rock hound’s delight:This day trip is filled with winding roads, historic attractions, and natural wonders. Visitors to this Hill Country vicinity must travel over some dirt and gravel roads, especially in rock-hunting areas. Near Mason are numerous low-water crossings, and on some back roads you must drive across dry creek beds. Flash flooding is a very real hazard in the Hill Country, especially during the spring and fall months. Be aware of weather conditions when you make these trips, and never cross swiftly flowing water. To reach Llano, travel US 183 north from Austin through Cedar Park and Leander. Take TX 29 West to Burnet and continue through Buchanan Dam (see Northwest Day Trip 03 for local attractions).
Continuing west on TX 29 from Buchanan Dam, you’ll see an increasing number of granite outcroppings—huge boulders protruding from the rugged land. This entire region is called the Llano Uplift, a geological formation caused by igneous rocks from 40 miles below ground being pushed up to the surface.
As a result of the formation, the rich minerals found here turned Llano into a boomtown in the 1880s. Huge deposits of iron ore were found in the area, and some industrialists had dreams of making Llano the “Pittsburgh of the West.” Tent cities were erected, mining went full swing, and downtown Llano was spruced up with the money that came pouring into town. All too soon, though, one hard fact came to light: To make steel you have to have coal as well as iron, and there was no coal in the area. To bring coal in was far too costly. As quickly as it began, the iron ore business came to a halt.
But Llano was by then well known for another mineral: granite. During its heyday the city boasted 10 granite quarries and 5 finishing plants and shipped several varieties of granite around the country. When rail prices increased, Llano’s granite business also came to a stop, although vast quantities of granite still remain.
Granite brought many prominent people to the area. Sculptor Frank Teich, a nationally famous German artist, owned a monument company (as well as the town of Teichville). His World War I monument stands on the courthouse lawn here. Teich came to Llano for its healthy climate when doctors told him that he had only six months to live. Either the doctors were wrong in their diagnosis or Llano’s healthy atmosphere really worked, because Teich lived in the town for another 38 years! Even today, Llano is listed by the US Census as one of the healthiest places to live in the country.
Another prominent Llano citizen was Professor N. J. Badu, a mineralogist who came to town to operate a manganese mine and tried to focus the attention of the mineralogy world on Llano’s many minerals. Today his home is an elegant restaurant.
The Llano area is still a collector’s paradise, with more than 240 different rocks and minerals discovered in the region. The area’s granite, feldspar, graphite, and talc have commercial value, while the more precious yields, such as garnet, amethyst, tourmaline, and quartz—even gold and silver—are sought by visiting rock hounds.
Public rock hunting is allowed on the Llano River in town. Stop by the park on the south bank of the river just across from the public library and try your luck. The riverbanks are dotted with rocks of all varieties and offer some pretty picnic spots as well.
where to go
Llano County Historical Museum. 310 Bessemer Ave. (TX 16); (325) 247-3026; llanomuseum.org. This museum, housed in the old Bruhl Drugstore, has displays on the area’s early Native American history and Llano’s boomtown days. An exhibit contains samples of Llano’s many rocks and minerals. Open Wed through Sat 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free admission.
Llano Historic Railyard District. 100 Train Station Dr.; (866) 539-5535 or (325) 247-5354; llanochamber.org/Parks_Sites.html. The extension of the Austin and Northwestern Railroad to Llano in 1892 was a major event in the city’s history. For a time Llano was the last train stop for settlers heading west. The railroad also benefitted the granite mining industry, which persists today. Llano also became a shipping out point for cattle. Llano’s railroad history is explored in the Railroad Museum and adjacent visitor center. Free admission.
Robinson City Park. FM 152 west of downtown on the Llano River; (325) 248-3685. This 21-acre park includes RV camping, golf, hiking trails, a swimming pool, fishing, picnicking, and a playground. Open daily. Free admission; fee for camping.
where to shop
Llano Fine Arts Guild and Gallery. 503 Bessemer Ave.; (325) 247-4839. Located across from the Llano County Historical Museum, this art gallery features the works of many local residents. Works range from fine arts to ceramics, photographs, and stained glass. Open Thurs through Sun.
