Boerne ( ) is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Kendall County, Texas Kendall County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2020 census, its population was 44,279. Its county seat is Boerne. The county is named for George Wilkins Kendall, a journalist and Mexican–American ...

, United States, in the

Texas Hill Country The Texas Hill Country is a geographic region of Central and South Texas, forming the southeast part of the Edwards Plateau. Given its location, climate, terrain, and vegetation, the Hill Country can be considered the border between the Ame ...

. Boerne is known for its German-Texan history, named in honor of German author and satirist

Ludwig Börne Karl Ludwig Börne (born Judah Löw Baruch; 6 May 1786 – 12 February 1837) was a German-Jewish political writer and satirist, who is considered part of the Young Germany movement. Early life Karl Ludwig Börne was born Loeb Baruch on 6 M ...

by the German Founders of the town. The population of Boerne was 10,471 at the 2010 census, and in 2020 the population was 17,850. The city is noted for the landmark

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

case ''

City of Boerne v. Flores ''City of Boerne v. Flores'', 521 U.S. 507 (1997), was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States concerning the scope of Congress's power of enforcement under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment. The case also had a signif ...

''. Founded in 1849 as "Tusculum", the name was changed to "Boerne" when the town was platted in 1852. Boerne is part of the

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

–

New Braunfels New Braunfels ( ) is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Comal County. The city covers and had a population of 90,403 as of the 2020 Census. A suburb just north of San Antonio, and part ...

metropolitan statistical area.

History

Boerne came into being as an offshoot of the Texas Hill Country Free Thinker

Latin Settlement A Latin settlement (German: ''Lateinische Kolonie'') is a community founded by German immigrants to the United States in the 1840s. Most of these were in Texas, but there were "Latin Settlements" in other states as well. These German intellectuals, ...

s, resulting from the

Revolutions of 1848 in the German states In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elemen ...

. Those who came were Forty-Eighters, intellectual liberal abolitionists who enjoyed conversing in

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

and who believed in utopian ideals that guaranteed basic human rights to all. Freethinkers Association of Central Texas They reveled in passionate conversations about science, philosophy, literature, and music. TexFiles The Free Thinkers first settled

Castell A ''castell'' (: literally, ''castle'') is a human tower built traditionally at festivals in a part of Catalonia (Spain), now also found in the rest of Catalonia, in the Balearic islands and in the Valencian Community. At these festivals, s ...

, Bettina, Leningen, and Schoenburg in

Llano County Llano County () is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 21,243. Its county seat is Llano, and the county is named for the Llano River. History The Tonkawa tribe were t ...

. These experimental communities were supported by the

Adelsverein The ''Mainzer Adelsverein at Biebrich am Rhein'' (''Verein zum Schutze Deutscher Einwanderer in Texas''; "Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas"), better known as the ''Mainzer Adelsverein'' (; "Nobility Society of Mainz"), orga ...

for one year. The communities eventually failed due to lack of finances after the Adelsverein funding expired, and conflicts of structure and authorities. Many of the pioneers from these communities moved to Sisterdale, Boerne, and

Comfort Comfort is a state of physical or psychological ease, often characterized by the absence of hardship. Individuals experiencing a lack of comfort are typically described as uncomfortable or in discomfort. A degree of psychological comfort can b ...

. In 1849, a group of Free Thinker German colonists from Bettina camped on the north side of

Cibolo Creek Cibolo Creek is a stream in South Central Texas that runs approximately from its source at Turkey Knob (in the Texas Hill Country) near Boerne, Texas, to its confluence with the San Antonio River in Karnes County, Texas, Karnes County. The creek ...

, about a mile west of the site of present Boerne. They named their new community after

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...

Tusculum Tusculum is a ruined Classical Rome, Roman city in the Alban Hills, in the Latium region of Italy. Tusculum was most famous in Roman times for the many great and luxurious patrician country villas sited close to the city, yet a comfortable dist ...

home in

ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...

. In 1852, John James and Gustav Theissen, who helped settle Sisterdale, platted the townsite, renamed it in honor of German author Karl Ludwig Börne, with the

Anglicized Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...

spelling of "Boerne". The town was not incorporated until 1909. August StaffellJim Wheat was the original

postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

in 1856. During the Civil War, Boerne voted against secession and was a mostly pro-Union town; many communities in Kendall County were part of the formation of the

Union League The Union Leagues were quasi-secretive men's clubs established separately, starting in 1862, and continuing throughout the Civil War (1861–1865). The oldest Union League of America council member, an organization originally called "The Leagu ...

