People · Property · A Lasting Landscape

The Land Before Westcave

The history of this landscape begins long before the surviving record of ownership. Indigenous peoples stewarded and maintained relationships with these lands for generations before colonial governments divided them into surveys, grants, and private property. From there, the documented record traces the transfers, disputes, and changing ownership that eventually led to the creation of Westcave Preserve.

Before the Land Record

Indigenous Peoples & the Land

Westcave is part of a landscape shaped by generations of Indigenous knowledge, stewardship, culture, and relationship with the land. Indigenous communities have longstanding connections to the lands and waters of Central Texas, and those relationships continue today.

Westcave worked with the Indigenous Cultures Institute , a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the cultures of Native peoples indigenous to Texas and northern Mexico, to develop a land acknowledgement grounded not only in recognition, but in continued learning and responsibility.

Through the Indigenous Cultures Institute’s Tānko Institute and collaboration with Coahuiltecan leaders, Westcave will continue learning about the Indigenous history of this region and how that history can be more thoughtfully represented through our spaces, programs, and events.

This land acknowledgement is intended not only to publicly recognize the Indigenous peoples who have called this region home, but also to outline a commitment on our part to reconcile some of the generational harm that has been done.

The Land Acknowledgement

Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center (Westcave) is located on the traditional and contemporary homelands of the Coahuiltecan, Tonkawa, Lipan Apache, Karankawa, and Comanche. Westcave acknowledges these Indigenous communities presently, and we express gratitude for the immeasurable contributions to environmental stewardship and protection by Indigenous communities in the past, present, and future.

In 1843, Edward Fontaine, a settler of European descent, acquired the land that Westcave is situated on by a third class land grant issued by the Republic of Texas. Before the Republic of Texas, many waves of colonial powers claimed this land through forced removal and genocide of Indigenous peoples.

Today, Westcave is engaged in learning from local Indigenous communities, such as through the Indigenous Cultures Institute’s Tānko Institute, and developing educational resources for Westcave visitors in collaboration with Coahuiltecan leaders.

Westcave is committed to days of access honoring tribal members' ancestral relationship to the land. Additionally, we commit to educating visitors on the cultures of local Indigenous communities through dedicated exhibits, programming and events.

These commitments were made in 2026, and Westcave remains open to ongoing learning, relationship-building, and co-stewardship with Indigenous communities today and in the future.

Explore Further

Explore Indigenous Lands

The histories and homelands of Indigenous peoples extend far beyond modern property and political boundaries. Native Land Digital offers an interactive map for exploring Indigenous territories, languages, and treaties across the world.

Native Land Digital’s map is a living educational resource and does not represent official or legal boundaries.

Explore the Map Here

Read the Record

Colonial Ownership

Explore the ownership to learn more about the surveys, transfers, disputes, and families that shaped the land before it became Westcave Preserve.

The Fontaine and Moss Ownership · 1843

Edward Fontaine received a land grant from the Republic of Texas in 1843, establishing the earliest documented ownership of the land that includes today’s Westcave grotto. The neighboring property now known as the Uplands entered private ownership later, when John L. Moss claimed and occupied previously vacant public land in 1873.

By the early 1900s, the grotto and uplands property were regularly described together in transactions, but sometimes transferred separately.

Parry, Hunnicutt, and Bond · 1905

In 1905, A.G. Parry sold the Uplands and grotto property to W.R. Hunnicutt. It is unknown, so far, as to how Parry obtained the land. Later that year, E.R. Hunnicutt sold the land to S.L. Bond.

Hill v. Meers · 1913–1915

S.L. Bond and his wife sold the property to A.J. Meers and J.W. Hill. Hill later sued Meers over a lien on the property. Hill won the judgment against Meers, and the sheriff seized the property. Hill then had to purchase the land at public auction, making J.W. Hill the sole owner of the land.

Lawrence, Ward, and von Rosenberg · 1916–1920

J.W. Hill sold the property to Helene Lawrence in 1916. Lawrence sold it to J.D. Ward the following year.

In 1920, J.D. and Antoinette Ward sold the properties to C.J. von Rosenberg.

Von Rosenberg to the Lay Family · 1936–1937

After C.J. von Rosenberg’s death, the property passed to Dora von Rosenberg. In 1936, she transferred it to her grandson, Charles James Granville.

On April 28, 1937, Granville sold the land to Chester and Harriet Lay.

Lay, Nicholson, and Watson

The Lay family’s ownership marked an important chapter in the property’s history. During their ownership, they incorporated previously uncertain strips of land between Cypress Creek and the Pedernales River into the larger property. The land was later sold to W.D. Nicholson, an absentee owner who dealt with frequent trespassing on the property.

In 1974, Nicholson sold approximately 25 acres containing the grotto to John Covert Watson. That purchase marked the beginning of Westcave’s transformation into a protected preserve.

Paintings · Photographs · Documents

Explore the Archive

These surviving maps, legal records, photographs, and films offer glimpses into the people and places represented in Westcave’s history. Together, they reveal both how much the landscape has changed and how much of its story remains visible today.

