Far West Side in Helotes in Bexar County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Gugger Homestead

Photographed by James Hulse, December 16, 2020

1. Gugger Homestead Marker

Inscription.

Arnold Gugger, son of Swiss-born Helotes Pioneers Anton and Marie Gugger, built this house and store circa 1881. Its site on the east bank of Helotes Creek was ideal for Gugger’s blacksmith shop, general store and saloon, and Arnold and wife Amalia “Mollie” (Benke) raised their six children on the second floor. The Guggers sold the property to Wilbert Hileman in 1908, and it has subsequently changed hands several times. The home has served as the Helotes Post Office twice, under postmasters Arnold Gugger (1888-1904) and Blanche Maltsberger (1944-1953). The two-story limestone building features 18-inch thick rough-course walls. An L-shaped wood porch extends around the front and side of both stories.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2008
Marker is property of the State of Texas

Erected 2008 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 14737.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1881.

Location. 29° 34.649′ N, 98° 41.421′ W. Marker is in Helotes, Texas, in Bexar County. It is in the Far West Side. It is on Old Bandera Road 0.1 miles south of Floore Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 14464 Old Bandera Road, Helotes TX 78023, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Texas

and in the San Antonio Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

and one of the Confederate States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7

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miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Helotes (here, next to this marker); John T. Floore Country Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Marnoch Homestead (approx. 0.6 miles away); Scenic Loop Playground (approx. 2.6 miles away); Zion Lutheran Church (approx. 2.9 miles away); Zion Lutheran Church and Cemetery (approx. 3 miles away); R.L. White Ranch (approx. 4½ miles away); Locke Hill Auditorium (approx. 6.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Helotes.

Also see . . . Helotes Texas. Arnold Gugger, the town's third postmaster, and wife Amalie "Mollie" Benke operated a general store, homestead, blacksmith shop, and saloon in 1881 in an area that became the focal point of downtown Helotes, displacing Mueller's stagecoach stop to the southwest of town and making the Bandera Road-Helotes Creek intersection the new hub of commerce and activity. Source: The Handbook of Texas (Submitted on December 22, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

The Gugger Homestead Marker is the leftmost of the two markers image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, December 16, 2020

2. The Gugger Homestead Marker is the leftmost of the two markers

The view of the Gugger Homestead Marker with the Floore Country Store next door on the left. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, December 16, 2020

3. The view of the Gugger Homestead Marker with the Floore Country Store next door on the left.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 22, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 902 times since then and 55 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 22, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.