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History
in a Pecan Shell
An Englishman named Sam Neel, settled in the area in the early 1870s. Five
years later the town received a post office and a railroad (the Galveston, Harrisburg
and San Antonio). Named for a railroad official named William
Kingsbury, the town was platted in 1876.
By the mid-1880s the population
was 130 and by 1904 it was 346. Kingsbury schools merged with Seguin's
in the early 1960s. Cotton was the primary
economic force until oil was discovered in the 1920s.
The town reached
its zenith in 1968 with 450 Kingburians, slowly declining to the current estimate
of 200.
Seguin
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"My
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Area Hotels - Book Here >
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Kingsbury Texas ForumHomage
to Ray, Mama Ray and the Gut-stuffing Meals in Kingsbury
Dear TE, Heading to San Antonio
from my hometown of Dallas, I began
to think about driving through San
Marcos, the city of my alma mater (now Texas State University). One of my
fondest memories back in the late 70's and early 80's was a monthly trip to Kingsbury
for a Mexican food at Ray's Cafe. It would usually be a carload or two of college
guys heading to our culinary Mecca for a gut-stuffing meal. I will assure anyone
who cares that this was the best TexMex restaurant in the world. Ray's Cafe was
run by an elderly couple and I think the man was named Ray. I think his wife,
who we called Mama Ray ran the place. This was home-made peasant food at it's
best. I have since eaten my way across France and Italy and would consider [the
food at] Ray's Cafe worldclass. Ray would usually come out after a few beers and
sing a song or two with his guitar. He had written a little ditty about Kingsbury
but never seemed to get past the first verse. Anyway, I assume this place is long
gone but wished to pay it the necessary homage it deserved. - Steve Davis,
Dallas, October 26, 2007
Subject:
Kingsbury, Texas
Dear TE, I was born in Seguin,
where I now live, but I was rasied in Kingsbury. I love Kingsbury. It's small
but it's also quiet and there's no loud music. You know everybody
and you can walk down the street and nothing will happen to you. Only if you walk
by the cemetery then you might see the ghost of an old man driving his old timey
car and you have to watch out for big spiders when crossing the road. I was told
the tree in front of the old post office was once used as a hanging tree.
I now live in Seguin
but I still make it back to Kingsbury because my grandma lives there. She's 75
and she has lived there the last 27 years. She told me she will die in Kingsbury
and doesn't want to move to the city. I remember when my grandpa was alive he
would take me outside with him to watch him weld or we might look for fossils
and arrowheads from along ago. I remember walking through the pasture, just walking
with my grandpa. My grandma taught me that when you get a thorn in your foot to
put a piece of bacon on it and in the morning the thorn would be out. To this
day I use that remedy for my five kids. My grandma has also taught me that when
you are out of food, that it's okay, someone will bring you some since He is up
above watching over us. My grandma is poor but if somebody needs anything, she
is right there to help. - Brandy G., Seguin, September 07, 2007
Subject: History of
the Kingsbury Family
Dear TE, Several years ago I visited the village
of Kingsbury, Texas and was quite impressed with the history of the town. I remember
having a wonderful conversation with a lady in the Post Office and she was kind
enough to give me a written history of the town. That was my first time to hear
the story about the town being named for William Kingsbury, a railroad engineer.
Since that day so many years ago now, I have gone on to research and publish a
history of the Kingsbury family. |
I
discovered that the town of Kingsbury derives its name from Dr. William Greely
Kingsbury. Dr. Kingsbury worked as a dentist and purchased a large ranch in Boerne,
Texas which he named (appropriately) the Molar Ranch. Dr. Kingsbury was not
involved with the railroad, but he did a wonderful job promoting Texas
to the British Isles and apparently was very instrumental in bringing many new
settlers to the area.
The Governor of Texas recognized the wonderful
efforts of Dr. Kingsbury by naming the town of Kingsbury, Texas in his honor.
I have this history recorded in the book I published Kingsbury Hall: The Genealogy
of a Family. - Kenneth Kingsbury, Dallas, February 14, 2007 |
Kingsbury
Hall
Order Here | |
Request
for info from Kingsbury and Seguin
My Father's name was Francisco Navarro
Verdeja and he was raised in Kingsbury, Texas in the mid 1920s... When I was a
young girl he used to tell me stories about living in Kingsbury and Seguin.
I used to think "Wow!" Living out in the open with lots of land and trees
and listening to the family sing their songs on the porch. The smell of home cooking...
what more could anyone ask? So young and enjoying life on the ranch - poor but
yet so rich.
When World War II began my father and all of his brothers
were drafted and they wouldn't see each other for awhile. My father told me that
he hadn't heard from his brothers for months - and one day his company had stopped
to rest. As they were resting another company was moving out. It wasn't until
later that evening my father found out that his brother Patricio was in the company
that had just pulled out - and he missed seeing him by a few hours...
more |
Heavy
Metal in Kingsbury
TE Photo, 2001 | |
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