Helotes ( ) is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States, located on the far northwestern side of San Antonio. It is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels metropolitan statistical area. Helotes was settled primarily by German and Spanish settlers in the 1850s. Its population was 9,030 at the 2020 census.

History

According to anthropologists, the area was occupied seasonally from about 5,000 BCE by small bands of nomadic Native American tribes in search of food and game. The Lipan Apache moved into the area in the late 17th century and occupied it throughout the 18th century. However, the Lipan were forced from the area in the early 1820s by the Comanche Indians.

A small farming and ranching community began to develop in the area shortly after the Texas Revolution in the late 1830s. The ranches suffered occasional attacks by the Comanches until the early to mid 1870s. The last Indian raid in the Helotes area was in 1872, when Modesto Torres attacked an encampment of Comanche Indians who killed a settler at the Krempkau divide, where today Babcock and Scenic Loop roads intercept.

In 1858, a Scottish immigrant, Dr. George Marnoch, purchased the land that later became the site of the town. His heirs sold a portion of their property in 1880 to a Swiss immigrant, Arnold Gugger, who built a home and mercantile store around which the town of Helotes arose. which is actually a dance hall (or "honky tonk") that draws top country music talent, including Willie Nelson, who still plays the venue on occasion. Floore also financed the first annual Helotes Cornyval festival in the 1960s, which was held to celebrate the opening of a new post office.

Corn played an important role in the heritage of Helotes. The local Native Americans planted corn (maize outside the US) in the fertile valleys of the area, and feed corn was a major crop grown in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The urban sprawl of San Antonio expanded and approached the outskirts of Helotes in the 1970s<!-- , residents determined to take their fate into their own hands -->. After a decade of planning and negotiation, Helotes became an incorporated city in October 1981. To this day, residents struggle with the dilemma of maintaining the city's rugged country charm, while at the same time allowing for the development of modern suburban facilities and businesses.

1953 tornado

On April 28, 1953, a violent F4 tornado struck the city, damaging or destroying multiple structures. Two people were killed and 15 others were injured.

Overview

thumb|left|upright|Helotes' historic Zion Lutheran Church

When Helotes incorporated in 1981, very little was in the town. Now with a population over 7,000, Helotes is becoming one of the most desirable suburbs of San Antonio. Helotes itself includes the newly renovated Old Town Helotes. Completed in 2011, Old Town Helotes is the revitalized downtown. Helotes is home to Oak Valley golf course.

The Cornyval Festival is an annual city tradition bringing in local vendors and thousands of area residents to celebrate the namesake of the town.

Geography

Helotes is located in northwestern Bexar County in the valley of Helotes Creek where it exits from the Texas Hill Country. The city is about northwest of downtown San Antonio. Texas State Highway 16 runs through the community, leading northwest to Bandera. The Charles W. Anderson Loop, the outer beltway around San Antonio, is southeast of the center of Helotes.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Helotes has a total area of , of which , or about 2.5 acres, 0.06%, is covered by water.

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As of the 2020 census, Helotes had a population of 9,030 and a median age of 43.4 years.

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable"

|+Helotes racial composition as of the 2020 census

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 5,317 || 58.9%

|-

| Black or African American || 303 || 3.4%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 66 || 0.7%

|-

| Asian || 412 || 4.6%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 6 || 0.1%

|-

| Some other race || 609 || 6.7%

|-

| Two or more races || 2,317 || 25.7%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 3,653 || 40.5%

|}

2020 census

22.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.5% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.4 males age 18 and over.

There were 3,051 households in Helotes, of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 71.9% were married-couple households, 9.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 15.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 12.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.13 persons.

thumb|[[Sandra Day O'Connor High School (Texas)|Sandra Day O'Connor High School]]

Elementary schools:

  • Charles L. Kuentz, Jr. Elementary School (Helotes)
  • Helotes Elementary School (Helotes)
  • Los Reyes Elementary School (Helotes)
  • Randall H. Fields Elementary School (San Antonio)

Middle schools:

  • Dr. Hector P. Garcia Middle School (San Antonio)
  • Wallace B. Jefferson Middle School (San Antonio)
  • Dr. John Folks Middle School (Davis Ranch)

High schools:

  • Sandra Day O'Connor High School (Helotes)
  • Louis Dembitz Brandeis High School (San Antonio)
  • John Marshall Harlan High School (San Antonio)

Notable people

  • Joe Castro, special effects artist and film director
  • Phil Gramm, former US. Senator and US Congressman, Texas' 6th District
  • Will Hurd, U.S. congressman
  • Boone Logan, former MLB pitcher
  • Brucene Smith, Miss World USA 1971 and Miss International 1974
  • Carlos Uresti, attorney and Democratic politician from San Antonio, Texas

Notes

References

  • City of Helotes official website
  • Helotes, Texas in the Handbook of Texas Online