Garner Park the site of many fond memories

By Tom Linton Contributor

Published May 19, 2008

Editor’s note: This is an occasional series of columns about Tom Linton’s travels to the state parks of with his dog, Brigid.

To start off, I fully understand that I will not be able to do this place justice. There are just far too many people with too many pleasant memories.

But I have always believed the Satchel Paige approach was best; “Don’t look back, something might be gaining on you.” So with no backward glances, here I go.

To write about a hallowed site, a place loved by thousands, a place that, to some, rates up there with the Alamo and Goliad must be handled very delicately.

Garner State Park is such a place. The Texas state parks have always been considered “family affairs.” From the days of the “tree army boys” (also known as the Civilian Conservation Corps) to the present-day Friends of the Park groups that exist at individual parks across the state, families have always been involved.

Early on, when the first few of these “Parking with Brigid” articles were printed, I received an e-mail from a Galveston County Daily News reader who asked when I was going to write about Garner State Park. She stated that to her, that was the most “important” park in the state.

“Generations have grown up going there. I have seen mothers dancing holding their babies in their arms. Many people met, while on that dance floor, the person they later married. I went there with my parents. I went there with my family, and we have taken our grandchildren there. To our family, it is a Texas shrine.”

“My mother danced there when she was a teenager” is a quote from a presentation made by a state park official in explaining how our state parks were deteriorating due to lack of funding.

For him, it was not just a statement in a speech — it was personal. It is that to those numerous others in that large cheering squad that Garner State Park has on its side — it is personal.

Named for the 42nd vice president of the United States, “Cactus” Jack Garner of Uvalde, Garner State Park consists of 1,400 acres of blackjack oak, mesquite and cedar covered land in the fabulous . One of the nicest rivers in Texas, the Frio, passes through Garner State Park.

On a trip to see the Lost Maples State Park, we did what so many do and camped in Garner State Park. One of the first things I did after setting up camp was go to the dance pavilion. There was supposed to be a vintage jukebox there with none of the latest hits — a holdover from the good old days.

Unfortunately, the pavilion was closed for the day so I didn’t get to hear the Garner State Park song. I have heard several different stories about the song as to who wrote it, the various versions recorded and what the artist performed it.

I have as yet to hear a recording, see a set of words or a musical score for the song. This might provide an adequate excuse to revisit the park.

Or it might also good reason not to disturb it. Have you ever had something to eat or drink that you really like while you were away from home on vacation? When you take some home with you because it is so good, it is just not the same — the necessary ambience is missing.

So even in Garner State Park the ambience of ducktail hairstyles, 50-cent-a-gallon gas and B.J. Thomas in his prime will not return. But weren’t those great days?

One of the things visitors to the park in those bygone days reminisce about is “The Whip.”

This was a dance visitors to the park in the ’60s and the ’70s engaged in, but probably did not talk to their parents about to any great extent when they returned home.

It is probably something they remember when they hear their children reprimanding their grandchildren.

I say their grandchildren because we are unable to remember any of our questionable activities when we reprimanded our own children.

But grandparents do remember and that is why they are generally the ones who plead for clemency.

The first time I was in the Garner State Park, we had stopped by just to see it. We were in the area on a scientific expedition in search of the reclusive Old Man Bat, which was said to reside in the nearby Frio Bat Cave close to Concan.

Before making our way into the caves, we were going to make a detour to drive through what our professor pronounced was “one of the best-kept parks in Texas.”

A groan rumbled through the van — we were anxious to see the bats. We turned into the park and drove down past the river where the weekend visitors were swimming.

There, we saw some attractions that would cause even the most devoted 18-year-old aspiring scientist to suddenly conclude that perhaps the Old Man Bat could wait.

Fortunately, wiser heads prevailed, and we soon found ourselves crawling through a cramped, dark cave litter with bat guano. Ah, the sacrifices that have been made in the name of science.

But let me get back to the present story. The 75th annual CCC reunion was held this past March in , and the Friends of Garner State Park members catered the breakfast.

Many of their members were not only connected to the park through the friends group but were also the children of CCCers who had helped build the park.

They talked about the park as if it were a member of the family, speaking in tones of reverence and endearment.

The former CCC members who worked in Garner spoke with a well-earned proprietary tone in their voice and an air of pride when talking about “our park.”

For all of them, the park was the site of many fond memories.

Well, Satchel, I broke your rule. I looked back. What I saw was that our greatest memories come from those times we describe as “that was one of the best times I ever had.”

After such a statement, a fair number of people might complete the sentence with “and it was in Garner State Park.”

Tom Linton is president of the Friends of Galveston Island State Park.