, which supported the Union and

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

. The 1870 limestone courthouse, second-oldest in Texas, was designed by architects Philip Zoeller and J. F. Stendebach, and stands directly across the street from the current 1998 courthouse designed by architects Rehler, Vaughn & Koone, Inc. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. In March 1887, the

San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway The San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway first began operation in the U.S. state of Texas in 1886. It was developed by Uriah Lott and businessmen of San Antonio as a direct route from the city to Aransas Bay on the Texas Gulf coast. It was eventu ...

came to town. The coming of the railroad was an economic boost of some magnitude, and it created better conditions for the area. In the late 1870s, retired British army officers, including Glynn Turquand and Captain Egremont Shearburn, played one of the first

polo Polo is a stick and ball game that is played on horseback as a traditional field sport. It is one of the world's oldest known team sports, having been adopted in the Western world from the game of Chovgan (), which originated in ancient ...

matches in the United States in Boerne.Horace A. Laffaye, ''Polo in Britain: A History'', Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2012, p. 69 The polo ground is still visible on Balcones Ranch, bought by Captain Turquand in 1878. Boerne's robust environment encouraged the

health resort A destination spa or health resort is a resort centered on a spa, such as a mineral spa. Historically, many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or mineral springs. In the era before modern biochemistry and pharmaco ...

industry. Sisters of the Incarnate Word founded the St. Mary's Sanitarium in 1896 for

pulmonary The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in many animals, including humans. In mammals and most other tetrapods, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart. Their function in the respiratory syste ...

patients; Dr. W.E. Wright contracted with the Veterans Administration in 1919 to provide care for

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

veterans suffering from lung ailments; the William L. Sill

Tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

Resort operated northwest of Boerne; and Mrs. Adolph (Emilie) Lex opened her home to recovering patients, eventually converting two rooms into operating rooms. Karl Dienger organized the Boerne ''Gesang Verein'' (singing club) and the Boerne Village Band in 1860. The family and descendants of Sisterdale resident Baron Ottomar von Behr have included three generations of directors of the Boerne Village Band, and four generations of musicians. Texas State Historical Association The band is billed as the "Oldest Continuously Organized German Band in the World outside Germany", and in 1998 the

Federal Republic of Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen constituent states have a total population of over 84 ...

recognized the Boerne Village Band for its contribution to the German heritage in Texas and America.

Geography

Boerne is located in southern Kendall County in the

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...

and

U.S. Route 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 from northern Montana to southern Texas, making it the longest north–south road to not have a "1" in ...

pass through the city south and west of its center, with access from Exits 537 through 543. I-10/US-87 lead southeast to

downtown San Antonio Downtown San Antonio is the central business district of San Antonio, Texas, and the urban core of Greater San Antonio, a metropolitan area with nearly 2.5 million people. Downtown San Antonio is encircled by Texas State Highway Loop 1604, 16 ...

and northwest to

, where the highways diverge. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, Boerne has a total area of , of which , or 2.61%, is covered by water.

, a tributary of the

San Antonio River The San Antonio River is a major waterway that originates in central Texas in a cluster of springs in midtown San Antonio, about 4 miles north of downtown, and follows a roughly southeastern path through the state. It eventually feeds into the ...

, flows through the city. Two of Texas' seven

show cave A show cave—also called tourist cave, public cave, and, in the United States, commercial cave—is a cave which has been made accessible to the public for guided visits. Definition A show cave is a cave that has been made accessible to ...

s are located near Boerne: Cave Without a Name is to the northeast, and

Cascade Caverns Cascade Caverns is a historically, geologically, and biologically important limestone solutional cave south of Boerne, Texas, United States, on 226 Cascade Caverns Road, in Kendall County, Texas, Kendall County. It has been commercially operated ...

are to the southeast. They are both actively growing limestone-solution caves.

