Cofran's Texas . . .
Hill Country Portal

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

CITY: Not incorporated

CHAMBER, TOURISM & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Nothing formal

NEIGHBORING TOWNS: 17 mi NE of Cherokee, High Valley,
24 mi W of Lampasas, SW of Lometa, 18 mi SE of San Saba

PRINCIPAL BUSINESS: Winery, state park, agriculture, pecan industry, hunting, fishing

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS:See full details in Directory below.

• Alamosa Wine Cellars
• Bend Store: More than all-purpose convenience store, it is the local center for community gathering, live entertainment and the world of Bend
• Colorado Bend State Park: Includes famous Gorman Falls

NEARBY & HILL COUNTRY-WIDE ATTRACTIONS: See Attractions.

Some of the very nearby attractions include:

• Lake Buchanan (see Lakes)
• Fall Creek Vineyard (Tow)

PARKS: There are many state and LCRA parks in the greater area as profiled on the Parks page. These nearby parks include:

• Colorado Bend State Park
• Inks Lake SP (just S of Buchanan Dam)
• LAKE BUCHANAN SHORE PARKS:
  • Buchanan Dam: Black Rock LCRA
  • NE Lake Buchanan: Canyon Of The Eagles
  • Tow: Cedar Point LCRA
• Local city parks include: None

EVENT CALENDARS: Festivals & Major Events; Local Activities & Fun Things To Do; Farmer & Flea Market Days; Specialty & Seasonal Market Days; Art & Galleries; Quilting & Fiber Arts; Car Shows; Motorcycling Events; Beer & Brewing; Wine; Pet Events

WEATHER: Local Weather; Hill Country-wide Weather

MEDIA COVERAGE:

• On-Line News: Google News
• Newspapers, Radio/TV, Articles & Videos:

MAPS: Google; GeoHack (not available)

HISTORY: Handbook of Texas Online: " . . at a horseshoe-shaped bend in the Colorado River fourteen miles southeast of San Saba in southeastern San Saba and western Lampasas counties, developed in the nineteenth century as a supply and processing center for farmers. The area was originally settled in 1854 by three Low brothers from Tennessee, David Donald, James Milton, and William, and first named Schleicher's Bend, after Gustav Schleicher. By 1856 it was called McAnelly's Bend, for Robert Daugherty McAnelly, a landOnr on the Lampasas side of the river. A post office under the latter name opened on the east side of the river in 1858 but was discontinued sometime after 1861. When application for a post office on the San Saba side of the river was made in the late 1870s, the names Little Breeches and Bend were submitted; the Bend post office opened in 1879 in the home of Seth Martin Moore, the local ferry operator, and has operated continuously since.

The town developed in the 1870s and 1880s, as a gristmill, cotton gin, and general store were established to meet the needs of local farmers and cattlemen. The first school on the San Saba side of the Colorado River was organized in 1872 near the mouth of Cherokee Creek, and by the 1880s Baptist, Methodist, and Christian churches had opened. In 1890 the community had a reported 400 residents, a justice of the peace precinct, a constabulary, craft shops, mercantile stores, and a hotel. For most of the twentieth century, however, Bend has recorded 100 to 125 residents. Corn, cotton, and cattle provided the initial basis for local commerce. In the late nineteenth century the pecan industry also became commercially important. After 1920 extensive pecan orchards were planted, and by midcentury the Hollis native pecan had become the region's primary cash crop. Bend boosters consider the Jumbo Hollis, which stands near the banks of the Colorado River, to be the world's most productive pecan tree. It is claimed that the tree yields nuts of extraordinary size and that in 1919 it produced more than 1,000 pounds. The tree is named for its first known Onr, Thomas I. Hollis. In 1990 Bend reported a population of 115 and two businesses. In 2000 the population remained the same and four businesses were reported."

