Johns Family Place

Out in a small community called Calaveras, there is a bit of history that is not well known. This is the Johns family home that was built in the 1860s by the Mackey Brick Company. The company had a brick plant on some land and needed a boarding house for the employees. Hence, the home was built.

In 1890 Theodore Johns and his family bought and moved into this large two-story house. He had five sons who helped him on the farm, and they soon started a dairy. My grandfather Edwin was actually born in the house in the kitchen near the big fireplace in the front room.

Eventually, great-great grandpa Theodore moved to Floresville, and two sons, Bruno and Herman stayed to run the dairy and ranch. They used to sell milk for five cents a gallon. Bruno lived there his whole life, except for when he went into the Army in World War I as a cook. His brother Herman moved to McAllen after he was bit by a snake and “had it” with ranch life.

In 1922 Bruno married my great-grandmother Edith Reinhart whom I remember growing up with.

They had six children, four boys and two girls, one of whom is my grandfather Edwin. They raised cattle, farmed, and ranched. Gradually all the children grew up and moved on except for my grandfather who stayed on the farm.

Edwin married Rosie Swientek and they had six children. They continued to live in the old Johns home and raise their family. From here, my mom and her brother and sisters were born.

The original home had no floors, just boards across the upstairs, and my great-grandfather finished the rooms. After my grandfather took the home over, he added on a new kitchen, leaving the old fireplace for the living room. They also added on a den and bathroom, and fixed all the windows. Working on the house also had its funny moments, like when Grandpa was painting the second story trim, and the ladder slipped, and he fell, spilling green paint on the walls and roof that is still there today!

They also had a hurricane that blew off the roof, and a flood which came up close to the house. It was called the Flood of 1942. There was also the Flood in 1998 which came up to the house from the San Antonio river (which runs behind the house about a mile back).

My grandfather was in Korea and Japan during the Korean War, where he was a cook. He was stationed there for three long years before he was married.

Stories were passed on from generation to generation about how Indians were once on the land. We still find arrowheads today. There is also the story of a graveyard on the land, where a Confederate soldier and a small child were buried. We still have the tombstones of these two behind the old barn.

Folktales also tell about a special tree in the back yard, way over a hundred years old, that had a huge hole in it. We all heard the stories about how the Indians hid in there with their bows and arrows, waiting for the soldiers.

We also had the Southern Pacific Railroad go right behind the house, before the tracks were taken up and the railroad done away with.

Other favorite stories were about when my grandpa and his brothers used to race down the old hill in wagons, and chase rabbits with sling shots. Of course, all the rough play got my grandfather hurt, as he was knocked in the head.

Over the generations, the old home has had much work done to it to keep it standing tall and proud for all our family to enjoy. My mom grew up there with her sisters and brother, and now it’s my turn to explore all the mysteries of the old house and dairy barns. I enjoy playing in the yard and wandering all over like my great-great ancestors used to do when they were my age. Who knows, maybe my great-great grandchildren will get to enjoy the house and farm like I will with all the history to pass on.