JULY 2018
FARM & RANCH INSURANCE ANIMALS ARE ASSETS TOO!
Livestock is a big investment and financial asset. You will want to provide them a level of protection to! Coverage can include protection against financial losses if your animals are harmed or killed as a result of a covered loss. Even if your animal is in transit! Livestock includes: Horse, Cattle, Deer and other Exotics!
PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT THE RIGHT WAY!
We know that your farm or ranch provides a valuable service to the community, and we’d like to return the favor by offering you the comprehensive protection you deserve. Q: Do I need Farm and Ranch Coverage? A: Are you raising and selling crops or animals? Do you own a horse or other non-domesticated animals? Are you fishing or hunting on your land? If you answer “Yes” to these questions then you need Farm and Ranch coverage. Your regular homeowner’s insurance will not cover these exposures. Q: What is the difference between Homeowners and Farm and Ranch coverage? A: Farm and Ranch coverage begins when you’re using your property/land in a way that a homeowner does not. For example; breeding and selling animals for profit. It’s designed to cover all the extras that aren’t covered under your homeowner’s policy.
Don’t lose your life’s work because you’re not covered properly! Farm and Ranch Liability may pay for:
• Attorney fees and court costs due to a covered loss
• Medical expenses for people injured on your property • Injury or damage to others caused by your animals • Other claims for injury from specific farm or ranch operations
Yates & Associates gives you more than 30 years of experience! Q: We have a house, barns, vehicles and farm equipment. Can you cover all of that? A: YES! Farm and Ranch policies are designed to cover ALL your property investment needs. Coverage can be offered for homes to sports utility vehicles to tractors and other farming equipment.
OVER 20 YEARS IN THE HILL COUNTRY 1002 East Blanco | Boerne, TX 78006 | (830) 816-6601 | info@yatesinsurance.com
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CONTENTS
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Marjorie Hagy History Marjorie is a bibliophile, a history nut and an insomniac, among several other conditions, both diagnosed and otherwise. When she's not working tirelessly to avoid getting a real job, she nurses an obsession with her grandson and is involved in passing legislation restricting the wearing of socks with sandals. She is an aspiring pet hoarder who enjoys vicious games of Scrabble, reading Agatha Christie, and sitting around doing nothing while claiming to be thinking deeply. Marjorie has five grown children, a poodle to whom she is inordinately devoted in spite of his breath, and holds an Explore record for never having submitted an article on time. She's been writing for us for five years now.
Old Timer Just Old Timer The Old Timer tells us he's been a resident of Boerne since about 1965. He enjoys telling people what he doesn't like. When not bust'n punks he can be found feeding the ducks just off Main St. or wandering aimlessly in the newly expanded HEB. Despite his rough and sometimes brash persona, Old Timer is really a wise and thoughtful individual. If you can sort through the BS.
Kendall D. Aaron Spiritual
10 From The Publisher
24
12
28 History
Calendar
Badass of the Month
16 Art of Responsibility
32 Spiritual
18
34 Music
4th of July Facts
20 This Month in Texas History
36
I’m just a normal guy. I’m not a theology student, I don’t preach in church, and I’ve never written a book. I’m just a normal guy that thinks, and feels, and is on a never-ending journey attempting to be the best person I can be. I fail frequently at this quest, yet each day, the quest continues. I’ve lived in Boerne since the late ‘80s, I’ve got a most beautiful wife, three wonderful children, and just really, really love God. Thanks for going on my spiritual journey with me.
EXPLORE magazine is published by Schooley Media Ventures in Boerne, TX. EXPLORE Magazine and Schooley Media Ventures are not responsible for any inaccuracies, erroneous information, or typographical errors contained in this publication submitted by advertisers. Opinions expressed
Old Timer Returns
do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EXPLORE and/or Schooley Media Ventures. Copyright 2016 Schooley Media Ventures, 930 E. Blanco, Ste. 200, Boerne, TX 78006
Publisher Benjamin D. Schooley ben@hillcountryexplore.com
8 | EXPLORE
Operations Manager Peggy Schooley peggy@smvtexas.vom
Creative Director Benjamin N. Weber ben.weber@smvtexas.com
ADVERTISING SALES 210-507-5250 sales@hillcountryexplore.com
DEAREST EXPLORE READER, When I was in college, I worked at the Rainbow Play Systems showroom on weekends in Lubbock. It was a pretty cushy job, I liked the owner (who was also named Ben), and the pay was pretty good. I could get a fair amount of studying done in between customers, and I always liked watching all the kids go nuts on the playsets. For Thanksgiving one year, I wasn’t headed home. The owners were headed out of town, so I was instructed to run the shop from the Friday after Thanksgiving to Sunday evening. The day of Thanksgiving brought with it one of those hellish cold fronts that only the Panhandle can spawn, so in I went on Friday morning with a stack of books, knowing that I’d see very few customers this frigid weekend. Next door to the store was a junkyard. Just your run of the mill junkyard, and the place was locked up tight for the holiday weekend. I was walking outside to stretch my legs while I ate my sandwich for lunch. I had the hood of my coat on, and was trying to shield my face from the stinging wind. As I walked the fence line between our store and the junkyard, I saw him. The dog. But it was no ordinary dog. It was 180 pounds of nightmare. It appeared to be some insane mix of Mastiff and Woolly Mammoth, and it was chained with a ridiculously huge chain. It was laying in this pathetic little doghouse. I was frozen in my tracks, and once he spotted me, he slowly stood and walked over to the fence. He didn’t growl or bark, instead he just sat down and stared at me. I noticed quickly how skinny the dog was, with his ribs exposed under his fur. He sat there, with a slight shiver, and looked pretty darn miserable. I slowly extended my hand with the rest of my sandwich toward the fence and he licked his lips. I pushed it through the fence, and he delicately snapped it up, not with the ferocity I had expected. We stared at each other for a few more moments, and I went back inside to get warm, looking over my shoulder at him. The rest of the day, I kept looking outside at the dog. He rarely moved, just curled up in his little doghouse trying to stay warm, but obviously failing. That night, temperatures were to dip into the teens. Reluctantly, I went home for the night. I tossed and turned that night, worried about that stupid, giant, terrifying dog. Surely he would be a popsicle in the morning. The next day, I jumped out of bed, stopped off and bought a small bag of dog food, and zoomed to work. I took the dog food outside and poured the entire contents over to his side of the fence. He inhaled the food. It was gone in seconds, and then he simply stared at me. I put my hands out and said “That’s all I got buddy”. He whined. I reached forward and put my fingers through the fence, and he gingerly licked them. Frustrated, I went back inside. A half hour later, I was reading something for some class that I’m sure I never needed to know, and I saw a shadow by the glass front door to our office. I looked up, and the dog was sitting on the sidewalk looking at me. The chain was not on him. To this day, I have no idea how he got out. He would have had to get the chain off, AND somehow have gotten through the 6 foot high chain link fence that was lined with razor wire. I walked over to the door and stared at him, unsure of what to do. If I let him in, he could kill me. Quickly. I would have no defense against a dog of this size. A hungry, pissed off dog. If I left him out there, he was either going to freeze or starve to death. A few seconds of consideration, and I slowly opened the door.
