MARBLE
FALLS, Texas - Considered the commercial hub of the region, Marble Falls is best
known for its Shopping, Dining, great Accommodations, lakeside parks and a host of
fabulous events throughout the year. No trip to the region is complete without
visiting Marble Falls.
HISTORIC MAIN STREET DISTRICT: Historic buildings brought back to life as shops,
restaurants, sculpture, festivals, farmers market and a theater. Historic Main Street
Assoc: 830-385-9289 or info@historicmainstreet.org,
www.historicmainstreet.org
FALLS ON THE COLORADO MUSEUM: 830-798-2157; At 905 3rd Street, Marble Falls, TX 78654. 2
blocks W of Hwy 281. Created in 1998 to collect and display the history and culture of the
Central Texas region centered in Burnet County. Artifacts, documents, photos, books and
culturally important icons and memorabilia on display, as well as an area for research.
Free admission, donations appreciated. Open Thur-Sun or by appointment. Email: focmuseum@281.com, www.fallsmuseum.org. Thu-Sat,
10a-5p. Map.
FOX MEMORIAL MARKER & PANORAMIC VIEW: A monument overlooking Colorado River and scenic
Hill Country is dedicated to Oscar J. Fox, composer of the classic popular song,
"Hills of Home." In roadside park on U.S. 281 just S of town S of the bridge.
SWEET BERRY FARM: 830-798-1462; From downtown Marble Falls, take FM 1431 W to FM 1980,
turn R. Pick your own strawberries and blackberries. Hay rides, horse rides, petting farm,
hay mazes, fall pumpkin patch, flowers, face painting, picnic area and more. School, group
and civic activities. www.sweetberryfarm.com
MARBLE FALLS HISTORIC TRAIN DEPOT & CHAMBER VISITOR CENTER: 830-759-8178; S of Hwy
1431 on Hwy 281 in Marble Falls. Depot is more than 100 years old. Mon-Fri: 8a-5p.
PARKS: There are many state, county and
LCRA parks in the greater area as profiled on the Parks page. Local
city include:
ADAM JOHNSON PARK: Features shade trees, covered picnic areas, playscapes, outdoor stage
and restrooms. Popular for reunions and parties. Book at 830-693-3615.
LAKESIDE PARK: Waterfront park on Lake LBJ features a boat launch, tennis courts, swimming
pool, basketball court and picnic area. 1 block W of Hwy 281 bridge. Book covered pavilion
at 830-693-3615.
MAJOR EVENTS:
April: Highland Lakes Fine Art & Wine Festival (1st & 2nd weekend) www.thunderbirdartists.com
April: Wine & Wildflowers
Trail (winery tours); Citywide Garage Sale
May: Howdy Roo Chili Cookoff (1st weekend); MayFest (2nd weekend); Marble Falls Rodeo (3rd
weekend)
July: 4th-Fireworks in the Park; Founders Day (2nd Sat)
August: LakeFest Dragboat Races (2nd
weekend) (www.marblefallslakefest.com)
September: Main Street Market Day (3rd Weekend)
October: Citywide Garage Sale
November: Highland Arts Guild Fall Show; Walkway of Lights; Antiques & Collectibles
Show
December: Victorian Christmas; Walkway of Lights
HISTORY : "The falls for which the
town was named were used as a landmark by travelers and were referred to as the
"great falls" or the "marble falls" of the Colorado River as early as
1817. Charles S. Todd made an effort to establish a town at the falls in 1854. Several
lots were sold, but few people built homes there. "Todd's village" faded before
it ever really got started, and Todd's land was sold for taxes in 1880. Adam Rankin
Johnson saw the falls in 1854 and also wanted to build a city at the site. His project
remained a dream, however, until the 1880s. Although there was some difficulty in
establishing a clear title to the land, by 1886 Johnson had succeeded in buying one-half
and controlling the rest of the original Baker grant, which included the falls area. The
Texas Mining and Improvement Company was chartered in June 1887; Johnson and nine others
were listed as owners. It handled the business of the new town for several years. Town
lots were advertised for sale in July. The Austin and Northwestern Railroad built an
extension to Marble Falls from Granite Mountain in 1889. A post office was also
established that year with Robert Charlton as postmaster. By 1890 the community had
Methodist and Baptist churches, a cotton gin, a gristmill, a tannery, a shoe factory,
three general stores, a hotel, a weekly Gazette, and 400 to 600 residents. Population
estimates reached 1,800 by 1896. Marble Falls Alliance University was chartered in 1892,
but it was in operation only a few years; its facilities were purchased by the public
schools when an independent school district was established in 1908. The first city
officials were elected in 1907, when a mayor-alderman form of government was instituted.
In 1917 the all-male voting population of Marble Falls elected Orphelia (Birdie) Crosby
Harwood the first woman mayor in the United States. Some improvements to the city, such as
paved streets and electric street lights came in the late 1920s; others, such as sewer
systems, had to wait until after the Great Depression and World War II.
The potential of the Colorado River falls as a source of power was seen by Johnson when he
first arrived at the site in 1854, but it was many years before his dream was actually
realized. Plans were made to harness the river at the Marble Falls site in 1871; the
legislature authorized the building of a dam near Marble Falls to power a milling and
manufacturing establishment, but nothing came of the project. The Marble Falls Cotton and
Woolen Mills Company built a factory in 1895, but was unable to raise capital to purchase
necessary machinery. A dam project was begun on the Colorado River below Marble Falls in
1910, but was not completed. Finally, in 1925 a dam was built to supply electrical power
to the Marble Falls Textile Mills Company; the facility was used by Insull Companies in
1935 to supply power to the Hamilton Dam project. Max Starcke Dam, which formed Lake
Marble Falls, was constructed in the early 1950s. Unfortunately, the natural falls were
destroyed by the formation of the new lake, but the Marble Falls community benefited from
the increased recreational and municipal water supply. Marble Falls served as the
principal commercial center for numerous subdivisions and resorts that were built along
the lakes after the 1960s. Population estimates for Marble Falls hovered around 1,000
during most of the first half of the twentieth century; after the late 1940s and early
1950s, however, the number of residents increased steadily. In 1940 the population was
1,021; by 1960 it was 2,161. As more people moved to the area to take advantage of
lakeside subdivisions, the population and the supporting commercial center grew
accordingly: Marble Falls had 2,209 residents and ninety-four businesses in the early
1970s, 3,252 residents and 210 businesses in the early 1980s, and an estimated 4,007
residents and 218 businesses in 1990. By 2000 the population reached 4,959 with 817
businesses."
DEAD MAN'S HOLE: (by Mike Cox in Texas Escapes): "The expression 'he just dropped out
of sight' had both figurative and literal meaning in Burnet County during and after the
Civil War. Common belief held that folks who disappeared in that area often ended up at
the bottom of a 150-plus-deep foot limestone fissure south of Marble Falls aptly named
'Dead Man's Hole.' ". Discovered in 1821, this 155 foot deep cave is believed to have
been the dumping place for victims hung from an oak tree over the hole. Self-guided tour,
always open. SE of Marble Falls, nearer Spicewood, on CR 401 between Hwy 71 and FM 2147 E.
PRIOR NAMES: Todd's Village
CITY OF MARBLE FALLS WEBSITE
MARBLE FALLS/LAKE LBJ CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Lake Marble Falls
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