The other day a fellow from a big town newspaper called and wanted to know, as an old timer, how I felt about the traffic in and around Boerne today. He left the message on the answering machine and I never called him back.

My first thought was in comparison to what and when? I can only imagine how the old timers of the 1930s felt when the automobiles spooked their horses and horses and buggies.

Then came the ‘40s and ‘50s. One old fellow would tie his paint horse to the utility pole in front of “Max’s Place” while he drank beer for most of the day. In trying to leave and mount his horse, I have seen on numerous occasions, the person would throw himself completely over the saddle and onto the pavement on the other side. I don’t know if he was worried about the traffic or just getting mounted on his horse.

Another fellow would ride his beautiful black stallion the seven or eight miles from his ranch and have it prance up and down Main Street for all to see. Traffic was no worry; every one stopped and watched his exhibition.

Saturday was a day when many of the country folks would come to town on their horses. Adam Warren had this buggy that was pulled by an old pony that surely came off Noah’s ark. Adam was so heavy that the buggy leaned to the side where he rode.  He had trouble getting on and off so he would drive to the front of a business and hit his cane on the side of the buggy to attract attention and the merchant would come out and serve his needs. As large as Adam was, traffic gave him the right of way.

Then there was Albert Washington. Albert had an old truck and also a paint horse. To save on gas (17 cents a gallon) he would usually use the paint. One of Albert’s ways of making money was to buy bones and rags and resell them in San Antonio. He would go around on his horse to let people know when he would be around to buy the rags and bones and then he would return later with the pickup to purchase the products. I don’t believe he let the traffic bother him. Life was too simple.

In the last few years I have heard numerous people talking about how they had lived in Boerne for so long they remember when there was only one traffic light.  They could brag even more if they could remember when first there were two lights. The first traffic lights in Boerne were installed at approximately the same time. One on the corner of Main and Blanco and the other at Main and Theisen.  Were they installed for traffic? No. They were installed to assist the children in crossing the street on the way to school. Ask Doug Dugosh how they were also used to signal the start of an auto race to try to get from one light to the other before the second one changed.

Do I let the traffic bother me? Definitely not!  I bypass downtown Boerne and go Bergheim, Kendalia, Sisterdale and, if I really want to see the bright lights, I take a shopping trip to Comfort.

John E. Vogt
Boerne

Keeping Scenic Loop scenic

Today, the Scenic Loop-Boerne Stage Corridor remains the last remaining historical and scenic pathway connecting San Antonio with the Texas Hill County. Every other corridor that connects San Antonio with the Texas Hill Country, without exception, has been upgraded to allow for maximum transport of traffic. The Corridor follows a pre-historic migratory route used by Comanche and Lipan Apache Native Americans. Spanish land grants were given to Mexican, Canary Islander, and German immigrants, and homesteads were established in the mid-1800s. Boerne Stage Road was the main stage coach and freight route from San Antonio to the City of Fredericksburg. In the1920s, the Old Spanish Trail auto highway followed this beautiful, scenic route. The original Scenic Loop Road was a 46.3 mile roundtrip loop from downtown San Antonio.

Because of the lack of county regulation minimal municipal regulation, and intensive development of rural areas outlying San Antonio, the Scenic Loop-Boerne Stage Corridor is under continued threat of being upgraded. Over the years, there have been attempts to develop the Corridor to make it just one more fast multi-lane roadway to get from San Antonio to the Hill Country. Folks living along the Corridor managed to defeat a serious attempt in the 1980’s to expand Scenic Loop to four lanes and increase the speed limit. Since then, the community has remained vigilant in its defense of the integrity of the Corridor.

In January of this year, the Grey Forest Historical Society applied for a historic subject marker for the Scenic Loop Playground (which is now the City of Grey Forest). It has been approved by Bexar County Commissioners Court and the Texas Historical Commission. The Grey Forest Historical Society has also applied for Historic District designation for the Scenic Loop Playground. In addition, there has been a resolution from Rep. David Leibowitz to grant county authority to protect the Corridor, and letter of support have been submitted (or have been received) from the cities of Grey Forest, Helotes, and Leon Valley, the Bexar County Commissioners Court, the Southern Texas Archaeological Association and the Bexar County Historical Commission to preserve the Corridor and have it declared historic and scenic.

To help preserve the Scenic Loop-Boerne Stage Corridor, last week the Helotes Heritage Association applied for a Worldwide Tourism Grant to create a roadside storyboard inclusive of maps, images and descriptions of the extensive history of the corridor, with references for more information to educate tourists and local residents of its rich natural and cultural history. In-kind contributions have been committed by the Helotes Heritage Association, the Friends of Scenic Loop, the Grey Forest Historical Society, Scenic Loop-Boerne Stage Alliance, Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, Hill Country Planning Association, and the Scenic Loop Playground Association.

The Scenic Loop-Boerne Stage Corridor project will go beyond educating travelers and local communities of the significant historic and cultural history of the Corridor. Preserving the integrity of the Corridor will also protect its fragile natural resources including the source area for the Edwards Aquifer and endangered bird and cave species. In addition, and very importantly, it will provide a fitting and appropriate roadway to the soon-to-be-developed 33-acre Sen. Frank Madla Memorial Park.

Ron Green
HHA president