Will Wave Of Local Support Keep Dam Afloat?

“We never thought that the preservation of the dam and mill race would someday come in question, this has become a huge regret for me. Is destroying the park the correct way to thank someone for such a beautiful gift?”

SAN MARCOS, Texas- At 5:45 p.m. on October 4, the San Marcos Historic Preservation Commission will vote on the designation of Cape’s Dam area as a local landmark as requested on behalf of Hays County Historical Commission’s Chair, Kate Johnson.

 At the last meeting of the San Marcos Historic Preservation Commission on September 6, enthusiastic San Marcos residents swarmed City Hall. The captivated audience flooded out into the hallway as the Commissioners voted to begin the process of discussing a local landmark status of Cape’s Dam. Commissioner Griffen Spell mentioned that he had never seen such community response at a Historical Commission meeting during his four years of service.

 “Hays County is a special place because of how much people care,” said Sarah Sanders, a San Marcos resident who attended the meeting. “I was touched to see so many Texans of all ages and from all backgrounds fired up about our history, our government and our river. I was equally touched to see genuine consideration given to the public comments. Our commissioners did a fantastic job.”

 The 151-year-old dam provides water flow into the Mill Race (slough) that is a 1/3 of a mile stretch of a river and ends with a waterfall that has become a local hot spot for swimming and is classified as Federally Designated Critical Habitat for Engendered Species. The dam was eligible to be listed to join the National Register of Historical Places in 1985, the same year that the Hoover Dam was granted National Historical Landmark Status.

Fraye Stokes, previous owner and donor of section of the property to Texas Parks and Wildlife, addressed commissioners at the meeting, stating that although in 1985 she and her husband, John Stokes, had declined to have Cape’s Dam, Mill Race and Thompson’s Dam placed on the National Register of Historic Places, she never dreamed of the ramifications of doing so at the time.

“We never thought that the preservation of the dam and mill race would someday come in question, this has become a huge regret for me.” Stokes said to Commissioners. “Is destroying the park the correct way to thank someone for such a beautiful gift?”

 Texas Historical Commission, Preservation Texas, Hays County Historical Commission, and Heritage Association of San Marcos have recognized the historical significance of the area. In Feb. 2016 San Marcos City Council voted to demolish Capes Dam not knowing its historical significance and has been unsuccessful over the past 31 months to obtain the necessary permits for removal of the dam.

 The San Marcos Historic Preservation Commission will continue their discussion of the local landmark status of Cape’s Dam at San Marcos City Hall, 630 E. Hopkins Street at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, October 4. The public are welcome and encouraged to attend.

For more about the dam and the movement to preserve, visit their website at www.savethesmtxriver.org or their Facebook at www.facebook.com/SaveOurSMTXRiver/.