KENDALL COUNTY

Nov. 11, 2004 - This month, Country World South Central edition puts the spotlight on Kendall County. Each month, one of the 40-plus counties in the coverge area is featured.

Location:

Comprising roughly 663 square miles of rolling to hilly terrain, Kendall County is located 170 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico. Boerne, the county seat, is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 87 and Farm Road 475, 30 miles northwest of San Antonio. Vegetation primarily consists of tall grasses, live oak, juniper and mesquite. Most of the county is drained by the Guadalupe River. Another river, the Blanco lies in the north part of the county and Cibolo Creek, in the south.

Other towns include Bergheim, Comfort, Kendalia, Sisterdale and Waring.

Agriculture in early years:

Following the Civil War and throughout the Reconstruction period, Kendall County faced considerable economic hardship. Total farm acreage, farm value and livestock value fell 20 to 30 percent. By 1880, with the increase in population, the county saw signs of recovery. That year the census reported 419 farms, up from 197 a decade earlier. Improved land rose from 3,617 acres to 22,452 in that ten year span. Corn, wheat, oats and cotton were the major crops grown on a third of the improved land, and livestock dominated the rest. Sheep ranching became the county's principal industry. In 1870, the census reported 4,293 sheep in the county producing 8,781 pounds of wool and 10 years later the county's 16,259 sheep produced more than 65,200 pounds of wool.

With the completion of several railroads in the county, established towns such as Boerne and Comfort, thrived on the increased economic activity. Outside markets became more accessible to Kendall County residents which saw freight services thrive, hauling local farm produce, wool and lumber.

In 1900 the amount of land in farms more than doubled. The county's 542 farms rose from 153,921 acres in 1880 to 339,653 with the average farm size having 626 acres. The principal industry remained stock-raising with the county having nearly 20,000 cattle and 8,600 sheep. The introduction of the wool and mohair industry gave rise to the number of goats - from 2,048 in 1900 to 13,626 by 1920.

The cotton industry commanded several thousand acres a year until the mid-1920s when corn and oats eclipsed cotton. With the economy based on livestock, it proved more profitable to use the corn and oats as feed and put the remainder on the San Antonio market.

Kendall County experienced some changes during World War II with residents joining the military or taking advantage of the demand for civilian support services on the military bases in neighboring Bexar County. After the war, the county continued in the wool and mohair production, marketing 414,160 and 197,171 pounds, respectively.

By the 1980s, farms and ranches accounted for 86 percent of the land but only 5 percent was under cultivation. Primary crops were hay, oats, wheat and sorghum. Livestock and livestock products made up 90 percent of agricultural receipts - most important ones being cattle, milk, sheep, wool, angora goats, mohair and hogs.

Source: The Handbook of Texas Online

Agriculture today:

Today, livestock and livestock products still make up a large part of the agricultural receipts for Kendall County. According to the annual increment report compiled by Jay Kingston, Kendall County Extension agent, other beef (breeder cattle-beef, calves-beef and dairy, stocker cattle and slaughter cattle) brought in an estimated $2.1 million last year and is projected to total $2.4 million this year, making it the top commodity for the county. Goats added $585,000 to the economy in 2003 and sheep were not far behind at $396,000. Both are projected to bring in more this year with a projection of $750,000 and $445,000 respectively. Hogs totaled $15,000.

Hay production, harvested on 11,500 acres, is the second highest commodity bringing in an estimated $1.81 million last year. With a thousand more acres planted this year, totals are projected at $1.87 million. In the crop commodity, oats added $241,000; pecans, $131,000; nursery, $65,000; corn, $48,000; sorghum, $27,000; and wheat, $16,000.

Located in the Central Texas Hill Country, Boerne and the surrounding area offers opportunities for native game hunting including Whitetail and axis deer, dove and turkey making hunting the third top commodity for Kendall County. Last year hunting brought in an estimated $854,000 and is projected at $1 million this year.