Historic Evans Road Trail

Historic Evans Road Trail. . The Historic Evans Road Trail (Harrison Segment) follows or borders the southern reach of the historic Evans Road within the Selma City limits. Modern day Evans Road runs from Stone Oak Parkway in San Antonio to the Selma Visitor's Center in Selma. Historically the road continued further past this point. The portion of Evans road that passes through what was the original town center of Selma was often referred to as Hill Street on many land deeds as late as the 1970s and 1980s. Between the Stage Stop Park and the John S. Harrison Historic property a portion of the original road was taken over by houses constructed along the east side of Winged Foot Street. Along that portion of the route the trail turns into the woods following the creek bank then reemerges at the Harrison Park and continues through the park ending at the Olympia Hills golf course. , Evans Road is named after Robert B. Evans who moved to the area in the mid-1800's. Robert was born in 1821 in Tennessee. He left Tennessee in 1847 to pan for gold in California. Through his efforts in California he made enough money to buy property not far from Selma in 1865 near what is now the community of Bracken. The Evans family home was built in 1882 and is located at 7950 E. Evans Road, approximately 2.5 miles northwest of the Selma Stage Stop. , His wife, Rebecca Wilmot Murchison was born August 12, 1835. She was a daughter of Murdock Murchison, who owned a farm across Cibolo Creek from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Selma. Together they raised nine children. Robert was a member of the Cibolo Masonic Lodge and taught school in Selma in the 1880's. , Robert died in November 1905 and Rebecca died in August 1908. Both are buried in the Evans Cemetery (old community cemetery) along with Murdock Murchison and his wife.