Climate

Boerne has a typical central Texas

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Cfa'') with hot, frequently humid summers and winters that average mild, but vary from hot to cold. Although 46.1 mornings per year fall below freezing, snowfall is extremely rare: between 1971 and 2000, the median was zero and the mean . Temperatures at or below have occurred only three times on record: December 22, 1929, January 31, 1949, and February 2, 1951, with the second being the coldest at . In contrast to these cold spells, February 20 and 21, 1986, both reached , February 21 to 24, 1996 had four successive afternoons over , and January 1943 had three days reach . The absolute hottest temperature has been on August 23, 1925. Summer weather is very hot, and can be either dry or humid: 91.6 afternoons reach above , although only 3.6 afternoons reach . Mostly the summer months are dry as the region is too far east of the monsoonal trough, but remnants of hurricanes tracking inland can produce very heavy rainfall, indeed, as in the wettest month of July 2002 when fell and the first five days as much as . The wettest days in Boerne have been October 2, 1913, with and June 22, 1997, with . In contrast, no rain fell between June 27 and August 31 of 1993, with only between June and August 1910. Winter rain usually occurs via Pacific storms redeveloping over the Gulf of Mexico and directing a moist southeasterly flow; in the extreme case of the winter of 1991/1992, fell between December 19 and 22, with a total of for the three winter months; however, four years later, the whole winter had no more than . Overall, the wettest calendar year has been 1992 with and the driest 1954 with , although between July 1991 and June 1992 were recorded.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, 17,850 people, 5,547 households, and 3,891 families resided in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, 6,178 people, 2,292 households, and 1,613 families resided in the city. The population density was . The 2,466 housing units averaged 423.5 per square mile (163.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.76% White, 0.36% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.29% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 19.44% of the population. Of the 2,292 households, 36.0% had children under 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were not families. About 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.10. In the city, the population was distributed as 26.0% under 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $80,500 and for a family was $50,903. Males had a median income of $35,039 versus $25,773 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $23,251. About 6.5% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over. Boerne is home to two public high schools and one private high school. Students located south of Texas State Highway 46 attend Boerne Samuel V. Champion High School, a 5A high school named after a well-liked administrator for the Boerne Independent School District. Opening in 2008, Samuel V. Champion High School is attended by students who matriculate from Boerne Middle School-South. Students zoned north of Texas Highway 46 attend Boerne High School. A 4A public high school, Boerne High School is smaller than Champion. Boerne High School is a well-regarded public high school and attended by students who come from Boerne Middle School-North. Boerne is also home to the Geneva School of Boerne. Unlike Boerne Champion and Boerne High School, Geneva is a private high school with an annual tuition of $11,235. Geneva competes in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools at the 4A level.

Attractions

Hill Country Mile

Created in the early 2010s, the Hill Country Mile is a walking path following River Road Park and historic Main Street. The path was created as a catalyst to unify and preserve the rich cultural identity of downtown Boerne. It was also created to increase and foster economic growth through downtown shopping and culture centers.

Cibolo Center for Conservation

The Cibolo Center for Conservation comprises over of Hill Country trails and wilderness, as well as the historic Herff-Rozelle Farm. Originally named the Cibolo Nature Center, it was first opened to the public on

Earth Day Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally through earthday.org (formerly Earth Day Network) includin ...

in 1990 after founder Carolyn Chipman Evans urged the City of Boerne to preserve marshland around Boerne City Park. It is maintained through a 501c3 nonprofit organization called the Friends of the Cibolo Wilderness. Trails are open every day from sunrise to sunset, and the Visitors' Center is open from 8am to 5pm. City Park is in a unique natural setting, as it shares a border with Cibolo Creek. The Center features a day camp during the summer for children ages 5–12, which focuses on educating about the environment and learning how to have fun in nature. It also operates a nature-based preschool named The Nest.

Boerne City Lake Park

Formed by the John D. Reed Dam, Boerne City Lake was completed and opened to the public in 1978. The primary purpose of the project was to provide some flood control for Cibolo Creek, and to supplement the fresh water supply for the city. The lake has around 100 acres of water and an associated watershed of 12,560 acres.City Of Boerne Parks and Recreation: Boerne City Lake Park
/ref> Motorized boats are not permitted on the water. As of 2024, the possession and consumption of alcohol at the lake is prohibited.

Cascade Caverns

Cascade Caverns opened to the public in 1932 and began having private tours in the 1870s. Stories say that the cave was known particularly to the adventurous young men of Kendall County and a hermit, who hid in a cave at the time of the war.

Education

It is in the Boerne Independent School District, which has two high schools, three middle schools, and seven elementary schools. There are also a handful of religious private schools, including the Geneva School of Boerne, as well as Meadowlands, a charter school for at-risk youth in the San Antonio and Hill Country areas.

