Kenedy

Kenedy occupies a site that was once part of a royal Spanish land grant to Don Carlos Martinez. American settlement in the area began after the Texas War for Independence in 1836. In 1886, railroad promoter Mifflin Kenedy purchased land for a townsite that was named for him, and a post office was established the following year. The town's early growth came from its position as a major stop on the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad, and its early buildings included a church, store, and cotton gin. By 1906, Kenedy had newspaper offices, a bank, livery and feed stables, and one of the largest cotton compresses in the state. Incorporated in 1910, it gained a reputation for gunfighting that brought it the name "Six Shooter Junction." In 1915, hot mineral water was discovered near the depot, and the Hot Wells Hotel and Bath House thrived for nearly 25 years. During World War II, an alien detention camp stood on the outskirts of town. Although passenger train service no longer runs through Kenedy, it remains an economic center for the surrounding agricultural area.

Kenedy, Texas · United States