Heritage Association Sends Letter To San Marcos City Council To Reconsider The Removal Of Cape’s Dam
On Sept. 27, the Heritage Association of San Marcos sent a letter to the San Marcos City Council requesting the council to “reconsider” their decision to remove Cape’s Dam.
On Sept. 27, the Heritage Association of San Marcos sent a letter to the San Marcos City Council requesting the council “reconsider” their decision to remove Cape’s Dam.
The letter states that San Marcos would not have been established or thrived without the San Marcos River; and that Cape’s Dam is one of the oldest existing structures in San Marcos and is the oldest surviving dam on the river. (Read full letter below)
According to the President of the Heritage Association, Gary Germer Jr., the Heritage Association hasn’t come out publicly to take a stand for or against anything in San Marcos for “many, many years. Some say, “it’s been 12 years, and some say it’s more like 20 years.”
“We don’t want to get caught in the political fray. Heritage (Association) is concerned about the historical significance of Capes Dam and how the Dam plays into the history of San Marcos,” Germer said.
The Heritage Association’s mission is the preservation of buildings, markers, historic sites, works of art, documents, papers, pictures, records and other writings of historical, traditional or cultural value.
“Having the San Marcos Heritage Association that is the city’s oldest and most respected preservation organization, really adds a volume of support followed with Preservation Texas, Hays County Historical Commission, Texas River Protection Association, San Marcos Chamber of Commerce, Texas Historical Commission, Former San Marcos River Foundation president, Dr. Jack Fairchild, and a respected Fishery Biologist, Dr. Molly Cummings University of Texas at Austin , Department of Integrative Biology,” said Brian Olson, a longtime San Marcos business owner and founder of the Save the SMTX River Organization and Save Capes Dam and who has spent over a year working to save Cape’s Dam.
The Heritage Association of San Marcos is a nonprofit organization founded and chartered in 1975 to support the preservation of historic buildings as well as to celebrate the culture and perpetuate the traditions that beautify and enrich the community life of San Marcos, Texas. They have rescued from ruin buildings such as the Charles S. Cock House, and the Merriman Cabin, helped to create the Historic Districts in San Marcos and continue traditions such as the Cottage Kitchen, Heritage Tour of Homes: A San Marcos Tradition, City Cemetery Tales & Tours, The Arbor Day Ceremony in the Riverwalk Memorial Grove and many others.
NOTE: Read related Cape’s Dam Coverage below the Heritage Associations Letter.
Related Corridor News Coverage:
• Stokes Family – Letter To The Editor
• San Marcos Chamber Takes A Stand On Capes Dam
• Letter To The Editor: Why The Push To Remove Capes Dam With Little San Marcos Community Support?
• Letter To The Editor: Capes Dam
• Letter to the Editor: Many People I Talk With Feel Capes Dam Should Be Repaired
• Capes Dam: If It’s Not Broke, Let’s Not Experiment With It
• San Marcos City Council Workshop, Capes Dam – Monday
• Letter To The Editor: Restore Cape’s Dam To Preserve Stokes Park And The Mill Race
• BREAKING: Cape’s Dam Removal Opponents Demand Federal Review Of Environmental Impact
• Open Letter To City Council: Contractual Violations With Scope Of Work Done On Cape’s Dam
• Is The City Of San Marcos Willing To Rise To The Challenge In Restoring Cape’s Dam?
• BREAKING NEWS: TX Historical Comm. Throws Major Roadblock Into Cape’s Dam Battle
• Flood-Damaged Areas Still Closed
• Some Damaged Parks To Reopen Within a Week
• City Council Meeting: Ever Hear of ‘Project Texas’? We Hadn’t Either Until….
• Editorial: A Juggernaut Of Local Bureaucracy
• Editorial: Human Safety And Historical Significance Was Not Thought About
• Letter To The Editor: Concerns About Safety On Our San Marcos River
• LETTER: Wake Up San Marcos Residents Before It’s Too Late!
• Open Letter To The SM City Council – Destruction Of A Historical Site In San Marcos
• See & Save Mill Race & Waterfall
• SM City Council Makes One Decision, Based On One Report
• Breaking: City Asking Public’s Help Identifying Tree Vandals
• VA Offering Up To $8 Million In Grants For Adaptive-Sports Programs That Aid Disabled Veterans
Where was the outrage when the Woods apartments were being built on the site of the plantation? Rebuilding a dam is not preservation, you still have to remove the original dam. This is about filling a mill race and creating a new recreation area.