ORDER NO. 3 0077
KERR COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMITTEE REPORT
Came to be heard this the 27th day of December, 2006, with a motion made
by Commissioner Williams, seconded by Commissioner Baldwin. The
Court unanimously approved by vote of 4-0-0 to:
Approve and accept the report from the Kerr County Historical Committee.
~.~
3~~Q7-7
COMMISSIONERS' COURT AGENDA REOUEST
PLEASE FURNISH ONE ORIGINAL AND TEN COPIES OF THIS REQUEST
AND DOCUMENTS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE COURT.
MADE BY: Walter Schellhause
MEETING DATE: December 27, 2006
OFFICE: Historical Commission
TIME PREFERRED:
SUBJECT: Consider and discuss report from Kerr County Historical Committee
EXECUTIVE SESSION REQUESTED: (PLEASE STATE REASON)
NAME OF PERSON ADDRESSING THE COURT:
ESTIMATED LENGTH OF PRESENTATION:
IF PERSONNEL MATTER -NAME OF EMPLOYEE:
Time for submitting this request for Court to assure that the matter is posted in accordance
with Title 5, Chapter 551 and 552, Government Code, is as follows:
Meeting scheduled for Mondays:
THIS REQUEST RECEIVED BY:
THIS REQUEST RECEIVED ON:
5:00 P.M. previous Tuesday.
C
All Agenda Requests will be screened by the County Judge's Office to determine if adequate
information has been prepared for the Court's formal consideration and action at time of Court
Meetings. Your cooperation will be appreciated and contribute towards your request being addressed
at the earliest opportunity. See Agenda Request Rules Adopted by Commissioners' Court.
COMMISSIONERS' COURT AGENDA REQUEST
PLEASE FURNISH ONE ORIGINAL AND NINE COPIES OF THIS REQUEST AND DOCUMENTS TO
BE REVIEWED BY THE COURT.
MADE BY: Walter Schellhase
Commission
OFFICE: Kerr County Historical
MEETING DATE: Dec 27, 2006
9:30 AM
SUBJECT: (PLEASE AE SPECIFIC)
Presentation of KCHC annual report
TIME PREFERRED:
EXECUTIVE SESSION REQUESTED: (PLEASE STATE REASON) NO
NAME OF PERSON ADDRESSING THE COURT: Walter Schellhase
ESTIMATED LENGTH OF PRESENTATION: 10 Minutes
IF PERSONNEL MATTER-NAME OF EMPLOYEE:
Time for submitting this request for Court to assure that the matter is posted in accordance with Title 5,
Chapter 551 and 552, Government Code, is as follows:
Meeting scheduled for Mondays: 5:00 P.M. previous Tuesday.
THIS REQUEST RECEIVED BY:
THIS REQUEST RECEIVED ON: @
All Agenda Requests will be screened by the County Judge's Office to determine if adequate information has been
prepared for the Court's formal consideration and action at time of Court Meetings. Your cooperation will be
appreciated and contribute towards your request being addressed at the earliest opportunity. See Agenda Request
Rules Adoption by Commissioners' Court.
2006
ANNUAL REPORT
KERR COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION
TO
KERR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT
December 27, 2006
2006 Annual Report
Kerr County Historical Commission
By charter the Historical Commission is to report annually to the Court on the following:
Membership
Leadership
Activities
This report is being presented for the records of Kerr County on December 27, 2006 for the 2006 calendar year {Dec
OS to Dec 06). In addition to the required part of this report, a 2007 status report will update the Court on the current
needs of the Commission and expected activities.
2007 membership stands at 22. 14 of those are active members and 7 members in name only. The Commission
meets the third Monday of each month at the Union Church Building at 11:45 AM.
At the Annual General Memberhip meeting held in December 2006 the following individuals were elected directors
for 2007:
Ann Bethel
Fmn Collins
,,,, Sue Dyke
Joe Luther
Paul Parks
Walter Schellhase
Irene Van Winkle
Lew Williams
LEADERSHIP
Mike Bowlin
Janey Crum
Wanda Henderson
Julius Neunhoffer
Bryant Saner (Archeological)
Clarabelle Snodgrass
Mindy Wendele (main street)
The following officers for the 2007-year elected from the directors in December 2006 and will serve for two years
(2007 & 2008):
Haskell Fine
Joe Luther
Lew Williams
Committee assignments for 2006 are as follows:
Archives
Junior Historians
Markers
Membership
Oral History
Publicity
Union Church Building
Lea Bell
Brenda Craig
Haskell Fine
Kathryn Mitchell
William Rector
Rene Sherman
Jannie Archer Webb
Gerald Witt
-Chairman
- First Vice Chairman
- Secretary
Mike Bowlin
Paul Parks
Clarabelle Snodgrass
Paul Parks
Irene Van Winkle
Lew Williams
Julius Neunhoffer
2006 ACTIVITIES
Markers
During this reporting period (Jan 2005 thru Dec 2006) the following Texas Historical Makers have been processed,
approved, erected or were dedicated
Divide School -Marker was dedicated November
The Texas Historical Commission has a new processing procedure for obtaining markers. Applications will be
received only in the months of November and December with a deadline of January 2, 2007. No other applications
can be submitted during the year. At the time this new process went into effect the KCHC had the following
applications in process:
La Hacienda
Guthrie Building
Kerrville Times
Page House
Kerr County now has 66 sites and structures that have been designated as historical and have markers on them.
