Everything You Need to Know About Wilson County Living Before Moving to Floresville Texas
Floresville Texas has been a rural farming community since its early days. One of the main crops has been peanuts. Besides peanuts, cotton and cattle have been big.
It is located southeast of San Antonio and is an easy commute. One leaves San Antonio via IH 37 and takes the exit to Hwy 181S past Loop 410. From there the drive is about 18 miles to the Floresville city limits.
Floresville is the county seat of Wilson county and has a small population of about 7,000 in the city limits in 2019 and has grown to 8,000 as of 2020 census but has a large population in the outlying rural subdivisions. Because those rural subdivisions have been developed outside the city limits, those subdivisions have no city taxes. But no city taxes means there are no city services like sewer and city water or city trash pickup. Each subdivision has their own system for those items. They also have volunteer Fire Departments.
When you look for homes for sale in Floresville, depending upon the type of living you desire there is something for you from the city to the subdivisions to the rural areas to large acreage. Each type has its own selling points. The homes for sale in Floresville have a community feel and the systems to meet a homeowners’ needs. Space to grow and enjoy the country living with city convenience. Most homes for sale in Floresville come with land.
We do have the San Antonio River flowing through Wilson County on the west side and the Cibolo Creek on the east side. Both of these originate in the hill country north of San Antonio so when the rain is heavy throughout this area, the drainage plus the rain can overflow the banks. Between the rivers and streams in this area, there are some flood zones in Wilson County. So anyone buying in this area needs an experienced person to guide them. We had very bad floods in 1998 and 2002. Wilson County fire and rescue was well prepared with specialized boats called Zodiacs for rescuing people in 2002. They later took their Zodiac to help on the border when those towns flooded.
The people who have chosen to live here will tell you that it is a good place to live. When people start shopping the local homes for sale Floresville becomes a natural choice. Many retire here.
That choice is emphasized by the type of people who live here. Several months ago, I realized how the people return their shopping carts to the cart corral. It is rare to see loose carts in the parking lots here. This is indicative of the quality of people who live here. When visiting a neighboring town closer to the coast, it was shocking to see how many carts were loose in the parking lot. My remark to the friend I was with as it was an unpleasant thing to realize that some people just leave their shopping carts where they unload them. We get spoiled to courtesy without even realizing it.
Everything You Need to Know About Wilson County Towns and Subdivisions Before Moving to Floresville Texas
Floresville, La Vernia, Poth, Stockdale and Sutherland Springs are small towns with a small town vibe but have grown greatly with the outlying rural subdivisions so the overall population is large. While we feel it is large the whole county only has about 43,000 people. Living in the cities overall there are no zoning requirements and the towns have grown with homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s being replaced throughout the years with new builds.
When you are shopping for homes for sale in Floresville as you drive down the main streets you might see a variety of building styles and ages such as a home from the 1920s by a home built in the 40s to a home built in the 60s or later years. On the outskirts of the city limits of Floresville, there have been subdivisions built in the 70s to current days. On one downtown corner there is a variety of homes. Two of those original wood frame homes were torn down to build new custom homes around 1962. Yet on the other corner is a 2 story Victorian home built in the late 1890s and another corner has a simple tract home built in the late 60s. Across the street from the Victorian next door to a 1962 corner home is a log home built in 2005. So the neighborhood is eclectic as is much of the town. The homes built in the rural subdivisions are typically about the same ages. Not all the lots were sold at the same time so you will see newer homes dotted throughout the subdivisions. Most of the deed restrictions are not extremely strict so you will also see a variety of build styles in the older subdivisions such as Bentwood and Eagle Creek and Shannon Ridge. The newer subdivisions such as Abrego Lake and Carrizo Ranch were started with stricter rules such as 4 sides rock, stone or brick and a larger square footage requirement. Some newer subdivisions require garages and some must be side entrance. So as you look at homes for sale, each subdivision requires some research into the deed restrictions.
Any home outside of the city limits will be on septic system The common septic system here is lateral lines although there a few aerobic systems. Septic installs are based upon county guidelines and rules and have to be permitted for the size of your home.
Those same homes will be on a rural water system or a water well. Most are serviced by one of the rural water systems available. You can find their ratings on the Texas water districts. If no rural water company services the area where your home is located then the choice is a water well. Water wells are not common unless someone is living on large acreage.