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He walked in, sniffed at me, walked over to a corner of the warm office and flopped down with a grunt. It reminded me of a noise I would make when my head hits the pillow after an exhausting day. And then he simply slept. He laid there the entire day, only occasionally shifting positions. And then it hit me – I had let him in, but how would I ever get him out? At quitting time, I grabbed my keys, started turning off the lights, and he stood up and waited for me at the door. Outside we walked, I locked up, and he trailed me to my car. I didn’t even think this animal would fit in my little Saturn, but I simply opened the back door, and he jumped right in. It never once dawned on me that I was “stealing” someone’s dog, because that someone didn’t deserve the right to own a dog. Or any other animal, as far as I was concerned. I rolled down the windows, and like any dog, he let his tongue flop in the frigid breeze. You should have seen the looks from the cars next to us at the stoplights. And with that, we went home. I fed him, and he ate everything I would give him. He watched TV with me that night, and he barely moved at all throughout the night. The next morning, he obviously was feeling better and acted like a puppy caught in the body of a beast. I lived alone, and my landlord didn’t allow pets, so I needed to figure out a plan for him quickly. I called a friend, and once the two met, the dog went with my friend Brandon. He was quickly named “Bishop” as well. I liked this name – it seemed to fit him pretty well. I enjoyed getting to keep up with Bishop by visiting my friend Brandon. Brandon was heading home for a quick weekend run a few weeks later, so he and Bishop drove the 400+ miles to his parent’s home outside Tyler, TX. Bishop enjoyed a weekend of playing on Brandon’s family’s ranch, and the two bonded quickly. Brandon brought him back to Lubbock, and they were two peas in a pod. One day Brandon called and told me that Bishop had run away. Well, not really “ran away”; instead he literally smashed a hole in the wooden fence and was gone. Brandon looked everywhere for Bishop, but with no luck. We assumed that surely the local pound would pick him up because somebody would definitely call in the authorities for a dog of Bishop’s size. But sure enough, he never showed up at the pound. Days went by. They became weeks. We slowly gave up on the idea of Bishop returning. Months went by, and life moved on. And then Brandon’s dad called him. “Brandon, I was at the grocery store here in Tyler, and saw a big dog lying under a tree on the outskirts of the parking lot. I went over and took a look at him. Son, it’s Bishop.” Bishop had somehow traveled across almost the entire state of Texas in his trek back to Brandon’s house. His paws were almost rubbed off. One ear had been split in two. He was terribly dehydrated, and was near death. Brandon’s dad took him to the vet, and after almost a week in the hospital, Bishop came home with Brandon’s dad. He put him in the backyard at the family ranch, and Bishop waited for Brandon to return. Except Bishop wasn’t done, I guess. After thousands of dollars in vet bills, and once he was completely healed, Brandon’s dad went outside and Bishop had smashed down the fence and was gone. Again. Nobody ever saw Bishop again. We called the pound for a few days afterward, but just like in Lubbock, he never was picked up. We waited to see if someone would call,
as Brandon’s dad had put a collar with their number on it, but that collar was found near the pond in the back of the ranch. Bishop was free again, and obviously, he didn’t linger in one place very long. I think about Bishop often. Such a kind animal, trapped in a body that scared most everyone. I wonder where he went, if he ever stopped running, and if he even survived. I also think he was a pretty good analogy for many important lessons. One is that you can never judge a book (or a dog) by its cover. Another is that no matter what confines you, if you want out, you can make it happen. And lastly, and perhaps most importantly, never stop your adventure. If you dream of seeing the Northern Lights, then you had better go see the Northern Lights. If you want to backpack across Europe, then you had best book your airfare. If you simply require a different zip code for a while, then your bags are ready to be packed. I don’t know if Bishop had a deep desire for any specific location or destination or if he simply wasn’t programmed to stay in one place for long, but I like to think that he always wanted to play fetch with an owner on a beach at the coast. That’s why he was headed south. I like to picture Bishop splashing around in the waves, chasing a stick thrown by a very friendly man that always wanted an enormous Rottweiler-Mastiff-Great Dane mutt dog. A dog that one day just showed up outside his front door. Welcome to July. May you survey your world, and may it be all that you had ever hoped. And if not, I hope you strike out on the adventure to fix it. Even if you have to smash through a fence. Smiling,
ben@hillcountryexplore.com
Food is the most important ally for our health! Blended Burger Project is a movement that strives to make burgers better by blending ground meat with chopped mushrooms.
INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS & HEALTHIER MORE SUSTAINABLE FOR OUR PLANET This Blended Lamb Mushroom Schnitzel Burger Is Here Through July! Hurry in and taste this creation while you can, and when you do, snap a picture for Instagram and #littlegretelrestaurant. Then VOTE for us at www.jamesbeard.org/blendedburgerproject/vote
5 1 8 R I V E R R O A D | B O E R N E , T X | W W W. L I T T L E G R E T E L . C O M | 8 3 0 - 3 3 1 - 1 3 6 8
AREA EVENTS BANDERA July 4 Lakehills 4th of July Parade The parade begins at St. Victor Church, followed by a barbecue chicken and sausage plate at the Lakehills American Legion starting at noon. Enjoy live country music in the pavilion. St. Victor Chapel, Park Road 37. banderacowboycapital.com 830796-3045 July 6, 13, 20 Bandera Summer Rodeo At these Friday night summer rodeos, events include bullriding, mini bulls, team roping, tie-down roping, No. 10 roping, open roping, break-away roping, open barrels, junior barrels, and, of course, mutton bustin’. Mansfield Park Rodeo Arena, 2886 SH 16 N. banderacowboycapital.com July 7, 14, 21, 28 Bandera Market Days Arts and crafts vendors in downtown Bandera. Bandera County Courthouse Lawn, 500 Main St. banderacowboycapital.com 830-7963045 July 27 Texas Heroes Hall of Honor The Frontier Times Museum celebrates the National Day of the American Cowboy by inducting great Texans into their Texas Heroes Hall of Honor. Frontier Times Museum, 510 13th St. banderacowboycapital.com 830-796-3045 BOERNE July 3, 17, 31 Abendkonzerte The Boerne Village Band is the longest continuously playing German band in the world outside of Germany. Concert regulars come early to grab their favorite spot at the Plaza, to hear the oom pah pah of their favorite tunes, and watch the kids do the chicken dance. Bring lawn chairs, blankets, and picnics. Boerne Main Plaza, 100 N. Main. visitboerne.org July 4 Fourth of July Fireworks Feast your eyes on this magnificent patriotic display. Sponsored by the Boerne Fire Department, the fireworks show will start a little after dark and can be viewed in many places around Boerne, but the best place is Boerne City Park. Bring chairs, picnics, and your American spirit. Boerne City Park, 103 City Park Road. visitboerne.org July 13 Movies in the Park Come out early, pick your spot, get a movie snack or two, and enjoy free entertainment before each movie. Kicking off the summer season, this movie showing features “Moana.” Festivities begin at 7:30 p.m., and the movie begins at dark. Boerne City Lake Park, 1 City Lake Road. visitboerne.org July 14-15 Boerne Market Days Since 1850, Main Plaza has been a center point of trade for the people of Boerne. In the present day, on the second weekend of every month, Main Plaza is home to a magical outdoor market that blends the traditions of the Texas Hill Country with the creations of today’s culture. Hundreds of festive booths display everything from collectibles and remembrances of the past to modern innovations that will bring a smile of wonder to those who stroll past. Scrumptious food and captivating music top the experience and delight the senses. Boerne Main Plaza, 100 N. Main. visitboerne.org July 14, 28 Hot Rod Night Hot Rod Saturday Nights are reminiscent of old-fashioned Americana street parties—a gathering place for old and new friends. Soda Pops, 103 N. Main. visitboerne.org July 14 Kuhlmann-King Museum Tour Located behind Boerne City Hall, the Kuhlmann-King house gives the public the opportunity to step back in time to see what a historic Boerne home looked like “way back when.” Historic Kuhlmann-King House, 402 E. Blanco Road. visitboerne.org July 20 Star Party This astronomy-filled event will feature star experts with their telescopes for dazzling night-sky experiences. Bring blankets, chairs, and bug spray. Boerne City Lake Park, 1 City Lake Road. visitboerne.org July 27 Movies in the Park Come out early, pick your spot, get a movie snack or two, and enjoy free entertainment before each movie. Kicking off the summer season, this movie showing features “Nightmare Before Christmas.” Festivities begin at 7:30 p.m., and the movie begins at dark. Boerne City Lake Park, 1 City Lake Road. visitboerne.org
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Get out and enjoy the great Texas Hill Country!
