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San Saba County TX
San Saba County

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MILL POND PARK
San Saba, Texas

San Saba River
Page 2

Excerpts From
Splash Across Texas
THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO
SWIMMING IN CENTRAL TEXAS


by Chandra Moira Beal

Book Hotel Here › Llano Hotels
Off of U.S. 190 on South Thomas Stewart Drive.

Before Mill Pond Park became a municipal park, it was the first waterworks in San Saba. In 1875, Guy Risien built a rock and brush dam across Mill Creek to operate a hydraulic dam that he used to water his own garden and provide water to a few neighbors. Most of the original dam still stands. Risien installed a water wheel, a valve and piston pump, and three-inch water mains. Risien also helped the county keep water troughs at the courthouse full. Risien later sold his waterworks to John H. Brown, who built a gristmill. Later the city water system housed its machinery there. Mill Pond still provides water to the residents of San Saba.
Mill Pond Park San Saba R Texas
Mill Pond Park
Today, Mill Pond Park is a lovely park with a spring-fed lake and a man-made swimming pool. A waterfall cascades over rocks into ferns, moss, canna and caladiums. The water flows under a bridge then winds through the park. There are picnic sites with grills. The ideal spot is the table next to the waterfall, with the sound of the rushing water and the beautiful flowers. It is an idyllic spot for a picnic, a marriage proposal, or a romantic date. Seven-million gallons of water pump through the lake daily. The pond water looks like Hancock Springs, with tiny bubbles rising to the surface. The water is so clear you can see the water plants deep down. Ducks and geese paddle by, and many tributaries meander through the park. The seventy-one acre park also has baseball fields, a group pavilion, tennis courts, a playground, basketball courts, a running track and nature trails. The city has received a grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife to expand and renovate the park to add more hiking trails, a sandy beach, and more camping spaces.

The municipal swimming pool is located within Mill Pond Park and is beautifully landscaped. A semi-shallow end slopes toward the deep end. There is a separate, rectangular wading pool and a large bathhouse. The pool is surrounded by a wooden deck and concrete.
Text and photos courtesy of Chandra Moira Beal & La Luna Publishing
Copyright Chandra Moira Beal, 1999



Page 1 - San Saba River
  Page 3 - San Saba River - Risien Park

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