Kenny Millheim

Kenney

KENNEY is located eight miles north of Bellville at the junction of FM 2754 and Hwy 36. Kenney was built in 1880 by the Gulf, Colorado and SantaFe Railroad Company as a station between Bellville and Brenham. The first area settlement took place as early as the 1820’s, followed by the German immigrants from the 1830’s.

The town was first called Thompson in 1880 for postmaster J. E. Thompson. After four years under that name, the community was renamed Kenneyville in 1884 in honor of evangelist John Wesley Kenney; the name was shortened to Kenney in 1892. Rev. J. W. Kenney played an influential part in early Texas Methodist activity. By fall of 1835 a second Church Camp meeting was held here and at this time a Methodist Conference was organized, supported by William B. Travis. John Wesley Kenney Texas State Historical Marker located in town center proclaims Rev. Kenney was as “one of the greatest pioneer Methodist Ministers.”

During the railroad hey-day, Kenney was a commerce center with a grit mill/gin, hotel, school and church. A “Schuetzenverein” (a sportsmen’s club) was established by the community Germans. They held competitive target shooting matches to choose the most proficient marksman – a tradition brought from Germany which became a social activity here.

Kenney Agricultural Society Hall (Kenney Hall) this Agricultural Society hall was built in 1902 for regular meetings and social activities. A 1950 storm destroyed the original structure and today functions as a community center of varied uses.

The Kenney Store - “It is what it is” The Kenney Store was established in 1887. For many years, Thursdays were known for The Kenney Store Rural Music Association (KARMA). Local musicians, young and old, brought their instruments to the pickin’ circle. They were not a band, just dedicated musicians that came for the love of music and good company. These musicians are the reason that there is always good KARMA at the Kenney Store. Today, the Kenney Store has live music almost every night of the week. If you are lucky, a few well-known singers may stop by dressed with a fiddle or acoustic guitar. On the weekends, we always have a full house including uprising bands, acoustic performances, and local celebrities. Come early and get a good seat. Slam down some dominoes with the regulars, while the freight train blares by. Waltz, two-step, line-dance, swing, or even grind to live music under the neon lights. Stop by and enjoy some of their home cooking, always served with sweet southern charm. Drink a few ice-cold beers, specialty wines, and signature drinks from their full bar.

Millheim

MILLHEIM was established eight miles south of Bellville in central Austin County about 1845, when a mill was constructed on Clear Creek, a tributary of Mill Creek. The founders of the community were German immigrants who moved southeast through Mill Creek Valley from settlements in the vicinity of Cat Spring. The town received its name in the 1850s at a meeting held in the Engelking and Noltke general store. An immigrant from the Palatinate, Wilhelm Schneider, suggested the name Muelheim; it was later anglicized to its present spelling. In the 1850s E. G. Maetze started the first school at the settlement, with courses conducted in German.

By 1856 a singing society had been organized. A post office was established in the community by 1878. In 1885 the town had a population of 100, as well as a brewery, a gin, a grist and saw mill, and several stores.