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Kyle's distinctive
red, white and blue water tower can be seen from any part of the town
and has a way of including itself in nearly every photograph of Kyle.
More Texas
Water Towers |
Kyle is Hays
County's second city.
History in
a Pecan Shell
Jay Gould, the
19th Century railroad magnate decided that his International-Great
Northern Railroad needed a station between Austin
and San Marcos.
He made a deal with property owners David Moore and Fergus
Kyle and 200 acres of their former land was auctioned off in 1880
under the Kyle
Auction Oak.
By 1881, Kyle had four saloons and a newspaper (The Kyle Nutshell)
so that the saloon patrons had something to read between drinks. Many
anecdotal stories of Kyle's first years are included in Richard
Zelade's Hill County, Lone Star Books (Gulf Publishing) 1999.
A Town so Nice - They Incorporated Twice
In 1895 the city incorporated the first time. Two years later they
decided it was a bad idea. The second incorporation in 1906 held.
Kyle suffered several fires in its history, which accounts for the
missing buildings. Surviving buildings date back to the 1890s.
See Kyle Historical Marker › |
The Tombstone
of Fergus Kyle.
TE photo |
Historical Marker:
City Hall Square, 106 S. Main
Kyle
Two antebellum
settlements, the Blanco or Nance community (7 mi. W) and Mountain
City (3 mi. W), provided the early population and business for Kyle
after the city was founded in 1880. Fergus Kyle, for whom the town
was named, and the family of David Moore donated 200 acres of land
for a townsite when the International & Great Northern Railroad built
a line from Austin to
San Antonio. Lots
were first sold in October 1880 as an auction held beneath a liveoak
at 204 S. sledge Street. The first business was a saloon and meat
market owned by Tom Martin.
An 1895 election incorporated the town but voters discontinued the
status two years later. Kyle was incorporated again in 1906 and J.
W. Tompkins served as the first mayor.
In the 1940s Kyle residents elected an all-woman municipal government.
The mayor, who won using a write-in campaign, was Mary Kyle Hartson
(1865-1956), daughter of Fergus Kyle. Her brother Edwin Jackson Kyle
(b. 1876) was dean of the Texas A&M School of Agriculture. He later
served in the administrations of Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and
Harry Truman as the ambassador to Guatemala (1944-48). Kyle Football
Field at Texas A&M University is named in his honor.
1980 |
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"My family
had farming interests in Kyle and Buda and my great grandfather founded
Science Hall when he migrated to Texas from North Carolina after the
Civil War. Here is an old photo of the original Science Hall"
- David J. Andrews |
Kyle, Texas
Landmarks / Attractions
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Historic Trees
in Kyle
Kyle has two famous
trees: The Auction Oak and The Kyle Hanging Tree ( Click on the
names for their images and short histories. )
Kyle
Auction Oak is located inside Kyle on Sledge Street, about two
blocks south of Center Street. Since there seem to be two distinct
trunks, it is sometimes referred to as The Auction Oaks.
Kyle Hanging Tree is a few miles down Old Post Road on your
left.
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"The New
City Hall is where the Bon Ton building stood till it burned down
in 2002. See Historical Marker for
info. The marker stands at the front of City Hall."
- William
Beauchamp, June 2009 |
Old D. A. Young
Building historical marker
Photo courtesy Sarah
Reveley, 2008 |
| Kyle's
oldest stone building was recently razed by its owner. Across the
street from the bare spot is another stone building next to the Kyle
Police Station. This is the former Creamery, where we met The
Kyle Creamery Cat |
The historic
International-Great Northern Railroad
Photo
courtesy Sarah
Reveley, 2008 |
Kyle historical
marker
City Hall Square, 106 S. Main
Photo
courtesy William
Beauchamp, June 2009 |
Lex Word and
the Bon Ton historical marker
Photo courtesy William
Beauchamp, June 2009 |
Kyle
City Offices
512 268-5341 Website: www.cityofkyle.com
Kyle,
Texas Forum
Here are two
pictures of the Kyle City Jail.
This was moved from Kyle some years ago and added to the western
town attractions at Aquarena Springs in San Marcos. They have since
closed that part of the park and offered the City of Kyle the opportunity
to come get their jail. The structure was in bad shape and the City
did not have a good place to put it so they declined. But we have
pictures none-the-less.
Also, the old Kyle train depot
has been donated to the City and moved from private property back
to a location fronting the UP line in downtown Kyle. It is currently
sitting on a flatbed waiting to be put into place. Once it is in
position I will send along some pictures of that as well.- Peter
French, President, Kyle Area Chamber of Commerce, January 30, 2004
"I was amused
to see that good old Jay Gould had participated in the founding
of Sierra
Blanca, as he also participated in the founding the town in
which I live, Kyle. Thank you for your work, I enjoy your site very
much." - Peter French
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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
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