Excerpt from Pioneer History of Bandera County: Seventy-Five Years of Intrepid History Bandera county has a wonderful history. During the seventy-five years that have passed since white people settled this region. History has been in the making. Many tragedies have been enacted, many privations endured, many dangers experienced during this long span of years - three-quarters of a century. We have yet living with us some of the hardy pioneers that came with the first settlers, men and women who are today nearing the century mark, but still active and full of life. Volumes could be written to recount the deeds of daring, the thrilling experiences, the hardships and sufferings, the heroic achievements of the early settlers of Bandera county, and then much would be left untold. The rising generation ought to know something of the cost of the blessings we today enjoy, and it is the purpose of this volume to place on record a correct history of these pioneers, and tell of the sacrifices they made in order to redeem this great land from the hands of the roving bands of Indians who had always claimed it. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 edition. Excerpt: ... EXPERIENCES OF J. P. HEINEN, SR. J. P. Heinen, Sr., a highly respected pioneer citizen of Bandera county, writes interestingly of his experiences here in the early days. His narrative will be read and appreciated by many of the old timers who have moved away, as well as by all who live here now and know him: During the war between the states I lived with my parents in Kendall county, near Comfort, I often passed through the town of Bandera hauling corn for the Confederate government to D'Hanis, driving a team of eight or ten yoke of oxen hitched to a heavy wagon, hauling three tons to the load. In 1866 I came over to Bandera with one of ray brothers and we engaged in the mercantile business, building a two-story stone building in the valley east of the Riverside Inn. This stone building was washed away in the big rise in the Medina river in 1900. In those days, after the war, there was very little money in circulation in this section and I sold my goods mostly on credit, for which I received shingles in payment, that being the only commodity the people had to pay with. To make my collections I made one or two trips every month on horseback to the very head of the Medina river, buying shingles and collecting them for debts due me, and having them hauled to San Antonio and sold for cash. At that time there was no Medina City. Mr. George Smith lived in a log cabin two miles above the present site of Medina, on what is now known as the Goodman place. I often spent the night with Mr. Smith on my trips up the river. He was unmarried at that time, lived alone, and always seemed delighted to have me come and stay with him. Like all frontiersmen, Mr. Smith was a fine old gentleman, and I treasured his friendship most highly. There were no houses...

Located in the picturesque Texas Hill Country, Bandera County was named for nearby Bandera Pass, a naturally occurring passageway through the neighboring hills. Near the pass, the Medina River weaves its way through the county. In 1853, a group of settlers arrived and set up camp to make shingles from the huge cypress trees that grew along the river. Soon immigrant workers from Poland were recruited to work at a newly built sawmill. The beauty and abundance of resources also attracted an early group of Mormons, who established a nearby colony. The town of Bandera was designated the county seat at the formation of Bandera County in 1856. Bandera became a staging area for cattle drives up the Western Trail, and today the county still maintains its frontier character. The Western way of life prevails as visitors from around the world come to sample cowboy living on local dude ranches and enjoy honky-tonk music and dancehalls.

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