Everything You Need to Know About Driving Before Moving to Floresville Texas
From Floresville, the straight drive up Hwy 181N to San Antonio Brooks City Base takes about 20 minutes and from there it is another 7 minutes to the Alamodome in the center of downtown.
Until about 10 years ago once you left Floresville, there were not any stop lights until you exited IH37. Now there are five lights on Hwy 181 with a 65 MPH speed limit being the limit on most of the drive.
The closest shopping is Brooks City Base so named because when Brooks AFB was disbanded the land went commercial and the businesses flocked to the area. Brooks City Base has come alive in the last 15 years. It started when a mobile home park was relocated to make way for HEB, Target, and a large shopping center. Then the base was closed and that land became available on SE Military Dr. To everyone’s delight it was anchored with Wal Mart and off the area went. There is Sam’s, Home Depot and Lowe’s as well as lots of shopping from small outlets like Home Goods to major office stores like Office Depot and Best Buy to nail salons to restaurants like Chili’s, Texas Roadhouse, IHOP, Cracker Barrel plus the familiar favorites like Chik Fil A, Long John Silvers, Sonic Drive In and Burger King. The BEST burger around is the Longhorn Cafe.
We don’t have Uber but there are DoorDash drivers and some of the other delivery drivers in 2023. There are services for the senior citizens needing transportation to San Antonio doctors.
Parking is free everywhere.
Gasoline stations: Exxon, Shell, HEB gas, Wal Mart gas, Corner Store. Gas prices can be competitive and the companies follow each other’s lead.
Pickup trucks and lots of big ones are common. Texans probably own more SUVs and trucks than almost any other state. You will see more of those than cars.
Big rigs are a common sight. Eagleford Shale lives here. So leave room at the stop lights for a rig to make a turn toward you. And don’t mess with those 18 wheelers. They win every time.
Everything You Need to Know About Schools Before Moving to Floresville Texas
Because of that easy commute to San Antonio, this area has grown tremendously resulting in the school growing from a small 2A school to a 5A school over the past years. From graduating classes of barely over 100 where everyone knew everyone one in the high school to graduating classes of about 300. So while the classes seem large to us old timers, they are still small compared to the San Antonio class sizes of about 600-800.
Floresville Independent School District (FISD) school strives to offer a lot of opportunity to the students and have had different programs over the years for the students to advance. They strive to make the students college ready.
They have partnered with the Alamo Community College District (ACCD) to give the high school students the opportunity to take college classes and apply those toward their college degrees. Some in the graduating class graduate with an different programs that they participated in at Alamo Community College District –SAC (San Antonio College) with a certificate from the departments of nursing, welding and IT. This was a program provided through the high school totally free of charge to FISD students and will put them into college with a classes credited toward a degree. Therefore it saves the cost of those classes and eliminates time from a degree program.
Everything You Need to Know About Eating Out and Food Before Moving to Floresville Texas
There are number of chain restaurants like Bill Millers, Church’s Fried Chicken, WhatAburger, Dairy Queen, Sonic Drive In, Taco Bell, Little Caesar’s, Domino’s, Subway, Pizza Hut, Burger King and Starbucks as well as some locally owned eateries such as JC Burgers, Jack’s Cafe, Olivia’s Mexican Restaurant, Mata’s Cafe, P&T Cafe, Cerrito Mexican, Angelica’s Mexican Restaurant, and a few others and various food trucks as well as a couple of donut shops.
Then there is Mrs. Annie’s. Mrs. Annie started making peanut brittle at home in the 80s, selling to gas stations and convenience stores. She now has a bustling shop downtown with all types of peanut goodies, pecan items and things like jalapeno jelly. Mrs Annie’s Website
The streets roll up at 10 pm. Not really but it feels like it sometimes. Many businesses even restaurants close early. Some are now 24 hours in other areas but the only restaurant here that is open 24 hours is WhatABurger so they are busy even at 2 am. Some of the gas stations close by 10 but most of the pumps work with cards.
Restaurants & Cafes:
Jacks Cafe: medium size family style cafe; items such as meatloaf, pork chops, HBs
Donut Shoppe: opens early like 5 am only but has kolaches and small selection of breakfast items and donuts
Maverick Grill: Converted meat market turned restaurant. Large selection from salads, fried fish, Mexican food, burgers, to steaks. Located north of Floresville on Hwy 181.
