Leon Springs
Leon Springs is an unincorporated community located in Bexar County, Texas, and is partly within the city limits of San Antonio. According to the Handbook of Texas, its population was 137 in 2000. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Area. This means that the population is expected to grow over time as the population of the San Antonio area grows.
The town was first known as Aue Station, and the railroad came through in 1887. The Aue family built a gas station in the town and expanded it into a restaurant and bar. By the time of World War I, Max Aue had acquired seventeen hundred and seventy acres in the town. He used these lands for training and for storing powerful artillery. The town was a center for dances and even had a hardware store. Click for more
German immigrants founded Leon Springs in the mid-19th century. The town was named after a German nobleman who settled in the area. The town had a post office in 1857 and a steam cotton gin. In 1885, it also had two hotels. During World War I, the town was home to the first officer training camp in Texas.
In 1925, the Ponce de Leon Springs Hotel and Casino was built in the area. With fourteen rooms, it was a popular destination for wealthy Northern visitors. By 1953, the area had over a hundred roadside attractions. A jungle cruise, a tram tour, and an elephant water ski were some of the popular activities available to the public. Unfortunately, the hotel closed after sixteen years.
Located about six miles west of Fort Stockton, the Leon Springs pupfish was first discovered. It was located in the Leon Creek drainage. The area was covered by Lake Leon in 1918 and was dry in 1958 due to groundwater pumping. Until 1965, the pupfish was believed to be extinct. However, the pupfish was discovered again in Diamond-Y Spring, about 10 miles north of Fort Stockton.
In the 1840s, the Von Plehwe family settled in the area. They were Prussian army officers who had married the queen of Bavaria's daughter. Their grave is buried fifty yards west of the last house they built. The Altgelt family, descendants of the first German settlers, also settled in the area and operated a dairy in the area.
In 1917, the Fifty-seventh Infantry moved to the area and was commanded by Lt. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Later, Lt. Walton H. Walker would go on to command the Eighth Army during the Korean War. By spring 1917, the camp was home to a remount station, which processed horses used by the mounted services.
Until 1982, the Leon Springs area was a private recreational park. However, in 1982, the state of Florida and Volusia County bought the property and expanded the park to six hundred acres. In addition to the springs, visitors to the state park can enjoy boating, fishing, hiking, nature walks, camping, and butterfly gardens. Dominion is next