Center Point, Texas

Center Point is an unincorporated community in Kerr County, Texas (USA). It had a population of 800 in 2000.

The Center Point Independent School District serves area students.

History

In the mid 1850's, as Kerr County was establishing a new county seat, a small community to the south was being established as a major trade area between Comfort and Kerrsville (later changed to Kerrville) and Bandera and Fredericksburg. On November25, 1859 the first post office was established and called Zanzenberg after the ancestral home of the town founder Dr. Charles Ganahl. Originally opened in the home of Dr. Ganahl the post office stayed there until 1872 when it was moved to the south side of the Guadalupe River where a sizable community was building. When the post office was reopened it was called Center Point due to its location on the trade routes mentioned above. Founded largely by settlers from western Tennessee the community continued to grow as relatives and neighbors from Tennessee converged on the banks of the Guadalupe to call Zanzenburg/Center Point their new home. On September 1, 1857 the first native of Center Point came into this world as Daniel C. Nowlin, son of Dr. James Crispin Nowlin and Ann Gathings Nowlin. Daniel served as Kerr County Surveyor, sheriff of Lincoln County N.M., and then to Wyoming where he was a prominent sheep rancher until his death on February 5, 1925. The first attempt at incorporating Center Point came on August 9, 1889 for "school purposes" as cited in Minutes of Kerr County Commissioners Court, Book D Pages 385-387. they only have 500 people

At the turn of the century Center Point was a thriving trade center and remained so until like so many communities in America it became the victim of progress as the emergence of new highways passed it by. Once again on March 1, 1913 Center Point voted itself an incorporated city, appointed a Mayor, city clerk, commissioners’ health officer and then in October of the same year dissolved itself by a popular vote of the people. It remained unincorporated until the mid 1990's when it was once again voted that incorporation was the way to go. Within less than 2 years it was once again voted that the incorporation should be dissolved. As such Center Point remains as one of the largest unincorporated cities in the State of Texas.

Much of the information above was gleaned from "Kerr County Texas 1856-1956" by Clara Watkins revised edition of Bennett Book.

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