Fleda V. Starr Smith was born in 1891 in the
community of Packsaddle,
Texas. That piece of information started our road trip
from Keller to Llano and back. Actually it put into motion a whole host of
escapades that have led to a lot of interesting information, but not a lot of
clarification of one of the family mysteries – just what did the initial V in
Grandmother’s name stand for? Grandmother told stories about growing up in the Llano
area, none of which I now remember, but I didn’t realize just where that was
and I don’t suppose I ever asked what her middle name was. I did find that she
was no relation to Belle Starr, but there lies another tale and perhaps another
road trip. Recent Texas maps weren’t particularly helpful in locating
Packsaddle; thankfully Google Maps has come along and although the little town
isn’t on the map, Packsaddle Mountain is.
So what about this always tiny little town that Fleda V. Starr Smith called home? At least at one time it had the only post office in the area, a barber
shop, a blacksmith, two general stores, a
Presbyterian church, and a school. It had at least three names: originally it
was called Gainesville, but since there are several of those in Texas, the post
office authorities would not let that stand; its nickname was ‘the Roost’ because
during the summer flocks of buzzards roosted in a nearby pecan grove; but the
name Packsaddle stuck, evidently because of the saddle-like appearance of the
twin peaks of Packsaddle Mountain. The little town held its own while it
maintained the post office that served the communities of Honey Creek and Click,
but began to decline when they got their own post offices, and when, in 1892, the
Austin and
Northwestern Railroad Company decided on a route through Kingsland instead
of Packsaddle. The little town got smaller and smaller, finally vanishing
altogether.
Packsaddle Mountain, on the other hand, remains a point of interest to
geologists and historians. The Governor of Spanish
Texas, Bernardo
de Miranda, took a group of 23 men to Honey Creek, near the foot of
Packsaddle Mountain, then to the junction of the Llano and Colorado rivers;
they were looking for silver. But even in 1756 ten ounces of silver to 100
pounds of ore didn’t translate into a reason to mine the area. However, just
prior to the Texas Revolution, more Spaniards began looking for Los
Almagres, Jim Bowie’s lost silver mine; they didn’t find anything, either.
In the 1920s, another group gave gold mining a try and met with the same
results – not worth the effort. The historians are focused on an event that had
nothing to do with mining. The Packsaddle Mountain fight occurred on August 5,
1873 between a band of more than 20 Native Americans, allegedly Apaches, and
eight residents of the area. The tribesmen had been raiding homesteads and
stealing horses along Beaver Creek and Legion Valley; they had between 300 and
400 pounds of beef. After a relatively quick battle, the Apaches retreated and
the Anglos took their property and went back to their ranches. This was the
last fight in the county, which had seen Native American raids for at least a
decade. Packsaddle Mountain is now part of a large ranch named, not surprisingly,
Packsaddle Ranch.
As we drove along FM 3404, or Slab Road, we were actually driving through the main street of the Packsaddle community. But since we
could find what we were looking
for, we decided to stop and visit ‘The Slab’. This is a popular point on the
Llano River with water just shallow enough for wading. Since it was the middle
of summer, there wasn’t a lot of water, but there was sand to kick through and
rocks to examine. I also got a look at some lizards that call this place home.
The slabs are actually granite, which is not particularly surprising given our
nearness to the Llano Uplift. Dave and I wandered about a bit, then decided it
was time to head for home. I still haven’t solved the family mystery, but there
is always another lead to track down – who knows where it will take me.
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| Fleda V. Starr Smith in 1921 |
So what about this always tiny little town that Fleda V. Starr Smith called home? At least at one time it had the only post office in the area, a barber
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| Honey Creek Cemetery |
Packsaddle Mountain, on the other hand, remains a point of interest to
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| Packsaddle Mountain |
As we drove along FM 3404, or Slab Road, we were actually driving through the main street of the Packsaddle community. But since we
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| Top L to R: FM 3404, Lizard Bottom L to R: The Slab, Pool of water |
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| Cattle in the pecans |
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