Tasty Buffet: Chinese and American buffet located in Plaza Shopping center.
Rice to Go: Chinese with large portions; all hand done; no pre package food
Mata’s Mexican Food: small Mexican food restaurant in the downtown area.
Cerrito Mexican Food: fairly new small Mexican restaurant in the old post office across from the police station.
Olivia’s Mexican Cafe: old established eatery popular with the locals
JC Burger: Family owned hamburger stop–modeled after a famous hamburger joint Hilda’s greasy hamburgers that was popular n the 50s and 60s. Hilda’s was a popular place with good old fashioned greasy burgers; JC’s is more health conscious as there is not as much grease. My dad ate at Hilda’s every day.
Several Food trucks that park off Hwy 181 in the city limits –from BBQ to desserts.
Grocery Stores: HEB, Wal Mart Both are chains but are handy for shopping. It is great that one does not have to make a trip to San Antonio to get the things that we want. When I was younger to get “special” things we had to wait until we went to San Antonio to shop.
Convenience Stores: HEB Corner Store, Exxon, Circle K and Floresville Mart. Floresville Mart is located across from the Courthouse and was an old gas station from the 50s. The gas sales were stopped but they are still open for business with the convenience store type items.
Everything You Need to Know About Entertainment Before Moving to Floresville Texas
The Arcadia Theater has been here for many years. It is across from the courthouse and is busy on weekends. It was expanded to have 3 screens and does stay current with the movies showings. In the summer, they have showings during the week for the local child care centers. This gives the youngsters an activity suited for them early one day of the week.
The Floresville Event Center has various programs scheduled throughout the year from gun shows to a Grand Ole Opry with dancing. It can be rented for functions such as the Lions Club dinner or weddings. Connally Memorial Hospital Consolata Healthcare Foundation has a night called Denim and Diamonds Casino Night which is a “gambling” night to raise money for the hospital programs. Grand Ole Opry has recently moved to the Wilson County showbarn.
Floresville – Community Event Center
The Wilson County Show Barn hosts the livestock events once a year. The FFA and 4 H will display and compete with the animals they have raised the past year. Many merchants support the livestock show by purchasing the animals. The prize winners will be declared and shown in the local newspaper.
There is a Chamber of Commerce that is active. The club brings in guest speakers from all over the area about 3 times a year. Guests have ranged from state congressmen to San Antonio non profits to state of the city speeches from the city major to any other business pertinent topic.
Lions Club meets for lunch every Thursday. The Lions Club is very active with projects such as water wells around the world, diabetes, and eye programs. They save sight through different programs. They collect glasses to distribute to other countries and sponsor Leader Dogs for the Blind. The Floresville Club has the eyesight program held close to their heart. One of their fund raisers is a BBQ plate dinner in the spring. They also have a best Peanut Brittle contest during the Peanut Festival and sell gallons of Peanut Brittle for a fund raiser. So you can pick up a gallon of peanut brittle and support a good cause.
Everything You Need to Know About Shopping Before Moving to Floresville Texas
Sisters Boutique started in Floresville in 1990 and has been a shopping staple ever since. Their location has grown in size through the years and they added a pink roof which is a great visual to highlight their location set back off Hwy 181. They cater to engaged couples with a gift registry and have many popular items like Yellowbox sandals, Fossil. Chamilia Charms and other popular items. Sisters Boutique and Gifts
Antique Stores: Finders Keepers, Top Hat, Recycled Memories on Hwy 181 has several buildings and outdoors filled with everything from furniture to iron items to dishes to old door locks, etc. My Grandmother’s drinking glasses were found along with a matching vase set of hers. We also bought old coke bottle openers that were used to take the bottle caps off the coke bottles dispensed out of the machines. Finders Keepers is the old Baumann’s Grocery store converted to a stall type vendor sites selling everything from handmade items to antique furniture, Texas memorabilia, homemade goodies and almost anything you could search for. It is well organized and large with a lot of vendors. For the Peanut Festival last year one of the vendors made cut out figures for a photo booth. Can’t wait to see what she does this year. Top Hat is in the old Wal Mart center close to Tractor Supply. They have rooms with different vendors and is so vast you can get lost. Lots of variety. Found Corning Ware bakeware there and metal signs as well as antique furniture.