The most comprehensive events calendar. Send submissions to info@hillcountryexplore.com
COMFORT July 4 Celebration of American Independence An all-day celebration of American independence, the event features a parade at 10 a.m. along High Street downtown, followed by Texas-style barbecue at Comfort Park. Fun for the whole family includes craft vendors, children’s games, an apple pie contest, and live and silent auctions. Historic Downtown & Comfort Park, Seventh and High streets; 423 Main St. comfort-texas.com 830-995-3131 July 10 Music in the Park Outdoor music featuring Camille Sanders. Cold non-alcoholic beverages provided. Bring lawn chairs. Comfort Park, 423 Mail St. comfort-texas. com 830-995-3131 FREDERICKSBURG June 15-July 1 “The Music Man” There’s trouble in River City when a fast-talking conman, Harold Hill, gets his heart stolen by Marian, the librarian. Winner of six Tony Awards. Steve W. Shepherd Theater, 1668 US 87. fredericksburgtheater.org 830-997-3588 July 4 Fourth of July Celebrations Community parade down Main Street in Fredericksburg followed by a patriotic program at Marktplatz, chili cookoff at Becker Vineyards in Stonewall, live music in Luckenbach, and a concert and fireworks at Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park in Freder icksburg. Fredericksburg, Stonewall, and Luckenbach Texas. visitfredericksburgtx.com 830-997-6523
July 14-15 Kerrville Summer Market Vendors from all over the state and beyond will be here to present their art, jewelry, clothing and accessories, gourmet food, gift items, and more at the third annual event. Inn of the Hills Hotel & Conference Series, 1001 Junction Hwy. texasmarketguide.com 888-225-3427 July 24-27 Heart of the Hills Golf Tournament The 73rd annual nonprofit event is committed to giving back to the local commuinty while providing a friendly, competitive game of golf. Scott Schreiner Municipal Golf Course, 1 Country Club Lane. hohkerr.com 830-895-1027 NEW BRAUNFELS Through Jan. 31, 2019 “War Stories: New Braunfels in World War I” Presented as part of the commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of America’s role in WWI. New Braunfels’ uniquely German character compelled its citizens to respond with fervor once America was at war with Germany. On view in the exhibit will be artifacts from the Sophienburg’s rich collections—post ers, photographs, uniforms, and other historical objects to showcase events, individuals and ideology during 1914-1919—as well as touch on the lasting impact of The Great War on America and on this German community. Sophienburg Museum & Archives, 401 W. Coll St. sophienburg.com 830-629-1572
July 6 First Friday Art Walk Fredericksburg Tour fine art galleries offering special exhibits, demonstrations, refreshments, and extended viewing hours the first Friday of every month. Various locations. ffawf.com 830-997-6523
WIMBERLEY July 7 Market Days The oldest outdoor market in the Texas Hill Country features more than 450 booths filled with unique treasures. Plenty of food, drinks, and live entertainment make it a shopper’s delight. Lions Field, 601 FM 2325. shopmarketdays.com 512-847-2201
July 14-15 WWII Pacific Combat Zone Enjoy an educational experience you won’t find anywhere else from the new amphitheater seating, followed by a battle re-enactment set on an island somewhere in the Pacific. Hear the rattle of machine-gun fire and the echoing blast of grenades, and feel the searing heat of the flamethrower as joint US forces take the Japanese-controlled hill. National Museum of the Pacific War, 311 E. Austin. pacificwar museum.org
July 4 Independence Day Parade The “Best Little Parade in Texas” begins at 10 a.m. Join the fun for an old-fashioned Independence Day celebration and parade complete with horses, bands, clowns, and a fantastic variety of floats. Begins on FM 2325 at Green Acres then on to RR 12 through the Wimberley Square. wimberley.org 512-8472201
July 20-22 Fredericksburg Trade Days Shop more than 400 vendors in seven barns, featuring acres of antiques, a biergarten, live music, and more. 55 Sunday Farms Lane. fbgtradedays.com 830-990-4900 July 28-29 Gillespie County Bundes Schuetzenfest The 123rd annual old-fashioned shooting competition among the region’s five shooting clubs includes the parade of clubs, competition, and awards ceremony. Spectators welcome. Grapetown Shooting Range, Old San Antonio Road. 830992-5654 JOHNSON CITY July 28 Art Walk All galleries open tor visitation and enjoyment from 4 to 8 p.m. Adult beverages and snacks provided. Nugent Avenue and Main Street. lbjcountry. com
July 4 Patriotic Concerts The Wimberley Community Chorus and the Hill Country Community Band combine forces to perform rousing renditions of many inspiring patriotic songs. Wimberley First Baptist Church, 15951 Winters Mill Pkwy. wimberleycommunitychorus.org 512-517-3111 July 5-7 VFW Rodeo The 73rd annual event, considered one of the best small-town rodeos in the state. The Lone Star Cowgirls, a precision team on horseback, open the proceedings; then there’s the mutton busting for kids, bull riding, steer wrestling, barrel racing, team roping, tie-down calf roping, bare back, and saddle bronc riding. The rodeo is CPRA professionally sanctioned with clown bullfighter Leon Coffee, a Texas legend, appearing. Wimberley Valley Veterans Park, 401 Jacob’s Well Road. texasvfw.net 512-847-6441
July 28-29 Market Days Local artisans sell handmade items, bakery goods, jewelry, plants, and food. City Park, US 290 and Avenue G. lbjcountry.com 830-868-7684
July 7 Big Scoop Ice Cream Festival Hosted by St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, enjoy frozen treats, entertainment, and old-fashioned summer fun. Proceeds benefit Camp Good Sam in Wimberley. Wimberley Community Center, 14068 RR 12. facebook.com/ campgoodsamwimberley 512-847-9956
KERRVILLE July 6 Kerrville Farmers Market-Downtown A producer-only market offering a variety of locally sourced produce, meat, eggs, bread, cheese, beer, wine, and more. Dallas Daughtry Boardwalk Pavilion, 805 Water St. kerrvillefarmersmarket.com 830-928-4261
July 14 Second Saturday Gallery Trail The art galleries in and around the Wimberley Square invite you to come early and stay late for wine, light bites, and an art-filled evening. Various locations, 100 Wimberley Square. gallerytrail.com 512-722-6032
July 4 Robert Earl Keen’s 4th on the River Enjoy food, vendor booths, bounce houses, face painting, river fun, and live music followed by a free concert with Robert Earl Keen and the best fireworks show in the Hill Country. Louise Hays Park, 202 Thompson Drive. kerrvilles4th.org 830257-8233
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Kendall Woods Dental
14 | EXPLORE
• Ken Nietenhoefer •
Premier Custom Home Builder in the Texas Hill Country For over 40 years, KCN has been building beautiful custom homes of all sizes in Boerne, Comfort, Bandera, Pipe Creek and throughout the Texas Hill Country. Our reputation for honesty and integrity, combined with our commitment to deliver excellent quality, expert craftsmanship, and customer service, has afforded us the opportunity to build many long lasting relationships with our clients. In fact, we have constructed two or more jobs for 32 different customers.
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for tuition rates sheet, email krissy@journeyschool.com
WWW.HILLCOUNTRYEXPLORE.COM | JULY 2018
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Robert Thornton (left), Travis Roberson (right)
THE ART OF RESPONSIBILITY
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BY BEN SCHOOLEY
When you have a reputation built on decades of passion and hard work like Robert Thornton and his company, Great Homes, sometimes it can be easy to rest on your laurels and lose some of your “spark�. For Thornton, he admits to losing the spark at one point, but now with the help of his new business partner, Travis Roberson, is re-invigorated, reinspired, and they are carving new paths for Great Homes that neither of them expected.
