Editing Bandera County, Texas (section)

==History==
In 1856, the [[Texas Legislature]] established Bandera County from portions of [[Bexar County, Texas|Bexar]] and [[Uvalde County, Texas|Uvalde]] Counties, and [[List of Texas county seat name etymologies|named]] the county and its seat for [[Bandera Pass]], which uses the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] word for flag.

===Native Americans===
Although the county's earliest evidence of human habitation dates from 8000 to 4000 BC, the county's earliest known ethnology places [[Lipan Apache people|Lipan Apache]] and later [[Comanche]] settlements in the area during the 17th century.<ref name="Bandera County, Texas">{{cite web|last=Long|first=Christopher|title=Bandera County, Texas|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcb02|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 28, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101221154113/http://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcb02| archive-date=December 21, 2010|url-status=live|date=June 12, 2010}}</ref>

===19th century===
In 1841, [[John Coffee Hays]] and a troop of [[Texas Rangers Division|Texas Rangers]] defeated a large party of Comanche warriors, thereby pacifying the region in what became known as the [[Battle of Bandera Pass]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Fisher |first=O Clark |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DWfRCUonxKwC&pg=PA41 |title=Great Western Indian Fights |publisher=Bison |year=1966 |isbn=978-0-8032-5186-1 |page=41 |chapter=Battle of Bandera Pass}}</ref><ref name="Battle of Bandera Pass">{{cite web|last=Tobin|first=Peggy|title=Battle of Bandera Pass|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/rkb01|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 28, 2010|date=August 31, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=McConnell|first=Joseph Caroll|title=Famous Battle of Bandera Pass|url=http://www.forttours.com/pages/banderapass.asp|work=Fort Tours|publisher=Fort Tour Systems, Inc.|access-date=November 28, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125105442/http://forttours.com/pages/banderapass.asp|archive-date=November 25, 2010|url-status= live}}</ref>

In 1853, John James and Charles S. DeMontel survey and plan the town of Bandera, which facilitates settlement by A. M. Milstead, Thomas Odem, P.D. Saner, and their families along the river. The families begin making cypress shingles.<ref>{{cite news|last=Schumacher|first=Dr MJ|title=Granddaughter's memories bring early history to life|newspaper=Bandera County Courier|date=November 5, 2009}}</ref> James, Montel and Company build a horse-powered sawmill and open a store within a year.<ref name="Bandera County, Texas"/><ref name="Bandera, Texas">{{cite web|last=Tobin|first=Peggy|title=Bandera, Texas|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hlb05|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 28, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101101030833/http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hlb05|archive-date=November 1, 2010|url-status=live|date=June 12, 2010}}</ref> In the wake of successive [[History of Poland (1795–1918)|national insurrections]] crushed by Prussia, Austria and Russia, 16 [[Polish people|Polish]] families arrive in Bandera in 1855 and begin working in James and DeMontel's sawmill. August Klappenbach opens the first store and post office. In 1856, the Texas Legislature establishes Bandera County from portions of [[Bexar County, Texas|Bexar County]], and the county is formally organized.

By 1860, the population grew to 399, which included 12 [[History of slavery in Texas|slaves]]. By 1880, sheep and [[Angora goat]]s become more profitable than farming.

===20th century===
In 1920, Cora and Ed Buck launch Bandera's tourist industry by taking boarders at their ranch,<ref>{{cite news|last=Wise|first=Dan|title=Celebrate Bandera County honors Bandera County's dude ranches|newspaper=The Bandera Bulletin|date=July 25, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Old Buck Ranch|url=http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5019003694|work=Texas State Historical Markers|publisher=William Nienke, Sam Morrow|access-date=November 28, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301061934/http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5019003694|archive-date=March 1, 2012}}</ref> and by 1933, Frontier Times Museum opens to the public.<ref>{{cite book |last=Pohlen |first=Jerome |url=https://archive.org/details/oddballtexasguid0000pohl |title=Oddball Texas: A Guide to Some Really Strange Places |publisher=Chicago Review Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-55652-583-4 |pages=140–141 |chapter=Frontier Times Museum |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Frontier Times Museum|url=http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5019002071|work=Texas State Historical Markers|publisher=William Nienke, Sam Morrow|access-date=November 28, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314205029/http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5019002071|archive-date=March 14, 2012}}</ref>

During the last 30 years of the 20th century, with an estimated 80% of its land dedicated to farming and ranching industries, the county government facilitates three major actions to preserve its natural heritage: the [[Lost Maples State Natural Area]] opens to the public in 1979,<ref>{{cite web|title=Lost Maples State Park|url=http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/lost_maples|publisher=Texas Parks and Wildlife Department|access-date=November 28, 2010}}</ref> the [[Hill Country State Natural Area]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Coppedge|first=Clay|title=Bandera-Hill Country State Natural Preserve|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/ClayCoppedge/Hill-Country-State-Natural-Area.htm|work=Texas Escapes|publisher=Texas Escapes – Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=November 28, 2010}}</ref> opens to the public in 1984,<ref>{{cite web|title=Hill Country State Natural Area|url=http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/hill_country|publisher=Texas Parks and Wildlife Department|access-date=November 28, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028100800/http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/hill_country|archive-date=October 28, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> and the Nature Conservancy purchases {{convert|1400|acre|km2}} of the Love Creek Ranch<ref>{{cite book|last=Permenter|first=Paris|title=Day Trips from San Antonio|year=2006|publisher=GPP Travel|isbn=978-0-7627-3868-7|author2=Bigley, John|page=149}}</ref> from Baxter and Carol Adams to create the Love Creek Preserve in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|title=Love Creek Preserve|url=http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/texas/preserves/art25180.html|publisher=The Nature Conservancy|access-date=November 28, 2010}}</ref>