Notable people

Michelle Beadle Michelle Denise Beadle (born October 23, 1975) is an American sports reporter and host who is part of the San Antonio Spurs broadcast team. Beadle was formerly the co-host of the ESPN morning sports show '' Get Up!'' along with Jalen Rose and ...

, TV sports personality *

Jacobs Crawley Jacobs Crawley (born May 27, 1988) is an American professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in saddle bronc riding. He won the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) saddle bronc riding world championship in 2015. Semi-professional career ...

, rodeo world champion *

Ann B. Davis Ann Bradford Davis (May 3, 1926 – June 1, 2014) was an American actress. She achieved prominence for her role in the NBC situation comedy ''The Bob Cummings Show'' (1955–1959), for which she twice won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outs ...

, actress; ''The Brady Bunch'' (1969–1974), interred in the Saint Helena's Columbarium and Memorial Gardens *

Bill Goldberg William Scott Goldberg (born December 27, 1966), often known Mononymous person, mononymously as Goldberg, is an American professional wrestler, actor and former American football defensive tackle. He is signed to WWE. He is best known for his ten ...

, professional wrestler * Matt Carriker, American YouTuber, owner of the Demolition Ranch channel * Herb Hall, jazz clarinet player *

Susan Howard Jeri Lynn Mooney (born 1942), better known as Susan Howard, is an American actress, writer, and political activist. She portrayed Donna Culver Krebbs on ''Dallas'' (1979–1987) and co-starred on '' Petrocelli'' (1974–1976). She is also a scr ...

, actress; ''Dallas'' (1979–1987) *

George Wilkins Kendall George Wilkins Kendall (1809–1867) was a journalist, war correspondent, and pioneer Texas sheepman, known as the father of the Texas sheep business. Kendall County, Texas is named for him. In 1837, Kendall and Francis Lumsden established '' The ...

, journalist,

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

correspondent, and founder of '' The New Orleans Picayune'' *

Cheryl Ladd Cheryl Ladd (born Cheryl Jean Stoppelmoor; July 12, 1951) is an American actress, singer, and author best known for her role as Kris Munroe in the ABC television series '' Charlie's Angels'', whose cast she joined in its second season in 1977 ...

, actress; ''Charlie's Angels'' (1977–1981) *

Maggie Lindemann Margaret Elizabeth Lindemann (born July 21, 1998) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 2016 breakout single "Pretty Girl (Maggie Lindemann song), Pretty Girl", which peaked at number 4 in Sverigetopplistan, Sweden, number 6 ...

, singer and songwriter *

Grace Phipps Grace Phipps (born May 4, 1992), known professionally as Gracie Gillam, is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She is well known for starring in the Disney Channel movies '' Teen Beach Movie'' and '' Teen Beach 2''. Early life Gillam was ...

, actress; ''Fright Night'' (2011), ''The Nine Lives of Chloe King'' (2011), ''The Vampire Diaries'' (2012), ''

Teen Beach Movie ''Teen Beach Movie'' is a 2013 American musical teen romantic comedy film released as a Disney Channel Original Movie. Directed by Jeffrey Hornaday and written by Vince Marcello, Mark Landry, Robert Horn, it was filmed in Puerto Rico. The movie ...

'' (2013), and ''Teen Beach 2'' (2015) *

Tammie Jo Shults Tammie Jo Shults (born Bonnell; born November 2, 1961) is an American retired commercial airline captain, author, and former naval aviator. She was one of the first female fighter pilots to serve in the United States Navy. Following active duty ...

, commercial airline pilot, former Lieutenant commander for the

United States Navy Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2004, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called reservists, are categorized as being in either the S ...

George Strait George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait has sold over 120 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He holds ...

, singer, songwriter, and actor *

Jimmy Walker James John Walker (June 19, 1881November 18, 1946), known colloquially as Jimmy Walker and Beau James, was an American attorney, lyricist, and Democratic Party politician who served as the 97th mayor of New York City from 1926 until his resign ...

, PGA Tour golfer *

Matthew O. Williams Matthew O. Williams (born October 3, 1981) is a Sergeant major#United States Army, sergeant major in the United States Army. He received the Medal of Honor (upgraded from a Silver Star) on October 30, 2019, for his actions on April 6, 2008, as a ...

, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient

References

External links

Official website

Boerne Chamber of Commerce

Boerne Kendall County Economic Development Corporation
* {{authority control Cities in Kendall County, Texas Cities in Texas County seats in Texas German-American culture in Texas German-American history Latin Settlement Greater San Antonio