Cibolo has a rich history in the development of south Texas. It is located in the extreme western corner of Guadalupe County in south central Texas. The City of Cibolo is within easy access of Seguin and San Antonio, the major metropolitan center of south central Texas. Cibolo lies approximately 13 miles east of the San Antonio metropolitan area.
It is said that in 1876 Mr. Schlather, a local businessman, was asked by the railroad to name the town and he named it after Cibolo Creek. However, The City of Cibolo's history begins long before this historic date, when the Commanche and other tribes roamed this area long before the first German settlers arrived. In fact, the name Cibolo is Native American for "buffalo". On October 9, 1965, Cibolo voted to become an independent township and the first "City Fathers" were M.O. Grooms, Mayor, and Carl Biser, Ted Dykes, Alwin Lieck, Fred Niemietz and D.O Trotti, Councilmen.
Today, Cibolo is quite different from what is was in the early 1900's. However, Cibolo has still retained its charming "country-style" way of life and the buffalo has been adopted into our modern logo to honor its original inhabitants.
Interesting Facts:
- The Southern Pacific Railroad cuts through present day Cibolo. It connects with larger cities such as Houston and San Antonio.
- For several decades cotton was the major cash crop in Cibolo. The fertile land and the flowing Cibolo Creek in the Cibolo Valley provided ideal conditions for boom in agriculture.
- Corn, wheat, oats and milo maize were all major crops of the farming city.
History of the Old Spanish Trail
- Old Spanish Trail movement organized to promote a paved automobile highway across the southern United States connecting 6 centers of historical interest: St. Augustine, New Orleans, San Antonio, El Paso, Tucson, and San Diego.
- December 11 and 12, 1915, Mobile, Alabama meeting to connect New Orleans to the east coast of Florida.
- July 1919, Houston, Texas conference held to ask San Antonio to lead movement across Texas.
- November 1919, San Antonio conference gathered pledges for Texas
- June-December 1922, Mr Ayres in Washington DC. gathered signatures of majority of senators and congressmen to declare OST a basic trunk line of US system assuring every mile of OST included the Federal Aid Mileage. J. M. Wainwright of the U.S. War Dept declared highway an essential element of U.S. defense.
- March 27, 1924, Texas Gov. Pat Neff dedicated zero mile marker of OST on San Antonio City Hall grounds.
- April 1929, first motorcade from San Diego to St. Augustine organized by Mrs. F. W. Sorrell of Alamo Misson Chapter DRT and Trail Beautification Committee
- April 19, 1930 Don Pablo de Ubarri, representative of His Majesty Alphonso XIII of Spain, presented Royal Order of Spain, the Confederation of the Royal Order of Isabel la Catolica to Harral Ayres (cross to be returned to Spain upon Ayres' death) for 10 years of leadership.
- 1936 Stone bench marker placed at corner of Fredericksburg Road and Vance Jackson by the Alamo Mission Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Commemorating the OST.
- 2002 Plans begun for decade-long highly publicized Centennial Celebration of OST from 2015 Mobile organizational reenactment, 2024 marker reenactment to 2029 historic motorcade reenactment
((Information provided by www.oldspanishtrailcentennial.com))