For some history, Robert Thornton founded Great Homes in 1991. Since then, he has built some of the area’s most luxurious custom homes and developed a reputation that was unmatched, both for his construction standards and expertise, but simply for his connection that he cultivated with every client he had. That said, the “grind” of custom home building took its toll on Robert and he found himself in what he described as a “funk”. Enter Travis Roberson. Thornton begins, “Travis stumbled into my office one day many years ago, and we had actually met at a Baylor fraternity family function and we had crossed paths at an alum event. Well, he moves to Boerne and is looking for work and I told him that I didn’t have anything. Then I was at ChickFilA and he comes running out and he tells me that he’s doing some work at the coast. Then I see him at Geneva and he’s interviewing to get his kids into school so we visited for a little while longer. This is over the course of a few years and we stop at Geneva for a big family event thing and we were chatting and I left there thinking “I need to hire that guy. I had gotten in a funk in a big way and then lo and behold he calls me again and says that he’s looking for some property. I said “Maybe I’ll sell it, but come talk to me.” So he comes over and we’re talking some more, and I stopped our conversation and said “This is weird, but I gotta tell you that I like you a lot and I need to give you some advice: you either need to quit your job and start your company or you need to come run mine.” We agreed to a courtship of a year to see if we still felt the same way and we did and now he’s a 40% partner and 6 months from now he’ll be a 50% partner.” Thornton continues, “I was burned out and yet was super busy with the homebuilding stuff, but the commercial stuff was fun. I went from my midlife career crisis to all of a sudden having a blast, and to have someone to commiserate with, and to have someone to bounce that stuff off of has been hugely valuable. Not every partnership works, but this one has been great and I couldn’t ask for more. We want to continue our custom homes, but then also focus on these custom commercial projects.
been the most sought after property in all of Boerne. While much curiosity abounds with the gas station on Oak Park, the team has no definitive plans for it at this point, but have pledged to simple preserve it and utilize it for something that not only adds value to the community, but is done in such a way that the original family owners would be pleased. Not only the restorations they are performing, such as the Zoeller building behind Frost Bank, but the commercial projects they are researching are also passions for the two. Thornton explains, “We encourage the restoring of Boerne’s special properties, but also encourage groundup projects that tell a story and are rich in character. Our former office at 507 E. Blanco (now owned and occupied by Lovorn & Ogle Attorneys) and current office (the Machine Shop at Schwarz Homestead) are both examples of new, ground-up projects that enhance and retain the small town feel of Boerne. But in the meantime we want to make sure we don’t negate or diminish our custom home operation, as it remains a passion of ours. We absolutely continue to build custom homes in Cordillera Ranch and around Boerne, have recently completed a beautiful home on Becker St., and currently have another on Becker, both of which are beautiful additions to town.” While the duo is out finding the next great opportunity both Travis and Robert understand that they rely on the rest of their team. “Travis and I are steering the ship, but Danny Kreifels (lead foreman), Melissa Haberstroh (interior design) and Erasmo Arreola (superintendent) are absolutely crucial to what we do. Those people touch everything as much as we do and we could never do any of this stuff without them.” Both Travis and Robert are active in their local churches, Bible Study Fellowship, and the Geneva School where both serve on multiple committees. Thornton finishes, “I grew up in a family of my mom’s side of a lot of builders and developers and for the most part was people that I didn’t really know. I vividly recall as a kid driving around in Dallas and my mom would point at buildings that my great great grandfather built or owned the lumber yard there, and fast forward that to now, I’m not doing it with family, but I still have the connections cause Mr. Schwarz comes by and tells us a story about his house that we rehabilitated and it is so fulfilling. We had some descendants of the Zoellers come to our remodel of the old house and they asked us ‘Why would you do this?’ and Travis and I both laughed and said ‘Because of that look on your face right now’.” Robert S. Thornton, L.P. 616 E. Blanco, #300A Boerne, TX 78006 www.rsthornton.com
Travis jumps in, “We’ve been asking ourselves, ‘How do we maintain our uniqueness as a custom builder and ring some organization and skills to that?’ We would look at stuff and say ‘Wouldn’t it be fun if we got the Schwarz place and did some amazing?’ and we’d go over here and look at it.” With this new direction, the two have set out to ask themselves real questions about the preservation of these buildings in town and how to not only preserve them, but enhance them. It started with the Schwartz property across from the Post Office and the two haven’t looked back. Travis continues, “This town is blowing up, but when we look at the central part of Boerne, we have asked ourselves, ‘Where are the key buildings and properties that we can preserve the history, the look, the culture, and the people?’. With that, we can make these decisions about these properties that we are so passionate about.” As for properties, there are more in the pipeline, one being the site of Boerne’s original San Antonio & Aransas Pass train station on Ebner, one on the Cibolo Creek at the corner of San Antonio & Yoalana, and one being the highly coveted former Boerne Motor Company on Oak Park – the abandoned red brick gas station that’s been boarded up for 70 years and has arguably
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FUN FOURTH FACTS
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The vast majority of us know all about the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War and a fair amount of the history behind July 4th. But there are probably some things you DIDN’T know and as we here at EXPLORE like to educate our readers with information only useful as party conversation, here’s some information you probably didn’t want to know about July 4th. Enjoy.
Only two people actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4: John Hancock and Charles Thomson, secretary of Congress. Most of the others signed on August 2.
On July 4, 1778, George Washington ordered a double ration of rum for his soldiers to celebrate the holiday. A VERY happy 4th of July it was that year.
Three US presidents have died on July 4 — John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe. In a bizarre twist of fate, Adams and Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the country they helped found.
Fireworks have been a major part of Fourth of July since the earliest celebrations. In 1884, miners blew up the post office in Swan, Colorado, because it wasn’t supplied with fireworks. Wonder if their mail delivery was as bad as Boerne’s.
Other countries — including Denmark, England, Norway, Portugal and Sweden — celebrate the Fourth of July because many of their citizens moved to the US or simply to attract American tourists. Way to pander Europe.
Americans consume around 155 million hot dogs on the Fourth of July each year. They also spend $92 million on chips, $167.5 million on watermelon, and $341.4 million on beer. LET’S EAT!!!!
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History is a popular topic with our readers. Marjorie Hagy’s HISTORY piece is probably the most popular article in our illustrious publication month after month. With that fact, we thought we’d share some broader Texas history each month. Nothing earth shattering, but we hope you might find something to make you pause and say, “Huh. Well I’ll be.”
July 1, 1850
July 6, 1923
In 1850, a mob of soldiers burned down the store of Fredericksburg merchant John M. Hunter, destroying all Gillespie County records up to that time. Hunter, the first Gillespie County clerk, had a violent temper and had clashed more than once with the soldiers at nearby Fort Martin Scott. On the night of June 30, Hunter had refused to sell whiskey to a soldier named Dole. When Dole became abusive, Hunter fatally stabbed him in the chest. Some fifty angry soldiers returned the next night, looking for Hunter, but the merchant had fled town. Several townspeople attempted to salvage the county records from the burning store, but the soldiers prevented them. Apparently neither Hunter nor the soldiers were punished. Hunter later built a new store on the same block; it opened in time to be used by the district court in October 1850.
In 1923, the Dr Pepper Company was incorporated in Dallas. Dr Pepper was first made in Waco in 1885. Wade Morrison, owner of Morrison’s Old Corner Drug, employed a pharmacist named Charles Alderton, who, when not filling prescriptions, often served soft drinks to customers. Alderton enjoyed experimenting with various combinations of fruit extracts and sweeteners. One combination, later to become Dr Pepper, proved enormously popular with patrons. Morrison named the beverage after Dr. Charles T. Pepper, a physician and pharmacist for whom Morrison had worked in Virginia. Today Dr Pepper is an operating company of Dr Pepper/Seven Up, based in Plano. A collection of Dr Pepper memorabilia forms the core of the Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute, which opened in Waco in 1991.
July 3, 1964
In 1865, August Siemering founded the Germanlanguage Freie Presse für Texas in San Antonio. Siemering, born in Germany in 1828, came to Texas in 1851 and later opened the first public school in Fredericksburg. He was an ardent Republican and abolitionist, though he had been impressed into the Confederate army in 1861, and the Freie Presse became known as one of the leading Republican newspapers in the South during Reconstruction. A few months after founding the paper, Siemering also founded the English-language San Antonio Express, in which the prominent Republican journalist James P. Newcomb bought an interest in 1867. Siemering sold the Express in 1877 and died six years later. The Freie Presse ceased publication in 1945.
In 1964, Natural Bridge Caverns, the largest known cavern in Texas, was opened to the public. The cavern was discovered on March 27, 1960, by four spelunkers who were students at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. It is located off Farm Road 1863 in the hill country of Comal County midway between New Braunfels and San Antonio. The name was derived from a sixty-foot natural limestone slab bridge that spanned the amphitheater setting of the cavern’s entrance. The developed portion of the cave, furnished with a half mile of paved trails and illuminated by 35,000 watts of indirect lighting, extends to as much as 260 feet below ground level. Natural Bridge Caverns became a registered United States natural landmark in 1971.
