LOOKING BACK Schertz Texas

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.”

–Princess Diana

Education was a priority for settler families. The first curriculums incorporated the Bible as the reader of choice soon supplemented by various subjects. Class progression was determined by successful completion of the reader series. Students who completed a reader series were promoted to the next series and once all series' were completed, the student graduated and returned to the work on the family farm. These were the days of the “one room school house” - all students sat in the small room regardless of age or grade levels. The first teacher of all levels was Christian Koch. Schertz opened its first school house in the mid1890s along FM 1518.

The Spoetzl Brewery began in 1909.

It was originally named The Shiner Brewing Association (SBA) and was founded by German and Czech immigrants who had settled in Shiner. Unable to find the type of beer they had known in their home countries, they decided to brew their own. It is the oldest independent brewery in Texas and the U.S. Originally, the Shiner beer was only available in the Spring due to the German Lent tradition (Lentenbock). SBA found a Bavarian born (1873) Kosmos Spoetzl, a trained German brewmaster. He was lured to Shiner for potential ownership of the brewery and in 1914, he co-leased it with Oswald Petzold and purchased it in 1915 and named it Shiner Beer. During Prohibition, he struggled and was five of the original 13 Texas breweries still alive. He kept his business simple and small, never going more than 100 miles from the business.

Ralph Gutierrez Mayor (210) 619-1040 ralphgutierrez@schertz.com

Mark Davis Councilmember (210) 376-9141 markdavis@schertz.com

Michelle Watson Councilmember 210-419-8472 mwatson @schertz.com

Jill Whittaker Councilmember (210) 846-8768 jwhittaker@schertz.com

Michael Dahle Councilmember (210) 419-9337 mdahle@schertz.com

David Scagliola Councilmember (830) 606-1130 davidscagliola@schertz.com

Allison Heyward Councilmember (210) 608-9543 allisonheyward@schertz.com

Tim Brown Councilmember (210) 608-2381 timbrown@schertz.com