The beautiful and varied landscape of Uvalde County, Texas is centered around the county seat of Uvalde, which was named for Juan de Ugalde, the Spanish governor of Coahuila. Uvalde and Uvalde county were founded by Reading Wood Black in 1850.
The rich, fertile lands of Uvalde were occupied as early as 7000 BCE. by Native Americans, who continued to occupy and raid Spanish and American settlers up to the turn of the 20th century. Uvalde grew steadily until the Civil War, when succession weakened the defenses of the nearby Fort Inge and raids by Native Americans increased.
However, after the Civil War, growth resumed and by the turn of the century, Uvalde County had a booming ranching economy with nearly 60,000 cattle and 81,000 goats. Uvalde also had a thriving bee industry, developing products that received first place at the 1900 World Fair held in Paris.
The entrepreneur James Whitecotton of Laguna was actually the largest honey dealer in all of the United States, selling as much as a million pounds annually throughout the 1890s.
Another large part of the economy was farming, and crops including peaches, plums, figs, pears, onions, tomatoes, pumpkins, melons, potatoes, cabbage, and beans were grown. Limestone asphalt mined at Blewett in southwest Uvalde County made up another sizeable chunk of the economy.
The National Fish Hatchery, completed during the 1930s, produced a million fish annually in the early 1970s, producing catfish, largemouth bass, and sunfish. As tourism began to surge, some ranchers began to lease their land to hunters.
Today, Uvalde’s economy is a rich blend of ranching, farming, and tourism. Tourists can visit many historic sites, including Fort Inge, or enjoy cultural displays like the Sahawe Indian Dancers at the Sahawe Indian Outdoor Theater. The Frio River is a popular tourist destination for rafting and tubing, with its crystal clear waters.
Browse Uvalde County Land Properties For Sale