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SOMERSET, TEXAS


Bexar County, South Texas

29° 13' 37" N, 98° 39' 27" W (29.226944, -98.6575)

Highway 1604
15 Miles S of San Antonio
ZIP code 78069
Area code 830
Population: 1,965 Est. (2019)
1,631 (2010) 1,550 (2000)

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Somerset TX Bulldog Water Tower
Somerset Bulldog
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, May 2007

History in a Pecan Shell

Somerset dates from 1848 when it was located in Atascosa County (3 miles south of it's present location). Original settlers were Baptist families who had come from Somerset, Kentucky. The town relocated with the arrival of the Artesian Belt Railroad in 1909.

In 1913 the Somerset oilfield was discovered - which was declared to be the largest shallow field in the world. Two oil refineries were built and the crude oil was pumped into San Antonio. A post office was granted in 1920 and from a population of 50 in 1925, Somerset grew to 700 in three short years. After the boll weevil infestation of the 1920s, farmers gave up on cotton and started fruit and vegetable farming. Diminishing oil returns during the Great Depression sent the town into a decline. By the late 50s there were only eight businesses left. The population reached 1,000 in the late 1970s and has since increased to the present 1,631.

Somerset TX Main Street Buildings
The main street in Somerset
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, May 2007


Somerset TX United Methodist Church
Somerset United Methodist Church
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, May 2007


Somerset TX St. Mary's Catholic Church
St. Mary's Catholic Church, currently undergoing a renovation
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, May 2007


Somerset TX Old Rock Baptist Church
The Old Rock Baptist Church just south of Somerset off FM 476
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, May 2007


Somerset TX Old Rock Baptist Church Historical Marker
The Old Rock Baptist Church Historical Marker
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, May 2007
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Somerset, Texas Nearby Towns:
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