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Utopia
landmark
Photo by John Troesser |
History
in a Pecan Shell
Spanish exploration
into the area is responsible for many of the area's topographical
features. In 1790 Juan de Ugalde (namesake of Uvalde)
led united tribes of Comanche, Taovaya, and Tawakoni Indians to drive
the Apaches from what is now Utopia.
In 1839 and 1841 there were reported battles with the Comanches in
Sabinal Canyon, but it wasn't until 1852 when Capt. William Ware settled
here, bringing his son and six slaves to settle the valley. Other
settlers arrived shortly thereafter and more still in 1853. The community
was first called Waresville when the post office opened in 1856. A
planned colony on 47,000 acres failed to materialize when potential
colonists balked.
While local Tonkawa Indians got along with settlers, the settlers
were still plagued by the Kickapoos and Lipan Apaches. In 1876 a storekeeper
named Kincheloe moved his family a mile north of Waresville. Kincheloe
built a large house platted a town and donated land for churches,
school and even a park. In 1884 the survey was filed in Uvalde County
under the name Montana, Texas. The Waresville post office moved to
the new town, but couldn't open under the name Montana. Residents
felt the name of Utopia was fitting - and so Montana was renamed and
the post office granted. By 1880 the town had a population of 150
and weekly stage service connecting it to Uvalde
and Bandera. |
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A
giant Cypress tree in Utopia remains upright thanks to Jean Maxie
of Conroe
Photo Courtesy Ray
Maxie |
Life in Utopia
was tranquil and uneventful. The years passed and by the end of WWII
the population remained at the 1880 level of 150. The Sabinal River
was dammed in the the 1950s to help retain water during the bad drought
but families drifted away and by the 1960s there were only 60 people
living here. The town rebounded after the mid-1960s with the opening
of a library, museum, and various community organizations. Tourism
increased with the opening of Lost
Maples State Natural Area in 1979.
The population of Utopia was 360 in 1990 but was given as 241 on the
2004 map.
The Sabinal Canyon Museum is open Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 4
p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. |
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