July 4, 1910 In 1910, Galveston native Jack Johnson was finally recognized as the “undisputed” heavyweight champion of the world. He had won the Negro heavyweight championship in 1903. Jim Jeffries, the reigning white heavyweight champion, refused to cross the color line and fight him. Johnson had to wait until 1908, when he defeated Tommy Burns in Australia, to technically win the world heavyweight boxing championship; even then he was not officially recognized as the champion. The dispute over Johnson’s title ended on July 4, 1910, in Reno, Nevada, when he defeated Jim Jeffries, who had stepped out of retirement to become the first in a series of “white hopes” recruited to challenge Johnson.
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July 15, 1865
July 16, 1931 In 1931, Texas and Oklahoma locked horns over a newly completed free bridge, built jointly by the two states, across the Red River between Denison, Texas, and Durant, Oklahoma. A firm operating a nearby toll bridge had obtained an injunction preventing the Texas Highway Commission from opening the new bridge because the commission had failed to fulfill its contractual obligation to buy the toll bridge. Texas Governor Ross S. Sterling ordered barricades erected across the Texas approaches to the new bridge. On July 16, however, Oklahoma Governor William (Alfalfa Bill) Murray opened the bridge by executive order. The following days brought a bewildering array of moves and countermoves involving the Texas Rangers,
Oklahoma guardsmen, and Murray’s declaration of martial law on both sides of the river and personal appearance in the “war zone” armed with an antique revolver. Finally, on August 6, 1931, the Texas injunction was permanently dissolved, the Oklahoma guardsmen were withdrawn to enforce martial law in the Oklahoma oilfields, and the bridge controversy was laid to rest. The bridge was dynamited in 1995 to make room for a new one.
July 26, 1845 In 1845, the United States flag is said to have been raised on St. Joseph Island by United States troops. This was the first time the U.S. flag was flown in Texas. St. Joseph Island is a sand barrier island in Aransas County. The troops were part of a force under Gen. Zachary Taylor sent to protect Texas from Mexican interference after annexation. After the detachment landed on the island, the main force landed on August 1 and camped by a massive live oak tree at the site of present-day Rockport. The tree is now known as the Zachary Taylor Oak.
July 29, 1958 In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The national commitment to a broad program of space exploration, including manned space flight, came in response to the Soviet Union’s successful space launches, begun in 1957. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy set as a national goal the achievement of a manned landing on the moon by the end of the decade. NASA began to reorganize and increase its space establishments. Central to the agency’s new future was the construction of a manned-space-development aggregation, including facilities in Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. NASA also elected to build a new space-management, crew-training, and flight-control center on Clear Lake in southeastern Harris County, Texas, thanks to the efforts of Texas Congressman Albert Thomas. The Manned Space Center opened in 1963 and was officially renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center ten years later.
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BADASS OF THE MONTH
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Texans are some strong folks, and always have been. We have countless stories of men and women that have thumbed their noses at authority (or made their own “authority”) and broke out on some amazing adventures. EXPLORE has chosen to celebrate a few of these folks with a new little section we’ll just call “The Badass of the Month.” May you learn something new and renew your pride in the people and stories that makes Texas as awesome as it is.
Our first honoree is none other than John Paul Stapp. If you wanted to create a list of crazy people that willingly strapped themselves onto crazy machines, designed to go faster than a .45 bullet, just to see if they could survive it, then you’d put Stapp as the first name on your list. Literally a human crash test dummy, he also was responsible for the invention and integration of the safety belt (if you were riding a rocket at 600mph, you’d want a safety belt, too) and holds countless records. Stapp was born in 1910 to missionairies from Texas while in Brazil, and then was raised in Texas, attending school and graduating from universities here. He received a slew of advanced degrees including Biophysics, and then picked up an MD when he wasn’t writing theoretical physics articles so complicated they’d make your eyes roll back. From there, Stapp enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1944, where the fun really began.
Altitude and Decompression Sickness While studying the effects of altitude and decompression on pilots, Stapp ingeniously decided to test this by stripping a B-17 bomber down to its skeleton and then flew it for 65 straight hours with no cockpit…just to see what happened. After somehow not dying by freezing to death nor having his skull explode from the pressure, he discovered that huffing pure oxygen 30 minutes prior to takeoff could help pilots fly even higher. This discovery led to the development of high-altitude spy planes and strategic bombers. Oh yeah, it also helped with the start of the Space Program.
Rapid Deceleration Colonel Doctor Stapp decided then to study ways to help pilots survive plane crashes. He also wanted to know how many G’s the human body could survive. Common knowledge at that time was that 18 G’s was the maximum. So he built a rocket sled (yes, a rocket sled) that upon its first test, flew off the tracks and exploded. He then sent it with a crash test dummy at 150mph and then slammed it to a stop. The dummy went through 2 feet of solid wood and was sent 710 feet down range into a mangled mess. On its third test, Stapp threw the dummy out, climbed in himself against the objections of staff, and launched himself at 200 mph before slamming to a stop and racking his body with 35 G’s. He survived almost twice the G’s as was thought possible.
World Record for Speed By 1951, his research on deceleration continued, and so he built a newer railed rocket sled that proceeded to take him 632 mph and stop him in 1.4 seconds. This resulted in 43 G’s and to this day, is the world record for the fastest any man has ever gone on a railed sled. He also went blind temporarily from this experiment as his retinas detached, broke a ton of bones, and actually had friction burns on his face from the freakin’ dust that was hitting his face so fast.
The invention of the seatbelt While nobody can argue that Stapp’s research was, well, pretty badass, it also ended up saving countless lives via the advances that his research led to in aeronautics and automobiles. He did some of this by going up in a fighter jet at 570 mph, blowing the canopy to see if he could survive the wind pressure, and of course DID. He further went on to develop better harnesses for combat pilots, allowing them to go even faster in flight. Because of his propensity to strap himself onto rockets and then crash them into walls, he invented the crash test dummy, and convinced LBJ in ’66 to sign a law that required all auto manufacturers to include seat belts in the cars.
Murphy’s Law Yeah, he invented Murphy’s Law (which says that “If something can go wrong, it will.”) Murphy, it turns out, was the USAF Captain that was working with Stapp on much of his work and kept telling Stapp that shitty things kept happening to him. The saying took off, and is now a common household saying.
Death Despite spending his entire career doing badass things that involved trying to kill himself in new and unique ways, this Texan survived to the ripe old age of 89, and died in his sleep in 1999. When he died, fellow badass Joseph Kittinger (who parachuted from the lower orbit of SPACE), was quoted as saying “I hope St. Peter has his seat belt on when Dr. Stapp shows up.”
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The Germans left their home and everything they knew, risked their lives in the holds of stinking ships, and landed in the port city of Indianola to find it disease ridden and over crowded. Once there, they were stranded with no food, no housing, and no transportation to the new lives America promised. Relying on the kindness of others, they moved all of their worldy possessions from the coast to the Hill Country and carved farms out of forest with back-breaking
labor eventually founding little jewels of towns among the hills. These people did none of these things with the intent to betray their new country, lose their possessions, or be forced to fight and die for principles they abhorred.