  • 1870s

    WESTCAVE, WILLIAM J. OPLIPHANT
    A photograph of West Cave by William J. Olliphant, an Austin photographer active between 1866–1880.

  • Painting of a southwest canyon landscape with trees, rocky formations, and a sunset sky.

    1880s

    PAINTING BY HERMANN LUNGWITZ

    A painting of the Westcave Grotto by Hermann Lungkwitz, created around 1880 during his commissioned sketching tour of the Pedernales River Valley for the Texas General Land Office.

    Estate of Walter and William Staehely; James Patrick McGuire, Hermann Lungkwitz: Romantic Landscapist on the Texas Frontier (1983).

  • A woman with curly dark hair sitting on a beige couch in a modern room with a wooden accent wall, sunlight casting shadows on the wall.

    1920s

    HAMILTON POOL SCHOOL

    A rural schoolhouse that served children and families living throughout the surrounding Hill Country community.

    Students pictured (left to right): Bernice Hunnicutt, Florene Bond, Elnora Neumann, and J.D. Lawson. Teacher: Ruth Hunnicutt Haynes. Kneese family photograph.

  • Black and white photograph of two young girls standing outdoors on a dirt path, in front of dense trees and bushes. The girls are wearing light-colored dresses with puffed sleeves, and black shoes. Handwritten note below mentions their names and ages: Florence Bond Wagner, 14 years old, and Eleora Neumann Kneez, 13 years old, dated October 29, 1921.

    EARLY 1900s

    HAMMETT’S CROSSING BRIDGE

    Hammett’s Crossing helped connect families, ranches, schools, and neighboring communities across the rural Hill Country landscape.

    Florene Bond (age 14, left) and Elnora Neumann (age 13) standing at the Pedernales River crossing.

  • A young man with dark skin and short black hair sitting on a beige cushioned bench against a beige wall, wearing a gray polo shirt and white pants, looking to his left with a serious expression.

    1937–1966

    THE LAY RANCH YEARS

    During this period, the property was part of the Lay Ranch, preserving glimpses of ranching, family life, and the landscape before Westcave was established.

  • Old black-and-white photo of a car driving along a winding dirt road or bridge over a river, with fallen trees and debris on the riverbank, and a forested hill in the background.

    1952

    PEDERNALES RIVER FLOOD

    Photograph by S. D. Breeding, taken after the September 11 flood of record. Water rose an estimated 50–70 feet above Hammett’s Crossing. Courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey.

  • 1970s

    THE FIRST SCHOOL PROGRAMS

    John Ahrns traveled to schools across Dripping Springs, Johnson City, and the Lake Travis area, inviting teachers to bring students to Westcave. These early visits marked the beginning of the Preserve’s long-standing environmental education program.

  • A woman with curly dark hair sitting on a beige couch in a modern room with a wooden accent wall, sunlight casting shadows on the wall.

    1980s–1990s

    THE EARLY VISITOR CENTER

    Before the Environmental Learning Center, Westcave operated from a double-wide trailer that served as its headquarters. Tours were organized, students were welcomed, and the everyday work of caring for the Preserve continued from this modest space.

  • Sketched architectural plan and rendering of a wildlife observation area, including an entry and orientation room, rainwater harvest cistern, and viewing area with visitors observing wildlife at a pond or water feature.

    LATE 1990s

    ENVISIONING A NEW VISITOR CENTER

    Early sketches by architect Robert Jackson reveal a clear goal: create a building that belonged to the landscape rather than competed with it. The design remained intentionally simple so that the canyon and surrounding ecosystem would stay at the center of the visitor experience.

  • Historic 1882 land grant document connected to the land now protected as Westcave Preserve

    2002

    BUILT FROM THE LAND

    During construction of the Environmental Learning Center, Glen Rose limestone quarried near Sisterdale was used to connect the building to the same geological formation found throughout the Preserve.

  • 2006

    NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED GREEN DESIGN

    The American Institute of Architects recognized Westcave’s Environmental Learning Center as one of the top ten green buildings in the United States.

  • A dry, grassy field with some sparse vegetation and a dirt path, leading to a line of trees in the distance under a partly cloudy sky.

    2008

    PROTECTING THE UPLANDS

    Westcave expanded its protected landscape with the acquisition of the Uplands, a tract upstream from the grotto and waterfall that helps safeguard the water flowing into the canyon.

Videos From The Archive

The Story of Westcave

This video traces Westcave’s transformation from a heavily damaged, unmanaged swimming hole into a protected preserve dedicated to conservation and environmental education. It highlights the people, restoration efforts, and community support that shaped Westcave’s early history and lasting mission.

Directed by Dean Rindy and Richard Kooris.

Take a Tour of Westcave with John Ahrns

Join longtime Westcave steward John Ahrns for a guided journey through the Preserve. Along the way, he shares the natural features, stories, and interpretive approach that helped generations of visitors form a deeper connection with Westcave. Believed to be filmed in 1990s, but no date was provided.

Filmed by Kevin Ryan.

Publications by Decade

Pictures and Information: Westcave Archive Project and Discovering Westcave by S. Christopher Caran and Elaine Davenport.

Discovering Westcave