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Boerne, the county seat of Kendall County, was platted in 1852. Gustav Theissen bought 1100 acres of land and his friend John James platted the townsite on the north side of Cibolo Creek. August Staffel opened the first Post Office and stagecoach stop at his home at the edge of the creek. He had stables for the horses to be changed or refreshed. On the creek east of the Staffel establishment William Dietert built a dam to power a sawmill and gristmill. William sent for his younger brother, Heinrich, to join him in his business enterprise. Heinrich built his home on the south side of the creek near the dam.
The pioneers used the abundant
limestone for building homes and businesses although there we notice that there
were many wooden structures built for quick usage. These wooden buildings were
easily destroyed if a fire started.
The first school was
probably in a log house located near the location of the later 1870's two room
limestone school building. Early in the 20th century Boerne
joined the modern world in adding electricity, telephones and telegraph to its
services. The town was incorporated in 1909 and became a city operating under an
aldermanic form of Government. In May 1912 the City Council granted permission
to build the first low water concrete bridge across Cibolo Creek. It was 1920
before the Main Street was hard topped. Source: Kendall County Historical Commission, A History of Kendall County
Texas: Rivers, Ranches, Railroads, Recreation, Dallas, Tx., Taylor
Publishing Co.,
1984.