PRIOR CITY NAMES: Schleicher's Bend (1854), McAnelly's Bend (1856)

HISTORICAL MARKERS:

CEMETERIES: Many nearby

AVAILABLE SERVICES: Gas: no; Convenience Stores: yes; Restaurants: at convenience store; Lodging: yes; Grocery Stores: limited, at convenience store; Banks: no; Vehicle Repair: no; Hospital: no; Med Clinic: no; Post Office: yes; Public Schools: no; Cemetery: yes

OTHER PROFILES: City Data (not available); Texas Escapes; Wikipedia

NOTES:

Back To >> TOP OF PAGE & MAIN INDEX

BUSINESS & ORGANIZATION DIRECTORY




BEND CHURCH OF CHRIST: Bend, TX 76824

BEND UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: 325-628-3599; 14130 FR-580, Bend, TX 76824. lampasasmethodist.com

HIGH VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH: SR-501, Bend, TX 76824

EMERGENCIES
(Police, Fire, EMS/Medical)
Dial 911

CRIME STOPPERS-REPORT ANONYMOUSLY: 1-800-222-8477; or click: Stoppers




LOCAL CITY GOVERNMENT:

LOCAL COUNTY GOVERNMENT: Click: Lampasas County Government Offices and San Saba County Government Offices

STATE & FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: For offices that represent the Hill Country,
click: Texas & Federal Government Offices

US POST OFFICE: 325-628-3358; 22902 FM-580 W, Bend, TX 76824-3000. usps.com

CRISIS HOTLINES: click Hotlines-Emergencies

DAY & SEASON HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES:

See full list of leases for this town at: Hunting & Fishing.




SULPHUR SPRINGS CAMP: 325-628-3252; 2935 CR-446, Bend, TX 76824. bendtexas.com. RV & tent camping, and cabins

Note: Check RV Parks below for availability of cabins, guest houses and other accommodations.



BEND GENERAL STORE: 325-628-3523; 438 CR-442, Bend, TX 76824. bend-general-store.business.site. Country store, live music, beer garden

COLORADO BEND STATE PARK: 5,328 acres above Lake Buchanan, at 1025 ft elevation, opened in 1987. This park offers a wide spectrum of outdoor recreational opportunities including fishing, boating, hiking, mountain biking, guided nature and caving tours, bird watching, mineral study, and photography. Among the parks "specialty items," are its crystal-clear creeks dammed along their length with striking growths of travertine, a mineral precipitate from calcium-carbonate rich waters.

Primitive tent camping and RV camping. 16 mi of hiking trails and 14 mi of mountain bike trails. When Lake Buchanan is near normal levels, the river is navigable from the park's boat ramp all the way to the lake, for 10 mi. This is a trip on slow moving water through the beautiful canyon lands of the Colorado. Other activities include guided tours to Gorman Falls on Saturdays. Gorman Falls is also accessible by a day-use hiking trail. The trail length is 4 mi round trip. The park also offers guided walking wild cave tours and self guided crawling cave explorations. Due to hazards in the caves such as low oxygen levels and poisonous gases and the fact that the caves are a non-renewable natural resource, All caves in the park are closed except through tour or special permit. Reservations are highly recommended for the cave tours due to the limited number of people which can be taken on any given tour.

Location: In San Saba County, W of Lampasas, SE of San Saba, on FM-580, in Bend, TX 76824. See web site for detailed directions into the park. 915-628-3240; tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/colorado_bend

GULLET HUNTING LODGE: 325-628-3512; Bend, TX 76824

OLD BEND SCHOOLHOUSE: CR-438, Bend, TX 76824




BAREFOOT CAMP & RV PARK: 325-628-3395; 795 CR-444, Bend, TX 76824. barefootcamp.com

COLORADO BEND STATE PARK: 325-628-3240; 2935 CR-446, Bend, TX 76824.

SULPHUR SPRINGS CAMP: 325-628-3252; 2935 CR-446, Bend, TX 76824. bendtexas.com. RV & tent camping, and cabins

CALL or e-Locate BEFORE YOU DIG!
Free Texas 811 Locator
1-800-344-8377
www.texas811.org

HILL COUNTRY-WIDE UTILITY PROVIDERS:

For Hill Country area utility service providers (electric, gas, water, sewer, trash),
telecom providers (land lines, cellular service, TV, internet), and related services (package delivery, newspaper, etc.), click: Utilities & Telecom





ALAMOSA WINE CELLARS: Closed

CHEROKEE CREEK VINEYARDS: Closed

FIESTA VINEYARD & WINERY: 325-628-3433; 18727 FM-580 W, Lometa/Bend, TX 76853. Located 5 mi E of Bend, 10 mi SW of Lometa, and 18 mi W of Lampasas. fiestawinery.com.

Back To >> TOP OF PAGE & MAIN INDEX or BEGINNING OF DIRECTORY LISTINGS THIS PAGE

Texas Walks . .
What's Raised Here,
Stays Here! 100% local!!

5 locations in
Central Texas
September and October.
Corporate sponsorship
& team/individual
registrations now available.