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No, not for something they called evil. There was bad weather brewing in the nation in those final antebellum days. It was like the cloying humidity, the lowering sky and that eerie red-violet light that broods when the coming storm won’t break. And the storm on the horizon in the Hill Country was one of Biblical proportions. In the words of Judge August Siemering, founder of the SA Express News, in his 1876 book called The Germans in Texas During the Civil War, ‘an uncomfortable feeling of uncertainty started creeping on all who opposed slavery, like the feeling preceding a thunderstorm of the worst kind.’ The situation was, the German-Texans overwhelmingly opposed slavery. They had risked it all largely because of their belief in the freedom in the new world of Texas. Not only their own freedom, though that was a powerful consideration of course, but also because they believed in the principle of freedom for all people, and in the possibilities of this wide open place as a land of freedom. And they felt great loyalty to their new country, and no desire to secede from the Union over principles which they vehemently opposed. Also, one of the most compelling reasons for lighting out from the Old Country was the forced military service there. Many scores of men had been sacrificed to the Napoleonic Wars, and they could pretty well see which way the wind would blow if there was war between the states. It was a powder keg of a situation. All those German immigrants and their anti-slavery, anti-secessionist views. The Tejanos, those Texans of Mexican and Spanish descent who were also opposed to slavery yet were still sore with the United States over other matters (Manifest Destiny didn’t tend to make a young nation real popular with the ancient civilizations who were living there long before white people came around). There were also the ‘Anglos’. What they called the people who’d emigrated from other, mostly Southern, US states for the wide-open range, the promise of wealth, a fresh start, or just one step ahead of the law. Those Anglos, by and large, supported the Confederacy. That storm just over the horizon was starting to make ugly noises; ominous flashes of lightening could be clearly seen. In 1860 the State of Texas voted on the issue of secession. Kerr County, with a population mix of Germans, Tejanos and Anglos, voted for secession, but only by a narrow seventysix to fifty-seven. Gillespie County, where the population was more than three-quarters German, voted it down flat, by a vote of four hundred to seventeen. Texas seceded anyway, of course, and the die was cast. But you know the new Confederate State of Texas kept a weather eye on the Germans. Those votes didn’t make the situation any more comfortable for anybody. Then in April, 1862, at the urging of old General Robert E Lee himself, the Southern states ratified the Confederate Conscription Law, which required all men between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five to volunteer for and serve in the Confederate States Army (the following year the law was broadened to include all males from seventeen to fifty.) The law was wildly unpopular all over the South, where they said it was a rich man’s war but a poor man’s fight. And while the poor men were off defending the rich men’s property, their own farms and families were going to hell in a handbasket. Unable to get crops into the ground, their livestock, food and everything they had confiscated for the use of the army, people were literally starving to death back home. In German-Texan territory in the Hill Country, where the people had voted against secession, the law was particularly hated, and more so for the reason that it took men away from the defense of the frontier from Indian raiders who took full advantage of their distraction. There were loud and militant protests, and the military responded with an iron fist. On May 30, 1862, General Philemon Herbert, commander of the Confederacy’s Military Department of Texas, issued the order that put the whole state of Texas under martial law. I honestly never knew that. Under martial law, provost guards were appointed to administer conscription- that is, force the reluctant into the Army- and their powers increased rapidly and soon came to encompass the confiscation of personal property deemed necessary for the welfare of the CSA. The situation was ripe for wild abuse, and it was, of course, wildly abused. Wagons, oxen, mules, horses, foodstuff, crops and livestock were all swept up and disappeared into the black market. Into the pockets of officials. ‘The administration of the law,’ says one report, ‘became ruthless.’ And it would get worse. Much, much worse. At this point the protests grew loud, violent and ugly, and the Hill Country Germans were the loudest of all. In 1861, several bigshots and local officials of Gillespie County, including the mayor and the sheriff, had secretly organized as the Union Loyal League. The League has been described variously, according to who’s describing it. Some sources called it a militia organization formed in order to protect the people of the Hill Country from Indian raids and Confederate ‘actions’. Another author stated, ‘the League’s real purpose was to thwart Confederate conscription and to attempt to maintain Union loyalty within the Hill Country German communities.’ Some of the actions attributed to the League were writing insurrectionist letters, establishing an underground communication system between them and the Union, and ‘to intimidate anyone who supported the Confederacy. They… earned the title of traitors and insurrectionists from secessionists.’ At least one source believes that the Union League organized militias in eighteen German communities to actively oppose the Confederacy. Well, that wasn’t going to ease the tension much. Letters were intercepted by the Confederates connecting the Union League with leading Unionists, and the storm broke. General HP Bee, the commander of the CSA forces in South Texas, declared Gillespie, Kerr, Kendall, Medina and Bexar Counties to be ‘in open rebellion’, and war was effectively declared upon them. Fredericksburg was occupied by Confederate troops, led by Captain James Duff.
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Duff, ‘a gruff, brooding Scotsman’, had been dishonorably discharged from the US Army several years before he landed in the CSA and declared himself provost over the occupied Fredericksburg. He was a vicious, merciless man who would be called the most brutal Confederate commander in the Hill Country, and ever afterwards be known as ‘the Butcher of Fredericksburg’. He was one of the most hated men of the era, definitely the most loathed in the Texas Hill Country. Soon after taking charge, Duff wrote in a letter: ‘The goddamn Dutchmen are Unionists to a man… I will hang all I suspect of being anti-Confederate.’
The ambush happened just after midnight. Reports vary - that twenty-six of the Germans were killed outright, as they slept in their bedrolls, an all-out massacre. That they were crushed underneath the hooves of the horses charging in under the Patrollers. That ‘vengeful, bloodthirsty Confederates perpetrated an out-and-out massacre of politically innocent Germans who were just loyal to their Union.’ That the men were alerted by the gunfire as the rebel soldiers fired on the sentries, and went out, heavily armed, to meet them in battle. As historian Robert G Schulz, Jr, wrote, ‘the truth is probably in veiled hiding somewhere among the various, heavily-colored accounts.’
This in a town that had voted against secession four hundred to seventeen.
Thirty-five of the Unionists were killed in all, some after escaping from the initial battle/massacre- seven or eight by a different group of Confederate Patrollers in October as they tried to cross the Rio Grande, and another nine who were captured at various locations and summarily executed. And some of the wounded in the first assault. One of the Confederate soldiers came back from an unsuccessful search for escapees, to find that eleven wounded men had been executed. ‘It can’t be possible they have murdered the prisoners in cold blood!’ he gasped. ‘Oh yes,’ the other replied, ‘they’re all dead, sure enough, and a good job, too.’
There were hangings, and there was brutality. There were midnight raids in which young men were snatched from their beds, their parents hanged and their homes burned as punishment for avoiding military conscription. It was the time of the Hangebund, or DieHaengerbaende - the Hanging Band. It was a reign of terror. It got to be so that the people in town and on the outlying farms fled their homes at dusk to hide in the hills and forests in order to save their lives - they said two thousand people disappeared into the hills to hide. Others left town permanently, and the Latin colony at Sisterdale emptied out; many of the Freethinkers left Comfort forever, and the last of ‘The Forty’ disappeared from Texas forever. And then there came the massacre. Some reports say the sixty-three Germans, one Mexican and four Anglos were on their way to Mexico in order to avoid the draft. Another report claims that Duff had learned of a plot to attack Confederate troops. Others believe the men were intending to reach the mouth of the Rio Grande and join the Union forces keeping the blockade there; at least one member of the group had stated his intention of joining up with the Union Army. One report maintains that they even called themselves ‘The Comfort Company of the Union Army.’ At any rate, somehow word got through to the ranks that whichever of them wanted to flee to Mexico to avoid the draft should gather at Turtle Creek in Kerr County, and the sixty-eight men arrived at the appointed time. They were mostly older men and young boys, and all of them were targeted for the conscription. They were from Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr and Mason Counties. They elected Major Fritz Tegener as their commander and his Fredericksburg neighbor Henry Joseph Schwethelm as his second-incommand, and the party made their desperate run. At one point on their flight the men ran into one Charles Bergmann, at a crossing of the Guadalupe River, and apparently did a little confiscation of their own, relieving him of his supplies, whatever those might have been. This naturally upset Mr. Bergmann, and when he ran into a troop of rebel soldiers, he was either forced, or voluntarily told them that he had been robbed by a force of German Unionists who were at that moment headed for Mexico. When this report was carried to Duff, the Butcher of Fredericksburg burst into a rage. Duff sent word to a Lieutenant CD McRae in San Antonio, ordering him to track down the ‘deserters’, and do what he needed to do. It is said that Duff told McRae that he ‘didn’t want to hear any word about survivors of any conflict that might ensue.’ McRae had his marching orders, and he set out with a force of ninety-four men, including Bergmann, to hunt down the Germans. On the evening of August 9, 1862, the Unionist group was camped on the West Fork of the Nueces River in Kinney County, Texas, not far from the Rio Grande. Four sentries were posted, and the men eventually curled up in their bedrolls and went to sleep.