There are many other buildings and sites that should be so designated. However, to have a Texas Historical Marker
placed on a site or structure requires an enormous amount of time to do the research, collect photos, and document
the application. In addition, the owner must pay the cost of the mazker, which runs about $1,200 to $1,500.
A major initiative during 2006 was to try to relocate the Mountain Sun marker [hat was on the McFarland Building.
The plan was to move it to the Guthrie Building where the paper was actually started. However, the THC would not
allow the "subject marker" to be placed on the building. Initiatives with the City to locate the marker on city
"°'~" property in front ofthe building have not been successful as Mindy Wendele, head of Main Street Program, filed an
objection. Therefore, this will be a project for 2007, to decide what to do with the marker.
Union Church Building Project
Some minor work has continued on the Union Church Building during the past year -floor work, front door
refinishing, canopy work around side door and repairs to the sound system.
Landscaping & Parking Plan for Union Church Building
The Commissions finished the planning work for the parking and landscaping for the front of the UCB. The
planned was presented to Schreiner University, Commissioners Court and City of Kerrville. Approval was granted
from all and the estimated cost has been given to the Friends of the Kerr County Historical Commission to develop a
plan for fund raising
This building is a great asset to the community. With an auditorium type seating of 110 and a workshop seating of
40-6Q, this structure is being used for meetings, weddings, and other community celebrations. The use of the
building has increased considerably over the past year and [he rate for using the building has recently been
increased.
Sesquicentennial Celebration
During the I50`" anniversary of the founding of Kerr County on April 7-9, 2006, the Commission sponsored several
activities in and around the UCB. The activities were: a) a napping display, b) a pictorial display of Kerr County
History inside the building, c) a wire fence making machine, d) some musical performances, e) cypress shingle
making activity, t) several other educational activities coordinated with the schools Junior Historians, and KCHC
„_ constructed a historical picture collection at KACC.
Attendance was steady through out the anniversary weekend.
Collectors Plate
As part of the fund raising for the Union Church Building, the Commission had 150 numbered commemorative
collectors plates designed and manufactured. Each plate has a picture of the Union Church Building, as restored,
surrounded by a picture of the original four churches that occupied the building. On the back of the plate is a short
description of the history of the Building. These plates are still being offered for sale at $35.00 each. The sale of
these plates will continue during the 2007 calendar year.
GPS Location of County Cemeteries
This is an on going project by the Commission and is sponsored by The Texas Historical Commission. Several years
ago Gemld W itt, a member of the Commission, prepared a county map showing all the cemeteries in the county.
The Commission is still in the process of establishing the GPS location of these cemeteries. This is an on going
project and will continue during 2007
Oral History
There aze now about 50 completed oral histories in the library. There are still well over 90 individuals that need to
be interviewed and oral histories compiled. However, the time required to accomplish this task is enormous. Until
the Commission has the dedicated membership to undertake this task it will be slow going. However, it will remain
an on going project.
Calendar Project
The Commission published a 2006 calendar for the Sesquicentennial Celebration. This is a Friends fund raising
project for the Commission. The theme of the calendar was `Then & Now". They were on sale through out the year
for $10.00 each.
Archives
The Commission Archives Room is still located in a small room in the basement of the Courthouse. To date there
are thousands of pieces of Kerr County history located in this small room. However, they are not available to the
public due to the lack of security, location and size of the room. Many improvements and additional space is needed
in this area.
Budget
The 2006 budget from the Commissioners' Court was $ 5,000.00. These funds were spent for the following
activities:
Oral History	109.44
Computer Upgrade	- 0 -
Union Church Building Project	2,592.57
Supplies	- 0 -
THC Meeting	176.38
Fence Purchase (balance)	1,201.40
Family Ranch Program	- 0 -
150`h Celebration	910.00
TOTAL $4,989.79
Courthouse Display Cabinet
Mike Bowlin and Paul Parks are maintaining the display cabinets in the Courthouse. Should there be any particular
subject for displays the court would like to see in the cabinets, let the Commission know. These cabinets are for
your use as well as the Commissions.
KACC Participation
Members of the Historical Commission have joined the membership of KACC. This gives the Commission the
opportunity to host an exhibit once ayear -usually in April In 2006 the exhibit was a historical display of Kerr
County and the Kerr County Historical Commission.
