Founded in 1847, the origin of the name “Selma” is still a mystery. It is believed to be one of the many settlements along the Cibolo Creek founded by German pioneers, but “Selma” has no meaning in the German language. One of the first settlements in the San Antonio area, the City of Selma is located on the Old Austin Road – which is now Interstate 35. The community is actually American in its origin. The first settlers of Selma included John D. Brown and William Davenport, who ran cattle on the open range until 1860. In the 1870s, an influx of German and Polish immigrants brought a school, a grist mill, a cotton gin and a post office, also used as a stage coach stop. Selma which covers approximately five square miles is in three counties (Bexar, Comal and Guadalupe) and today, has a population of more than 5,000.

The original City Hall, a familiar two-story Spanish colonial building located on I-35 now houses a restaurant…Hooters to be exact! The city has a city hall complex, a police department, a fire department, a public works department and a permits & inspections department at 9375 Corporate Drive. The current city hall, opened in 2003, has an office for the mayor in addition to staff and a larger capacity council chamber and meeting room. In 2009, construction finished on a brand new police department building that will increase police coverage that will sustain future growth.

Selma provides city water with sewer provided by CCMA. CPS provides electricity, Entex provides natural gas, Time Warner provides cable & internet service, AT&T provides telephone service and garbage collection is achieved by Bexar Waste. School-age children may attend the Judson ISD, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD or Comal ISD, depending on the location of their home. Emergency services for citizens include fire, police and first responders for emergency medical needs.The Schertz Area Facility of Emergency Services (SAFES) provides advanced life support services and transportation. Selma is proud of its low ISO rating and enjoys having one of the lowest tax rates in the area!

Selma is proud to be the chosen site for Retama Park, a beautiful horse-racing facility that opened in 1995.The facility provides racing for both turf and dirt running horses, catering to both quarter horse and thoroughbred racing fans and simulcasting of races from other major race tracks throughout the country. The traveling public can be accommodated by a 300-room Holiday Inn Express or a recently built,80-room Comfort Inn & Suites.Selma also houses the Forum Shopping Center,a collection of retail and restaurant businesses.

Selma contains a variety of industrial parks along I-35, FM 1518 and Lookout Road.Selma also hosts Olympia Business Park and Madilee Business Park that offer a wide range of professional services. Two major car dealerships, Gillman Honda and Mitsubishi along with Cavender Automotive, also enjoy a business-friendly atmosphere in Selma.

Selma contains a number of residential subdivisions with more to come. Two ongoing developments by Centex Homes, Retama Springs located off of Lookout Road and The Trails at Kensington Ranch located off of FM 1518 are nearing completion. Retama West is beginning construction along with Lookout Hollow Apartments. The Retreat at Retama and the Reserve at Retama are future upscale town home community developments.

Selma will not be without a memory of its past. In 2007, a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation along with money from the city was used to renovate the Stage Coach Stop and construct a visitor’s center, which opened in the summer of 2009. Created, was the city’s third city park and in January 2010, a fourth city park was dedicated to the citizens of Selma.