Wednesday, July 27, 2011


I am new to the blog. My name is Mike Callahan, and I own a ranch in eastern Atascosa County
very near to where Karnes and Wilson County lines meet. The exact point of those 3 counties is just to my north across CR413 off my property. All my land lies exclusively in atascosa county.

We bought the ranch in 1999, and the two photos to the right show what the 2 main buildings looked like when we bought it. There was one building mostly standing, and a 2nd, smaller building that had 2 walls collapsed. The main house is what we were told was the stage stop. both were in bad disrepair, with decades of neglect & junk, and coons and snakes living there. We refurbished the place in 2000, maintaining as much of the original as possible, but joining the 2 buildings together to gain more space. It is now has running water, electricity, air conditioning, and is our weekend getaway, as we live in Austin.

I am having a little trouble controlling where the photos land, so I create a different post to show what it looks like after we refurbished it.

5 comments:

Barbara Morris Westbrook said...

I love the photos, and am amazed at the work you put into those historic buildings! Most people would have torn them down, or just let them continue to deteriorate.

Howard Purgason said...

Mike, great photos! Do you have an idea when the house was built?
Howard Purgason

Elaine said...

Hello and welcome to the Atascosa Chronicles! I live in Austin, too. My husband went to school in Bastrop and rode the bus with Jimmy Callahan. He was wondering if you are related to him. I enjoyed your pictures. My mother and her mother were born and raised in Atascosa County... that is my connection with it.

mj said...

sorry for the late response;
1. the original house dates from about 1840-1850. i don't really know for sure. it operated as a stage coach stop in the 1870's sometime.
2. i am probably not related to callahans from bastrop, as my family is from orange, tx.

Elaine said...

Thanks for your response... will pass it on to my husband.