IT's BURNET, DURN IT!

by John Hallowell

               Samuel Holland was Burnet’s first permanent settler, just 158 years ago. On July 3, 1848, the former Texas Ranger came to visit his brother-in-law, William B. Covington, at a Ranger encampment a few miles south of present-day Burnet. He liked the surroundings so well that he bought 1280 acres and built a home near Hamilton Creek. In 1849, U.S. Army dragoons built Fort Croghan just to the north of Holland’s property and a few more settlers arrived.

       An offshoot Mormon group led by Lyman Wight arrived in 1850, and built a mill at a waterfall on Hamilton Creek just south of “Holland Springs.” When the Mormons moved on in 1853, they sold the “Mormon Mill” to Noah Smithwick, who used it to grind flour for farmers as far away as Gillespie County

       Two veterans of the Texas Revolution contributed mightily to the growth of the little town, first called Hamilton Valley: Logan Vandeveer was a large and powerful man known for his courage and daring; Peter Kerr was better known for his business acumen. Vandeveer fought the Indians and supplied the fort (named for Colonel George Croghan, a hero in the War of 1812) with beef and other staples. Kerr bought the land which would eventually become Burnet, leasing the fort to the U.S. government and donating 100 acres to the newly-formed Burnet County in 1853 to make Hamilton Valley the county seat. Vandeveer was the town’s first postmaster and built the first rock building in 1854. Kerr won fame as a benefactor to the poor, allowing neighbors to milk the cows in his immense herd of cattle without any charge. Both men have streets named after them in the town that they helped establish.

       Because of confusion with other towns named Hamilton, townsfolk changed the name of their community to Burnet (named for David G. Burnet, first president of the Republic of Texas) in 1858.

       In 1854, a young Kentucky native named Adam Johnson arrived in Burnet County to seek his fortune as a surveyor. He explored all of Central Texas, but settled in Hamilton Valley, building a mansion by Hamilton Creek in 1960 for his young bride, Josephine Eastland. Although he was blinded by a musket ball during the Civil War, Johnson would be one of the major forces in Burnet County’s development. He led cattle drives to raise cash, organized “Minute Men” to defend against the frequent Indian attacks, built a store and a school for the impoverished community, and donated land to help bring the railroad to Burnet in 1882.

       It was the railroad’s arrival that turned Burnet into a boomtown in the 1880s. Ox-carts hauled loads from the Burnet depot to towns all across the Hill Country, and hotels, shops, houses and saloons sprang up along Burnet’s busy streets. Although things quieted down when the tracks were extended to Marble Falls, Llano and Lampasas, Burnet was an established town from that time forward.

       One of the town’s early leading citizens was a young lawyer named Thomas E. Hammond. He had joined the confederate Army in 1861, when he was just thirteen years old, then come to Burnet after the war to work for General Johnson. He served as a captain in Johnson’s frontier guards, and was known as “Captain” Hammond the rest of his life. He studied law in his spare time, and passed the bar exam at age 28. He served two terms as Burnet’s mayor.

       Another leading citizen was W.C. Galloway, who came to Burnet in 1882, bought the old Calvert Hotel (now, with his additions, the Verandas Guest House) in 1899, organized the First State Bank of Burnet in 1908 and set up Burnet’s first electric company in 1917. He also served as Burnet’s mayor and tax collector.

       The families of both men have been pillars of Burnet society, and it was with their considerable help that Burnet was able to build its world-class recreation center (known as Galloway-Hammond) in 2001.

       Agriculture was the major industry in Burnet County for many years, though rock quarries and graphite mines also brought revenue from the county’s mineral resources. Cattle and sheep were plentiful, and wool was a major source of income. Cotton became common in the 1870s, and was the main crop for several decades; every little community had its own cotton gin.

       But Burnet was more than just a farming village. In 1890, there were twelve doctors in Burnet. The school superintendent was Professor R.J. Richey, who had graduated from Washington & Lee University in Virginia, and who had served as a pallbearer at the funeral of General Robert E. Lee. Professor Richey elevated the system in Burnet so that wealthy citizens from all over West Texas sent their children to Burnet schools. Local attorney Dayton Moses was famous for his oratory, and reportedly was considered at one time as a possible Democratic nominee for president.

       Burnet proved to be a little ahead of its time in the 1920s and 30s, slipping into economic depression before most of the country, but recovering strongly in the mid-thirties. Major construction projects such as Buchanan Dam, Inks Dam, Longhorn Caverns, Highways 66 and 29, and a new Burnet county courthouse made Burnet the place to find work for unemployed laborers from as far away as Minnesota. A shortage of housing found townsfolk renting sleeping space in their living rooms or on their front porches.

       Infrastructure became a priority in the thirties, and Burnet passed bonds for a public water system (completed in 1936) and a sewer plant (completed in 1940). Main Street was paved in 1935, and the other streets followed suit for the next fifteen years.

       Record rainfall throughout the thirties caused flooding, especially along the Colorado River. When Buchanan Dam was completed in 1937, it took only a few days of heavy rains upstream to fill the huge valley which suddenly became Lake Buchanan. You’ll notice the LCRA ad on one of these pages; they maintain an interesting museum at Buchanan Dam, which colorfully illustrates the history and function of the Highland Lakes Dams.

       In 1938, a young rancher and calf-roper named Wallace Riddell was elected sheriff of Burnet County. By the time of his death in 1978, he had become a national celebrity as the longest-tenured sheriff in American history.

       Burnet has always had a tradition of patriotism, and during World War II many of its young men went off to fight. At least two families, the Fry family and the Kroeger family, had six sons each in the American military.

