Walking Tour
By Joe Comingore
Begin at Central Park, on East Nolte St. south of the Courthouse
The stone marker C.S.A., Confederate States of America marker, erected by the state, is a reminder that Guadalupe County joined the Confederate forces during the Civil War and had a staging (gathering and training) area located between Jefferson Avenue and Court St. west of Guadalupe St.
An iron fence with turnstiles circled the third courthouse. This prevented the roaming animals such as cattle and hogs from damaging the courthouse property. The fence was removed and used to fence the Zuehl cemetery. This part of the fence was returned in 1996.
Under the government stake at the tree is a well-mutilated survey marker stating the altitude at this location is exactly 528 feet above sea level.
Turn right and walk to the corner of South Austin St. and East Court St.
Guadalupe County's Bulletin Board is in a case at this corner. From this board a person will find the activities of the county, including properties for sale through default, such as non-payment of taxes.
Cross Austin St. and Court St. Proceed north, stopping at Gonzales St.
On the southwest corner of Gonzales St. and Austin St. was the Grande Central Hotel that boasted a dining room, a music room, and a barbershop. Seguin's Wonderland Theater was located on Austin St. just south of the barbershop. The Wonderland Theater began showing moving pictures in the Kempenstein Opera House located upstairs at the southwest corner of Gonzales St. and North River St.
The Tri-County Land Surveying, Inc business, 114 North Austin St. has old tools and instruments of surveying. Their Christmas display is one of Seguin's finest.
Walk west on Gonzales St.
At 111 West Gonzales St. is the Leon Studio. Leon and Nelda Kubala always had pictures of "Old Seguin" and/or it's people in their window. Their library of pictures will be preserved locally.
Turn right at the corner, cross West Gonzales St.
Look west at the (old) Post Office Seguin has had many Post Office locations. This building was built in 1934 while Franklin Roosevelt was President, J.W. Morganthau Secy. Treasurer, and James Farley was Postmaster General. The building qualifies for a historical marker. In the year 2000, the building became the law office of A. Rober Raetzsch and Wm. L. Knobles.
There are some rather large old oak trees west of the (old) post office. This is a part of a group of trees known as the Ranger Oaks. Under Rangers Jack Hays and James Callahan, a group of renegades and Indians were captured, brought to town, and forced to dig a trench in the area of the Ranger Oaks. The captives were then lined up and shot so their bodies fell into the trench, thus saving some trouble of the burial.
The I.S.D. Joe F. Saegert Middle School, named for an early school superintendent, is located at the west end of Gonzales St. The four acre block was the original site of the Guadalupe Female Academy built in 1851. The Jesuit Fathers bought the building and property and in 1884 sold the properties to the Guadalupe Baptist District Association. Their first session of school was in 1887. George W. Brackenridge of San Antonio was a large benefactor of Guadalupe College. He gained control of these properties which his heirs sold to the I.S.D. in 1927. The I.S.D. opened the Seguin High School in this building in 1929.
Proceed north on North Camp. Cross Mountain St. and look west.
The large oak in the back yard in the first block on the left is called the Charter Oak. Under its branches 33 shareholders met and agreed to form a town site, Walnut Springs, which later became Seguin.
Turn right.
As late as 1914, a blacksmith shop was located at the northeast corner of North Camp St. and West Mountain St.
The next bulding east housed the Fire Department on the ground floor. Walk down the alley at the side of the building to see the recently bricked doorways at the rear of the first floor. This was the stable area where the two horses for the fire departments combination wagon were kept at ready." The fire department also maintained a hand-drawn horse-and-ladder truck. In 1914, the fire department had one paid driver. The building was later used for youth services before the State Bank & Trust rebuilt it.
Proceed east to Austin and Mountain Streets.
The Aumont Hotel, named for its location at the corner of Austin and Moutain Streets was built in 1916 on the site of an old livery stable. The Chicago White Sox team stayed at the Aumont for spring training at Seguin in 1922 and 1923. This was the period of time the White Sox were often called the Black Sox because of their scandal. Just north of the livery stable was the town's undertaker.
Turn right and walk south.
On the east side of Austin St. was located a barber, a tailor, an agricultural implement store that also sold harnesses and buggies, a grocery store, a clothing store, and a dry goods store.
