While Spanish exploration had begun as early as 1732, only a few brave souls had seen the beautiful landscape of San Saba County when Texas became an independent republic. Populated mainly by “bear and buffalo,” the county was frequented by Comanches and other tribes who had sided with the Mexican army in the revolution and continued to resist Texan expansion.

One of the first Texan explorers was surveyor Robert D. McAnelly, who (in 1837) carved his initials and the date on a large rock where the as-yet-unnamed Cherokee Creek emptied into the Colorado River. The creek got its name two years later, when Colonel Edward Burleson defeated an army of Cherokee Indians nearby.

McAnelly settled on the other (Lampasas County) side of the Colorado River in the late 1840s, but it wasn’t until 1854 that the first permanent settlers put down roots in the future San Saba County. The small community of Chappell grew up along the banks of Cherokee Creek, followed by settlements such as Rough Creek, Rock Shoals, Simpson Creek, Wallace Creek, Broyles Valley and Holland Hill.

The first store and blacksmith shop were built in 1855, and San Saba County was organized in 1856. A 100-acre townsite was chosen and a courthouse, clerk’s office and post office were built in the town of San Saba in 1857 (the courthouse also served as a school and meetinghouse). Also that year, Nathaniel Burden built the town’s first rock structure, the Burden Hotel.

In the meantime, James Baker Jr. and his brother, George, had brought six thousand cattle to land given to their father for his service in the Texas Revolution. With the help of the Sloan brothers, John and Tom, the Bakers soon greatly multiplied the size of their herd in “Baker Valley,” and (despite regular Comanche raids) San Saba County became a center for the cattle business. Cattle drives sent large herds to surrounding counties before the Civil War.

While the war and frequent raids by Comanche warriors stifled growth through the 1860s, the 1870s were momentous years for the young town and county. Among the notable arrivals was a young English cabinetmaker named Edmond E. Risien, who stopped in San Saba (on his way to California) in 1873 and became fascinated by the local pecan trees. He eventually developed a unique type of thin-shell pecan that made San Saba famous as the “Pecan Capital of the World,” a title it retains to this day.

In 1876, an Irish immigrant named Billy Gibbons arrived in San Saba County with 1,000 sheep. He became fabulously wealthy here over the next 50-plus years, making San Saba a center for the wool industry in Texas and accumulating thousands of acres of land along the San Saba River.

In the meantime, Colonel W.T. Melton established the San Saba News, now the oldest newspaper in West Texas, in 1873. J.W. McConnell opened a general merchandise store in 1875. A system of irrigation canals opened up hundreds of acres to cultivation and cotton became a major cash crop. By the end of the decade, San Saba was a thriving town of more than 1,000 citizens; it boasted six grocery stores, three drug stores, three saloons, three woodworking and blacksmith shops, two hotels, two millinery shops, two livery & feed stables, two gristmills, two cotton gins, two schools two saddle & harness shops, two boot & shoe shops, two beef markets, a bakery, a printing office, a tin-and-hardware shop, a turning lathe and a chair factory, a lumber yard, a restaurant, a cigar & barber shop, a gunsmith, a carpenter and a jeweler.

During the 1880s, San Saba added one of the first banks west of Austin, an early wool-marketing co-op and the San Saba Building and Loan Company. By 1890, most of the area had been “civilized” and fenced, and the town of San Saba had become the region’s commercial center.

That’s not to say that all was well in the isolated little town. Law enforcement had never really reached this far into the dangerous wilderness, and not all the new arrivals were honest pioneers. Sometime during this period of growth and activity, some of the established ranchers banded together to fight off the thieves and rustlers who lurked in the hills around San Saba.

The secretive group became more and more assertive, and by the late 1870s had begun to cast a shadow over life in San Saba County. Members enriched themselves by intimidation, theft and murder, dominating San Saba County for nearly two decades before some brave citizens helped the Texas Rangers to disband the mob. An estimated forty-three men lost their lives during that dark time, and many more lost land and livelihood to the “San Saba Mob.”

At the same time, there were an abundance of good-hearted, God-fearing folks who helped build the county, and several churches stand as monuments to their faith.

Just four years after the first permanent settlers had arrived in southeastern San Saba County, about twenty families gathered in one of the most scenic spots on Cherokee Creek for several days of Christian services conducted by a circuit-riding preacher named Thomas Tunnell. It was August of 1858 in the tiny community of Chappel, and the participants enjoyed their “camp meeting” so much that they decided to hold another. And another. And another; for 150 years now, with no plans to stop anytime soon.

