Far North Central near San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Scenic Loop - Boerne Stage - Toutant-Beauregard
Historic Corridor
The exceptional and historic rural atmosphere, vistas, waterways, wildlife, and natural features which are area treasures prompted the 82nd Texas legislature in 2011 to pass House Bill 1499, bestowing historic designation to the Scenic Loop, Boerne Stage, and Toutant Beauregard roads which intersect at this corner. Artifacts, including burned rock middens and stone tools, indicate that Paleo-Indian tribes lived in the area more than ten thousand years ago. Early Spanish explorers found Jumano and Coahuiltecan tribes here, but by the late 18th century, Lipan Apache and Comanche tribes controlled the area, which deterred Spanish, Mexican and Anglo settlement into the mid-19th century.
In 1851, the von Plehwe family from Prussia settled at Leon Springs near the Wagon Trail to Fort Mason. This trail was also a leg of the Boerne Stage Road, which ran from San Antonio to San Diego, California. Historic sites abutting the route include stagecoach stops, ranch complexes dating from the mid-19th to early 20th century, homesteads of various cultural groups, and historic cemeteries. In the 1860s, drovers created the Great Western Cattle Trail next to the Boerne Stage Road. During the 1920s, the transcontinental Old Spanish Trail Automobile Highway followed the Boerne Stage Road west from San Antonio. In the late 1920s, a 46 mile scenic driving loop from downtown San Antonio was created. New recreational areas and communities such as Scenic Loop Playground and McNeel Park developed as commuting to San Antonio became easier. About 13 miles of that original scenic driving loop still exist through Helotes, Grey Forest, and Leon Springs.
Erected 2013 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 17579.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Native Americans • Parks & Recreational Areas • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 2011.
Location. 29° 40.892′ N, 98° 40.464′ W. Marker is near San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County. It is in Far North Central. Marker is at the intersection of Boerne Stage Road and Scenic Loop Road, on the right when traveling west on Boerne Stage Road. The marker is located on the north east corner of the insection. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: San Antonio TX 78255, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. First Officers Training Camp (approx. 2.8 miles away); Scenic Loop Playground (approx. 4.7 miles away); Cascade Cavern (approx. 5.7 miles away); R.L. White Ranch (approx. 6.4 miles away); Marnoch Homestead (approx. 6.7 miles away); John T. Floore Country Store (approx. 7.2 miles away); Helotes (approx. 7.3 miles away); Gugger Homestead (approx. 7.3 miles away).
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 25, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 801 times since then and 159 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 26, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.