Welfare, Texas
Encyclopedia
Welfare, Texas is an unincorporated farming and ranching community
4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Waring
on the Waring-Welfare Road in west central Kendall County
, in the U.S. state
of Texas
. The school was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
in the year 2000.
colonists Carl Joseph and Augusta Beseler, along with their sons Ernst and Carl Philipp, emigrated to Texas in 1848. The family settled on Carl's land grant and opened a general store. The community of Welfare grew up around the general store. The Beselers' son Ernst died in the Nueces massacre
on August 10, 1862. His brother Carl Philipp was justice of the peace, postmaster, county commissioner, and tax assessor. The general store was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
in 1996, Marker number 382.
The settlement was originally named Bon Ton or Boyton. The establishment of the post office in 1880 changed the name to Welfare. Carl Philipp Beseler was the first postmaster.
The post office was discontinued in 1976. No one is sure why the name changed, but it is generally accepted that it's possibly a corruption of the German word "Wohlfarht," translated as "pleasant trip".
In 1887, Carl Philipp Beseler assisted with Welfare being a railroad shipping point with the building of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway Company track section between San Antonio and Kerrville.
caused a steady decline in the population. U.S. Highway 87 by passed Welfare in 1930, and the railroad was abandoned in 1970. What is left of Welfare is only accessible by the Waring-Welfare country road.
German pioneer and founder of Sisterdale
, Nicolaus Zink
retired to Welfare and died there in 1887. He was buried on his own property.
. Designated Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
number 12370 in the year 2000.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Waring
Waring, Texas
Waring is an unincorporated community in northwestern Kendall County, Texas, United States. It lies along local roads and the Guadalupe River, northwest of the city of Boerne, the county seat of Kendall County. Its elevation is 1,345 feet...
on the Waring-Welfare Road in west central Kendall County
Kendall County, Texas
Kendall County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2008 census, its population was 32,886. Its seat is Boerne....
, in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The school was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas....
in the year 2000.
Establishment
AdelsvereinAdelsverein
Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, better known as Adelsverein , organized on April 20, 1842, was a colonial attempt to establish a new Germany within the borders of Texas.-History:...
colonists Carl Joseph and Augusta Beseler, along with their sons Ernst and Carl Philipp, emigrated to Texas in 1848. The family settled on Carl's land grant and opened a general store. The community of Welfare grew up around the general store. The Beselers' son Ernst died in the Nueces massacre
Nueces massacre
The Nueces massacre was a violent confrontation between Confederate soldiers and German Texans on August 10, 1862 in Kinney County, Texas. Many Germans in Central Texas were first-generation immigrants from Germany. They tended to support the Union and were opposed to the institution of slavery. ...
on August 10, 1862. His brother Carl Philipp was justice of the peace, postmaster, county commissioner, and tax assessor. The general store was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas....
in 1996, Marker number 382.
The settlement was originally named Bon Ton or Boyton. The establishment of the post office in 1880 changed the name to Welfare. Carl Philipp Beseler was the first postmaster.
The post office was discontinued in 1976. No one is sure why the name changed, but it is generally accepted that it's possibly a corruption of the German word "Wohlfarht," translated as "pleasant trip".
In 1887, Carl Philipp Beseler assisted with Welfare being a railroad shipping point with the building of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway Company track section between San Antonio and Kerrville.
Decline
The community had 275 residents by 1892. Severe weather conditions, complicated by an infestation of the boll weevilBoll weevil
The boll weevil is a beetle measuring an average length of six millimeters, which feeds on cotton buds and flowers. Thought to be native to Central America, it migrated into the United States from Mexico in the late 19th century and had infested all U.S. cotton-growing areas by the 1920s,...
caused a steady decline in the population. U.S. Highway 87 by passed Welfare in 1930, and the railroad was abandoned in 1970. What is left of Welfare is only accessible by the Waring-Welfare country road.
German pioneer and founder of Sisterdale
Sisterdale, Texas
Sisterdale, Texas, is an unincorporated farming and ranching community, established in 1847 and located north of Boerne in Kendall County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The community is located in the valley of Sister Creek. The current 2010 population is 25...
, Nicolaus Zink
Nicolaus Zink
Nicolaus Zink was the founder of Sisterdale, Texas and builder of the fort Zinkenburg. Under the direction of Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, Zink led a caravan of new settlers from Indianola to New Braunfels. He laid out the town and divided the original allotted farm acreage...
retired to Welfare and died there in 1887. He was buried on his own property.
School
The community of Welfare built a one-room frame structure school in 1878 on Joshua Creek. Circa 1902, the school was moved to 217 Waring-Welfare Road. By 1907, the school had separate classes for students of African ancestry. In 1912, an expansion that included a porch was completed and made possible by parent donations. 1916 was the peak year for enrollment. In 1952, the school ceased operation and students began attending classes in ComfortComfort, Texas
Comfort is a census-designated place in Kendall County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,363 at the 2010 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. Designated Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas....
number 12370 in the year 2000.