History of Kerr and Higginbotham Mill in San Antonio, Texas explained. One of San Antonio’s lesser known and forgotten historic mills. (Revisited)

Kerr and Higginbotham Mill is one of the historic mills of San Antonio, Texas Sadly this historic mill has been long forgotten as vegetation has overgrown and overlapped the former mill property. This news article will explain and explore some of the history behind Kerr and Higginbotham Mill.

The land where Kerr and Higginbotham Mill is located predates the statehood of Texas as the land was originally part of the Juan Francisco Gomez land grant. Juan Francisco Gomez sold this land property to Jose Antonio de la Garza who in turn sold the land to Roderick T. Higginbotham on January 4, 1842. Higginbotham had a mill installed on this land. Kerr and Higginbotham Mill was built in 1842 and began operating in 1842. This mill would become what was once known as the “Kerr and Higginbotham Mill” and eventually the "San Juan Mill". (Ref: https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/e390f8f1-2a60-4611-90a6-03fea6eb015d)

Joseph Anderson bought the property with the mill still functioning in 1859. He would own this land for a long time. The name of the mill was changed from “Kerr and Higginbotham Mill” to "San Juan Mill". The name "San Juan Mill" stuck longer than “Kerr and Higginbotham Mill”. North of this mill was a dam that fed water into a race and that led to the water turbine. The dam had served the Texas Powder Company in earlier years.
(Ref: Bexar County Land Deeds, Volume R1, Pages 333-334)

Kerr and Higginbotham Mill ceased operations in 1866. Joseph Anderson shut off any of the channels connecting to the mill. The grist mill was still there. (Ref: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1404&context=ita)

Joseph Anderson sold this land to Louis Ashley as the "San Juan Mill Tract" in 1873, being the same property upon which the mill known formerly as Kerr and Higginbotham's saw and grist mill was originally situated but later fell into disuse. Kerr and Higginbotham Mill was dismantled later. (Bexar County Land Deeds, Volume 1, Pages 142-143)

Kerr and Higginbotham Mill is located at 8818 Mission Road, San Antonio, Texas, US 78214.