The region was settled in the mid-nineteenth century by German immigrants, most notably
John O. Meusebach,
George von Plehwe, and
Max Aue. The
Aue Stagecoach Inn became the first stop on the
stagecoach route between San Antonio and
San Diego, California.[2] The community came to some prominence as the location of an officer training school at
Camp Bullis. The original
Romano's Macaroni Grill was founded in Leon Springs; however, the company closed down this branch after the second of two devastating floods in July 2002. It was operated by
Brinker International.[3] It is also the site for the first
Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q. The restaurant chain was created by a descendant of town founder Max Aue, Rudolph Aue. The community currently has Baptist, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, and non-denominational churches.
The
Arkansas National Guard sent troops to the community for a provisional regiment in 1908 and a 12-day encampment in 1910.[4]
A post office was established at Leon Springs in 1857 and remained in operation until 1918. There was a
cotton gin, a general store, and two hotels serving 50 residents in 1885. It became the site of an officer training camp during
World War I. The community lost half of its population by the mid-1930s.
Camp Stanley was another
World War II training school in the community. The population grew to 100 in 1946 and remained steady for the rest of the decade, settling at 137 from 1990 through 2000.[5]
Leon Springs was also the site of the execution of a soldier from
Camp Swift for the murder of a young girl. The stage stop closed in 2004 and is reported to be haunted and privately owned.[6]
^"Leon Springs". The City of San Antonio. July 16, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2021. The Aue house/store became the first stop on the "Jackass" Stage route from San Antonio to San Diego, California.
^Harry, Smith (December 21, 1962). Arkansas Army and Air National Guard, a History and Record of Events, 1820–1962. Little Rock, Arkansas: Arkansas Military Department. p. 11.
^
abLong, Christopher.
"Leon Springs, TX". tshaonline.org. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
^"Will Bury Body of First Texas Officer Killed: Funeral of Lieutenant Louis Jordan at Fredericksburg Saturday: Was Noted Athlete; Young Texan Made Enviable Record at State University". The San Antonio Light. June 9, 1921.
^"Adolf Topperwein". Handbook of Texas Online.
Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 17, 2011. Adolph (Ad) Toepperwein, noted marksman, was born in Boerne, Texas, on October 16, 1869, the son of German immigrants, Johanna (Bergman) and Ferdinand Toepperwein. ... Toepperwein died in San Antonio on March 4, 1962.