Web Site
The KCHC's web site was taken down and supposedly linked to the Kerr County's web page to save the $200 to
$300 dollars each year in hosting cost. However, this effort fell through the crack and was never picked up by the
County. Therefore, for the 2006 calendar year there was no KCHC web site.
Publicity
There have been numerous articles printed in the Daily Times over the past year on activities of the Commission and
its members. The Daily Times has been extremely good in printing articles presented to the paper regarding the
activities of the Commission.
2007 PROJECTS
The 2007 budget from the Commissioners' Court is $3,500.00. These funds have been allocated for the following
activities:
Archives
Historical Marker Brochure
Oral History
Computer Software
Photo Project
Union Church Building
Supplies
Postage
Awards
THC Meetings
Family Ranch Program
Union Church Building
$ 200.00
400.00 (if reprinting is required)
800.00
300.00
300.00
800.00
200.00
150.00
100.00
400.00
50.00
There are several projects at the Union Church Building that need to be addressed. These are:
a. Front door again needs to be refinished. The natural finish and the west afternoon exposure
will be along-term issue.
b. The sound system has had a lighting strike and burned out the amplifiers.
c. There are still a few soft spots on the flooring that need to be addressed.
All of these issues will and/or have been addressed with Alyce.
GPS Location of County Cemeteries
This is an on going project and will continue during the 2007 calendar year.
Photo Project
Continue to work toward this project started several years ago in conjunction with the local Camera Club. The
Commission will be working with the local Camera Club to take a series of picture of current structures within the
City to document what Kerr County 2007 is like. The plan to use this photo collection to show current and historical
pictures of the same sites and to establish a historical collection. A sample of what this coliection will look like is
displayed in the 2006 Historical Calendar.
Oral History
The oral history projects will continue under the direction of Irene Van Winkle. The Commission will continue to
transfer completed oral histories to the library as they are completed for maintenance and availability to the public.
These oral histories are valuable items and a record of Kerr County history.
Historical Marker Location Brochure
Continue to maintain an oversight of the existing brochure supply to assure there is enough quantity in the
community to support the demand. When additional brochures are needed the Commission will update the data on
the brochure and reorder.
Web Site
The Commission's web site will be a link on the Kerr County web beginning eazly in 2007. The KCHC web site
hosted by Omniglobal has been shut down due to the cost. All updating of this site will be maintained by the
Commission as required. Joe Luther, a new member to the Commission, has agreed to work with the County
Webmaster to put this program together.
Calendar
There are no plans at this time to produce a 2007 Calendar.
Membership
Membership in the Commission continues to be a problem. There are numerous projects that the Commission could
undertake if there were more members to participate. The Commission recommends that the Commissioners' Court
appoint individuals from their precincts to serve on the Commission.
Kerr County History Update
All of the Kerr County historical documents need to be updated. There are four significant places where Kerr
County History is recorded - l) The Kerr County Album published by the Kerr County Historical Commission
2) Kerr County History, Kerr County Texas 1856-1956 by Bob Bennett, 3) Kerr County Texas 1856-1976 by Clara
Watkins, and 4) Kerc County Oral Histories developed by the Kerc County Historical Commission. All four of
these sources need to be updated and added to.
Kerr County Historical Video and Slide Presentation
Plans were initiated to develop a 20-30 minute video of Kerc County History in 2007. This is along-standing
project for the Commission and will be part of the 2007 program. This project is left over from the last several
years' initiatives and will be addressed during the coming yeaz.
Historical Markers
The THC Marker Committee has developed a total new program for processing markers. During [he coming year
the county commissions will only be allowed to submit a mazker application from the I ~` of December 2006 to the
2"a of January 2007. Due to this change in the submission process the KCHC has no application submitted for the
coming year. Therefore, all marker applications will be gathered during the year and prepazed and submitted during
the time frame of December 1, 2007 and January 2, 2008.
The Commission is looking a[ the possibility of developing a Kerr County Marker. There are numerous subjects and
buildings that cannot be approved by the THC for one reason or the other but has a significant impact on Kerr
County history. Therefore, it is felt that such a County marker program would be benefitical to the area and Kerr
County history.
Archive's Future
One of last yeaz's major projects was to explore, with library staff, the possibility of using the second floor of the
Kerr Regional History Center. This project will again be a project for 2007. Although this area is unfinished, it is
heated and air-conditioned. At present, all of the Kerr County Historical azchives aze still stored in the small room
in the basement of the courthouse. The second floor of the KRHC would be ideal for the archives now stored in the
courthouse basement. Working in the basement is very undesirable at its best and the public has no access to any of
these valuable documents and items. At present, the Commission uses the small building behind the History Center.
This project will be worked during 2007.
KACC
"' KCHC will continue to provide an annual display on the history of Kerr County at the KACC
facility.
Publicity
There will be a continued effort to bring to the public's attention the activities of the Commission and it's members.
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