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History in a Pecan
Shell
The community had originally been in Bexar County prior to
1869. It was established around 1860 when the community was named Wright, Texas.
The current name is the Spanish word for "skulls.” The opening of the post office
in 1885 required the change of name. The town only had a population of 20 and
at that time the community’s mail came from San
Antonio.
All of that changed with the arrival of the railroad (the San Antonio and
Aransas Pass Railway, aka the SAAP) in 1886. The population increased and businesses
opened. By 1892 the population had increased ten fold to 250 and Calaveras had
most essential businesses, including three brickyards and a new hotel.
It reached its population high-water mark in 1900 with 369 residents.
The post office closed its doors in 1925 and the railroad
demoted the town to a flag stop. After WWII,
the town was reduced to a single business, although they have kept the same population
estimate for the last 60 years (100 residents).
The Creek and the
Lake
The creek, from which the town gets its name, rises in Bexar County,
south of the town of Martinez. The mouth of the creek meets the San Antonio River,
one mile SW of town and Calaveras Lake was formed when the creek was dammed near
Elmendorf. Lake Calaveras appears on the state
map, while the town does not. |
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Photographer's
Note:
Could not get into the cemetery because of a locked fence and a
huge, vicious dog. Although the town is spelled "Calaveras", the nearby creek
is spelled "Calavaras." - Terry
Jeanson, March 04, 2008 | |
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