Adopted Budget FY 2012-2013 - Kerr County

e in rebellion against the state of Texas, and Confederate forces were ordered to take measures to
suppress the rebellion. In reaction to this a party of unionists, mostly German immigrants from Gillespie,
Kendall, and Kerr counties, rendezvoused on Turtle Creek in Kerr 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.
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 has studied the interaction of domestic, wild, and exotic animals since the
FY 2012 - 2013 Budget
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