History
The first settlers came to Schertz around 1843. Some of the families on the immediate land surrounding Schertz were the Boettigers, Schertzs*, Schneiders, Seilers, Maske, and Mergele. Boettigers, Mergeles, and Seilers being my forefathers. Members of the Schertz family still reside in the City.

Indians were not known to have attacked the people, but to pilfer and steal livestock. When we went to school at the present O'Henry site, we children found many Indian relics.

The first name of Schertz was "Cibolo Pit," then "Cut Off," and as perhaps, many of you know, the reason for this name was when the Cibolo Creek flooded, the settlement was cut off.

The first settlers planted wheat, oats, and corn, which did not need special equipment to harvest and process. In later years, cotton was

planted, and proved to be very productive and a cash crop. In fact, so much so, that there were two cotton gins in Schertz at one time. In 1870 the first gin was built by the Schertz family. It was powered by mules and then in later years by steam. This gin was located where the post office is at the present time.

The second cotton gin built by Weyel and Kallies was between First and Second Streets. During the height of the ginning season, they operated day and night. In later years, there also was a corn sheller and lumber yard.

The first school during the eighteen nineties (1890) was across the Cibolo Creek where the Randolph Stables are now located. Many of our mothers and fathers went to school there. In fact, in my generation, our early years were also spent in that school. In 1917 a new two story brick school was built, and later torn down to make room for the O'Henry School. The land for the school was donated by Mr. Adolph Schertz . On our way to the old school across the creek, if we took a short cut, in the area of the Zimmerman's Pharmacy, we would pass a place where a line kiln had been at on time. It was founded in 1892 but soon abandoned.