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History in
a Pecan Shell
Comfort was established
in 1854 by German
immigrants moving further west from New
Braunfels. They rested here and were so taken with the place,
that they didn't see any need to travel further.
Comfort remains unincorporated. |
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"Treue
der Union" Monument
Near the High School. High Street between 3rd and 4th.
This memorial is for German settlers who were established here,
but were killed on their way to Mexico during the Civil War. They
were attacked by Confederate forces near Brackettville
on August 10, 1862. The bodies were not buried and the bones were
retrieved and placed here in 1865. The monument was erected in 1866.
The incident shares several similarities to the Bandera
Tragedy Tree incident.
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From an architectural viewpoint - Comfort is extremely rich. Nearly
the entire downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Many rock buildings and businesses remain in a splendid state of preservation
and did not have to go through the rigors of restoration. The 1880
Ingenhuett-Faust Hotel is one such building and the 1930 Comfort
Theater (originally financed through public subscription) is another.
A good deal of Comfort's charm is in its relative tranquility compared
to Fredericksburg
and Boerne. Visit
on Monday and you'll find nearly the entire town closed. |
The 1908 bank
building now serves as a museum.
TE photo, 2008 |
Comfort Historical
Museum
838 High Street
Open 2nd Sunday of each month or by appointment. |
| It is said that
only this
monument and Arlington National Cemetery are permitted to fly
the American flag at half staff the year round. |
The 1879 August
Faltin Building
TE photo, 2008 |
A rare pre-signage
traffic button.
TE photo, 2008 |
Bier Halle High
Street
Courtesy Comfort Historical Cntr. Archives, submitted by Gael
Montana |
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Historical
Marker (301 State Hwy 27, Comfort):
FREIDENKER
Nineteenth Century Freethinkers
From 1845 to 1861,
a number of German Freidenker ("Freethinkers") immigrated to the Texas
Hill Country. Freethinkers were German intellectuals who advocated
reason and democracy over religious and political authoritarianism.
Many had participated in the 1848 German revolution and sought freedom
in America. The Freidenker helped establish Bettina, Castell,
Cypress Mill, Luckenbach,
Sisterdale, Tusculum (Boerne)
and Comfort. Laid out in 1854, Comfort soon was home to about half
the population of hill
country Freethinkers.
Freethinkers valued their newfound freedoms of speech, assembly and
religion. Their settlements, where a knowledge of Latin was considered
essential for a cultured intellectual society, became known as "Latin
Colonies." They strongly supported secular education and generally
did not adhere to any formal religious doctrines. They applied themselves
to the crafts of physical labor and divided their time between farming
and intellectual pursuits.
Freethinkers advocated universal equal rights, and their moral values
were dominated by their respect for life. They actively supported
such social issues as the abolition of slavery and the rejection of
secession. Their loyalty to the Union during the Civil War cost many
their freedoms and their lives. Following the war, many Freethinkers
relocated to nearby urban areas, while others returned to Germany.
(2000) |
Comfort, Texas
Chronicles
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Armadillo
Shell Baskets were Big Business in Comfort by Michael Barr
"The Apelt
Armadillo Farm, on Highway 27 between Comfort and Center
Point, once sold armadillo shell baskets all over the world.
The farm was a Hill Country conversation piece for most of the 20th
century. As far as anyone knows it was the only business of its
kind on the planet." more
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The Heart and
Soul of Comfort
TE photo, 2008 |
Kendall
County 1907 postal map
From Texas state map #2090
Courtesy
Texas General Land Office |
Kerr
County 1940s map
From Texas state map #4335
Courtesy
Texas General Land Office |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
Comfort
Tourist Information
Comfort Chamber of Commerce
High Street and 7th
830-995-3131
The book Hill Country by Richard Zelade covers Comfort's buildings
in detail. The book proves its worth with its descriptions and histories
of Comfort's buildings alone.
Book Hotel Here > Comfort
Hotels |
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