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Uvalde
at dusk
TE photo, 2001 |
History
in a Pecan Shell
The town was founded by Reading W. Black in 1854. The name
he chose for the new town was Encina.
A monument to Black in the form of a huge petrified tree trunk sits
in the very spacious and under-used Pioneer Cemetery which
is the entire 500 block of N. Park Street.
A historical marker telling
the story of notorious King Fisher is also found here.
The flamboyant and handsome John King Fisher was a gunman turned lawman.
He occasionally protected the area against banditti from Mexico -
but it may have also been to protect his huge claim of land. Fisher
wore Leopard chaps - obtained legend says, when he shot a caged tiger
at a circus and paid the circus manager the going rate for leopards.
Fisher was shot in the staircase of a Vaudeville theater in San
Antonio with Ben Thompson, Austin's Marshall. Both were slain
by assassins before they could draw their guns in the narrow stairwell. |
Founder's
plaque
TE photo |
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One
of Uvalde's former citizens was brought home from Mexico for burial
TE photo |
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Fort
Inge, just one and a half miles south and east of town, protected
Uvalde's citizens from Indian raids. The county was organized in 1856
and the following year they were granted a post office.
The town and county were named after Juan de Ugalde, the former
Spanish Governor, but the name was corrupted with time into the current
spelling.
The population of Uvalde was 2,000 people in 1890 and in addition
to the East-West Railroad - shorter lines extended North and South
to Camp
Wood and Crystal
City.
Uvalde
High School, TE photo |
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Garner
Memorial Museum in Uvalde
TE photo |
John
Nance Garner, Vice-President of the United States under Roosevelt
bequeathed his home for use as a museum and is buried just west of
town. Garner was famous for his fairness, his outspoken manner and
his crusty personality.
Garner loved this
part of Texas. He was very good friends with fellow Texan Sam Rayburn
of Bonham.
© John
Troesser
FDR
by Mike Cox ("TexasTales"
Column)
... In his memoir, Smith remembered Sept. 27, 1942 as a quiet, hot
day. When the special pulled into the small Uvalde depot about noon
that Sunday, only one man in town, and only a handful in Texas, knew
why the train had stopped or who sat in one of the cars... more
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The Uvalde
Grand Opera House c. 1891
TE photo |
Uvalde
Attractions
The
Uvalde County Courthouse
Pioneer
Cemetery
Fort Inge
County Park on the Leona River -
site of former U.S. Cavalry outpost c. 1849.
Garner
State Park : 26 miles North of town off Hwy 83
For scenic
drive, continue onto Leakey,
take FM
337 to Vanderpool
to Lost
Maples Natural Area.
Aviation
Museum of Texas: Just East of Uvalde at the airport.
Garner Memorial
Museum: 333 N. Park St.
Grand
Opera House c. 1891:
Open Monday through Friday 9 to 3 for tours.
Fish Hatchery:
FM 481 South -
A Federal facility for warm water fish.
Chamber of Commerce: 300 E. Main St. Uvalde, TX 78801
830-278-3361 Website: www.uvalde.org
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Railroad
bridge on US 90 near Uvalde
TE photo, 2001 |
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