Aren't those seed heads interesting? When I was a kid, my dad painted one with eyes and a stinger so it looked like a mosquito. I still have it. I've started using it as a Christmas tree ornament.
It's known as Crockett Falls now but it used to be referred to as Crockett Gardens.
You may have noticed up on top that there is some carpet grass growing under the pecan trees. There used to be a stone house there. The walls were 20" thick and it was in an "L" shape with three fire places. It had a stone wall coming off the house to the bunk house. There was a swimming pool in the yard under the pecan trees. It had been chiseled out of the solid rock, no cement used. It had a hole drilled in the bottom end right out through the bluff with a drain valve on it. The spring that ran through the yard had a rock arched bridge across it and coud be diverted to fill the pool. There were arrow heads and ferns growing all along the spring. The spring had a spring box on it and a pipe that went into the house for gravity flow water. Every thing including the pool had been built in the late 1800's.
When they were building the lake I had hiked in and found it after a friend had told me about it. It was just so beautiful. If I would hike in with a girl in the summer, you just know there was some skinny dipping going on.
Eventually other people found it and it got so trashed out that the Corp of Engineers just pushed the house into the pool and leveled the whole place. When this place got built it had to of been one of the premier ranch places in Texas and now, nothing. All because of people and their trashy ways.
I apologize if I got too long winded but I though you would want to know some of it's real history. If you want to know more you can call Greenway Lawn Care and talk to the owner. He lived there up until their family was forced to sell to the C. of E.
By the way, I live on the other side of the lake at the very upper end and my back fence is the CoE property line and I have a walk through gate in it. If you ever want to hike this side of the lake or the river you are more than welcome. Just Email me on my blog. Bob
Hey Bob, Thanks for all the fascinating back story and the invite. My in-laws live up in Georgetown, and Ted loves to hike around this area. We may give you a call someday.
It is extraordinarily unfortunate that people ruined that place for others to enjoy. The spring and falls are OK now, but it does look trashed out just with the old foundations and strange things there.
I wish I could've seen it like you had. Sounds like paradise!
When I was about 10 yrs old my parents and I lived at Crockett Gardens. I actually have some picturs of the place...just as you described. We ranched there and had 500 angora goats, 5 Palaminos, some sheep and dogs to herd the animals. athe spring ran through the yard from the spring house, into the pool and created a beautiful waterfall. We lived there only a couple of years and sold it...too many rattlesnakes for my mother!!.
We love to hike the trails in the Austin area. Thanks for the post...
ReplyDeleteAren't those seed heads interesting? When I was a kid, my dad painted one with eyes and a stinger so it looked like a mosquito. I still have it. I've started using it as a Christmas tree ornament.
ReplyDeleteIt's known as Crockett Falls now but it used to be referred to as Crockett Gardens.
ReplyDeleteYou may have noticed up on top that there is some carpet grass growing under the pecan trees. There used to be a stone house there. The walls were 20" thick and it was in an "L" shape with three fire places. It had a stone wall coming off the house to the bunk house. There was a swimming pool in the yard under the pecan trees. It had been chiseled out of the solid rock, no cement used. It had a hole drilled in the bottom end right out through the bluff with a drain valve on it. The spring that ran through the yard had a rock arched bridge across it and coud be diverted to fill the pool. There were arrow heads and ferns growing all along the spring. The spring had a spring box on it and a pipe that went into the house for gravity flow water. Every thing including the pool had been built in the late 1800's.
When they were building the lake I had hiked in and found it after a friend had told me about it. It was just so beautiful. If I would hike in with a girl in the summer, you just know there was some skinny dipping going on.
Eventually other people found it and it got so trashed out that the Corp of Engineers just pushed the house into the pool and leveled the whole place. When this place got built it had to of been one of the premier ranch places in Texas and now, nothing. All because of people and their trashy ways.
I apologize if I got too long winded but I though you would want to know some of it's real history. If you want to know more you can call Greenway Lawn Care and talk to the owner. He lived there up until their family was forced to sell to the C. of E.
By the way, I live on the other side of the lake at the very upper end and my back fence is the CoE property line and I have a walk through gate in it. If you ever want to hike this side of the lake or the river you are more than welcome. Just Email me on my blog. Bob
ReplyDeleteHey Bob, Thanks for all the fascinating back story and the invite. My in-laws live up in Georgetown, and Ted loves to hike around this area. We may give you a call someday.
ReplyDeleteIt is extraordinarily unfortunate that people ruined that place for others to enjoy. The spring and falls are OK now, but it does look trashed out just with the old foundations and strange things there.
I wish I could've seen it like you had. Sounds like paradise!
Does anyone know what those seeds are? Way crazy.
ReplyDeleteA friend IDed those seeds as that of a "devil's claw" or Proboscidea althaeifolia. Beautiful flowers too.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was about 10 yrs old my parents and I lived at Crockett Gardens. I actually have some picturs of the place...just as you described. We ranched there and had 500 angora goats, 5 Palaminos, some sheep and dogs to herd the animals. athe spring ran through the yard from the spring house, into the pool and created a beautiful waterfall. We lived there only a couple of years and sold it...too many rattlesnakes for my mother!!.
ReplyDelete