Coker Community
Encyclopedia
Coker was a community located in north central Bexar County
, Texas
(USA
) now within the city limits of San Antonio
, near Hill Country Village
, along the present Loop 1604 between the San Antonio, Texas
, streets of Nacoma Street, West Avenue, Bitters Road and US 281.
(1789–1851) on 1920 acres (7.8 km²) of land he had been awarded for his service in the Texas revolution
ary war.
James Harrison Coker (1827–1892), son of Joseph Coker, John Coker's brother, was the first teacher at the Coker School, and his daughter Sarah Jane Coker (1860–1930) was the midwife there. Sarah Jane was married to Zachary Taylor Autry who was a Texas Ranger
and early settler of Northern Bexar County, Texas
.
In the 1880s a Methodist circuit rider named Arthur Everett Rector visited the community about once a month; services lasted all day while horses, wagons, and oxen were tethered nearby. Mr. Rector once performed a wedding at the church and was paid $5 and a pig
. The first wooden built church was constructed there in 1885. The people of the community made their living by farming. The present day rock church was constructed by the community members in 1937.
Bexar County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,392,931 people, 488,942 households, and 345,681 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,117 people per square mile . There were 521,359 housing units at an average density of 418 per square mile...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) now within the city limits of San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, near Hill Country Village
Hill Country Village, Texas
Hill Country Village is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,028 at the 2000 census. It is an enclave of San Antonio and is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, along the present Loop 1604 between the San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, streets of Nacoma Street, West Avenue, Bitters Road and US 281.
History
The Coker Community was founded in 1841 by John CokerJohn Coker
John Coker was a soldier in the Texas Army during the Texas Revolution, noted for a daring action during the Battle of San Jacinto that helped seal the decisive Texian victory.-Biography:...
(1789–1851) on 1920 acres (7.8 km²) of land he had been awarded for his service in the Texas revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
ary war.
James Harrison Coker (1827–1892), son of Joseph Coker, John Coker's brother, was the first teacher at the Coker School, and his daughter Sarah Jane Coker (1860–1930) was the midwife there. Sarah Jane was married to Zachary Taylor Autry who was a Texas Ranger
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
and early settler of Northern Bexar County, Texas
Bexar County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,392,931 people, 488,942 households, and 345,681 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,117 people per square mile . There were 521,359 housing units at an average density of 418 per square mile...
.
In the 1880s a Methodist circuit rider named Arthur Everett Rector visited the community about once a month; services lasted all day while horses, wagons, and oxen were tethered nearby. Mr. Rector once performed a wedding at the church and was paid $5 and a pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
. The first wooden built church was constructed there in 1885. The people of the community made their living by farming. The present day rock church was constructed by the community members in 1937.