Cotton was King in Seguin
Some settlers from the South arrived in the remaining years of the Republic of Texas hoping to establish cotton plantations. Others believe the Old South ended because few plantations, if any, were successful west of those built here. An early census revealed that 30% of the county’s population was African-American slaves.
Seguin was an Early Adopter of New Building Materials – Concrete
In the meantime, a small country town was the site of a lot of experimentation in the use of concrete as a building material. By the mid-century, about one out of every ten buildings here was made of concrete. As a result, this town had the greatest concentration of concrete buildings in the country! Among them, only about 20 of these beautiful buildings remain, including the Sebastopol House Historic Site.
At the Heart of Seguin’s Heart was Immigration
Manufacturing plants making steel, electronic devices, lawn care equipment, construction materials, etc., provide a strong industrial base. A huge power generating facility came online recently. The bustling service sector includes a highly rated and fast-growing university anchored by a western section of the city. A state-of-the-art hospital sits beside a sprawling commercial area on the east side. The beautiful Guadalupe River runs through the southern part of the city, cutting across it near the downtown area. A lovely park borders the river for a mile before it meets the highway running through the northern half of the city. Fine parks are situated around the city’s periphery, including one with 18 holes of golf. A country club lies nearby, and both I-10 and a mainline of the union pacific railroad run through the city’s north side, where much of the manufacturing is located. The central business district is filled with fine old houses in traditional neighborhoods and surrounded by newer residential areas.