       An Olympic swimmer named Tex Robertson chose Inks Lake as the site for a summer camp in 1939, and future celebrities like Cactus Pryor and Hondo Crouch trained at Robertson’s Camp Longhorn. Later on, future president George W. Bush was a camper at Longhorn. Even more recently, the president’s twin daughters have attended the exclusive camp. Burnet’s fabulous Galloway-Hammond Recreation Center has named its swimming complex “Tex Robertson Natatorium” in Tex’s honor.

       The fifties were not good times in Central Texas, and a long drought stifled growth throughout the Hill Country. Burnet remained a small, quiet town for several decades thereafter. But with the growth of Austin and the “discovery” of the Hill Country as a tourist destination, Burnet has grown steadily for at least the last 15 years.

       Tornadoes have hit Burnet several times through the years: in 1939, 1967, and (most spectacularly) in 1973, when block after block in the center of town was completely destroyed. Yet in all the destruction, the main story came to be the miraculous escapes of so many Burnet residents. There are no recorded fatalities in any of the storms, although more than 100 homes were demolished in 1973’s twister.

       Burnet has a number of quality attractions that make it an interesting place to visit. The historic square and Hamilton Creek Park are great for a walking (or shopping) tour, and train passengers can be seen on the streets and walking paths most weekends. Fort Croghan brings Burnet history to life with its collection of artifacts from Burnet’s early days, and the Commemorative Air Force Museum memorializes the sacrifices and achievements of the “Greatest Generation” in World War II. Longhorn Caverns, Inks Lake State Park, Canyon of the Eagles Nature Park and the Vanishing Texas River Cruise are all quality destinations, well worth the short drive from Burnet. But even better than visiting Burnet (I believe) is living in Burnet.

       One of Burnet’s chief attractions is the beautiful scenery. While spring may be the best season for photographers (Burnet was named “Bluebonnet Capital of Texas” by the state legislature in 1977), the lakes and hills have a distinct beauty for each season, and driving down the country roads is a year-round delight.

       Burnet is a modern, working town, but its Wild West roots still show up in many surprising ways. There’s a character here that’s distinctly related to those not-so-long-ago frontier days, and some of the biggest events on Burnet’s social calendar are the rodeo and the livestock show. There are plenty of places around Burnet where you can go horseback riding, and hunting season is a big deal in Burnet. People still find Indian arrowheads in their pastures, and you can still see log cabins down the old dirt roads.

       While property values have risen faster than many taxpayers would like, housing in Burnet is still a bargain compared to any big city and most other small towns. During my four years as editor of the weekly paper there, there were no murders in Burnet, and very little random crime. There is a “safe” feeling on the streets of Burnet, and a friendly atmosphere that makes going to the post office or the grocery store a very pleasant experience. Burnet’s schools have an excellent reputation, and Burnet graduates do very well in colleges all across the nation (Burnet had at least four West Point graduates during the four years that I was editor – an enormously disproportionate share for its population of just over 5,000). In 2005, the school district opened the doors to a fabulous new state-of-the-art high school on the north side of town, and renovations at the other campuses keep all the schools on the cutting edge.

       In any small Texas town, Friday night football is an important event. It’s better in Burnet. Burnet’s school district includes neighbors from Bertram, Briggs and Buchanan Dam – about two thirds of Burnet County and a little bit of Llano County – but it’s still something special when the attendance at the football game is more than the town’s entire population. When Burnet advanced to the state finals in 2002 and 2003, almost 10,000 people went to root for the Bulldogs.

       Perhaps the times that have made me most proud have been the times when Burnet showed its compassion to victims of a tragedy. After the terrorist attack on New York City in 2001, Burnet County hosted a magical “Texas Field Trip” for twenty-one fourth-graders from P.S. 197 in Harlem. Burnet County residents treated those young New Yorkers like kings for five wonderful days of “Texas” adventures. And when a player from the Everman Bulldogs suffered a spinal injury in the 2002 state championship football game, Burnet fans joined together to raise more than $100,000 for Corey Fulbright’s expenses. Over and over again, I have seen the people of Burnet rally to support a family or an individual who had suffered a loss. There are real “neighbors” in the neighborhoods here.

       Burnet’s biggest event is the Bluebonnet Festival, held the second week of April each year. The activities build up through the week to a fantastic weekend of fun, flowers, and food. Thousands of locals and visitors crowd the streets for the Bluebonnet Festival Parade and flock to the “Warbirds and Wildflowers” air show sponsored by the Commemorative Air Force’s Highland Lakes Squadron at the Burnet airport on Saturday. Live music, carnival rides, golf tournaments, car shows and crafts booths (etc., etc.) complement the activities and competitions that make the festival so special.

       Other yearly events include the Livestock Show in January, the Lawn & Garden Show and Arts & Crafts Show each spring, The Burnet County Rodeo and the Railfair weekend (sponsored by the Austin Steam Train Association) each summer, Fort Croghan Days in October, Christmas on the Square, Fort Croghan Christmas and the hugely popular Main Street Bethlehem (sponsored by local churches) events in December. The Burnet Gunfighters Association adds to the local color with staged gunfights and train robberies throughout the year.

       Of course, for those who are fortunate enough to live here, there is a constant stream of school productions, from football games to musicals to carnivals to Veterans Day ceremonies. Burnet educators, parents and students stay active year-round, and there are wholesome activities for every age and taste. In many ways, Burnet embodies the best qualities of small-town America.      

By John Hallowell

John Hallowell is the past editor of several Hill Country publications. He has been exploring the Texas Hill Country for almost 20 years.

More Featured Articles