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COMFORT, TEXAS

Kendall County, Hill Country

29°58'10"N 98°54'26"W (29.969566, -98.907087)

Junction of I-10 and Hwy 27
FM 473
18 miles SE of Kerrville
23 miles S of Fredericksburg
16 miles NW of Boerne the county seat
48 miles NW of San Antonio
89 miles SW of Austin
Population: 2,363 (2010) 2,358 (2000) 1,477 (1990)

Book Hotel Here › Comfort Hotels


Ernest Hermann Altgelt
Ernest Hermann Altgelt
Founder of Comfort

Photo courtesy James Ernest Altgelt

History in a Pecan Shell

Comfort was established in 1854 by German immigrants moving further west from New Braunfels. They rested here and were so taken with the place, that they didn't see any need to travel further.

Comfort remains unincorporated.

Comfort TX - Bird's Eye View, Kendall Co
Bird's Eye View of Comfort, Texas
Click on image to enlarge

Courtesy Dan Whatley Collection


Comfort TX - Nichols Ranch
Nichols Ranch
Click on image to enlarge

Courtesy Dan Whatley Collection

"Treue der Union" Monument

Near the High School. High Street between 3rd and 4th.

This memorial is for German settlers who were established here, but were killed on their way to Mexico during the Civil War. They were attacked by Confederate forces near Brackettville on August 10, 1862. The bodies were not buried and the bones were retrieved and placed here in 1865. The monument was erected in 1866. The incident shares several similarities to the Bandera Tragedy Tree incident.


"Treue der Union" Monument, Comfort Texas
"Treue der Union" Monument
High Street, between 2nd and 3rd, Comfort



Comfort's Charm


From an architectural viewpoint - Comfort is extremely rich. Nearly the entire downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Many rock buildings and businesses remain in a splendid state of preservation and did not have to go through the rigors of restoration. The 1880 Ingenhuett-Faust Hotel is one such building and the 1930 Comfort Theater (originally financed through public subscription) is another.

A good deal of Comfort's charm is in its relative tranquility compared to Fredericksburg and Boerne. Visit on Monday and you'll find nearly the entire town closed.

Comfort, Texas old bank building
The 1908 bank building now serves as a museum.
TE photo, 2008
Comfort Historical Museum
838 High Street
Open 2nd Sunday of each month or by appointment.


Flag flies over True To Union Monument in Comfort Texas
It is said that only this monument and Arlington National Cemetery are permitted to fly the American flag at half staff the year round.


Comfort TX 1879 August Faltin Bldg
The 1879 August Faltin Building
TE photo, 2008


Comfort TX 1908 Post Office
Old Post Office Building: c. 1908
Designed by Alfred Giles who retired nearby to raise sheep.
TE photo, 2008
See Texas Post Offices


Comfort TX Antiques
TE photo, 2008


Comfort Texas ghost sign
A Comfort ghost sign.
TE photo, 2008
More Texas Ghost Signs


Comfort Texas mural
A mural shows the old low-water crossing of
the Guadalupe River
TE photo, 2008
More Texas Murals | Post Office Murals


Comfort Texas old cornerstone
An early hand-carved cornerstone on High Street
TE photo, 2008
See Texas Cornerstones


A rare traffic button in Comfort Texas
A rare pre-signage traffic button.
TE photo, 2008


Squirrel in Comfort Texas
A High Street resident.
TE photo, 2008
See Texas Animals


Old rusted Swift FEEDS sign in Comfort, Texas
TE photo, 2008


Comfort TX Paul Ingenhuett Bldg Domino Wreath
Domino wreath in front of the Ingenhuett's Fancy Grocery and General Store destroyed by fire in 2007.
TE photo, November 2008


Comfort TX historic stone building
Photo courtesy Sarah Reveley, 2008


Comfort TX Bier Halle High St
Bier Halle High Street
Courtesy Comfort Historical Cntr. Archives, submitted by Gael Montana



German Freidenker Freethinkers  historical marker, Comfort Texas
German Freidenker (Freethinkers) historical marker
Photo courtesy Sarah Reveley, January 2008
See Texas Settlers | People

Historical Marker (301 State Hwy 27, Comfort):
FREIDENKER
Nineteenth Century Freethinkers
From 1845 to 1861, a number of German Freidenker ("Freethinkers") immigrated to the Texas Hill Country. Freethinkers were German intellectuals who advocated reason and democracy over religious and political authoritarianism. Many had participated in the 1848 German revolution and sought freedom in America. The Freidenker helped establish Bettina, Castell, Cypress Mill, Luckenbach, Sisterdale, Tusculum (Boerne) and Comfort. Laid out in 1854, Comfort soon was home to about half the population of hill country Freethinkers.

Freethinkers valued their newfound freedoms of speech, assembly and religion. Their settlements, where a knowledge of Latin was considered essential for a cultured intellectual society, became known as "Latin Colonies." They strongly supported secular education and generally did not adhere to any formal religious doctrines. They applied themselves to the crafts of physical labor and divided their time between farming and intellectual pursuits.

Freethinkers advocated universal equal rights, and their moral values were dominated by their respect for life. They actively supported such social issues as the abolition of slavery and the rejection of secession. Their loyalty to the Union during the Civil War cost many their freedoms and their lives. Following the war, many Freethinkers relocated to nearby urban areas, while others returned to Germany. (2000)



Comfort, Texas Chronicles

Comfort TX - Apelt Armadillo Farm
Photo courtesy Michael Barr , June 2020

  • Armadillo Shell Baskets were Big Business in Comfort by Michael Barr

    "The Apelt Armadillo Farm, on Highway 27 between Comfort and Center Point, once sold armadillo shell baskets all over the world. The farm was a Hill Country conversation piece for most of the 20th century. As far as anyone knows it was the only business of its kind on the planet." more



  • Comfort Recollections

    "The View from Under the Bus"
    by Gael Montana

    In Memoriam:
    Gael Montana 1949 - 2009
    Gael's Comfort Barber Shop, Comfort Texas
    The Heart and Soul of Comfort
    TE photo, 2008



    TX Kendall  County 1907 Postal Map
    Kendall County 1907 postal map
    From Texas state map #2090
    Courtesy Texas General Land Office


    TX Kerr County 1940s Map
    Kerr County 1940s map
    From Texas state map #4335
    Courtesy Texas General Land Office

    Take a road trip

    Comfort, Texas Nearby Towns:
    Boerne the county seat
    Kerrville
    Fredericksburg
    Sisterdale
    San Antonio
    Austin

    See Kendall County | Kerr County

    Book Hotel Here:
    Comfort Hotels | More Hotels

    Texas Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact us.



    Comfort Tourist Information
    Comfort Chamber of Commerce
    High Street and 7th
    830-995-3131


    The book Hill Country by Richard Zelade covers Comfort's buildings in detail. The book proves its worth with its descriptions and histories of Comfort's buildings alone.


    Book Hotel Here > Comfort Hotels

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


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