unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
Bexar County
Bexar County ( or ; es, Béxar ) is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in South Texas and its county seat is San Antonio.
As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,009,324. Bexar County is included in the San Antonio–New Bra ...
, in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. According to the ''
Handbook of Texas
The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA).
History
The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President Wal ...
'', the community had a population of 20 in 2000. It is located within the
Greater San Antonio
Greater San Antonio, officially designated San Antonio–New Braunfels, is an eight-county metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Texas defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The metropolitan area straddles South Texas and Central ...
metropolitan area.
History
The area in what is known as Boldtville today was first settled sometime before the 1870s and went by the name Calaveras. Local settlers in the area had the surnames Adams, Avery, Blandford, Boldt, Duke, Gembler, and Vasbinder. Henry Klondike Stuckenberg owned and operated a general store in the early 1900s. Reverend Baxter D.D. Greer led the Calaveras
Presbyterian church
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
, which was organized in 1909. The community was renamed Boldtville for local
blacksmith
A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
Albert F. Boldt and his family. He also donated a plot of land to build a church atop in 1950 which was officially organized as Boldtville Community Presbyterian Church on October 26, 1952. Ed and Ruby Avery owned and operated a general store that became a meeting place for residents until it closed in 1979. Its population was 20 in 2000 with a membership of 100 at the local church.
Geography
Boldtville is located south of
U.S. Highway 87
U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south United States highway (though it is signed east–west in New Mexico) that runs for 1,998 miles (3,215 km) from northern Montana to southern Texas, making it the longest north-south roa ...
, southeast of Downtown
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
in east-central Bexar County.
Education
C. Henry Echterhoff donated of land for a school to be built atop on October 12, 1891, with Albert F. Boldt, Louis Brehm, and Joe E. Halbardier serving as trustees. Union Sunday School was organized in 1908. Two other school board trustees, Robert Uecker and Joe Halbardier, Sr., alongside Boldt, visited some of the newer schools in the county and wanted to add another school to the community. Boldt donated an acre of land for the new school. It was built by Fritz Gembler and opened in 1919, serving students in first through eighth grades. It remained in operation until 1960 and was used for many purposes, such as a community center, a church, and a storage place. East Central Independent School District superintendent Anthony Costanzo lobbied to renovate the building as the district's new administration complex in 1980. It received a Texas State Historical Marker when it was restored in 1984. Former alumni held a reunion and collected souvenirs and artifacts related to the school to build a museum to honor the community and 18 other schools in the county. It opened on January 12, 1986, and became the site of school board meetings. The community continues to be served by the East Central ISD today.