstate 10 it is 65 miles (105 km) northwest of San Antonio and 52 miles (84 km) southeast of Junction. Texas State Highway 16 (Sidney Baker Street) is the main road through the center of Kerrville. Highway 16 leads northeast 24 miles (39 km) to Fredericksburg and southwest the same distance to Medina. Texas State Highway 173 leads south 25 miles (40 km) to Bandera, while State Highway 27 leads west 6 miles (10 km) to Ingram and east 18 miles (29 km) to Comfort.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Kerrville has a total area of 20.7 square miles (53.7 km²). 20.3 square miles (52.6 km²) of it are land and 0.42 square miles (1.1 km²) of it (2.00%) are covered by water.[6] The Guadalupe River runs through the city, with the downtown area sitting on the northeast side.

As of the census[3] of 2000, 20,425 people, 8,563 households, and 5,411 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,222.5 people per square mile (471.9/km²). The 9,477 housing units averaged 567.2 per square mile (219.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.89% White, 2.99% African American, 0.55% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 8.20% from other races, and 1.73% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 22.73% of the population.

Of the 8,563 households, 8.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were not families. About 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the city, the population was distributed as 21.0% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 29.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 87 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.[13]

The median income for a household in the city was $32,085, and for a family was $38,979. Males had a median income of $27,555 versus $19,923 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,193. About 11.7% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.8% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.[13]

The Kerrville Folk Festival is an annual summer festival which features folk musicians from around the country and Canada.[14]

Kerrville is home to the annual Texas State Arts and Crafts Fair, which features artisans and entertainers from around the state.[17] The Texas Lions Camp and Echo Hill Ranch Summer Camp are also located in Kerrville.

Kerrville hosted the Olympic trials for shooting sports for the 2012 Summer Olympics at the Hill Country Shooting Center.[18]

Main building on Schreiner University campus

Kerrville is served by the Kerrville Independent School District, which maintains four elementary schools (Tally, Nimitz, Starkey, and Daniels), two middle schools (BT Wilson 6th Grade and Peterson), and two high schools (Hill Country High School and Kerrville (TX) Tivy).[19] Our Lady of the Hills Catholic High School[20] and Notre Dame Catholic School[21] and Grace Academy of Kerrville[22] are also located in Kerrville, serving as the primary alternative to the public school system.

Kerrville is home to Schreiner University, a private four-year university which was established in 1923 by an ex-Texas Ranger, Captain Charles Schreiner. The school is consistently listed as one of the top regional liberal arts colleges in the Western U.S. by U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges Guide.[23]

Schreiner University is also home to Greystone Preparatory School. Greystone offers a one-year preparatory course to help individuals prepare for an appointment to one of the five federal service academies.[24]

Kerr Arts and Cultural Center in Kerrville

• Kerrville Folk Festival
• Kerrville Kroc Center
• Kerrville-Schreiner Park
• Museum of Western Art
• Riverside Nature Center
• Capt. Charles Schreiner Mansion
• Schreiner University

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kerrville, Texas.

• Kerrville travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Official website
• Kerrville, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Kerrville/Kerr County Local Government Wiki
• A collection of historic Kerrville/Kerr County photos