Top Hat is a newcomer on the market but has booths from various vendors. Has all types of items from furniture to hand made items to knick knacks or throwbacks to the older days such as corning ware and china. It is located in the old WalMart strip center close to Tractor Supply.
Bealls’ was a department store that was in the HEB strip center. It is being converted at this time. There is also UPS and a couple of medical offices and Cowboy liquor store in that HEB strip center. Cato’s is a chain store but is a great place to shop with a variety of sized fashions, shoes, jewelry and purses. They are located in the old Wal Mart shopping center Plaza Shopping Center along with a State Farm agency, a dental office, Tractor Supply and the 2 dollar stores, a hair salon, a doctor’s office and a pawn shop/ gold buyer and the new Top Hat.
Shopping Centers close to Wal Mart contain a nail salon, a liquor store, ATT store, Urgent Care clinic and a nail salon. Rumors are more shopping centers and chain restaurants are being contemplated.
General Stores: Wal Mart, Dollar General, Dollar Tree. These need no explanation.
Farm stores: Tractor Supply, Tellus ( Ag Pro) . Tractor Supply caters to farmers’ needs with clothing such as the Carhart brand, boots, farm supplies and when the seasons are right vegetable plants and chicken coops and live chicks and ducklings. It is so fun to walk in and hear the chicks chirping. The ducklings are so cute. Tellus was Ag Pro and before that the name was John Deere. It is a true supply store for farmers; they sell new and used farm equipment from John Deere tractors to hay balers and stock repair parts for farm equipment as well as items such the John Deere lawn mowers.
Hardware and Lumber: McCoy’s Lumber, Dittmar Lumber, Lumber Outlet
Numerous insurance agencies from independents and major companies–State Farm, Nationwide, Farmers,Farm Bureau, Fred Loya, AllState
Child Care:
Little Peeps Learning Center
Sonshine Ark–Lutheran Church: Sonshine Ark Website
Los Ninos Child Care
Sandbox Learning
Giggles and Smiles Learning Center–Floresville Christian Fellowship :
Medical:
There are numerous physicians who practice in Floresville but there is also physicians who have satellite offices in Floresville including specialists in the field of cardiology, pain management, ENT and podiatry and others. Those doctors have certain days of the months that they are in Floresville. Connally has an emergency clinic and there is a new emergency clinic in the shopping strip center across from Wal Mart.
There are 3 nursing homes in Floresville. Floresville Nursing Center has been here for over 40 years and Regency Manor Nursing about 20 years. The state chose Floresville for one of the Veterans nursing centers. Frank M Tejeda Texas State Nursing Center has been here about 10+ years. It was named after a local United State House of Representative member who passed in 1997.
Churches:
There is 15 churches listed in Floresville:
https://www.wilsoncountynews.com/news/2017-02-08/Blogs/Church_Directory.html.
Hotels:
Floresville has a lot of options for motels and hotels from small mom and pop operations to the large chains.
Roadside Inn, Hwy 181 –have had a client stay there who was pleased with her stay. Bright paint so is recognizable. Right beside Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union
Floresville Holiday INN Express
Everything You Need to Know About Newspapers Before Moving to Floresville Texas
Wilson County News: award winning since opening back in the 1980s
The Floresville Chronicle Journal has been closed for several years now. It was the first paper in Floresville back in the late 1890s and operated many years.
Everything You Need to Know About Subdivisions Before Moving to Floresville Texas
There are some new builds randomly located inside the Floresville City Limits but each is subject to any deed restrictions for that particular area.
Most of the city has always been unzoned so there is a mix of everything everywhere. Old to new. Homes across from commercial, etc.
The subdivisions have been deed restricted for almost all and some have mandatory and non mandatory HOAs. Those deed restrictions range from lax to stringent mainly based upon the age and / or cost of the subdivision.
Floresville Subdivisions:
The homes in the actual city proper do not come up for sale that often.
City subdivisions: older homes dating back to the early days in the city are:
Canfield Addn:
Floresville Old Town:
Floresville Sections:
Riley Sub:
Railroad Addn:
Tri-Oaks Estates: Established older subdivision built in 70s. Small
Sunnyside Addn: Extended subdivision built down CR 405. Variety of homes. Not all will be in the city limits but some in ETJ.
