Cuero

History

The city of Cuero got its start in the mid-19th century as a stopping point on the Chisholm Trail cattle route to Kansas. According to the Handbook of Texas Online, "Gustav Schleicher founded the latter town as a way-station and moved to it soon afterward, in 1872." It was not recognized as a town until 1873, though, when it was officially founded. The city was named for the Spanish word "hide", referring to the leather made from animal hides. The industry was extremely short-lived, however, and gave way to various forms of ranching. The city had several Old West gunfights related to clan feuding following the Civil War. Cuero's population grew considerably in the 1870s and 1880s, as residents from the coastal town of Indianola settled here after major hurricanes in this period destroyed sizeable portions of that city. Cuero thrived through much of the late 19th and early 20th centuries by the introduction and practice of turkey ranching in the area. Today, agriculture is still the primary industry in the region. Cuero is considered to be one of the top cattle producers and shippers in Texas.

Geography

Cuero is located east of the center of DeWitt County near the mouth of Sandies Creek, where it empties into the Guadalupe River. U.S. Routes 87, 77 Alternate, and 183 pass through the city. All three highways follow South Esplanade Street into the center of town; US 87 then leaves town via East Broadway Street, while US 77A and 183 continue north out of town on North Esplanade Street. US 87 leads southeast to Victoria and west to San Antonio. US 77 Alternate leads northeast to Yoakum, and US 183 leads north to Gonzales. Both 77 Alternate and 183 lead south to Goliad. According to the United States Census Bureau, Cuero has a total area of , of which , or 0.36%, is covered by water.

Race & ethnicity