FOLKTOWN WITH A COWTOWN PAST

Kerrville’s establishment above the Guadalupe River in the mid-1800s came as no surprise; human habitation had already occurred across the surrounding wooded, limestone bluffs for the last ten thousand years. Selected as the Guadalupe River crossing and holding site along the Great Western Cattle Trail during the late 1800s, the area’s karst landscapes, scenic river and streams, and biological diversity are still attracting humans, making Kerrville not only an ideal Texas Hill Country city to visit but also a great place to settle down. The community’s significant growth, taking place over the last few decades in particular, can be attributed to Kerrville’s long history as a recreational, economic, cultural, and educational hub for the region, attractors that have brought artisans, businesses, clinics, hotels, writers, musicians, and, of course, tourism. Museums devoted to cowboy art and Kerrville’s native son Charles A. Schreiner, thriving health care facilities, a robust public library, and a university helped to bring growth and prosperity to what some consider one of the most affluent small town communities in the state. “Small town”, however, may no longer apply to this Texas Main Street City. Its annual Kerrville Folk Festival, first held in 1972, has become a “must-attend” event for fans nation-wide.