Nailhead Spur Company. 701 Ford St.; (325) 247-2589; nailheadspur.com. You’ll know you’re in cowboy country at this store that sells all manner of metal products, from barbecue grills and light fixtures to ranch signs and lawn and garden art, and they do custom projects as well. If you’ve always wanted your own branding iron, this is the place. Open Mon through Sat.
where to eat
The Badu House. 601 Bessemer Ave. (TX 16); (325) 247-2238; thebaduhouse.com. This two-story stone and brick structure (formerly an inn) was built in 1891 as the home of mineralogist N. J. Badu, who put Llano on the map by discovering the mineral llanite here. The building has been elegantly renovated and is home to a fine restaurant and a special events venue. The restaurant offers everything from filet mignon to grilled quail. $$$.
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buried treasure |
| Following the robber from Round Rock to Burnet and finally to Llano, we’re once again on the trail of Sam Bass. Allegedly the robber hid canvas sacks marked “U.S.” and filled with gold in a cave on Packsaddle Mountain. Some say the treasure was found by a Mexican laborer, hired by a local rancher to cut fence posts on Packsaddle Mountain. According to one version of the story, the rancher went to look for the laborer when he failed to return to the ranch. All the rancher found was a cave and a piece of canvas sack with “U.S.” imprinted on it. Another version of the story says the gold still lies hidden somewhere in the mountain. | |
| Packsaddle Mountain is also the home of the Blanco Mine, named for a Spaniard who found the location long ago. According to J. Frank Dobie’s book Coronado’s Children, the mine was rediscovered in the 1800s by a Llano settler named Larimore. While hunting, Larimore discovered the old mine—with its contents of lead and a high percentage of silver. | |
| In 1860 Larimore took a last trip to the mine with a man named Jim Rowland. The two men hauled out several hundred pounds of the metal, shaping it into bullets. Larimore, who was leaving the country, declared that he would hide the mine so well no other person would ever find it. Supposedly he diverted a gully directly into the mine, filling it with silt. Rowland carved his initials on a large stone marking the entrance to the mine, then covered it with earth . . . where it remains today. | |
| Llano County is home to other buried treasure sites, including $60,000 in gold and silver coins buried by Sam Bass near the community of Castell in the western part of the county. Bass buried the loot on a creek bed, marking the spot with a rock in a fork of a tree. |
Cooper’s Old Time Pit Barbecue and Catering. 604 W. Young St. (TX 29 West); (325) 247-5713; coopersbbqllano.com. Step up to the smoker and pick out your meat—brisket, sausage, pork ribs, beef ribs, chicken, sirloin steak, pork chops, and even goat. The pit master slices off the amount you want, then you go inside and help yourself to white bread, beans, and sauce in the cinder block dining room. $.
Inman’s Kitchen & Catering Service. 809 W. Young St. (TX 29 West); (325) 247-5257; inmanskitchen.com. Barbecue is king here, including beef brisket, chicken, pork, and the restaurant’s specialty: turkey sausage. This spot is more elegant than many barbecue restaurants, with a carpeted, air-conditioned dining area. Open Tues through Sat. $.
Miller’s Smokehouse. 705 W. Young St. (TX 29 West); (866) 570-0315 or (325) 247-4450; miillerssmokehouse.com. Stop by to take home a fragrant reminder of your Llano visit or to stock up for your day-trip picnic. Miller’s sells all manner of smoked meats including ribs, hams, beef and pork tenderloin, and a large variety of smoked sausage as well as venison sausage and meat cuts. If you are a hunter, Miller’s can process your deer for you. They also sell mail order. Open Mon through Sat. $–$$.
where to stay
Dabbs Railroad Hotel. 112 E. Burnet St. (behind the Llano Museum); (325) 247-2200; thedabbs.com. At the turn of the 20th century, this railroad hotel was the last outpost of civilization for frontiersmen heading west. Today’s guests stay in one of 7 quiet rooms with period furnishings, double beds, a breezy screened porch, and a peaceful atmosphere overlooking the Llano River. An additional large enclosed sleeping porch sleeps 6. Dinner reservations required. $$.
From Llano continue west on TX 29 for 34 miles to Mason, once the home of the late Fred Gipson, author of Old Yeller. Like neighboring Llano, the land around Mason is rocky and dotted with granite.
Mason was settled by cattle ranchers and German families who came from nearby Fredericksburg. In 1851 Fort Mason was built on a hilltop to afford a better look at oncoming Comanches. (The post’s best-known soldier was Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee.) Constructed of sandstone, in 1869 the fort was dismantled and the salvaged stone was used to build local businesses and homes.
