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Kyle is
Hays County's second city.
History in a Pecan Shell
Jay Gould, the 19th Century railroad magnate decided that his International-Great
Northern Railroad needed a station between Austin and San Marcos. He made a deal
with property owners David Moore and Fergus Kyle and 200 acres of
their former land was auctioned off in 1880 under the Kyle
Auction Oak.
By 1881, Kyle had four saloons and a newspaper (The Kyle
Nutshell) so that the saloon patrons had something to read between drinks. Many
anecdotal stories of Kyle's first years are included in Richard Zelade's Hill
County, Lone Star Books (Gulf Publishing) 1999.
A Town so Nice
- They Incorporated Twice
In 1895 the city incorporated the first time.
Two years later they decided it was a bad idea. The second incorporation in 1906
held.
Kyle suffered several fires in its history, which accounts for the
missing buildings. Surviving buildings date back to the 1890s.
Kyle
Historical Marker |
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The
Kyle Hanging Tree
TE photo, 2001 |
Historic
Trees in Kyle Kyle
has two famous trees: The Auction Oak and The Kyle Hanging Tree ( Click on
the names for their images and short histories. )
Kyle
Auction Oak is located inside Kyle on Sledge Street, about two blocks
south of Center Street. Since there seem to be two distinct trunks, it is sometimes
referred to as The Auction Oaks.
Kyle Hanging Tree is a few miles down Old Post Road on your left. |
| "The
New City Hall is where the Bon Ton building stood till it burned down in 2002.
See Historical Marker for info. The marker stands
at the front of City Hall." William
Beauchamp, June 2009 |
Old
D. A. Young Building historical marker
Photo courtesy Sarah
Reveley, 2008 |
| Kyle's
oldest stone building was recently razed by its owner. Across the street from
the bare spot is another stone building next to the Kyle Police Station. This
is the former Creamery, where we met The Kyle Creamery
Cat |
| The
Tombstone of Fergus Kyle. TE photo |
| Kyle's
distinctive red, white and blue water tower can be seen from any part of the town
and has a way of including itself in nearly every photograph of Kyle. |
Lex
Word and the Bon Ton historical marker
Photo courtesy William
Beauchamp, June 2009 |
Kyle
City Offices
512 268-5341 Website: www.cityofkyle.com Kyle
Texas Forum Here
are two pictures of the Kyle City Jail.
This was moved from Kyle some years ago and added to the western town attractions
at Aquarena Springs in San Marcos. They have since closed that part of the park
and offered the City of Kyle the opportunity to come get their jail. The structure
was in bad shape and the City did not have a good place to put it so they declined.
But we have pictures none-the-less.
Also, the old Kyle
train depot has been donated to the City and moved from private property
back to a location fronting the UP line in downtown Kyle. It is currently sitting
on a flatbed waiting to be put into place. Once it is in position I will send
along some pictures of that as well.- Peter French, President, Kyle Area Chamber
of Commerce, January 30, 2004
"I
was amused to see that good old Jay Gould had participated in the founding of
Sierra Blanca,
as he also participated in the founding the town in which I live, Kyle. Thank
you for your work, I enjoy your site very much." - Peter French
Kyle
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