In 1852, despite the danger of Indian raids, a group of entrepreneurs acquired land on a cypress-lined bend in the Medina River, and the following year they surveyed the town of Bandera and opened a sawmill and commissary. The town quickly became a thriving settlement because of the success of its water-powered lumber mill. In the years that followed, local farmers and ranchers prospered by supplying products to United States Cavalry troops at Camp Verde, growing and ginning cotton, and raising cattle, sheep, and goats. In the 1870s, as the threat of Indian attacks receded, the county became a staging area for cattle drives and its population grew markedly. It is estimated that between 1874 and 1894, seven to 10 million longhorns and one million horses were driven by 30,000 cowboys to a staging area near Bandera, a major gathering point connecting with the Western Trail. During this time, Bandera became known as a place where cowboys could relax and buy supplies. Dude ranching began in 1920 when the Buck Ranch took in paying summer guests, with the Bruce Ranch taking the overflow, and in the 1930s the industry continued to expand until more than 30 dude ranches were operating near Bandera. Rodeos began in the 1920s when cowboys who worked on ranches displayed the skills they used at roundups and on cattle drives, and the first advertised rodeo near Bandera was held at Mansfield Park in 1924. Bandera cowboys became rodeo world champions and were inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Since 1920, the community has been a popular tourist destination drawing visitors to area resorts, dude ranches, rodeos, and hunting and camping areas, and the town was given the designation "Cowboy Capital of the World" in 1948.

Photo: James Hulse

Photo: James Hulse

Photo: James Hulse

Bandera, Texas · USA