Even after the fort was no longer necessary, frontier justice was still a part of Mason. In 1875 the Mason County War, also known as the Hoodoo War, broke out. It all started when the sheriff arrested a group of men who were taking cattle to Llano, allegedly without the owner’s permission. The men were set free on bond and ordered to remain in town, an order they promptly forgot. The sheriff re-arrested as many of the rustlers as he could find. A few nights later, a group freed the prisoners, sparking a round of shootings and lynchings that left a dozen men dead. The feud continued until January 1877, when the Mason County Courthouse was set on fire, destroying any evidence against the cattle rustlers.
Rock hounds come to Mason County today in search of topaz, the Texas state gem, which develops in colors ranging from clear to sky blue. Most local topaz turns up near the small communities of Streeter, Grit, and Katemcy, all north and northeast of Mason. Searchers usually find the stones in streambeds and ravines by using picks and shovels to loosen rocks and a wire screen to sift the debris. More information on Mason is available on the Mason Chamber of Commerce website: masontxcoc.com.
where to go
Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve. Write or call the Mason Chamber of Commerce (PO Box 156, Mason, TX 76856; 325-347-5758; masontxcoc.com) for directions and a map to this bat cave, located about 13 miles south of Mason. The cavern is home to about six million Mexican free-tail bats. This is a “maternity cave,” used during the spring and summer months by female bats to bear and rear their young. You can view the evening flight out of the cave, a sight heralded by high-pitched sounds. Open Thurs through Sun 6 to 9 p.m., mid-May through mid-Oct. In-season tour information call (325) 347-5970, offseason call (512) 263-8878. Free admission.
Fort Mason. Follow Post Hill Street south from the courthouse to Post Hill; (325) 347-5758. These reconstructed officers’ quarters are furnished with typical 1850s belongings and feature photographs from Mason’s early days. The back porch has an unbeatable view of the town below and miles of Hill Country beyond. Open daily. Free admission.
Gene Zesch Woodcarving Display at the Commercial Bank. 100 Moody St., on the square; (325) 347-6324; tcbmason.com. Gene Zesch is one of Mason’s most famous citizens, known for his humorous woodcarvings of modern cowboys. His work was collected by President Lyndon B. Johnson and is sold in galleries nationally. This exhibit features woodcarvings and bronzes made by the artist. Open Mon through Fri 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free admission.
Mason County Museum. 210 Bryan St.; (325) 347-6583; masonchc.org/museums.html. Housed in a historic rock building, this museum traces the evolution of the Mason County area from prehistoric times. Exhibits include geological artifacts, a mastodon tusk, and remnants of military life in old Fort Mason. Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thurs through Sat (closed Dec through Feb). Free admission.
Mason Square Museum. 130 Fort McKavitt St.; (325) 347-0507; masonsquaremuseum.org. The centerpiece at this local history museum is the largest blue topaz ever discovered in the US. Other exhibits focus on historic events in the town and at Fort Mason. An on-site gift shop sells books, gifts, and works of art. Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thurs through Sat (closed Dec through Feb). Free admission.
Old Yeller statue. At the Mason County Library at 410 Post Hill St. In 1956 Mason resident Fred Gipson penned a dog story destined to become a beloved American classic: Old Yeller. A bronze statue of Old Yeller stands in front of the Mason County Library. Inside the library, you’ll find an exhibit on the town’s most famous author. Free admission.
Topaz Hunting. Several private ranches charge a daily fee of $15 to $20 per person for topaz hunting. Visitors must bring their own equipment (including water during warm summer months) and may keep whatever they find. Ranches offer topaz hunting from mid-Jan through Sept, closing during deer-hunting season. For current information on topaz hunting, check with the Mason Chamber of Commerce (325-347-5758; masontxcoc.com).
White-tailed Deer Hunting. For information on hunting licenses, contact the Mason Chamber of Commerce (325-347-5758; masontxcoc.com) well before deer season begins. Mason County claims to have more white-tailed deer per acre than any other county in Texas. Hunters flock here from around the Southwest to stalk deer during the winter months.
where to shop
Mason Country Collectibles. 424 Fort McKavitt St.; (325) 347-5249; masoncountrycollectibles.com. If your search for topaz is futile, stop by this antiques store, which sells topaz and other stones indigenous to the area, along with arrowheads, willow furniture, and collectibles of every description. While you are here, take a look at the “Grand Azure” topaz on display. This 587-carat stone is the biggest Mason County faceted topaz known to exist. Open daily.
where to stay
Mason County is filled with bed-and-breakfast accommodations, RV campsites, and guest ranches located outside of town. For a list, see the Mason County Chamber of Commerce website, masontxcoc.com. Also, 1st Choice B&B Reservations (325-347-7829; stayinmasontx.com) handles a number of properties in and around Mason.