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When the news of the Battle of the Nueces- or the Nueces Massacre, depending upon who told the story- got back to the Hill Country, there was fresh hell. There was outrage, there were wails of grief, and there was more rioting, and more Unionists were scared out of the hills and hanged. In the aftermath of the tragedy, what came to be called the Bushwhacker War broke out between Confederates and Union sympathizers. Bushwhacker was one of the names of those irregular, guerilla forces of the Confederate Army from whence sprang the troops that chased the Unionists nearly to Mexico- they were also called the Patrollers, Die Haengerbaende, the Hanging Band. ‘Ambushes,’ one historian wrote, ‘from both sides were so common that many features of the surrounding terrain were named Bushwhacker. Many homes and farms were set on fire, and sometimes the occupants were shot. These incidents created animosity between the two factions and it continues today among the descendants of German Unionists and Confederate sympathizers.’ He wrote that in the year 2000. The killing didn’t end until the last death in 1889, twenty-seven years after the Nueces. The Unionist dead on the West Fork of the Nueces were not buried, the families of the fallen barred from any access to their hero’s bodies until after the end of the Civil War. Henry Joseph Schwethelm, second-in-command of the doomed party, one of the very few survivors of the campsite massacre, was able to flee into the Mexican interior, where he caught a ship to New Orleans and there joined the United States Army. After the war, on August 10, 1865, the third anniversary of the Battle of the Nueces, Schwethelm led a group to Comfort, to gather the bones of the fallen. Animals and the elements had been at them in the three intervening years, those years of war, famine, of neighbor against neighbor, American against American, and the men gathered what remains they could and took them home, and buried them on a little hill in the middle of the town of Comfort. The next year they dedicated the Treur der Union monument on the anniversary, once again, and it is the only monument to the Union, besides National Cemeteries, on former Confederate territory. This August will see the sesquicentennial of that battle, that massacre, that heart-breaking tragedy, and it is hard, from this vantage point, not to see those men as heroes, as they surely were. They surely were.
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I GIVE UP By Kendall D. Aaron
I had a rough idea of what I wanted to write about for this month’s column, and as I frequently do, I hit Google just to help me find some inspiration and to hone my thoughts into the message I wanted to pass along. I like to simply review some verses and devotionals about the topic I’d like to unpack as they simply get me focused on my topic and I can better address what I’d like to say. So this month was no different as I typed in “Verses about giving up” and hit enter. I was immediately hit with the following page titles: When you feel like giving up… Never Give up! Don’t Give up! Never Giving up… I’m not giving up… And my personal favorite – God is my Spinach
I
Hmmm. But I don’t want to write about resisting the urge to giving up, but actually, I want to talk about the final release of giving up and how it can be healthy. I want to think about the strength that it actually takes to give up, and how sometimes, it’s the only choice that you have. I know that there are countless verses and devotions about struggling, fighting, persevering, and pushing through the challenge in life and refusing to give up, but I think that it’s a rarely discussed topic to actually address the act of surrender. Several of these pages use this verse for inspiration: “Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. — Isaiah 40:30-31 It certainly inspires you to shrug off your woes and to continue your journey via perseverance and determination. The accompanying devotion
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is passionate about how you can’t give up, no matter what you’re up against, because God has your back and somehow, in some way, someday, you WILL overcome. But what happens when you are up against something that you will NEVER overcome? There are “opponents” that for, whatever reason, you have zero hope for success. Financial calamity? A jail sentence? A disease? A legal system that is biased against you? A thief? No matter what you try, you may never “beat” some of these situations, and while you can fight and fight for justice or for the hoped outcome, there's virtually no hope and, at some point, you have to just throw in the towel and walk away (accept) the situation for what it is. Speaking personally, I’ve been going through this and have found it to be an excruciatingly long process. Humans are terrible at “giving up”, no matter what the situation. We work at jobs we hate. We stay in marriages that are killing us. We put ourselves into bankruptcy over our repeated attempts to “win”, be it business, or legal, or any other of a number of situations. We can just keep beating our heads against the wall, hoping for a different outcome….that never happens. So the act of giving up is not an easy one for us, but ultimately, I think that one can apply the principles from the verse above. If you are at a position of giving up on what is certainly hopeless, we will be “weak and tired, and young men will fall from exhaustion.” However, the next part of the verse if where the growth can happen: we can maintain our faith, focus on the hope that God provides, and find renewed strength in Him for the rest of our journeys, and lives. We are not dead when we give up, but we will simply move on to another chapter where we can then find renewed strength in Christ and, while we have experienced a great tragedy, our lives are not over. In fact, I have found that God presents you with impossible problems sometimes, in a greater plan to get you to turn away from it, and turn to Him. And maybe that’s not “giving up” at all, but rather “giving IN” to Him.
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MATT KERSH BY ANDREA FORSHEE
Matt Kersh writes and plays classic Americana/Folk, plenty of soul, with Texas roots. His powerful lyrics paired with his soulful voice create music that is both familiar and new at the same time, comforting and thought-provoking. A chance to see him perform live is something to be sought after.
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Kersh is a native Texan, born in Corpus Christi before he and his family moved to Boerne in the late 80’s when he was 7. His father felt led to leave insurance sales and start a ministry in the Hill Country, which was very successful, doing several assemblies for local professional athletes and for Boerne High School. Matt and his family settled into Boerne life easily even though they moved here not really knowing anyone or having any specific connections to the area. Religion has always been a main part of his life, and he was homeschooled and enjoyed the co-op school network the area had to offer. His education was very focused but covered the arts as well as science and math. Matt explains, “Mom has a master’s degree in English from UT, so she really taught me how to become a good writer. She was also an incredibly well-educated woman and she was able to fully shape our exposure to music. Taking a child to the symphony is a very powerful thing. Listening to classical music is scientifically proven to increase your intelligence and impact your emotional well-being and brain function.” In his younger years, he also went into Drama and performed in theater.
California. At a certain point he realized that he needed to be back around his friends and family here and returned to Boerne in 2013. Kersh says: “I didn’t really have a plan for what I would do when I got back, I just knew I needed to be here.” As it turns out, coming back to Texas was really good for him and he just started playing, was asked to perform at other venues and has begun booking shows. For about 4 and a half years, he was playing well over 200 nights a year and it was his sole source of income. As it has been known to happen, he began to have issues with his voice from performing so much. Kersh sums it up: “It’s
Working through all of the recent family illness, personal illness and injury has given perspective and appreciation for what he has and is helping to prioritize his upcoming schedule. “For guys like me in the Texas Music Scene, we are just making it and we are playing 3 to 4 hours a night and it is so challenging but I know this will work out and I won’t take it for granted again. I look forward to getting the things resolved and getting back out there. It is a very powerful, fulfilling thing to have someone come up to you and tell you that what you wrote and what you created, that they needed that. That’s why I do it. I sing from my heart and with a passion for music, I believe that music
Matt began using his love of writing to create his own songs around age 14. A lot of his musical interest began at a very early age, and his best memories of his life are of camping at Garner State Park on the Frio with 5 or 6 families every year. Music was always playing at the campsites and his first dance was on Garner State Park’s dancefloor at 6 weeks old in a carrier strapped to his dad’s chest between him and his mom. His father is a piano teacher and he began teaching him piano and then taught him basic guitar around 9 or 10. His first live performance was at Scenic Loop Café at 16 and he began playing original music at 18. Music has always been a huge part of his life, says Kersh: “Mom sang in choir and has a lovely voice. My dad had a full music scholarship from college. So, I come by my musical gift honestly and it’s God given as well.” Once he graduated high school, he needed to decide where to continue his education, and as he puts it: “I thought I’d never leave Texas and instead I wound up going to California.” He attended a private Christian University in Los Angeles and attended undergrad in Communication Studies and Biblical Studies with a twoyear program in Estate Planning and Financial Planning and went to Seminary school. Education has always been a focal point for him, he says: “I went to school pretty much from age 4 until 28 and never had a semester off or anything, I really enjoyed learning but it sure is nice to have a break from school now!” His love of performing live began to grow in California and he began playing a lot of shows in Orange County, San Diego and Los Angeles. During this time, he married his high school sweetheart from Boerne but things didn’t go well and he wound up getting divorced while in
a unique struggle for musicians, it is really what you love the most but for the last couple of year I’ve been battling TMJ, and it is painful and can be demoralizing to know that what you love the most is actively hurting you.” His plans for the future are to further his career. He continues, “I’d really would like to record an album but it is a lot of money and it’s hard to find the funds and time. One of the main challenges of being a singer song writer is making it work financially and most artists have to figure out other sources of income which detracts from their time and energy to write and book shows and it’s really not as glamorous as people think. It’s a lot of hard work and a lot of time and it can be pretty lonely. There is so much work that goes into it that people don’t see.” He’s had to cancel a few shows recently but has more coming up and is planning on playing 3 or 4 night a week again soon.
heals and can be a friend when there is no one else is around. When you don’t know who to call or say how you feel, there’s a song out there that can help. I’m thankful for what music has given me and I look forward to wherever it may continue to lead me. I hold music with open hands, if I could never do it again, I would be grateful for what all it has given me and I hope that I will be able to write and share songs and stages for a lot of years to come. Cibolo Brewing and Salvador Dobbs have been really great in encouraging local music around Boerne and I am really looking forward to being a part of it.” Matt Kersh’s love and appreciation of music is apparent and shines through in every song he creates. Keep an eye out for him on the local music scene, it is not to be missed!