Bellaire Estates: Established older subdivision built in the 60s
Haddox Heights Sub: Subdivision that runs on one side of Hwy 97 outside of Floresville. Very few homes built in the late 60s.
Not aware of any having deed restrictions or HOAs.
Wildflower: Small subdivision of about 60 homes that was started in the late 80s. Deed restrictions with no HOA. Smaller sized homes of about 1200 sf to 1750 sf with small lots. The subdivision still has vacant lots on which spec homes have been built as recently as 2022. The homes range from the late 80s with wood to the latter construction with cement fiber and some brick with the newer ones being stone.
RiverBend: started building about 2002 although the subdivision and golf course was in process since the late 90s. It is located in the city limits so has city water and sewer. It was planned as a Golf Course community and has gone through several transformations. There is a golf club house and a restaurant with a lake. All homes are built on small lots. The original homes were built with a nod to Victorian architecture and some have rear alley entrances but the newer homes built are single story homes. The majority are actually on the golf course. The newer section is also on small lots with many having golf cart garages in addition to the 2 car garages with their construction being brick, stone and stucco. Builders are still active in both sections of RiverBend. The design of the subdivision allows for a majority of the homes to have a golf course view and allow the residents to watch the golfers at play. The subdivision still has room for many homes to be built. None of the homes have privacy fences due to allow for an unobstructed views of the golf course. If a home has a fence it is a short iron fence so one can watch the play. The Victorian section’s average sf is about 1950 square feet while in the area closer to the Club House for the rock/stone homes average about 2200 sf but can be as large as 2673. Deed restricted with an HOA. The rear is being developed by DRHorton with home ranging from 1200-2600 sf and on very small lots. That area is called the Links of Riverbend.
Tour RiverBend Golf Course Subdivision
Northcrest: This subdivision is close to RiverBend and is in the city limits. The lots are about 1/5 acre and build dates range from the early 1990s to current builds. The section when you first enter the subdivision is the older homes. There is no cookie cutter look to the homes in this subdivision when it was first built.
These are mostly brick with 2 car garages in varying shades of colors. Some have been updated to granite but not all. The newer homes are being built to resemble the current style of rock and stone with granite countertops and open floor plans. The lots in this subdivision about .2 to .25 acre. The size ranges from 1400 to 2650 sf. Deed restricted.
Meadow Crest: Small 2 street subdivision on the east edge of town. Homes are about 1500 sf. Some were built in the 80s and some around 2004 with one new one built this year.
Longridge Heights: Built in the 80s as small tract homes. These homes were built with a brick facade and T1-11 as siding. Sized around 1000-1200 sf with 3/1/1. No deed restrictions.
Tri Oaks Estates: Across from the middle school this small subdivision has some older homes with new builds. They range from 2600-3200 sf.
Oak Manor Estates: Built in the 70s on about 4 streets. Rare to have one come up for sale. 1600 sf which is normal size for this subdivision.
Rural subdivisions:
Have deed restrictions but some do not have HOAs.
Bentwood:-started in the 70s. Lots are 2 acres up to 10-12 acres. Mobile homes are allowed in the back section. No active HOA.
Eagle Creek Ranch: Started in the 90s and advertised as being part of Governor John Connally’s land. It is a large subdivision with different sections. Some areas allow mobiles; some do not. Acreage is between 2 – 5 acres. There are a variety of lots with many having good tree cover. Horses are allowed and the Estates of Eagle Creek has a riding trail. The other section has picnic areas and a fishing pond. Depending on size and build type prices range from high 100s and up. The volunteer fire department is on the major road outside of Eagle Creek. At Halloween the subdivision has a hay ride and the participation is so high that the kids have enough candy to last a year. It is deed restricted with a HOA. This is considered one of the strongest HOAs in the area. Square footage runs from 1200 to 3500 and some much larger.
Estates of Eagle Creek A smaller section of Eagle Creek Ranch which does not allow mobiles. It has a riding trail for the horse owners. Some of the lots have a lot of trees and some are bare. Homes started building in the 1990s and some are still being built.
Abrego Lake: started about 2007; Lots are 1+acre with deed restrictions on size and exterior materials such as 4 sides masonry. The typical build in Abrego is stone and stucco and ranges in the 2200+ sq foot range. Very few treed lots. Most of the land was formed from crop land. Couple of ponds in the subdivision. The size ranges from 2200 to over 4000 sf.
