Bragging Rights: the Highest Peaks in Kendall County
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Banner Graphic - Kristy Watson - Polonyx Graphic Design Bragging Rights: The Highest Peaks in Kendall County 2019 Winter By Mike Howle n my career as a geographic 451 N. Main St. I data coordinator I am occa- Boerne, TX 78006 sionally asked “What is the 830-249-3053 - highest point in Kendall Coun- 2020: December www.boernelibrary.org ty?” What is it in our DNA that wants to know what the high In this Issue: ground is? Attaining a lofty Bragging Rights position in order to gaze down Texas Treasures from a position of strength…a Magical History Tours King of the Hill? Planning for Joseph Graham refuge in the case of epic Ancient Trails, Part 3 flooding in our hills? Or just fun trivial facts? Elevations are certainly relative from sea The Pink Boll Weevil Peril - January Toepperwein Rifle level to the Rocky Mountains. For instance, the state that is sometimes known to be 1909 Boerne Incorporation “flat as a pancake,” Kansas, has a high elevation of 4,039 feet…compare that number to In Memorium: our Kendall County hills. Kate Skinner-Klee - In some cases the high ground is obvious and sometimes dramatic. In the Texas Hill February Country, after being here a while, it’s a bit less dramatic because everywhere you look you see the high ground. And that is why the question of “What’s the highest elevation in Kendall County” is so interesting. When you get on top of a hill and all the surrounding landscape is lower than where you stand, it begs the question, “Is this the highest point in the county?” Over the years I’ve heard many claims that this or that hill/mountain (what makes a hill a moun- tain is a topic for another time) is the highest point, or the second or third highest point Digital Media Lab in the county? Some realtors use the claim to help sell property. Luckily for me the Comfort Garage question is easily an- swered. Thanks to the United States Geological Administration and the National Geodetic Survey (administered by NOAA) the geographic data is readily available. (Continued on page 2) 2 Bragging Rights, cont. Searching in Google for “What’s the highest point in Kendall County, Texas?,” the first result that shows up states Mala- kopf Hill is “one of the Summits in Kendall County, Texas” with an elevation of 1,762 feet. Is that right? Where does Mala- kopf Hill rank in “one of the Summits in Kendall County Texas”? And yet another result is from a realtor’s claim that this “28 Acres is the Highest Point in Kendall County and is located off Turkey Knob Road.” Which is correct and how do we know for sure? Well if you ’re one to believe that the USGS survey of Kendall County is correct (and I do) then the answer is available. The study of elevations is a huge topic and I won’t get too much into the weeds on this, but it’s safe to say that the average person does not need to know what Control Data, Monuments, Datum’s or Projections are, or even how they factor into determining our county’s highest elevation. Using the USGS paper maps requires looking for elevation text on the map. And one quickly realizes that not all “Named Peaks” have elevations noted and even some noted spot elevations are not named. Why are some hills named and others not? I don’t know the answer to that question other than to say that the person performing the survey used his own inter- pretations or local knowledge to name prominent elevations and those names made it onto the map. Here is a website link that you can use to find these names and elevations found on topo maps: https://viewer.nationalmap.gov/advanced- viewer/. If you are adventurous, you can toggle around Kendall County and locate the higher peaks, maybe even the high- est. If that is your plan don’t read any further. Spoiler alert: for those who like cliff notes I’ve prepared a list below of Kendall County elevation examples according to the USGS geospatial Climb Every Mountain: data and ranked them (from low to high)…these are some of the bigger Hills, Ranges, Mountains, peaks. See where some of your favorites rank. Buttes, Knobs of Kendall County Is our county’s award winner on the list? According to the data that I have on hand, Kendall County has an elevation range differential of 1061 Schleicher Mtn. 1704/1768 ft. ft. between the highest and lowest, with 1020 ft. being the lowest along Malakopf Hill 1748 ft. the Guadalupe River in the southeastern part of the county; adding the two together, Mount Riga 1801 ft. that would mean Wolf Mtn. 1810 ft. that our highest elevation is 2081. Lone Hill 1831 ft. And as it so hap- pens, the highest Bust Buttes 1843/1854 ft. elevation…is an Cedar Mtn. 1851 ft. unnamed peak, one that reaches Cave Hill 1855 ft. 2081 ft. and is Rattlesnake Mtn. 1894 ft. located in the far northwest cor- Dunners Mtn. 1894 ft. ner of the coun- Meta Mtn. 1913 ft. ty (right). Pointed Mtn. 1914 ft. Kendalia (Bench Mark/ Mike Howle is Monument Control) 1925 ft. the Geographic Information Broad Mtn. 1954 ft. System (GIS) Manager for Turkey Knob 2042 ft. (+ or -) Kendall County. 