Pipe Creek, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pipe Creek, Texas
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 Pipe Creek, Texas
Location in Texas
Pipe Creek, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Bandera |
| Elevation | 1,362 ft (415 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
78063
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| Area code(s) | 830 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1344123 |
Pipe Creek is a small community in Bandera County, Texas, in the United States. It's called an unincorporated community because it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. In 1990, about 66 people lived there. It's also part of the larger San Antonio area.
Contents
History of Pipe Creek
Pipe Creek got its first post office in 1873. The community was named after a nearby creek and started around 1870. Francis Marion Hodges was the first person to settle here in 1868. Two years later, Oliver S. Shirley also moved to the area.
Early Settlers and Growth
During the first ten years, about 70 more families moved to Pipe Creek. Some of the family names included Scott, Anderson, Newcomer, Vawter, and Morgenstern. A.M. Beekman was the first postmaster. For a short time in 1895, the post office name was changed to Pipecreek.
Francis Marion Hodges' wife opened the first store in the 1870s. W.J. Hamilton opened another store. By the early 1880s, Pipe Creek had a cotton gin (a machine that separates cotton fibers from seeds) and a gristmill (a mill for grinding grain). About 100 people lived there at that time.
Life in Early Pipe Creek
Most people in Pipe Creek were farmers and ranchers. They grew crops like cotton and corn. They also raised cattle and sheep, and made molasses. Stagecoaches traveled from San Antonio to Bandera, bringing mail and helping people travel.
A First Baptist church group started in the community in 1886. By the early 1900s, Pipe Creek's population was still around 100 people. A Methodist church was built in 1904. Four years later, a telephone line was put in the general store.
Changes Over Time
By the 1920s, the population dropped to only 25 people. But it grew again to 150 in 1941 when electricity came to the community. It kept growing to 220 people in the 1950s and 1960s. This was because many new housing areas, called subdivisions, were built nearby. One report says there were about 25 subdivisions in the community.
The population then went down to 66 by the 1970s and stayed that way through 1990. In the early 1990s, new businesses opened. These included construction, auto repair, and real estate companies. A restaurant, a hardware store, a community center, and several churches also opened. Many people living in Pipe Creek traveled to Bandera and San Antonio for their jobs.
There is a special Texas Historical Marker in Pipe Creek. It marks the English-Crist house, which was a place for travelers to stay in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The American Goat Society also has its main office in Pipe Creek.
Geography of Pipe Creek
Pipe Creek is located on Texas State Highway 16. It is about 9 miles (14 km) east of Bandera. It is also about 30 miles (48 km) north of San Antonio. It is in the central part of Bandera County.
Other important places in Pipe Creek include churches and the public library. Parts of the Bandera Falls neighborhood are also in Pipe Creek. Many areas around Pipe Creek can be reached from FM1283.
Education in Pipe Creek
Pipe Creek's first school was built in 1881 near the local cemetery. In 1886, different church groups, including the First Baptist, held their services at this schoolhouse.
School Development
Another school, called Deskin School, started in 1913. It later joined with the Pipe Creek school in 1924. A new school building was built in 1948. Two years later, this school became part of the Bandera Independent School District.
Current Schools
The Bandera Independent School District serves students in the Pipe Creek area. This district includes both private and public schools. Pipe Creek is also served by the Northside Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas. Two local schools in the community are Hill Country Elementary School and Pipe Creek Christian School.
