Dry Frio Canyon
Uvalde, Uvalde County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Area's first settlers--families of Louis Bohme, Charles Jones, Gus Heard, and Lawrence Pike Heard-- applied in 1875 in search of new frontiers and range lands. The first post office was called Heard, as was the first school, which opened in 1880. While digging a well in 1885, T. H. Hammer discovered area's mineral water which became famous for medicinal qualities. He later sold his property to a promoter named Reagan who built a bathhouse and a hotel to sell mineral water. Baptist Church, formed in 1906, was first local house of worship. 1968
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The families of Louis Bohme, Charles Jones, and the Heards came seeking new range land in 1875, giving Dry Frio Canyon its first settlement, post office, and school under the name Heard. In 1885 a well-digger struck mineral water prized for its medicinal qualities, and a promoter soon built a bathhouse and hotel to draw visitors to the springs.
Why it matters
The canyon's arc from ranch frontier to mineral-water resort echoes a national craze for healing springs that turned remote Western settlements into destinations.
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Related people
- · T. H. Hammer
Themes & tags
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