WWW.HILLCOUNTRYEXPLORE.COM | JULY 2018
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“You want low impact commercial with a provision to keep to historic architecture? Well let’s hope you get it and... OH sorry this property is now high density residential with mixed use commercial with provisions for a strip club and marijuana dispensary. That’s a shame too, we always liked the gazebo and square. But the good news is we get money. NEXT!!”
OLD TIMER
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Ah, good ol’ Boerne local government went and surprised itself yet again by trying to sneak a giant monstrosity CVS drugstore onto the corner of River and Main. You know, the most visible intersection in the entire town. The entrance to our entire Historic District and currently the most congested intersection in town. Yes, that one. It was found that because of our insane zoning regulations in this town, the CVS could theoretically smack their big box corporate drugstore smack dab into the middle of Historic Main Street.
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So, of course, the citizenry has lost their collective minds. I’m not sure if many of you will remember, but this very little column was started by blowing the lid off Mad Money Mike $chultz’s Taj-Mah-City-Hall after he had worked TIRELESSLY to hide the project from public view, and similarly, the populace went more than a little nuts when its cover was blown, and for good reason. However, the bad news is that when confronted with an overwhelming backlash against the project, including a legal petition to stop the construction, $chultz and City Council holed up at the Dodging Duck poring over legal documents until they found a loophole, which they did, and congratulations – you are now paying for a new $20m City Hall that you didn’t want and actually petitioned against.
may be specified by ordinance; 2. Adopt a comprehensive plan and determine to what extent zoning and other land use control ordinances must be consistent with the plan; and 3. Adopt development regulations, to be specified by ordinance, to implement the plan.
3. Adopt development regulations, to be specified by ordinance, to implement the plan.”
So here’s what this very not so smart old man has ingeniously come up with to solve the revolving door of zoning madness that the City subjects us to and will preserve our disappearing natural beauty and resources. Are you ready? I mean, this is seriously good stuff. It’s pretty complicated, though, so stay with me. Here’s the plan: Zone appropriately. Plan ahead.
So, what do you think is going to happen with a proposed CVS? I’m not sure, but I can tell you that the entire thing could have been avoided. I’ll tell you how.
Whew, that was tough to come up with, but that’s the entirety of my plan as DIRECTED upon our City leaders by our own Home Rule Charter. This is the very plan that they are working tirelessly to avoid implementing because (in my opinion) it removes the decision making from THEM. How can they cherry-pick which developments they want on which piece of land if ALL the land is zoned appropriately? Ah, but you see, there’s a catch – MOST of our properties in our area ARE already zoned appropriately. MOST of it. So you see, the City Council is taking the existing zoning, used as the foundation to create the town that you see, and the one that you love, and is then accepting the Zoning requests to alter the zoning to something so that Mr. Developer can build an amazingly bland high-density strip center and then they act completely confused when they hear the collective groans from the population. These zonings are often decades old, and again, they are the cornerstone of why we have the town that we have.
In all fairness, I can understand how growth happens and when Ol Miss Johnson dies and leaves her 12 acres on a crazy busy intersection, it probably makes sense to allow it to go commercial and approve the request to re-zone such a property. However, what about the hodge-podge that is now Old San Antonio Road? What about 17 Herff? Did you see that 12 Herff is now wanting the same zoning as 17 Herff? Do you want a CVS on River/Main? What about the insanity that is happening across from Wal Mart? Do you see how important the zoning is?
I’m not a smart man and have never claimed to be one. I get frustrated with this article from time to time because I feel like I’ve made some common sense suggestions to our beloved City leaders (and some ridiculous ones, too), but I get pushback with this eternal excuse of “our hands are tied.” I grind my teeth when they tell me this. Traffic isn’t their fault, it’s TxDot. The bad roads are because of budget cuts. That new giant shopping center that we put in a beautiful pasture right next to a neighborhood was because “nobody showed up to our meetings.” TajMah-City-Hall is for future generations, even though this generation didn’t want it. Sign ordinances are for the public good, but did you know that Buc-ee’s just got a sign variance for a giant neon lit sign? It’s this eternal conversation of talking out of both sides of their mouths. Frankly, it sucks. But, because I’m not a smart man, I realized that there were probably things that I could learn, so I hit the books. I discovered that Boerne is governed by what is called a Home Rule Charter. Any town over 5000 people in Texas can vote to be governed by this law, and it sounds pretty good in practice. It is defined as, “The right to local self-government including the powers to regulate for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; to license; to tax; and to incur debt. Home rule involves the authority of a local government to prevent state government intervention with its operations. “ Pretty straightforward, huh? As I continued reading, this is the Zoning section from our very own Home Rule Charter: Section 7.01 Planning and Zoning Commission Consistent with all applicable Federal and State laws with respect to land use, development and environmental protection, the City Council shall: 1. Establish a Planning and Zoning Commission to carry out the planning function and such decision-making responsibilities as
So if MOST of the City is already zoned correctly, how do we fix things?
If they followed the above, would we even be having this conversation?
I will say a 3rd time that I’m a brilliant soul, but I can read and I can think. My plan is: Develop a plan. Follow the plan. That’s it. As a sidenote, I’ll add that 2008’s RUDAT study (which was basically the City’s vision for what the town should look like) has been completely ignored as the Council now feels that it’s “out of date”, so they are actually attempting to put together a citizen led panel to begin thinking about “the plan”. I just read this proposed plan, which is set to be implemented at the end of July. In the Future Directions chapter, I think I counted the use of the word “consider” approximately 22,893 times. Consider new zoning. Consider ways to conserve water. Consider new recreational opportunities. Consider ways to preserve green space. The next chapter, Plan Implementation, is not complete as of my writing, but does anyone really think that the City leaders can get their arms around new zoning needs for the entire town BEFORE the entire town is developed? I don’t. We’re going to “consider” things until there’s nothing left to consider.
Well, I said MOST. Things like this CVS deal are just comically stupid that our zoning regulations are so lax that, in theory, CVS could even dream about building in the middle of a small town’s historic district. What about the empty lot right behind CVS? You think that is “zoned correctly”? Not a chance, and then we will all freak out when a damn Arby’s picks up the lot and our City Council shrugs their shoulders and says “Gosh, not our fault.”
So my question is, “What will be left by the time you’re done?” I’m serious about that question. Please remember that in 2008 the economy tanked and development slowed big time. We knew growth would come, but I can safely say that nobody thought it would be coming at the speed it’s coming now. If we act like “typical government” and have no urgency, we are going to have a mess of town as the lots are selling right and left, and our Council is approving their re-zoning right and left as well. We need a PLAN. Bad.
Back to my solution: We fix things by assembling a citizen led panel that will sit down and review the zoning for all lots in the City. They will attempt to maintain green space, residential areas, walkways, and even some beautiful pastures. It will be hard, but a citizen led panel could do a pretty good job. Then when they are done, we, the citizens would approve it. And then we would print out the Home Rule Charter from above and force the City Council to memorize this section: “Adopt a comprehensive plan and determine to what extent zoning and other land use control ordinances must be consistent with the plan; and
Disclaimer: This is just my standard statement that I always feel obligated to throw in because I think that our City Council is full of some great men and women. I sincerely do like them as individuals and I think that they have a tough job. I think that they drink the Kool-Aid too much sometimes, but I know that they live here too and that counts for something. I do wish that I could sit behind each of them at Council meetings just to womp them on the head, but apparently my request was turned down.
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