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Interpretive Guide of Garner State Park (SP) in Texas. Published by Texas Parks & Wildlife.
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INTERPRETIVE GUIDE
GARNER
STATE PARK
Garner boasts the only CCC-constructed dance pavilion in
a state park still used for dancing.
ALIVE WITH TRADITION, SEVERAL
GENERATIONS FREQUENT GARNER
STATE PARK, SUSTAINING CUSTOMS
Garner State Park leads the state in overnight camping and
has since it opened in 1941. The rich cultural history of the
park and its facilities, the attraction of the clear waters of
the Frio River, and steep wooded canyons combine to form
a very inviting setting for a great variety of park visitors.
UNIQUE TO THIS PLACE. THE MOST
FURTHER READING
POPULAR OF THESE TRADITIONS,
James Wright Steely, Parks for Texas, University of Texas
Press, 1999.
THE DANCE, HAS ITS ROOTS IN THE
PARK’S GREAT DEPRESSION-ERA CONSTRUCTION. AN INEXPENSIVE FORM
OF ENTERTAINMENT, LOCAL DANCES
James Wright Steely, The CCC in Texas Parks, Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department, 1986.
William W. Newcomb Jr., The Indians of Texas from Prehistoric to Modern Times, University of Texas Press, 1961.
BECAME A POPULAR PASTIME OF
Walter Prescott Webb, The Handbook of Texas Vol. I, II,
Texas State Historical Association, 1962
THE DAY. WHEN THE PARK OPENED,
The Handbook of Texas Online:
www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online
LOCAL BANDS PERFORMED IN THE
BEAUTIFUL NATIVE LIMESTONE AND
CYPRESS DANCE PAVILION.
LATER,
Garner State Park • HCR 70, Box 599, Concan, TX 78838
(210) 232-6132 • www.tpwd.texas.gov/garner/
A JUKE BOX REPLACED THE BANDS,
AND THE TRADITIONAL DANCES
CONTINUE TO THIS DAY.
Proud Sponsor of Texas Parks
and Wildlife Programs
© 2018 TPWD. PWD BR P4507-061M (7/18)
In accordance with Texas State Depository Law, this publication is available at
the Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries.
TPWD receives funds from the USFWS. TPWD prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, and gender,
pursuant to state and federal law. To request an accommodation or obtain information in an alternative format, please contact TPWD on a Text Telephone
(TDD) at (512) 389-8915 or by Relay Texas at 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2989. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, please contact
TPWD or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041.
Texas State Parks is a division of the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
G A R N E R
S T A T E
P A R K
Prehistoric Native Americans built large earth ovens
of heated rock for cooking roots and tubers.
cattle, hogs and goats, grew tobacco, cotton and corn, and
produced tallow and hides. They harvested the local bounty
of pecans, game and other resources, as had those who lived
off the land before them. In the immediate vicinity of Garner
State Park, the first settlers were two German immigrant
families, the Magers and the Streibs.
THE DRAW OF
THE WATER
For thousands of years the cool, clear waters of the Frio
River have drawn people to its banks. Between 10,000
and 12,000 years ago, prehistoric peoples came to the area
attracted by an abundance of game, useful plants, and
stone for making tools. The river provided a dependable
source of perennial water and helped to cool the canyons,
providing an inviting setting which still pulls people here.
As early as the 16th century, Spanish explorers made
entradas into the Americas and brought horses with
them. The Comanche and Apache quickly adapted to
their use, pushing all other Native American groups from
the area in the 1700s.
In the 1850s a trickle of Anglo settlers began making
their way west of San Antonio. The lifestyle was one of
self-sufficiency, and the people of the area farmed, raised
CCC-constructed facilities at Garner, many still in use
today, include roads, picnic tables, water fountains,
a lodge, overnight cabins, and a dance pavilion.
THE MAKING
OF A STATE PARK
As the automobile gained in popularity during the early 20th
century, vacation camping became a popular pastime for many
city dwellers. The cool clear waters of the river and the beauty
of the canyons made this an ideal location. During the 1920s,
the Magers family opened a piece of their land on the west side
of the Frio River in the present location of Garner State Park,
for camping.
With the onset of the Great Depression in the 1930s, the
nation faced a debilitating unemployment crisis. With more
than half the young men under 25 years of age out of work,
President Franklin Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation
Corps (CCC) to provide employment opportunities. The program put young men to work developing state and national parks,
as well as rehabilitating forests and controlling soil erosion.
Civilian Conservation Corps Company 879 constructed the
park between 1935 and 1941. June 1, 1941 marked the grand
opening and dedication of Garner State Park, named after
former Vice President John Nance Garner, a local son.
FLORA AND FAUNA
L
ocated on the southwestern edge of the
Edwards Plateau, Garner State Park is
part of a unique natural subregion known
as the Balcones Canyonlands. Edwards limestone uplifted
millions of years ago to an elevation of 2,000 feet, creating
steep canyon walls and some of the most spectacular views in
the Texas Hill Country. The canyons angle southeast to
northwest, taking advantage of the southeast prevailing winds
to cool and moisten the area. This allows more diverse
vegetation to thrive in this arid region of Texas. The rugged
terrain protects many vegetation communities, including
Ashe juniper, oak and cypress, as well as a small population
of endangered Tobusch fishhook cactus.
All of this provides some very unique habitat for the
abundance of wildlife for which the area has long been
known. Populations of white-tailed deer, Rio Grande
turkey, squirrels, and several species of migratory birds
exist in the park. Endangered species of birds such as the
golden-cheeked warbler and black-capped vireo (pictured
above) also find a home here.
Non-native, feral, and exotic species create problems in many
parks. Non-native species are highly undesirable due to the
competition they create with native wildlife and negative
impacts on native habitats. Garner’s primary exotic, Axis
deer (below), compete with the native whitetail populations
for food resources.