to view the Kerr County Budget

County and headed south to seek asylum in Mexico. They were intercepted by Confederate forces
and most were killed at the battle of the Nueces in Kinney County or while attempting to cross the
Rio Grande. Other Kerr County citizens were arrested and imprisoned or killed during the
suppression of Unionism in the county. In 1879 J. C. W. Ingram bought six acres, in what is now
known as Ingram, opened a store and applied for a post office under his name.
Built in 1886
The county's population increased to 2,108 in 1880.
Cattle and sheep ranching dominated the local
economy, and wheat and corn were the most important
crops. In 1880 the Y O Ranch was founded by Charles
Armand Schreiner, a Kerrville merchant and civic
leader. The Y O grew into an immense cattle, sheep, and
goat ranch, which at one time contained 600,000 acres.
The San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway built
through Kerrville in 1887 further stimulated the county
economy. Kerr County's population more than doubled during the 1880s, reaching 4,462 in 1890,
then grew more slowly to just under 5,000 in 1900. County agriculture around the turn of the
century was dominated by cattle, sheep, and goat ranching. By 1900 the cattle industry had
reached its peak, with some 56,000 head on county ranches. Sheep ranching also expanded during
the same period, as the number of sheep in the county increased. In 1910 the number of sheep in
the county overtook the number of cattle, and the sheep industry continued to grow as the cattle
business declined during the 1920s and 1930s. Goat ranching also became an important industry
in the early decades of the twentieth century. Between 1920 and 1930 the number of sheep more
than tripled, and over a million pounds of wool were shipped in 1930. During the same decade the
number of goats increased more than 2½ times to reach just under 160,000 in 1930, when over
667,000 pounds of mohair were shipped. Kerrville was called by many the "Mohair Capital of the
World." Kerr County's human population grew slowly during the early decades of the century,
reaching 5,842 in 1920. Just as the 1920s saw dramatic growth in the ranching industry, the
population of the county also increased rapidly during the decade, almost doubling to 10,151
inhabitants in 1930. Thereafter the population grew more slowly, reaching 14,022 in 1950 and
19,454 in 1970.
The first municipal airport was opened as Louis Schreiner Field in 1929, located between Kerrville
and Ingram. This field was relocated in 1943 to the present site on Highway 27, between Kerrville
and Center Point. During World War II, Kerrville was the site of a US Navy Air Cadet Training
Program at Schreiner Institute, with Flight Training at Louis Schreiner Airfield. Camp Mystic
served as a “rest and recuperation” facility for US Army Air Corps personnel.
The early twentieth century witnessed the beginnings of the tourist industry in the county.
Religious groups found the pleasant climate and beautiful Hill Country landscape congenial for
camp meetings. Kerr County also saw the growth of summer camps and dude ranches. By the
1920’s, Kerr County had developed a reputation as one of the healthiest locations in the country, a
reputation that led to significant developments in county health care and demographics. In 1919
the American Legion of Texas established what would eventually be called the Veterans Affairs
Medical Center, Kerrville. The Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital was completed in 1949, and the
Kerrville State Hospital was opened in 1951. The county was attracting increasing numbers of
retirees by the 1950s and 1960s, drawn by the available medical facilities as well as by the quality
of life. The Hill Country setting of the county also attracted wealthy Texans and residents from
other states looking for attractive sites for country homes. The county has also attracted
numerous visitors with its opportunities for hunting and fishing. In addition to the large number
of deer native to the county, Kerr County became an early center of the exotic game industry, and
Kerrville is the headquarters of the Exotic Game Association. The Kerr Wildlife Management Area
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