Elm Grove Camp

Elm Grove Camp is a small river community located off State Highway 46 in northwestern Guadalupe County. Settlement began in the area in the 1850s when Heinrich Bauer emigrated from Germany and purchased a large tract of land. The property passed through several generations before descendant Otto Bauer sold some of the land to the Jefferson family, who started a fishing camp along the Guadalupe River and upper Lake McQueeney about 1929. The name Elm Grove Camp probably reflected the predominance of trees in the area. Families enjoyed fishing, boating, and swimming, and the camp included a store and rental cabins. The camp eventually changed hands several times, and buyers could purchase individual cabins. Though the floods of 1952 and 1972 caused extensive damage in the area, Elm Grove Camp rebounded and continued to be popular. In 1980 the population was 100 and increased slightly to 110 in 1990. The flood of 1998 also caused severe damage along the river, but by 2000 Elm Grove Camp still consisted of homes and small cabins and reported a population of 150.