The stone marker C.S.A., Confederate States of America marker, erected by the state, is a reminder that Guadalupe County joined the Confederate forces during the Civil War and had a staging (gathering and training) area located between Jefferson Avenue and Court St. west of Guadalupe St.
An iron fence with turnstiles circled the third courthouse. This prevented the roaming animals such as cattle and hogs from damaging the courthouse property. The fence was removed and used to fence the Zuehl cemetery. This part of the fence was returned in 1996.
Under the government stake at the tree is a well-mutilated survey marker stating the altitude at this location is exactly 528 feet above sea level.
Turn right and walk to the corner of South Austin St. and East Court St.
Guadalupe County's Bulletin Board is in a case at this corner. From this board a person will find the activities of the county, including properties for sale through default, such as non-payment of taxes.
Cross Austin St. and Court St. Proceed north, stopping at Gonzales St.
On the southwest corner of Gonzales St. and Austin St. was the Grande Central Hotel that boasted a dining room, a music room, and a barbershop. Seguin's Wonderland Theater was located on Austin St. just south of the barbershop. The Wonderland Theater began showing moving pictures in the Kempenstein Opera House located upstairs at the southwest corner of Gonzales St. and North River St.
The Tri-County Land Surveying, Inc business, 114 North Austin St. has old tools and instruments of surveying. Their Christmas display is one of Seguin's finest.
Walk west on Gonzales St.
At 111 West Gonzales St. is the Leon Studio. Leon and Nelda Kubala always had pictures of "Old Seguin" and/or it's people in their window. Their library of pictures will be preserved locally.
Turn right at the corner, cross West Gonzales St.
Look west at the (old) Post Office Seguin has had many Post Office locations. This building was built in 1934 while Franklin Roosevelt was President, J.W. Morganthau Secy. Treasurer, and James Farley was Postmaster General. The building qualifies for a historical marker. In the year 2000, the building became the law office of A. Rober Raetzsch and Wm. L. Knobles.
There are some rather large old oak trees west of the (old) post office. This is a part of a group of trees known as the Ranger Oaks. Under Rangers Jack Hays and James Callahan, a group of renegades and Indians were captured, brought to town, and forced to dig a trench in the area of the Ranger Oaks. The captives were then lined up and shot so their bodies fell into the trench, thus saving some trouble of the burial.
The I.S.D. Joe F. Saegert Middle School, named for an early school superintendent, is located at the west end of Gonzales St. The four acre block was the original site of the Guadalupe Female Academy built in 1851. The Jesuit Fathers bought the building and property and in 1884 sold the properties to the Guadalupe Baptist District Association. Their first session of school was in 1887. George W. Brackenridge of San Antonio was a large benefactor of Guadalupe College. He gained control of these properties which his heirs sold to the I.S.D. in 1927. The I.S.D. opened the Seguin High School in this building in 1929.
Proceed north on North Camp. Cross Mountain St. and look west.
The large oak in the back yard in the first block on the left is called the Charter Oak. Under its branches 33 shareholders met and agreed to form a town site, Walnut Springs, which later became Seguin.
Turn right.
As late as 1914, a blacksmith shop was located at the northeast corner of North Camp St. and West Mountain St.
The next bulding east housed the Fire Department on the ground floor. Walk down the alley at the side of the building to see the recently bricked doorways at the rear of the first floor. This was the stable area where the two horses for the fire departments combination wagon were kept at ready." The fire department also maintained a hand-drawn horse-and-ladder truck. In 1914, the fire department had one paid driver. The building was later used for youth services before the State Bank & Trust rebuilt it.
Proceed east to Austin and Mountain Streets.
The Aumont Hotel, named for its location at the corner of Austin and Moutain Streets was built in 1916 on the site of an old livery stable. The Chicago White Sox team stayed at the Aumont for spring training at Seguin in 1922 and 1923. This was the period of time the White Sox were often called the Black Sox because of their scandal. Just north of the livery stable was the town's undertaker.
Turn right and walk south.
On the east side of Austin St. was located a barber, a tailor, an agricultural implement store that also sold harnesses and buggies, a grocery store, a clothing store, and a dry goods store.