Of course, some things have changed during that time span. At the first few meetings, the preacher hung his six-gun in a tree where he could reach it easily in case of an attack; his listeners sat on logs and rocks. Guards were posted to protect the settlers’ horses from Indians. A brush arbor was soon built, but it was washed away in a flood in 1878. The next camp meeting was held in a new, larger arbor on the other side of the creek; families built their own small arbors for shade, camping, cooking and eating meals for ten days each September.

When local farmers began raising cotton, the camp meetings were moved up a month to accommodate those involved in the harvest. In 1941, a new tabernacle was constructed, with a concrete slab floor, electric lighting and painted white benches. In 1966, the state authorized a commemorative marker for the site; in 1968, the schedule was changed from ten days to three. But many residents of San Saba County have many happy memories from the annual event; quite a few couples met and courted at the camp meetings. The faithful still attend every August, and the event has attracted state-wide publicity. While there is no longer a church in Chappel, the First United Methodist Church in Bend makes sure that everything is taken care of. They celebrated the camp meeting’s 150th anniversary this past summer.

The twentieth century saw sporadic growth, punctuated by fire, flood, war, depression and drought. The feisty little town persevered through it all, but had recently begun to show signs of age. Now, that age (and the rich history that accompanies it) has been embraced by civic leaders, and an impressive revitalization program has begun in downtown San Saba.

The potential has always been there; the downtown area on Wallace Street (Hwy 190) and around the square is lined with historic structures. San Saba County also boasts spectacular Hill Country scenery, several fine parks and recreational areas, a great museum, quality shops, restaurants and lodgings, as well as two rivers and two historic suspension bridges.

In recent years, investors from Dallas, Fort Worth and San Saba have purchased a dozen or more of the historic downtown buildings, several of which have been restored, and several more are currently under construction. The city has recently completed an impressive new golf course.

In 2006, a group of local businessmen formed the Community Foundation of San Saba County, Inc., as a vehicle to assist the city and county in revitalization projects. The group began working with the City and the Texas Historical Commission’s “Visionaries in Preservation” program to come up with a master plan to make San Saba an attractive destination for historical tourism.

One of the first priorities was to come up with a plan to restore and showcase the city’s oldest building – the 1857 Burden Hotel, located in the center of the block immediately west from the square. The Foundation, a 501(c)(3) corporation, co-ordinated the development of the plan by referring with consultants and holding public meetings..

The results so far are genuinely exciting. For one thing, the project has the enthusiastic backing of the community. And for another, the group has some great material to work with. After formulating a plan, the foundation held its first “Catkins Ball” (referring to San Saba’s prolific pecan blossoms, or “catkins”) to raise funds. It was a huge success, bringing in more than 300 guests and $53,000 for the restoration.

Through the years, the Burden Hotel had been completely surrounded and hidden from view by buildings around the block; now the city has torn down one of the more modern buildings to allow public access from the courthouse square. The plans call for refurbishment of the 151-year-old building and replacement of the former porch facing the square; the first steps will be to clean up the neglected “courtyard,”make sure the building is structurally sound, and to re-point the old rock walls.

The president of the foundation is prominent local attorney Dick Miller (a 2004 nominee for president of the Texas State Bar Association). The vice-president is attorney and businessman Clay Nettleship, who also serves as vice-chairman for the Lower Colorado River Authority. The secretary is Shawn Oliver, of Oliver Pecan; San Saba’s mayor, Ken Jordan, also serves on the board of the foundation.

A second Catkins Ball is scheduled for April 25, 2009, and the foundation hopes to attract 500 civic-minded attendees. “There’s a lot of energy and optimism out there,” Nettleship reports. “People are getting excited about this project.”

Tentatively, the historic building will serve as a tourist information center (downstairs) and a museum of sorts (upstairs) where planners hope to re-create the bedroom of the old hotel. The courtyard will be paved with bricks and planted with shade trees; benches will provide relaxed seating and public restrooms be installed for the convenience and comfort of visitors. Speakers will provide piped-in music and a portable stage will be available for live concerts and other events. Commercial buildings facing outward toward the streets will have their back entrances adapted and decorated for easy and pleasant access. An old well will be restored, an old gas station on the southwest corner of the block will be retro-fitted to its mid-century charm, and signage will be installed on the highways. The whole block will be a charming addition to the historic downtown area, and visitors will provide a welcome boost to the surrounding shops and restaurants.