Sutherland Springs is an unincorporated community located on the old Spanish land grant of Manuel Tarin in northern Wilson County, Texas, United States. It is located on

U.S. Highway 87 U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south United States highway (though it is signed east–west in New Mexico) that runs for 1,998 miles (3,215 km) from northern Montana to southern Texas, making it the longest north-south roa ...

at the intersection of Farm Road 539.

History

Linne-oil-field2016-1(sutherland-springs)

Sutherland Springs was platted in 1854, and named after John Sutherland Jr., a pioneer citizen. A post office has been in operation at Sutherland Springs since 1851.

2017 shooting

On November 5, 2017, Devin Patrick Kelley shot 26 people dead and injured 22 at the community's First Baptist Church. The gunfire was heard by Stephen Willeford, a church neighbor and former NRA instructor, who grabbed his weapon and ran toward the scene barefoot. Willeford seriously wounded Kelley in a rapid exchange of gunfire, then corralled a nearby car and chased Kelley as he tried to flee the scene in his truck. After a high-speed chase, Kelley succumbed to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was found dead in a roadside ditch. It was the deadliest mass shooting in Texas history and the fifth deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States.

Geography

Old Sutherland Springs occupies a portion of the south bank of

Cibolo Creek Cibolo Creek is a stream in South Central Texas that runs approximately from its source at Turkey Knob (in the Texas Hill Country) near Boerne, Texas, to its confluence with the San Antonio River in Karnes County. The creek is a tributary of th ...

, with New Sutherland Springs (which is mostly in ruins) on the north bank of the creek.

Bibliography

*''The Good Old Days: A History of LaVernia'' was published by members of the civic government class at LaVernia High School for the 1936-37 academic school year. * ''Wilson County Centennial 1860-1960'' was published by the Wilson County Library; it is the official centennial program handed out by the local community for the "100-year celebration" of the county's establishment.

References

External links

Sutherland Springs Museum

Handbook of Texas on Sutherland Springs
* {{authority control Unincorporated communities in Texas Unincorporated communities in Wilson County, Texas Greater San Antonio Populated places established in 1854 1854 establishments in Texas