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Bandera is an interesting little town to visit in the Texas Hill Country. The self-anointed Cowboy Capital of the World has a few interesting sites to see.
History
The name of the town means “flag” in Spanish, referring to a flag placed at the top of a nearby path known as Bandera Pass. According to local legend, in 1732, Spaniards and Apaches fought a battle at the pass. After the battle, a treaty was made and a red flag was placed at the highest peak of the pass as a warning to both parties. Native Americans would later refer to the settlement as Bandera due to the flag.
Bandera was officially founded in 1853 by Charles De Montel (1812-1882), John James (1819-1877), and John Herndon. 16 Polish Roman Catholic families from Upper Silesia immigrated to the town in 1855, and many of today’s residents descend from those families. In the late 19th century, Bandera became a Wild West cowboy town. It was full of saloons and dance halls and hosted the occasional gunfight.
Main Street
Main Street is at the heart of Bandera. Walking along the street, we saw plenty of cowboy and Wild West-themed souvenir shops as well as barbecue joints and other shops.
Cowboy Capital of the World
A small plaza on Main Street commemorates the town’s cowboy roots and pays homage to the Great Western Cattle Trail. The trail began at Bandera and headed north through western Oklahoma. It then crossed Kansas passing through Dodge City until it reached Ogallala, Nebraska. Further branches headed up into Canada and out to the northwestern states.
The Great Western Cattle Trail gave birth to the ranching industry in not only Texas but the entire West. The first herd made the trip in 1874 while the last one left in 1894. It’s estimated over seven million heads of longhorn cattle and thousands of horses were driven up the trail.
Bandera County Courthouse
Before visiting the Frontier Times Museum, which was one of our main reasons for visiting the town, we walked past the Bandera County Courthouse. It was built in 1890 and designed in the Renaissance Revival style by architect B.F. Trester of San Antonio.
The courthouse was built of limestone cut from a local quarry. It has three stories and is topped by a clock tower with a copula.
