Bandera
Historical Notes
The articles
below feature - Policarpo Rodriquez & Privilege Creek
The articles below on
this page come from the Dallas Morning News
31 Oct 1962 ~ Tolbert's Texas
by Francis X. Tolbert
In an article about "A Town Called Fringe
of Lace" in Jim Hogg County,
had this paragraph about Jose Policarpo
Rodriquez;
"Jose Policarpo
Rodriquez, a famous scout and a Methodist preacher, received a 60,000
acre grant in Randado country in 1836. Poly Rodriquez, mentioned in this
space recently as the founder of the City of Privilege, Bandera County,
may never have settled on his Randado claim. For the man who built a big
stone house and adobe ramparts in Fringe of Lace was a prudent type called
Hipolite Garcia."
16 Sep 1962 City
of Priviledge is Now a Ghost Town
by Frank X. Tolbert
It was certainly quite a coincicence
that this department should received separate inquiries within a span of
a week about (1) the ghost city of Privilege, Texas, and (2) about a unique
fellow, Jose Policarpo (Polly) Rodriquez. This was a coincidence because
Policarpo Rodriquez was the founder of Privilege.
Mrs. Anne
Richards of San Antonio ws the one wanting to know why Privilege which
is in Bandera County in the Hill Country, was so called. All I could tell
Mrs. Richards right off, was that Privilege is on Privilege Creek, which
was titled before there was a settlement. Marvin Hay of the town of Bandera,
a grandson of the late Texana collector and writer, Marvin Hunter, is trying
to find more background on Privilege.But right now, Mr. Hay can only say;
" I lived for several years in Privilege, and it certainly was a privilege.
There is nothing
left of Privilege now except an old stone church, in which Methodist services
are held occasionally, and the rock ruins of an old house or fort. These
physical remains of the community are on the Lane Langford Ranch about
8 miles due east of Bandera.
Norman E.
Foster of Dallas has visited the ghost town twice. And it was Mr. Foster
who wrote an inquiry about Policapro Rodriquez. Well, Mr. Foster, Polly
Rodriquez died in the Privilege communiy in 1914 at the age of 85. He was
born in Zaragora, Mexico, (near the twin Rio Grande cities of Eagle Pass,
Texas and Piedras Negras, Mexico), and moved to San Antonio when was about
12 years old. In 1858, he moved up into Bandera county. He became converted
to the Methodist Church. He became a preacher and personally built the
stone church at Privilege. And in the last half of the 19th century he
was one of the most popular and influential fellows in Bandera County.
This Mexican
Catholic turned Texas Methodist preacher oftne took time out to serve with
the U.S. Army and with the Texas Rangers as a guide and scout into the
Indian country. In the Oct. 30,1860 official papers of Col. Robert E. Lee,
then commanding the Army depart of Texas, Lee testified to "the gallantry
of the guide, J.P. Rodriquez" This was in a description of a battle between
a cavalry patrol and a band of Comanche Indians.
Polly's popularity
didn't seem to diminish in 1861 when he refused a captain's commission
in the Confederate Army because he had "no strong feelings about this war."
Polly's Peak, near Privilege, and Polly's Chapel (the stone church in Privilege)
are memorials to " The Old Guide" as he called himself in his memoirs.
18 Aug 1877
Tolbert's Texas ; About a ghost town on Privilege Creek
by Frank X. Tolbert
Policarpo "Polly"
Rodriquez old settlement, Privilege, Bandera County in the Hill Country.
Is a ghost town now. While I was there the only living creatures I saw
were two saddle horses grazing in the lush bottoms along spring- fed Privilege
Creek.
There are
a numer of gaps in the career of Polycarpo Rodriquez, who lived from 1829
- 1914.
And I wondered
about these missing chapters in his life as I wandered on the back roads
around Privilege. I know he said it was a privilege to live on Privilege
Creek. and everywhere in the ghost town there are reminders of Mr. Rodriquez,
such as signs leading the way to "Poly's cemetery", a well kept acerage
where he and some of his relatives are buried.
And down a
path through the trees from the cemetery there is a Methodist church of
native stone. "Poly's Chapel". The historical marker for the church reads
that Policarpo Rodriquez built it with "his own hand in 1881-82".
The inscriptions
on Poly's gravestone have faded. And with diffuculty you can spell out
some of the legend, that he was a Texas Ranger and a frontier guide for
the army. "By nature fearless and daring... by grace an apostle to his
people...he suffered privations and persecutions... and went with joy and
singing to the end."
Poly was cited
fro bravery in the 1850's when he was an army scout for Col. Robert E.
Lee in frontier campaigns. ( He wrote his memoirs, called " The Old Guide",
a book I would like to see.) He was called "an apostle" I suspose because
he was converted to the Methodist church about 1858 when he settled on
Privilege Creek.
Why did he
wander off from the settlement in the Hill Country which he called privilege
because he was so happy there? He died, at age 85, in the lowlands at Poteet,
Atascosa County.
Perhaps he
went to Poteet because he was a friend of another frontier scout, Francis
Marion (Old Man) Poteet.
Perhaps he
went to Poteet following the lead of his friend, Sam Houston, when he snubbed
the Confederate captains' commission. For Sam Houston was removed as Governor
of Texas after he refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy.
Poly's gravestone
is just a tall hunk of granite. The most interesting marker in Poly's cemetery
is over the graves of two of his relatives, Luis Rodriquez ( 1854 - 1895
) and his wife, Petra Rodriquez (1861 - 1902). This gravestone is
made of petrified logs of wood which look almost as natural as fresh lumber.
Down the road
from Privilege, on the way to San Antonio, I stopped in Helotes (pop 226
and meaning "green maize" in Spanish) in Bexar County. And I was sorry
to hear of the death of my friend John T. Floore.
Mr. Floore, who
operated the Floore store and dance tavern in Helotes, was the only perosn
I've known who peddled hot tamales in a new Cadillac.
The delicious
tamales and smoked country sausage sold in the Floore store were composed
by country folks of German descent off the boondocks near Helotes. Mr.
Floore claimed to have the world's largest outdoor beer garden and dance
pavilion, and it is surrounded by a fence high enough to keep deer from
jumping amoung the beer drinkers and dancers. (Deer actually joined the
fun before the fence was raised to eight feet)
The Floore
establishment is still operated by two of his long-time employees.
However there
have been a lot of changes in Helotes. And I'm agin' all of them. Not many
years ago Helotes was a typical Hill Country hamlet, and Floore's store
and Andrea Morelos' cafe, featuring menudo cooked in a washpot, were the
centers of the community.
Now there
is a shopping center including a restaurant called "Chef John's Loft",
San Antonio seems to be reaching out and grabbing Helotes and there are
"land developers" signs all over the lovely landscapes.