2015-6 Remembrances Special Edition1
City of Schertz
Remembrances Special Edition Article 2015-6
Presented by: Schertz Historical Preservation Committee (SHPC)
Source: Dean Weirtz, Chairman SHPC
Historic Preservation – It’s Worth to the Community
As an officer in the Schertz Historical Preservation Committee for the past eight years I’ve come
to appreciate the value of recognizing and preserving the memory of historic events, persons
and places within our greater Cibolo Valley community. Each of the Valley’s respective towns
has its own set of early settler heroes, landmark structures and historic sites. What each of our
towns also share are rapidly growing populations of newcomers unfamiliar with the history of
the Valley. Over the years, our committee has sought to provide some insight with regards to
Schertz’ historical past through historically relevant articles affixed to the committee’s quarterly
newsletter. One outcome of this research and reporting has been a small scrapbook of
clippings, stories, and memorable quotes of person known and unknown. Recently, I had
occasion to review those items and consequently I discovered what I think is common ground
upon which a perspective can be gained for support of the proposition that historic
preservation is a valuable element for maintaining a quality community life.
On a more global scale, the importance of historic preservation as relates to American family
legacy seems to me to be captured in a set of notes penned without an original source having
been sited. Those notes read as follows:
“Because of the legacy of family values that teach persons virtuous behavior
within civil society as reinforced by clubs, sports and religious communities, we
are able to maintain the basic tenets of democracy. And this is what has
allowed us to succeed as a nation thus far. And this is the reason that people
of all nationalities seek out the opportunity to come to America’s shores. How
can we not seek to honor the passing of these virtues from one generation to
the next.”
The importance of preserving American family legacy extends to our own local community life
as reflected in quotes from yet another unidentified source. The notes allow that:
These (historic legacies) are the ties that bind a community to its past,
instilling a sense of pride and honor that only comes from knowing the history
of sacrifice and leadership that has brought the community from its meager
beginnings as a collection of devoted settler families to a modern, fast
growing and award winning metropolitan community.”
Men and women of accomplished personal lives but of different times have had important
things to say about the importance of historic perspective. As far back as Roman times thinkers
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were voicing their views regarding matters of historic perspective. One such philosopher,
orator and statesman was Marcus Tullius Cicero whose thoughts on the subject adorn the
nameplate of the City’s only historic mural at 507 Main Street. The quote reads:
“Not to know what happened before you were born, that is to be always a
boy, to be forever a child.”
Yet another prominent man of more modern times was British Prime Minister John Major, who,
while standing in front of a huge sculpture of the Duke of Wellington (who led Britain
successfully through two wars) said this about the need for historic preservation in the form of
historic monuments:
“If we don’t teach who he was and what he did, we will not make any more
Wellingtons. Glory lives only when we pass it on.”
At a Schertz city council meeting last summer (2014) Mayor Michael Carpenter spoke to the
citizens of Schertz and said the following:
“The gifts we have received from our predecessors are beyond counting, and
we must never forget that fact. In the words of Bernard of Chartres, ‘We
stand on the shoulders of giants’.”
Besides the intangibles of pride, honor and inspiration that accompany historic preservation
initiatives, the community gains several tangible rewards, such as:
• Tangible record of a civic past
• Revitalization of deteriorating yet culturally significant structures
• Preservation of the scale and diversity of the urban fabric
• Fosters opportunity for alternative use strategies
• Potential economic tourism incentive
The Schertz Historical Preservation Committee is dedicated to preserving our city’s history and
fostering a healthy respect for the accomplishments of our forefathers. We seek to do this by
resurrecting the stories of the men and women who led our town through difficult times and by
documenting the community’s ever evolving history. In furtherance of our goals, three local
history books and multiple Remembrances Special Edition Articles have been authored. We
welcome contributions from the community that will further contribute to telling the untold
stories of the people and events that have made our city prosper.