Hygieostatic Bat Roost
N 29° 58.226 W 098° 53.083
14R E 511121 N 3315514
Texas Historical Marker at the "Hygieostatic Bat Roost," east of Comfort TX. This was an attempt to attract bats to the area in order to keep the bug population down, and with it, control disease.
Waymark Code: WMM275
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 07/06/2014
Views: 8
The bat roost is located about a mile and four-tenths east of Comfort along FM 473, approximately four hundred feet south of the highway. If you reach the Steves Family Cemetery on the same side of the road, you've gone too far. This is someone's private property here, and there is a small turnout to park to get your photos. Please respect the owner's property as you visit.
Marker Number: 2608
Marker Text:
This shingle style structure was built in 1918 to attract and house bats in an effort to eradicate mosquitoes and thereby reduce the spread of malaria. It was designed for Albert Steves, Sr., a former mayor of San Antonio, by Dr. Charles A. R. Campbell, an authority on bats who had served as the health officer in the same city. Named "Hygeiostatic" by Steves, the bat roost is one of 16 constructed in the United States and Italy between 1907 and 1929.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1981
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Visit Instructions:
Please include a picture in your log. You and your GPS receiver do not need to be in the picture. We encourage additional information about your visit (comments about the surrounding area, how you ended up near the marker, etc.) in the log.