Vanderpool is a small

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Bandera County in the

Texas Hill Country The Texas Hill Country is a geographic region of Central and South Texas, forming the southeast part of the Edwards Plateau. Given its location, climate, terrain, and vegetation, the Hill Country can be considered the border between the Americ ...

, which is part of the

Edwards Plateau The Edwards Plateau is a geographic region at the crossroads of Central, South, and West Texas. It is bounded by the Balcones Fault to the south and east, the Llano Uplift and the Llano Estacado to the north, and the Pecos River and Chihua ...

. It is considered part of the

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. Although it is unincorporated, Vanderpool has a post office, with the ZIP code of 78885. According to the

Handbook of Texas The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). History The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President W ...

, Vanderpool had a population of 22 in 1990.

Hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

ranching A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most ofte ...

and

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

are prime contributors to the regional economy.

History

On August 18, 1849, José Texaso was given a land grant by the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from Me ...

, which then was patented by his assignee, John W. Smith. Later, Smith sold it to Victor Prosper Considerant, who in turn sold it to Gideon W. Thompson and Henry Taylor. Taylor eventually owned several thousand acres of the community and sold them for the construction of churches and a cemetery. Its location within the Sabinal Valley was first settled in the 1850s but was briefly a

ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...

after a

Comanche The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in ...

Indian tribe raided the area in the 1860s. The last Indian raid recorded in the community was in 1881. Other Native American tribes living in the area were

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño a ...

s, Tonkawas, and

Kickapoos The Kickapoo people ( Kickapoo: ''Kiikaapoa'' or ''Kiikaapoi''; es, Kikapú) are an Algonquian-speaking Native American and Indigenous Mexican tribe, originating in the region south of the Great Lakes. Today, three federally recognized Kic ...

; the Apaches had established villages in the area. A post office was established at Vanderpool in 1886 and remained in operation until 1889, but then reopened in 1902. The town, previously known as Bugscuffle, is named after the first postmaster, L.B. Vanderpool. The community had one business and 22 residents in 1990, which went down to 20 in 2000. Bell Ranch, which later changed its name to Rancho Las Campanas, was fenced and stocked with exotics. The Upper Sabinal Missionary Baptist Church of Christ was organized sometime before 1888 and had 40 members until disbanding in 1947.

Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

of Vanderpool was organized in 1975 and had 14 families as part of its membership in 1989. An

Apostolic Christian Church The Apostolic Christian Church (ACC) is a worldwide Christian denomination from the Anabaptist tradition that practices credobaptism, closed communion, greeting other believers with a holy kiss, a capella worship in some branches (in others, s ...

held services in the community center in the 1980s and was organized in 1923. Evangelical Christian camp

Young Life Young Life is an evangelical Christian organization based in Colorado Springs, Colorado which focuses on young people in middle school, high school, and college. Week-long Summer camps are a major focus, and these have a definite evangelizing asp ...

operates Camp Lonehollow.

Geography

Vanderpool, known today as the "Crossroads of Western Bandera County", is located along the Sabinal River in the Sabinal Canyon. It is in western Bandera Count at the intersection of Texas State Highway 187 and Farm to Market Road 337, west of

Bandera Bandera - from a Spanish word meaning a ''flag'' - may refer to: Places * Bandera County, Texas ** Bandera, Texas, its county seat ** Bandera Creek, a river in Texas, with its source near Bandera Pass ** Bandera Pass, a mountain pass in Bandera C ...

, north of

Utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book '' Utopia'', describing a fictional island soc ...

, north of Sabinal, east of Leakey, southwest of

Kerrville Kerrville is a city in, and the county seat of, Kerr County, Texas, United States. The population of Kerrville was 24,278 at the 2020 census. Kerrville is named after James Kerr, a major in the Texas Revolution, and friend of settler- ...

, and west of

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Vanderpool has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Education

Schools were built on the land grant sold by John W. Smith. Bugscuffle School was established in the area and had 53 students and one teacher in the 1887-1888 school year. It became an elementary school and served 36 students in 1923. It remained in operation until 1942. The Utopia Independent School District serves students in the area.

Attractions

Vanderpool is home to the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum, which features over 50 classic motorcycles from 1910 to the modern era. Lost Maples State Park is located a few miles north of town. Garner State Park, in which the Green kingfisher can be spotted, is about a 30-minute drive to the southwest. It is a popular

birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...

destination for American and foreign tourists.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Bandera County, Texas Greater San Antonio Unincorporated communities in Texas