Passport to Texas

Terrain of Bandera County

History: Englishman William George Hughes Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Jennifer Carpenter is a historian with State Parks.

08—We are charged with anything relating to history of the state park system and historic preservation of structures throughout
the state park system and our at historic sites.

Much of her job involves detective work. Lately she’s been hot on the trail of Englishman William George Hughes, a 19th Century Hill Country Sheep Rancher. Parts of ranch lie within the boundaries of a parcel Texas Parks and Wildlife is developing called ABK, or Albert and Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area in Kendall and Bandera counties.

13— So, we had a name, but we didn’t really know what it meant. We went to the county court houses and dug through lease records and probate record, whatever we could try to find. So we would kind of search around in different repositories through Texas.

And the digging paid off.

19— The University of Texas at San Antonio had the Garland A. Perry papers; and he wrote a book on William George Hughes. He, I guess, had contacted the Hughes family descendants and they shared with Mr. Perry a vast collection of family photographs, papers, business materials. It was just a great cache.

Jennifer Carpenter shares more about this19th Century Englishman turned Texan and his role in the economic development of the Hill Country tomorrow.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.