Hidden away from Austin’s big-city buzz, a place exists with a sweet history. This is Bee Caves Preserve. It is an area named not for its barrenness but for its buzzing past.
Imagine, if you will, the 1850s. Dietrich Bohls sought escape from Austin. The city’s population boomed to 900. That was too much for him. He found solace where Barton Creek met Little Barton Creek. This marked the beginning of Bee Cave.
The wilderness teemed with wildlife and Native Americans roamed freely. Settlers united. They named the area Bee Cave. Large colonies of Mexican honey bees lived in a nearby cave. The bees swarmed along the banks of the two creeks.
Bee Cave slowly grew. A post office opened in 1870, managed by Martin V. Lackey. Will Johnson ran a trading post a year later. By the mid-1880s, Bee Cave added a school. A church, a gristmill, a cotton gin, and a general store followed. The population reached 54 in 1914. Despite growth, the post office closed. Citizens went to Cedar Valley for mail.
The Bee Cave School consolidated with the Teck Common School District in the 1940s. Later, in 1951, it joined the Dripping Springs School District. The population stayed around 50 from the 1940s to the 1980s.
Bee Cave incorporated in 1987. By 1990, the population reached 241. It rose to 656 by the turn of the century. Bee Cave gained parks, a library, and a recreational center. In 2010, the population jumped to 3,925.
In February 2013, Bee Cave changed its government. It shifted from an Alderman-mayor to a city council-mayor system. By 2020, the population approached 9,144.
Bee Cave even gained recognition as the “West Pole” in 2007. This was thanks to House Resolution 2933. Citizens embraced this title, hosting the first Armadillo Day in 2010. Bee Cave Bob, an armadillo, replaced Punxsutawny Phil. He predicted the coming of spring or a longer winter.
Today, Bee Caves Preserve stands as a reminder. It is a place where the wild meets community. It is a testament to the sweet history. It is a home where bees once thrived. Even though few bees can be found today, tours are offered to view the historic bee caves that were discovered in 2013.