Palo Alto College

San Antonio, Texas

SMALL TOWN HISTORY: SOMERSET, TEXAS

Kristie Chapa	Spring 2001
History 1302	Hines

ORIGINS:
Old Somerset, Texas was established by a group of Baptist families from Somerset, Kentucky in 1848. Old Somerset was located in Atascosa, County where late 1960's it diminished and disappeared. As the years passed, Somerset, Texas was settled by the First Townsite Company on the Artesian Belt Railroad right away on May 25, 1909. Somerset Texas is now located in Bexar County off 1604 with their population of 1144. St Mary's Church

"FOUNDING FATHERS":
Mr. and Mrs. Somerset from England immigrated into Kentucky where they decided to name the land to which they migrated Somerset, Kentucky. They came to the states looking for a job in farming in early 1800's. They were a group of Baptist immigrants who migrated into different states and decided to migrate to Texas to look for land. When they stopped in Texas they founded a lot of oil refineries where they would make good money. When Mr. Somerset decided to name the town that they landed Somerset. Somerset became famous for it oil and farmlands.

ECONOMY:
One of the most important jobs in Somerset were in the famous oil refineries. Oil was very popular in Somerset back in 1848. Somerset was making a lot of money on these oil refineries until World War I, when Somerset lost many of refineries. Many people lost their jobs, as well, and many people moved into different areas. Also another important job was farming. Many of the farmers had their migrant workers from Mexico, who would harvest the crops on their farms. There was many immigrants working for many farmers from Somerset who harvest much of our food.

LANDMARKS:
One of the oldest buildings in Somerset is the old high school building, with a capacity of 100. This high school was the school for elementary, junior and high school students. This building was designed in the early 1900's. This building is still used to this day. The old high school building is one of the main historical landmarks of Somerset.
Another building that was established in the early 1900's is the St. Mary's Catholic Church. Many of the people that I know have either been baptized or married there. Town Church

CONNECTIONS TO COURSE THEMES:
Somerset has people of many different races in this small town. Back in the early 1900's there were only whites and a few Hispanics. Many of the Hispanics were Mexicans immigrants that came to the United States find work. Now we have many nationals from Mexico that live in Somerset that work on farms. Somerset is growing with different cultures, this is not only whites, but Hispanics, and one or two African-Americans.

INTERVIEWS:
How long have you lived in Somerset,Texas?
Well Rose Espinoza pretty much been raised all my entire life in Somerset. My mother and father both have family here in Somerset.Many of my father ancestors lived in Somerset. My family came to Somerset around the late 1960.
What things do you remember as a child Rose Epinoza ?
I remember that we use to go to the Tom Kinney's corner store where we would by chips for 15 cents and sodas for 20 cents. I also remember that Somerset had it's own ten room hotel. And many travelers would come stay for a night here in Somerset. Somerset also had a old state bank that only had two offices and a small lobby area where the customers would wait. Back in the 1960's the bank was rob by travelers from out of state. Ever since that day the bank was close for a couple of years.

In what year Mary Smith did you started to live in Somerset?
Well I was born here with no doctor to help my mother have me. I was born in 1930 in Somerset. My mother and father were both born in Somerset, Texas. Back then Somerset did not have a school, not until the early 50's when Somerset had the first public school that was two stories high and only hold 100 students.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Websites
Old Somerset, Texas
The handbook explains how Old Somerset came all about. The town of Old Somerset became Somerset when a group of Baptists migrated into Texas. They loved the land that they land so decided that they would name it Somerset. They saw that Somerset was rich in oil and saw that there land was rich in soil to harvest vegetables. They came into Somerset back in 1848.
Somerset, Texas
The handbook explains how Old Somerset dimished a way from Atascosa heading into Bexar County where Somerset, Texas became a town to this day. Actually new Somerset was formed when the First Townsite Company was formed on the Artesian Belt Railroad right-a-way on May 25, 1919. The Somerset oilfield extended more. You could say the town started to grow with several buildings like for instance a hotel, a bank. That is how came all about.

Interviews
BY Rose Espinoza from LaVernia, Texas. She gave me a brief description of she grew-up in Somerset, Texas. The town not really change, the only thing that Somerset has change is it use to have a railroad right behind Super-S Grocery Store. Now it is a road that leads you into the neighborhood. She remember the oil refineries that use to be towards the end of the neighborhood.

By Mary Smith from Somerset, Texas. She was born in Somerset back in the late 1920's. She explain that the economy was different. Back then there were more jobs then now. She use to work in Tom Kinney General Store. Many people work in the oil refineries and fields. There were more ranchers then in today society in Somerset. Actually she explain that she was born in Old Somerset and moved into Somerset.

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