"Interesting name for my county, Kendall. Rare is the county that is named for a living, incumbent resident. What is even rarer was George Wilkins Kendall’s path to fame. He was not from a founding family of Texas. He was not a politician, a Texas Ranger, a lawyer, nor a war hero. His career enterprise was located in Louisiana and New Hampshire was his birth state."
Historian Bryden Moon
So why Boerne? Why Kendall County? Along with the Kendall County Historical Commission, we’re hosting a special program, “Kendall of Kendall,” on Saturday, March 5 at 10 a.m. at the library to answer that question as we tell you his story and bring to life one of the more intriguing characters from 19th Century Texas.
Born in 1809 in New Hampshire, Kendall was by turns a printer, a writer, a prisoner of war, a renowned author in his time, and a sheep farmer. He was considered the nation’s first war correspondent and spent time in company of other historical figures of the time. He apprenticed with Horace Greely, hosted a dinner for Frederick Law Olmstead and engaged with Mexican President Santa Anna. He married Adeline del Valcourt later in life after meeting in Paris, France and brought this young woman back to the wild frontier of Texas.
I’ll leave the narrative here, as I don’t want to give too much away. We’d really love for you to attend this program. During the entire month of March, we’ll also host a gallery exhibit in the lobby that takes a more in-depth look at the life and the writings of Kendall.