Comfort, Texas

Comfort
Census-designated place
Historic downtown Comfort
Comfort Location within the state of Texas
Coordinates: 29°58′10″N 98°54′26″W
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Kendall
Area
• Total	3.24 sq mi (8.38 km^2)
• Land	3.23 sq mi (8.36 km^2)
• Water	0.008 sq mi (0.02 km^2)
Elevation [1]	1,427 ft (435 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,211
• Density	680/sq mi (260/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	78013
Area code	830
FIPS code	48-16228[2]
GNIS feature ID	1333183[1]

Comfort is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kendall County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 2,363.^[3] Comfort was founded by German emigrants on the western end of the Texas-German belt. Many residents of the town today are descendants of those same Germans. Comfort is known for its German Heritage and large ranches outside of town.^[4][5]

History

Former Comfort State Bank, now the Comfort Heritage Foundation

The town square at Christmas

Gazebo for Albert Steves designed by Dionicio Rodriguez^[6]

Comfort was established in 1854 by German immigrants, who were Freethinkers and abolitionists.^[7] Ernst Hermann Altgelt, at the age of 22, is credited with surveying and measuring the lots that would later be sold to the incoming German immigrants.^[8] He stayed and married Emma (Murck) Altgelt, and they raised their nine children in the township of Comfort. Fritz and Betty Holekamp built the first house in Comfort, having started construction before Comfort's official founding on September 3, 1854.^[9] The first churches were not established in Comfort until 1892.^[10] After some controversy, a cenotaph honoring "the Founding Freethinkers" was dedicated on November 2, 2002.^[11]

The downtown area is possibly one of the most well-preserved historic business districts in Texas. There are well over 100 structures in the area dating back to the 19th century, and seven of them were designed by the noted architect Alfred Giles.^[12] Mr. Giles lived in San Antonio, and he would ride horses, the stagecoach, and later the train to check his building sites in Comfort.^[13] Most of the population today is composed of descendants of those original pioneer families of the 1850s and the 1860s.^[14]

Comfort is also known for a tragic event that took place during the American Civil War. The Treue der Union Monument ("Loyalty to the Union") was dedicated in honor of 35 men who died at the Battle of the Nueces, which took place because they opposed the state's secession from the Union. The German settlers were killed on their way to Mexico during the Civil War. They were attacked by Confederate forces near Brackettville on August 10, 1862. The bodies were not buried, and the bones were retrieved and placed here in 1865. The monument was erected in 1866.^[15][16]

In 1918, Albert Steves erected a Hygieostatic Bat Roost on his family farm in Comfort. This roost was built to attract bats in an effort to control mosquito populations by natural means. It was originally researched and developed by Dr. Charles Agustus Rosenheimer Campbell of San Antonio. The idea was to use bats against malaria-carrying mosquitos. At one time, there were sixteen bat roosts built in the United States and Europe, of which only two sites now remain — one in Comfort and one in the Florida Keys.^[17][18]

Darmstadt Society of Forty

Some of the early settlers in Comfort migrated from the collapsed Fisher–Miller Land Grant experimental colonies of the Darmstadt Society of Forty.

Further information: List of Darmstadt Society of Forty members

Geography

Comfort is bordered to the west by Kerr County. It is 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Kerrville, 16 miles (26 km) northwest of Boerne, and 48 miles (77 km) northwest of Downtown San Antonio. The town is at the junction of Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 87.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Comfort CDP has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.4 km²), of which 0.01 square miles (0.02 km²), or 0.27%, are water. The community sits on the north side of Cypress Creek where it joins the Guadalupe River.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Comfort has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.^[19]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	800		—
1930	650		−18.7%
1940	800		23.1%
1950	1,100		37.5%
1960	1,212		10.2%
1970	1,444		19.1%
1980	1,460		1.1%
1990	1,477		1.2%
2000	2,358		59.6%
2010	2,363		0.2%
2020	2,211		−6.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[20] 1850–1900[21] 1910[22] 1920[23] 1930[24] 1940[25] 1950[26] 1960[27] 1970[28] 1980[29] 1990[30] 2000[31] 2010[32]

Comfort was first listed as a census designated place in the 1980 U.S. Census.^[29]

2020 census

Comfort racial composition^[33]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)^[a]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	972	43.96%
Black or African American (NH)	9	0.41%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	18	0.81%
Asian (NH)	2	0.09%
Some Other Race (NH)	13	0.59%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	54	2.44%
Hispanic or Latino	1,143	51.7%
Total	2,211

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,211 people, 768 households, and 498 families residing in the CDP.

