Garner State Park

Garner State Park, located on the Frio River seven miles north of Concan on U.S. Highway 83 in far north central Uvalde County, was named for John Nance Garner. The park was promoted by former county judge C. P. (Pink) Spangler and members of the Uvalde County Commissioners Court in 1933; the park became a Civilian Conservation Corps project. Garner was opposed to using federal funds for a park in his home county while he was in office. Mrs. Garner, however, lent her support in spite of her husband. Several interested parties helped purchase 478 acres from Fritz Streib for twelve dollars an acre. Judge Spangler traveled to Washington, D.C., and gained approval for the project from the CCC chairman. A CCC camp, known locally as the forest army camp, was established at the park site in 1935 to begin work. The first building constructed was a mess hall, which, like all of the original park buildings, was constructed of local materials. Members of the tree army felled cypress trees and other hardwoods for use in the manufacture of shingles, heavy beams, and doors at an on-site sawmill. The camp's blacksmith shop forged iron hinges, hardware, and light fixtures. Native stone from local quarries was used for the buildings and fireplaces; the huge stone hearth of the original mess hall, known in 1990 as the concession building, was extracted from a creek bed within the park boundaries.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.