Last Friday we drove out of our little farm for the last time. We’ve owned it for 21 years. My parents bought the place across the road 50 years ago. Both had 1870’s German homestead homes on them – one room log cabins with solid rock rooms added on piece by piece. My family put their heart and soul in these places.

You cross this creek as you enter my place (the creek in “Creekrunner”).




What this picture doesn’t explain is that on a weekend that has sunshine and a temp above 50, the sound of motorcycles is now almost constant during daylight hours. Or on the surrounding properties, where almost hermit-like old Germans used to reside in their crumbling old homes, tending their sheep, praying for rain, and scraping a living out of sub-par soil, huge new homes have been built or are being planned. Or that now there’s an annual run on the county road out front where all the wannabes drop their water cups everywhere, like they’re running the Boston. And the bicycles, holy cow, the bicycles.

I’m not the type to try and stop change or progress. It’s a free country and I am a believer in the free market. I do know though that you can love a place to death. It’s time for us to move on and bid farewell to the Hill Country. It will always be a part of me. I knew a Luckenbach before even Hondo took it over with his crew. Every old place had double-fence grown over lanes around the edges for moving livestock. They were probably great for game such as quail, etc. I remember all the neighbors speaking German to each other and their children and, slowly, begrudgingly, but eventually completely accepting us “outsiders”. One could say we were part of this invasion, starting back in 1968; I get that. But my parents tried to learn as much as possible about the history of the place and, in my eyes, really tried to show respect for what came before them. Now it seems like a wild contest to see who can snatch up the next hill to build a look-at-me house looking down on the neighbors. ‘Sorry if I sound bitter. Change isn’t always a universal joy to all involved, but, nevertheless, inevitable. I hope all my former neighbor “ego farmers” find what they’re all looking for.

Lots of good times with family and friends. My daughters caught their first fish in the creek. The original Pinta Trail runs down one side of it. Apaches, Comanches, Spaniards, German immigrants (including Meusebach), Texas Rangers and cavalry all passed by at one time.

Here’s the best animal I that I ever took on the place.




All these pictures, except for the axis, were taken by my son, during his own goodbye to the place.

I know what you mean, I’m in excavation and the amount of land change is staggering

Onward!

That's sad to say goodbye to a place that's been in the family for so many years. Sounds like y'all got real good use out of it.

Good write up sir. You can sell the place, but you'll always have those memories

beautiful piece of property; I'd be hard pressed to sell that!

Hate to see "progress" take over special places but it happens every day it seems. Good pictures and tribute to the old place.

I think I have tears in my eyes.....sad. Journey on, build your new memories on a place that you make your own. I have leased a place for 11 years and I can only imagine how you feel.

Awesome story I feel for you ! Good Luck go make some new memories on a new place but Take your Time God Bless you and your Family

Creek thanks for sharing your memories, cannot fathom all of the great times your family must have enjoyed there

I know exactly what you mean. Bandera when we moved here in 1963 was a quiet place except on Sat. nights when those from San Antonio and Houston came to town to get drunk.. I could go to the post office and always knew those that were in there getting mail. Now very seldom even know one. The surrounding hills were dark at night. Now there are lights all over. Sunday mornings were nice and quiet. Now you hear motorcycles. But I am too old to move so I will just have to live with it for my remaining years.

I am not a frequent poster ( 200 in 10 years), but I read a lot.

This would be, without question, in my top 5.

Everything changes....that's life, but the things that shouldn't make me a bit sad.

Glad you have the memories.

Hope you kept those license plates!!

Sad for your family. And they call it progress....

FWIW I can empathize. The "small town" I grew up in is not 15X the size and in no way resembles the place I knew. My folks moved West, civilization is close behind....

I realized about a year ago that when my kids are grown a rural 30-acre piece will probably be a very "big place" to most.

Great post sir.

X2...Good luck on your next adventure seeking a new place. Seeing little ones in the photos, make memories on your new place that will last two life times.

Great photos thanks for sharing.

I hunted on a hill country lease in a similar area. Those old square heads... which im proud to be descended from were good people. They didn't allow guests, if it wasn't your wife or child and they weren't a paying member they weren't allowed on the property. Brought my Opie along once to help set up a new stand and he said something in German. As we were leaving for the weekend the old land lady told us Opie was welcome back any time. It was a treat to them to find someone they could talk German to. We stopped hunting that place over 10 years ago and at that time the drone of motorcycles over a mile away was already an all day thing sitting in the stand.

Beautiful photographs of a very sad event. I too share your lament that this is called "progress." We are rapidly losing who and what we were and no amount of pretty houses (they all look the same) and strip malls can replace that.

Well after reading all that, the last pic pretty much choked me up. Dang you Creekrunner. Sad to hear. Hopefully there are greener pastures down the road for you all. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for sharing. I have been down this road with a family ranch that was split up...hurts a lot to know I won't be back at certain places - where I caught my first fish, learned to ride a tractor, etc. The tides that change are not always easy. Glad you have lifetimes of memories there. Great photos as well! I hope you were able to grab some keepsakes to put at your home, or your next ranch, to remind you of the family place.

Nice post Creek. That's some beautiful country up there. I wish you and your family all the best.

Great pics and hate to hear such a memorable place is leaving yall, but on to greener pastures and hope the next place will make as many new memories for yall.

No kidding. My FIL lives in Gruene and has a deer lease nearby. The noise of motorcycles is a constant. People everywhere. Gruene hall so packed that we've stopped going down there for beer and music. Sorry to see you leave your family place but I can understand why. Too many dang people moving to the hill country. Hell, too many people moving to Erath county as well.

We went through the same thing in 2008. My parents owned 80 acres just outside of Mansfield that my great grand parents bought it in 1908. A lot of industrial companies had started to move in and it just wasn't country anymore. A man came in and made an offer my dad couldn't turn down seeing what was potentially in store for the future of everything around. Now there's warehouses and all industrial companies where the property was and half million to million dollar homes across the street where it was open farm land. Very sad to see. We also had a rock lined well like the one in your pics.