2000 census

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 2,358 people, 799 households, and 603 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 735.6 inhabitants per square mile (284.0/km²). There were 917 housing units at an average density of 286.1 per square mile (110.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 76.34% White, 0.51% African American, 1.19% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 18.70% from other races, and 2.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 45.00% of the population.

There were 799 households, out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $28,799, and the median income for a family was $29,295. Males had a median income of $20,972 versus $15,000 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $12,687. About 27.1% of families and 29.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.2% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Comfort is served by the Comfort Independent School District.

Notable people

• Catherine Caradja (1893–1993), Romanian aristocrat and philanthropist who maintained a residence in Comfort.^[35]
• Betty Holekamp (1826–1902), Texas pioneer, called the Betsy Ross of Texas.^[36]

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Comfort, Texas
2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
3. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), Comfort CDP, Texas". American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
4. "Historical Friction". Texas Monthly. October 1, 1997. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
5. "The Comfort Chamber Of Commerce: Home". The Comfort Chamber Of Commerce. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
6. "Details - Gazebo for Albert Steves - Atlas Number 2004001171 - Atlas: Texas Historical Commission". atlas.thc.state.tx.us. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
7. "Friedenker". Texas Historical Commission. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
8. Everett, Donald E. "Altgelt, Ernst Hermann". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
9. Stewart, Anne and Mike; Ernst Hermann Altgelt: Founder of Comfort, Texas; 2010
10. Lich, Glen E. "Comfort, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
11. "The Comfort Freethought Cenotaph Dedication". Freethought Today. Freedom from Religion Foundation, Inc. Archived from the original on December 26, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
12. {{cite web0\ title=Alfred Giles|last=George|first=Mary Carolyn Hollers|title=Giles, Alfred|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association}}
13. Cannon, Bill (2004). Texas: Land of Legend and Lore. Republic of Texas. pp. 27–29. ISBN 978-1-55622-949-7.
14. Sharpe, Patricia (June 1989). "The Perfect Texas Hill County Weekend". Texas Monthly: 117.
15. "Treue der Union Monument". Blueprints for Travel, LLC. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
16. "List of Dead-Treue Der Union Monument". Texas Gen Web. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
17. Rosenzweig, Michael L (2003). Win-Win Ecology: How the Earth's Species Can Survive in the Midst of Human Enterprise. Oxford University Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-19-515604-1.
18. "Comfort History". Archived from the original on May 31, 2006. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
19. Climate Summary for Comfort, Texas
20. "Decennial Census by Decade". United States Census Bureau.
21. "1900 Census of Population - Population of Texas By Counties And Minor Civil Divisions" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
22. "1910 Census of Population - Supplement for Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
23. "1920 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
24. "1930 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
25. "1940 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
26. "1950 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
27. "1960 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
28. "1970 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
29. "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
30. "1990 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
31. "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
32. "2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
33. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
34. "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
35. Lich, Glen E. ""Caradja, Catherine Olympia" Handbook of Texas Online". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
36. Ransleben, Guido E. A Hundred Years of Comfort in Texas. Press of The Naylor Company, 1954, p. 191.

1. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.^[34]

External links

• Chronology of Central European Colonization in Texas
• Freethinkers of the Early Texas Hill Country from the Freedom From Religion Foundation
• The Comfort Freethought Cenotaph Dedication from the Freedom From Religion Foundation
• German Americans during the Civil War Freethinkers and Turners^{[permanent dead link‍]}
• Comfort from the Handbook of Texas Online