Shannon Ridge: Lots are 2+ – 5 acre with a few being larger. Build dates range from the late 90s to current. The front has few trees with the back having a lot of trees. Mix of building styles from brick to hardi plank to stone and stucco. A fair amount of workshops in the subdivision and most are fenced properties. Has some of the smallest building requirements for a site built homes. No mobiles. It is deed restricted but not a mandatory HOA .
Arrowhead: 1996 Has homes with all types of designs. The lots are larger at 3-5 acres than most of the other subdivisions. Sf runs from 1600 sf to higher.
Carrizo Ranch: Small subdivision close to the new North Elementary campus and a very quick commute to San Antonio. Very few sales.
Cimarron: Very close to San Antonio. This subdivision is right past the Wilson County line on Hwy 181. The HOA is not active but it does have deed restrictions. No mobiles or manufactured homes. The lot sizes range in the 2-5 acres with homes of all types and design. The square footage ranges from 1600 to 3600. The older homes were built in the late 90s while there are a few that were built in 2018.
Whispering Oaks: This subdivision is linked with Cimarron. It is hard to tell where one begins and ends. Very similar in style and overall feel. Whispering Oaks does have a HOA as they have a small park area for the residents to use for picnics and gatherings. The lots range from 2 acres to 5 acres. Square footage varies like Cimarron.
Creekwood: Older area with a lot of trees on lots that are 1-2 acres. Most of the residences in this subdivision are older mobile homes with a few site built homes.
Southwood Oaks: Established subdivision with a variety of homes. Most are stately homes on acreage of about 1 acre. Lot of brick homes compared to other subdivisions. Still building in the subdivision and newer builds are typically stone and stucco.
Oak Fields: Established subdivision similar to Southwood Oaks with 1+ acre tracts. Sales are limited. While some homes date to the late 80s some of the homes were built as late as 2020s.
South Breeze Estates: South of Floresville down FM 537. The subdivision is small and has not grown quickly. The lots are about 1.5 acres. The subdivision started building in 2006 and has new builds now. Because of its location south of Floresville, the commute is longer to San Antonio.
Branchwater Estates: One road with homes constructed in 2008 on 1 acre. The homes are spaced fairly close but because there is an open large acreage behind the homes it seems to be more open when you are in the back yard. There is also open large acreage across from the homes so the view from the front and the back is open fields.
Encino Hills: One street with mobiles and site built homes. Rarely comes up for sale.
There are other subdivisions in Floresville but these are the main ones that have more activity at this time.
Since this article was originally written more subdivisions were added to Floresville. We are growing rapidly. Many feel we are losing our home town feel while others want Floresville to have more amenities like the big cities.
County–no restrictions:
In the county there is no deed restrictions. There are some things that need permits such as septic and some other building codes but unless a developer has placed deed restrictions on a property or subdivision there are none. There are requirements that must be met by the county but that are items like subdividing.
If someone wanted to buy land to start a commercial activity the county does have guidelines for many things such as RV parks, ingress/egress, certain build permits. Those are located on the county website. Depending upon the location ingress/egress is governed by the state or the county. The state comes into play on state highways and when the speed limits exceed specified speeds. County roads are governed by the county.
Everything You Need to Know About Wilson County History Before Moving to Floresville Texas
Floresville is rich in history and became the county seat after the civil war. Wilson County was formed from parts of Bexar, Karnes, and Guadalupe counties in 1860. Some of the old land deeds show the legal description as those counties if it is dated prior to 1860. The first county seat was Sutherland Springs but it was moved to Floresville in 1873. The present courthouse was built in 1884 after the first one burned. The courthouse was designed by Alfred Giles who is renowned for his designs throughout Texas and it is the last functioning courthouse of his designs. Extensive renovations were recently completed as the foundation was eroding. The interior is a step back in time to another era. Dual staircases on the side walls by the front door lead you upstairs to the old courtroom filled with wood. Another step back in time: wooden benches, heavy wooden chairs and desks and wooden railings. While not fancy, it is beautiful. The entire courthouse was built with cross ventilation as there was no air conditioning in the late 1800s. The front door leads to a center hall which has 2 side entrance halls which have a very good cross breeze. The courtroom being on the second floor has many large tall windows allowing for cross breezes. The ceilings are extremely high and the doors are tall with transoms. There is wainscoting as you go down the first floor hall to the country clerk’s office passing offices as you make the trek to the county clerk records room. When you reach that door you feel like you are walking into a BIG safe as the steel door looks a vault surrounding the wooden entrance door. Filled with all the old ledgers right within reach. Wonderful history.
