Cofran's Texas . . .
Hill Country Portal

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

CITY: Unincorporated

CHAMBER, TOURISM & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Nothing formal other than that the General Store Onrs lead the effort to promote Castell. See below.

NEIGHBORING TOWNS: 18 mi E of Mason, 18 mi W of Llano

PRINCIPAL BUSINESS: Ranching, recreation

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS:

• Castell General Store: 325-247-4100; Hwy 152, Castell, TX 76831; real estate, beer, bait, ammo, feed, groceries, antiques, and kayak rentals. BBQ on Saturdays.
• Llano River: kayaking and fishing. See our focus page at Tubing & Paddling, and Hunting & Fishing

NEARBY & HILL COUNTRY-WIDE ATTRACTIONS: See Attractions
Some of the very nearby attractions include:

• Llano: Parks; Golf; Hill Country Wildlife Museum; Llano County Historical Museum; Lantex Theater
• Mason: Golf; Parks; Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve; Gene Zesch's Woodcarving Exhibition; Historic Fort Mason; Mason County Museum; Historic Mason County Courthouse; Odeon Theater; Sandstone Cellars Winery & Mason County Vineyards; Seaquist Victorian Mansion

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

• Llano: Badu City Park, Leonard Grenwelge County Park, Moore Memorial Park, Ray House & Grounds, Robinson City Park
• Marble Falls: Shaffer Bend Recreation Area (NE Lake Travis); Turkey Bend Recreation Area (NE Lake Travis); Sunset Point Park On Lake LBJ (Lake LBJ)
• Mason: Fort Mason City Park
• 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
• Videos: CockARoo videos, see below
• Newspaper, Radio/TV, Video, Articles:

MAPS: Local Google; Hill Country Special Maps

HISTORY: Handbook of Texas: "Castell was established in 1847 on the north side of the Llano River by German immigrants under the auspices of the Adelsverein They were led from Fredericksburg by Count Emil von Kriewitz to a site selected by John O. Meusebach to comply with the terms of the Fisher-Miller land grant, which the organization had acquired. The town was named for Count Carl Frederick Castell-Castell, business manager of the Adelsverein. Other Adelsverein settlements-Leiningen, Bettina, and Schoenburg-were established at the same time but did not survive. In 1872 a post office was established on the south side of the Llano River, where the community has since been centered. The site held the first church services in the region, conducted by Rev. Charles A. Grote in 1852. Castell has remained a center of religious activity. The local Methodist and Lutheran churches date their founding from that year. By 1972 the ranching and recreational community had declined to a population of seventy-two, mainly descendants of the original German settlers."

Castell received a lot of publicity recently from a U-Tube posting about their famous rooster Cock-A-Roo, who has since died. See Video1 and Video2

Book: "The Captured: A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier", By Scott Zesch, an award winning Mason, Texas writer. From the book overview: "On New Year's Day in 1870, ten-year-old Adolph Korn was kidnapped by an Apache raiding party. Traded to Comaches, he thrived in the rough, nomadic existence, quickly becoming one of the tribe's fiercest warriors. Forcibly returned to his parents after three years, Korn never adjusted to life in white society. He spent his last years in a cave, all but forgotten by his family. That is, until Scott Zesch stumbled over his own great-great-great uncle's grave. Determined to understand how such a "good boy" could have become Indianized so completely, Zesch travels across the west, digging through archives, speaking with Comanche elders, and tracking eight other child captives from the region with hauntingly similar experiences. With a historians rigor and a novelists eye, Zesch paints a vivid portrait of life on the Texas frontier, offering a rare account of captivity."

PRIOR CITY NAMES: None

HISTORICAL MARKERS: German Settlements Texas State Historical Marker: 2611 RM-2768, on N side of river at the bridge. Profile

CEMETERIES:
Bauer Cemetery: W of Castell, on N side of river, off Bauerville Rd
Vasterling Cemetery: E of Castell, on N side of river, off 104 Rd

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

AVAILABLE SERVICES: Gas: no; Convenience Stores: 1; Restaurants: 1 on weekend; Lodging: yes; Grocery Stores: yes; Banks: no; Vehicle Repair: no; Hospital: no; Med Clinic: no; Post Office: yes; Public Schools: not active; Cemetery: yes

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BUSINESS & ORGANIZATION DIRECTORY




ST. JOHN'S LUTHERAN CHURCH: 325-247-3115; RR-152, Castell, TX 76831

TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: 325-247-4238; 325-218-2737; 142 Old Schoolhouse Ln, RR-152, Castell, TX 76831

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

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

CASTELL VFD: 19148 RR-152, Castell, TX 78643




LOCAL CITY GOVERNMENT: Unincorporated

LOCAL COUNTY GOVERNMENT: See: Llano County Government Offices

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

US POSTAL SERVICE (USPS): 800-275-8777; usps.com
Local post office: 325-247-3117; 19479 RR-152, Castell, TX 76831-3000

CRISIS HOTLINES: click Hotlines-Emergencies

DAY & SEASON HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES:

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

CASTELL GUIDE SERVICE: 325-423-0045; Castell, TX 76831. Dan Cone. Fly fishing guide

(BEN A) WALLIS RANCH: 210-525-1500; Castell, TX 76831. Season Lease, all inclusive guided hunts available, 7-10 hunters, guns only, deer, turkey, cabin, blinds, year round feeding, 1000+ acres.




CASTELL MOTEL: 512-241-9835; Myrtle Ln, Castell, TX 76831

EL CASTELL (Castell Cabins): 972-841-4558; 102 Rocking River Rd, Castell, TX 76831. castellcabins.com. On Llano river

HUDSEN’S ON THE LLANO: 903-508-1169; 19702 RR-152 W, Castell, TX 78641. Facebook. Vacation home rental. Lots of area photos on FB

MERLIN'S CABIN: At Riversounds Campground, castelltexas.com/merlins.html. me@jerialice.com






CASTELL SCHOOL & COMMUNITY CENTER: 123 Old School House Rd, Castell, TX 7683. Available for rental for gatherings. Denise Kennedy, Property Manager, 979-240-9920, or Patty Pfister, President, 325-247-5024.

CASTELL GENERAL STORE: 325-247-4100; 19522 RR-152 W, Castell, TX 76831. Real estate, beer, bait, ammo, feed, groceries, antiques, kayak rentals. BBQ on Saturdays. Annual chili cook-off. Facebook

MAGILL DRILLING & WATER WELL SERVICE: 325-456-5090; 2519 CR-405, Castell, TX 76831. magilldrilling.com

RIVERSOUNDS RECORDING STUDIO: 512-217-4596; Box 53, RR-152, Castell, TX 76831. recordingtexas.com, Facebook




LLANO RIVER RANCH REAL ESTATE: 325-247-3453; Box 65, Castell, TX 76831. theranchman.com




LEIFESTE CAMPGROUND: 254-717-3305; 2602 Jim Leifeste Rd, Castell, Tx 76831. Facebook. Lots of area photos

RIVERSOUNDS CAMPGROUND: 325-247-1414; RR-152, Castell, TX 76831. castelltexas.com, Facebook. Features riverside camps, some hookups, great fishing!

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

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