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MENARD,
TEXASMenard
County Seat, Texas Hill Country
Highways 29, 83 and 190
37 miles W of
Mason
30 miles N of Junction
144 miles NW of Austin
143 miles
NW of San Antonio
Population: 1,653 (2000) 1,606 (1990)
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History
in a Pecan Shell
The
town once known as Menardville was formed in 1858. The following year Ft.
McKavett was deactivated, leaving the settlers without protection from the
Indians. After the Civil War the fort was reopened and while nearby Mason
was supplied from San Antonio,
Menard received its supplies via Burnet.
The county was organized in 1871 with county court being held under the branches
of a Live Oak tree. They built their first courthouse in 1872 and
Menardville settled into a period of hard work and slow but steady growth.
A bad flood of the San Saba River occurred in 1899 and the railroad arrived
in 1911. In one of those little historical quirks that abound in Texas, the railroad
asked the town to drop the ville from its name to make sign painting easier. Menardville
complied and was renamed Menard.
The town had as many as 2,500 people
in the mid 1920s.
Menard County
Courthouse - next page |
Menard
Landmarks & Attractions |
| | The
Menard County Historical Museum
The Former Menard Depot
TE photo |
The
Menard County Museum
In the AT&SF Depot on the Northside
of the San Saba River. Donated to the city when the railroad pulled out, the museum
opened its doors in 1978. |
| | Ruins
on the Links
TE photo |
Ruins:
Spanish Mission Santa Cruz de San Saba
Abandoned around 1769 after
being overrun by Comanches, the ruins now provide an attractive decorative accent
to the golf course. Historical Marker is on FM 2092. Follow the signs. |
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An orderly plot in Pioneers Rest Cemetery
TE photo |
Pioneers
Rest Cemetery
In town on the highway - an attractive cemetery with
a very interesting terrain. |
Menard
Grave by
Mike Cox ("Texas Tales" Column)
A few folks knew of a solitary
tombstone surrounded by a fence in a live oak mott east of Menard off what locals
call River Road (FM 2092)... |
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Mission Drive-In Theater in Menard
TE photo |
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Menard
water tower
TE photo |
Fort
McKavett State Historic Site
Stock
Pens Crossing Park
Spacious park with beautiful river view - just west
of townThe
San Saba River Park - 12 acres with deep shade and picnic tables - a stone's
throw from downtown.
The
Ditch - An irrigation ditch first dug in 1756, it still flows through the
Menard's downtown. |
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The San Saba River at Menard's Stock Pen Crossing Park
TE photo |
Menard
Texas ForumSubject:
Menard
Hi,
I'm (James) Coe Linn, and I was born in 1937 in Menard and was raised there. I
noted the great photos on your website.
The old drive-in theater was
the Mission Drive-In as was the old theater downtown... the Mission
Theater owned and operated by Henry Reeve. I went to the Saturday matinees
at the downtown theater as a child and then to the drive-in while in junior high
and high school.
The crossing on the San Saba was called the Stock
Pen Crossing. There was a swimming hole just
a few yards east of the crossing that we called "High Banks." We had a very long
rope in a big pecan tree and could swing almost to the other side of the river.
Many happy memories swimming there.
A short distance to the west of
the Stock Pen Crossing was the Baptist Encampment, and open-air revival
facility with cabins and camping facilities.
I really enjoyed your website.
Please check out http://www.menardroots.com/.
I graduated in 1954 from
Menard High School. The section on MHS Annuals is a great compilation of many
of the High School yearbooks.
Regarding Fort
McKavett, Theodore Roosevelt’s son, Elliot Roosevelt, spent time in the
Fort McKavett area hunting and relaxing in the sunshine. Best wishes. - Coe
Linn, Austin, Texas, June 24, 2004
Anyone
wishing
to share history or photos of Menard, Texas, please contact
us
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