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of the county’s 5,889 residents lived in either Boerne or Comfort.
The rapid growth of Kendall County in 1970s and 1980s was prompted by development in northwestern Bexar County during the late 1960s. The newly completed Interstate Highway 10 lessened the need for rail service, and the Southern Paci c abandoned the remaining track in the county in 1970. The Interstate also provided area residents with a more convenient means of commuting than did the old U.S. Highway 87. As more people moved to Kendall County, several residential developments and subdivisions were built in the southern half of the county, accommodating the larger population adjacent to the limits of Boerne proper. The county had 10,635 residents in 1980, a 52 percent increase over the 1970 population of 6,964, the population in 1990 was 14,589. Boerne itself grew from 2,400 residents in 1970 to 4,867 in 1990. And in 2018, the population of Kendall Country grew to 45,641. In the early 1980’s 86% of county land was in farms and ranches, but only 5% of that land was under cultivation. Hay, oats, wheat, and sorghum were the primary crops, accounting for 90% of the 12,000 acres harvested, other crops included peaches and pecans. More than 90% of agricultural receipts came from livestock and livestock products, the most important ones being cattle, milk, sheep, wool, angora goats, mohair, and hogs. Agricultural products
accounted for 10% to 15% of the county’s annual income in the 1980s, the rest came from industry, tourism, and support services. Professional and related services, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, and construction work involved 57% of the labor force, 15% of the work force was self-employed, and 48% were employed outside the county. Industries with the highest employment were agribusiness and heavy construction. Kendall County retains much of its German heritage, re ected in the architecture and surnames of many of its residents, as well as in the atmosphere of its communities. Residents enjoyed celebrating their local history, holding the annual Volkssportverein’s Easter Walk in April, the Berges Fest in June, and Christmas In Comfort in November. These events, in addition to the Guadalupe River State Park, attract many visitors to the area and provide the county with signi cant tourist trade.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Kendall County Historical Commission, A History of Kendall County, Texas (Dallas: Taylor, 1984). Garland A. Perry, Historic Images of Boerne, Texas (Boerne: Perry Enterprises, 1982). Guido E. Ransleben, A Hundred Years of Comfort in Texas (San Antonio: Naylor, 1954, rev. ed. 1974). Gregory J. Krauter, local historian (1950-2007)
Comfort Area Chamber of Commerce
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