Memories of Garner and Concan State Parks

Posted by Karla Lofgren Davis

We went to Dallas this weekend to celebrate our youngest grandson’s first birthday. On the way I was reading articles to Ed from the Waco Today Magazine. Lo, and behold! I came upon a story that rekindled many fond memories. The area high-lighted in the article encompassed a number of Texas parks which are located along the Frio River, including Garner and Concan.

When I was a youngster (hard to believe I was one, once) my family went “primitive” camping at Concan State Park. Long before there were umbrella tents and pop-out tent trailers, my Dad went to Army Surplus stores and assembled our gear – tarpaulins, army cots, mosquito nets, oil lamps, mess kits, etc. (Photo above is one of our camp sites, about 1952. Double click for enlarged image.) Funny thing to see Mama wearing a dress in a primitive camp. She would hike and swim with us, but I guess the "lady" thing dictated a dress in those days.

Our extended family – aunts and uncles and lots of cousins – usually joined us. My cousins were more daring than I and would swing out on long ropes attached to trees located atop high cliffs and drop down into the river below. We would use the smooth tumbled boulders in the river to dam off a semi-circular section for a little soaking pool. That was the kind of swimming I preferred. The water was cold and very refreshing. (Photo above shows some of our family swimming in the Frio. Double click for enlarged image.)

Occasionally we would take a drive over to Garner to see the “fancy” campsites and cabins available there. Even though Garner offered many more conveniences and civilized amenities, my folks preferred the seclusion of a less developed area. Of course, as teenagers, seclusion was not what we wanted. Garner not only drew a larger crowd of teenagers, but it also had that fine pavilion and nightly dances. My only memory of camping at Garner was a camping trip I took there with Judy Kennedy and her mother and sisters. There were a lot of Milby kids there that week and we did have fun! How about sharing some of your Garner Park memories with us? Or…tell us about any other “roughing it” adventures you remember. Do you still camp? Hike? A good topic for discussion, I’m a’thinkin’!

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Comments

[Carole Sue Walker Reed]

Karla, I have so many memories of Garner Park, I would not know where to start. I'll think about it and try to find more pictures.
Thanks, Carole

[Paul Schrader]

Ronnie Dumesnil, Tommy Pancamo, Charlie Smith and myself spent wonderful times at Garner Park. Remember the night time dances at the pavillon?

I also remember asking the local girls to dance and being rejected. Much later in my life I became very good friends with a woman who grew up in Uvalde and would also go to Garner for the dances. She claims to remember me (and also claims to have rejected my dance offer on the grounds that the combination of cowboy boots and shorts was offensive).

[Mike Roberts]

Hi Paul, you have got to admit that shorts and cowboy boots are a little odd and maybe offensive to some. Myself I don't mind if they are on a good lookin' chiquita !

I know its easier to boot scoot with your boots on, haahaahaa !

[JoAnn (Peters) Green]

Thanks for sending me the blog site. We travel most of the time but will check it when in town.

We still go to Garner every summer and our granddaughter enjoys it as much as we did. My husband Martin proposed to me there on the Frio in the dark ages. I got a terrible sunburn. We've upgraded to an rv and a quiet campground but still enjoy the dances and the scenery.

Look forward to seeing everyone at the 50th. I still keep in close contact with Gladys Bohac and Sue LeNoir. They havent changed a bit. In fact, they celebrated my birthday with a surprize party last weekend. 65 doesnt seem old at all now.

[Still Singing, JoAnn?]

JoAnn, I remember your beautiful voice and how expressive you were. Do you still sing solos?

[Frank Heide]

Sometime in the summer of 1959, Bobby Eaves drove Bucky Hightower, Colin Reed & myself to Hwy. 90 W & dropped us off. Our intention was to hitchike to Garner. After about 24 hours & countless rides, we made it.

Our intention was to camp out & have Gordie White's mom feed us, which she did. I remember diving in the Rio Frio & spear fishing the fish there; Gordie's Mom cooked them. The nightly dances were the best!!

[Frank Heide]

My apologies to Colin Patterson
(mentioned above as Colin Reed).
My Some-Timers is showing!!

[Paul Schrader]

Hey Frank Heide

Was that you on Highway 90 in 1959? Sorry we didn't stop.

Paul

PS-Are you still living in Baltimore?

[Billy Carter]

My brother is a deer hunter. I am not.

He had made several trips to the "Concan" area. I informed him that I was going to "Cancun" (Mex)for a week, he looked at me very strangly and asked, "What are you going to do for a whole week?"

[Frank Heide]

Hey Fluff!!
Good to hear from you. Yes, probably was us.
You are just 60 miles off..live in Wilmington, DE up I-95 N. from Balt. toward Philadelphia.
Came here with DuPont in 1969 & stayed. Married a girl from S. Jersey (just across the Delaware River from Wilmington.)

[Linda Little Strickland]

I enjoy reading about your life stories. I'm now living on Wilmington Island, Savannah, Georgia. The Atlantic ocean is 10 minutes away, love the beach. 1942 is my birth year so I am one of the 65 + 10 months persons awaiting retirement for Social Security. I'm a Psychiatric nurse, making lots of plans for retirement, hope I don't have to use the tools of my trade on myself(I use my husband as my homework). Looking forward to my tenth grandchild in April. In my memories I hear your laughter and see your smiling faces as we walked the halls of Milby. Bought a shirt the other day with buffalos on it, thought it would be great for our next reunion.

[Jon Dansby]

The first week of August, my wife of 11 years, Sharon, my 7 year-old son, Shakespeare (mom's choice of names), and I made a whirlwind 2-day trip to Garner State Park and environs. I have to tell you guys the Frio River was beautiful, better than I remember it when my family camped there in the early 1950s. Shake and I spent the day in the frio water while Sharon watched from the bank. I think Shake will be a third-generation river rat.

I commend Karla on her website endeavor. I enjoy reading the "Milby stories" and marvel at how far many of you have travelled from the East End. Aside from Vietnam, I'm still stuck in Pecan Park at Deady Middle School where I shock teachers and students with ghost stories from 50 years ago. I've done the grand tour of the East End, teaching at Hartman (8 years) and W.I. Stevenson (9 years), named for our Milby principal who retired in 1960. Last year, I was offered a teaching job at Pershing Middle School, but I turned it down because I told them I and my '89 Toyota pickup were too old to learn a new path to work.

Keep posting and I'll keep reading. Jon

[Randy Lofgren]

Jon: Are you Ron Dansby's younger brother? We were particularly good buddies at Deady. What can you tell me about him? rl

[Jon Dansby]

Randy, good to hear from you. Yes, I'm Jon, Ron's younger brother. Ron, like me, didn't get far from Milby, in fact he's working on Harrisburg (I'm on Broadway of course). Ron owns a business near the corner of 75th and Harrisburg called "Rio", it's on the site of the old Glenn Electric. You should drop by, I know he would enjoy seeing you and reminiscing about the old days. I'm happy to report our two younger brothers, Mike, a welfare worker in Louisiana, and Tim, a chemical engineer in Sugar Land, made it out of the neighborhood.