I love Blanco!

The rugged beauty and landscape of the Texas Hill Country is truly magnetic... the tantalizing chorus of all the birds when you're sitting on the porch (or under a tree), the star-filled night skies that wow many a city visitor, the riot of wildflowers we get most years, the burbling of picturesque creeks and springs that seem to be everywhere.

Built on the banks of the Blanco River (named for the white limestone riverbed visible in times of drought), Blanco, Texas was originally dubbed "Pittsburg" and was first settled a little downstream and across the river from its present location.

According to the story I heard, the town officials decided to move to higher ground after a big flood.

The town of Blanco, Texas grew, and prospered, and grew some more.

Cotton was a major agriculture crop, but after the boll weevil and cotton root rot fungus tore through the countryside, cotton no longer thrived here.

Browsing the landscape like the native white-tail deer, Angora goats took their place in the Texas Hill Country. Mohair was very important as a fiber crop, and future President Lyndon Johnson made sure his "home-boys" got at least their share of the mohair subsidies.

Here's the inside of the old Wool Warehouse, still standing in Blanco, Texas at the corner of Pecan and 5th Street:

Hi. My name is Sherri Stockman, and I'm proud and thrilled to name Blanco, Texas as my home. This place has called me for as long as I can remember, or at least since I was five or six years old.

When we were kids, my brother and I (and whoever else we had with us) spent hours roaming the hillsides, creeks, and pastures on our family land in Blanco County.

Chasing armadillos, swinging on grapevines, skipping rocks at the stock tanks, looking for fossils..... some of the best memories of my childhood were our family's visits to "the Ranch" outside of Blanco, Texas.

Times were different then; the family that lived on our ranch had a pretty hard life, I guess. They cut cedar to sell for fence posts, kept a cow for milk, bees for honey, and chickens for eggs.

And though there were usually a few cattle on the place, they rarely ate beef. That was a cash crop (I believe venison, turkey, and squirrel were the primary meats in their diet).

There were fruit trees and a small garden in the yard, and an arbor at the edge of one of the fields, covered in wild grapes. The kids gathered pecans, plums, crab apples, blackberries, and agarita berries from the woods.

And had cowpie fights (the dried kind... usually).

I was SO-O-O jealous.

Well, jealous of everything but eating squirrel.

Never was able to talk my folks into moving to Blanco, Texas. Not back then, anyway.

Ahh, memories...

But back to the present.

Diversity is one of the greatest features of Blanco, Texas. Politics, economics, religion, lifestyle... We pretty much run the gamut.

You know you can't be in Blanco and not notice how friendly the people are.

Just visit the Blanco, Texas Post Office and you'll see. It's not uncommon to be greeted with a hug from a friend you haven't seen in a week (or 10). Even if you don't actually know the folks picking up their mail, you'll nearly always get at least a "Good mornin'," and the door held open for you.

And one thing about a small town- you've got to be able to get along with your neighbors, even if you don't see eye to eye.

It may be a left-over from pioneer days, but you never know when you might need some help, and small town folks are almost always ready to lend a hand, especially if you stay friendly.

Things can still be tough here in Blanco, Texas - unpredictable weather, pot-holes in the county roads, and we don't always win the Friday night football game- but there are so many wonderful things about the Texas Hill Country, and our steady population growth has meant more and increased opportunities for most everyone.

Over the years, that old Texas entrepreneurial spirit has inspired projects for the betterment of Blanco and the surrounding Blanco County area.

These are huge endeavors really, by private citizens, that have given us an amazing public library, three parks (so far), a great community center, a food bank, restoration of our historic Blanco Courthouse, a variety of clubs and service organizations, and multiple festivals and events.

Many visitors to Blanco, Texas like to stay at a Hill Country B & B. There is no lack of charm, and many types of lodging to chose from.

You know, Blanco is still a small town (population 1,505 according to the 2005 census), and yet there is plenty happening here. One of the reasons I built this website is to get the word out.

Please click on the Blanco-Texas Calendar and have a look-see at what's going on.

Local businesses have expanded, increasing employment. And because Blanco is only 45 minutes away from two major Texas cities, lots of folks find the drive to San Antonio or Austin to be worth their increased quality of life in our small town.

Of course, some people prefer to start their own business. This usually means additional services and even additional jobs for locals, along with added attractions for visitors. This is a great, organic way for "growing Blanco."

So, welcome to Blanco and Blanco-Texas.com....

Join me and find out why we call Blanco, Texas the "Heart" of the Texas Hill Country.

For me, Blanco Texas has always felt like home.

And now, it is.

A big Thank You to the folks at Old Blanco County Courthouse Preservation Society for providing the historic photos of Blanco, Texas

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