Kerrville

Duane's take

The way the marker tells it, here's the story of Kerrville. Kerr County was formally created on January 26, 1856, and named for a Republic of Texas soldier and pioneer by the name of James Kerr. Now, the man who made sure that name stuck was Joshua D.

Brown, a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto, and one of the first settlers in the whole area. Brown was instrumental in getting the county named for his friend James Kerr. So when it came time to name the new county seat, in May of 1856, Brown put his money where his mouth was, literally.

He donated four acres of land for a public square, and the town was named Kerrsville. The S was later dropped, and Kerrville it became. Early settlers rolled in from two directions, Anglo-American pioneers and German immigrants, and together they started buildin' something.

By the 1870s the area had grown into an important cattle raising and shipping point, which is the kind of thing that puts a town on the map in Texas. Then came September 7, 1889, and the citizens of Kerrville voted to incorporate the city. Later that same month, they elected a mayor and five aldermen.

The first man to hold the mayor's office was Joseph A. Tivy. The town kept right on growing.

A city marshal was hired not long after, and by 1891 a volunteer fire department was established. Also in the 1890s, city water works and electric service were both instituted. And by the mid-20th century, the major economic concerns of the city had shifted to agriculture, medical services, and tourism.

From four donated acres to a city with a future. That's Kerrville.

What the marker says

Kerr County was formally created on January 26, 1856, and named for Republic of Texas soldier and pioneer James Kerr. Among the first settlers in the area was Joshua D. Brown, a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto. Brown was instrumental in naming the county for his friend James Kerr. The new county seat was named Kerrsville in May 1856 when Brown donated four acres of land for a public square. (The "S" was later dropped.) Early Kerrville settlers included Anglo-American pioneers and German immigrants. The area became an important cattle raising and shipping point in the 1870s. In an election held on September 7, 1889, the citizens of Kerrville voted to incorporate the city, and a mayor and five aldermen were elected later that month. Joseph A. Tivy served as first mayor. The town continued to grow. A city marshal was soon hired and a volunteer fire department was established in 1891. Also in the 1890s city water works and electric service were instituted. By the mid-20th century agriculture, medical services, and tourism had become the major economic concerns of the city. (1989)