In 2011 the court offices were moved to a new facility at 1103 4th with a new building being merged with the old elementary school buildings. The library was moved to the “newest” wing of the school and the courtrooms received a new building which is attached to the “new” wing of the old elementary. So the entire block which was the elementary school from the 50s to early 2000s. As an aside, my father’s first grade teacher was my and my siblings’ first grade teacher so Mrs. Hunter taught a very long time as my youngest brother was born when my dad was 40 so she taught somewhere over 45 years. She was wonderful and lived to her 90s.
When the town was laid out it was laid out in grids and the main streets were named after numbers and the letters of the alphabet. So North and south streets are named from 1st (First) to 11th with 10th St being US Hwy 181 inside town. East and west streets are A-K so it is easy to find your way around UNLESS you are looking for South 2nd or South 3th or South 4th which are east of 1st St as there is no South 1st. Don’t ask what they were thinking when they expanded. Some of the next streets were named after fruits and a few after trees. I live in a city subdivision whose name matches a street in Eagle Creek Ranch. It is common for people looking for that street to end up in our subdivision which is 12 miles from the actual street. That has slowed down some since GPS has arrived.
Another fact from Wilson County history is that it produced a number of Texas Rangers during the early years. The Texas Rangers were formed in 1823 but became a body to protect the border in 1836. Wilson county produced 44 Texas Rangers with Fairview, a small community outside of Floresville, home to 27 of those Texas Rangers including Frank Hammer . Ranger Hammer was retained on a special commission to track down gangsters Bonnie and Clyde. He with Texas and Louisiana law enforcement did in 1934 resulting in the gun battle that killed the famous outlaws. Frank Hamer led the fight against the Ku Klux Klan in Texas as a senior captain also.
The Wilson County library was formed in 1940 with Mrs. Inez Jackson as the librarian for almost 32 years. All the children of those years remember the kind Mrs. Jackson. As an historical note, John B. Connally, former Governor of Texas, was the county clerk at the time the library was established so his signature is on some of the paperwork. The 2nd library location was built and dedicated to Sam Fore, Jr. long time owner/editor of the Floresville Chronicle Journal, one of our first newspapers. Mr. Fore worked relentlessly to build his newspaper business and better his community. In 2016 a new 3rd location building was opened as the old was outgrown. It is in the building that served as the elementary school building from 1950s to the early 2000s. Many a child, including myself and my children included passed through that elementary school building which now serves as administrative offices for the city and county as well as the library. The old library has been renovated to be the Wilson County Tax Collector’s office.
One of our claims to fame is Governor John B. Connally who also served under President Lyndon B Johnson as Secretary of the Navy. He was born in Floresville and maintained a large ranch of FM 2579 until the late 1980s. His brother Merrill was in several movies–one of which was Sugarland Express. While Governor Connally was visiting his ranch one day he brought President Nixon across the road to meet my aunt Delilah. His ranch is still in operation today under new ownership.
Floresville is home to the annual Peanut Festival started in 1938. It continues to draws a lot of people to participate and partake. More information about the week of the Floresville Peanut Festival can be found on their website. There is many festivities going on for the week of Peanut Festival from parades to street dances. It draws quite a crowd for the festivities. Floresville Peanut Festival
To gather factual and historical information about Floresville, one of the best places to read is the city website City of Floresville Government or Floresville City Government — About Floresville/
as well as Schools: Floresville Independent School District or Sacred Heart Catholic School: Sacred Heart School of Floresville which is the only private school in Floresville.
So this is a summary of everything you need to know before moving to Floresville TX.
This is not an all inclusive list as many things change regularly but there is a lot to choose from overall.
More information for a feel for the actual town and what is going on my blog under Our Towns has some basic information about Floresville and the community and housing in this area.
Locations- Floresville-TX on my website
Faye Y Taylor — Floresville Real Estate Agent is here to answer your questions or to help in any way
Faye Y Taylor –Realtor®
Country Living with City Convenience
For some other videos about Floresville visit : https://www.youtube.com/@floresvillerealestateagent/featured