3 Texas Historical Commission Awards Texas Treasure Designation to Two Boerne Centurions: The Boerne Star and Kendall County Abstract Company Tuesday, December 3, 2 p.m. Two bedrock Boerne institutions, the Boerne Star and the Kendall County Abstract Company, both with over one hun- dred years of enterprise apiece, have been awarded the Texas Historical Commission’s Texas Treasure business award for their stability and long term contributions to the citizens of Kendall County. As the award’s minimum threshold is fifty years, both establishments have been intertwined with the fabric of Kendall County and Boerne for over twice that win- dow; their legacies preceded World War I. With a one-time banner that read,“ Issued Every Thursday in the Land of Sunshine, Milk, and Honey,” the first edition of Boerne Star actually came off the press on December 29, 1905, Vintage Photo with Boerne Star Editor, E. J. Brucks (left) but with its first full year under its belt, has always claimed 1906 as the first year of publication. Over the years the Boerne Star has had many publishers, editors and locations. Prior to locking into its current offices at 941 North School Street in 2006, the Boerne Star’s offices zigzagged up and down and across Main Street in at least four prime locations. The Kendall County Abstract Company (KCAC) has a pedigree of 1913; when chronicled in the Dallas Morning News that year, it revealed familiar com- munity names of John Reinhard and H. J. Graham as incorporators. Over time, KCAC had several owners and toggled between three Boerne Main Street locations before they settled in around the 1950s at their present location of 103 N. Saunders. On Tuesday, December 3rd, Texas State Repre- sentative Kyle Beidermann and a representative from Texas State Senator Donna Campbell’s staff will take part in presenting each business with the Texas Treasure award. At 2:00 p.m., the Boerne Early Era Photo of Paul Holekamp Star will receive their award at their 941 North Abstractor with Long Term Ties to KCAC School facility; the KCAC presentation will begin at 3:00 p.m. at their 103 N. Saunders office. Both award ceremonies are open to the public, and our magical history tourists are invited! Any questions, please contact Bryden Moon, [email protected]. 4 Magical History Tours-Winter 2019-2020 January 14, 2020, 10:30 a.m. San Antonio Museum of Art with Docent and Library Advisory Board Member Ann Meyer! We are taking our Magical History Tour indoors this January with a spe- cial tour of the San Antonio Museum of Art with PHPL board member Ann Meyer! As a docent for the mu- seum, Ann is uniquely skilled to offer us an insider look at the museum with a focus on Asian art & history— as it relates to her recent travels along the Silk Road. We’ll meet at the museum on Tues- day, January 14, at 10:30 a.m., 200 W. Jones Avenue in downtown San Antonio, and follow our tour with a dutch treat lunch. Museum cost for the tour is $15/person for SAMA non -members; members are free. For reservations, please RSVP to Robin no later than January 9 by emailing [email protected]. Tuesday, February 11, 10 a.m. Blanco Buggy Barn Museum Step back in time and explore the transportation meth- ods for the mid-1800s to the turn of the century with a tour of more than 200 buggies. Several buggies in this collection have been used in movies such as the remake of True Grit, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, There Will Be Blood, The Redemption of Henry Myers, Deliverance Creek; the television series: Revolution, and Underground. We’ll meet in Blanco at the Buggy Barn Museum at 1915 Main Street in downtown Blanco for a tour from museum owners father-daughter duo Dennis and Amanda Moore. Following the buggy tour, we’ll head over to the Redbird Café on Blanco’s historic square for a dutch treat lunch! RSVP to Robin by February 6 by emailing [email protected]. 5 Joseph Graham: United States Consul Buenos Ayres By Kathryn Adam Hurst Before Joseph Graham became the first chief justice* of Kendall County in 1862, he lived and worked as a United States Consul in Buenos Ayres.** President John Tyler ap- pointed him to this position in November 1844.