Roots That Run Deep Local businesses recall more than half a century BY DAN OKO
the more things change, the more they stay the same. The transformation of the past 50-plus years has seen the arrival of electric cars and newcomers to San Antonio and its suburbs, but cowboys on horseback still ride down Main Street in Bandera. The region, meanwhile, remains connected to the outside world by transmission lines that power the lights and TV as well as internet—fostered by the BEC fiber-optic network. Talking to longtime members, it’s clear how the cooperative continues to play an important role in daily life. With Bandera being the Cowboy Capital of the World, the work of BEC has been part of life at the Mayan Dude Ranch for more than 78 years. During that time, the Hicks Family has taken a dusty out-of-the-way vacation spot, which occupies 350 acres along the Medina River, and made it popular with military patrons and families from San Antonio. The Mayan is now an internationally celebrated destination for travelers from around the world. “In the late 1970s and '80s, my mom and dad were asked to sell the idea of Texas and our ranch to vacationers from England and Germany,” says Greg Hicks, one of 10 siblings that grew up on the Mayan. These days, Hicks runs dining services at the ranch and also serves as president of the Bandera Convention and Visitors Bureau.
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Hicks notes that a lot of local mom and pop businesses in Bandera and nearby towns have been replaced by national chains over the years, but most days on the Mayan prove to be the model of a modern family business meant to last. Guests encounter the family matriarch, Judy Hicks, at the Mayan's gift shop, and Greg’s outgoing sister Kelly Orion often greets new arrivals at the front desk. With space for 130 guests, an all-inclusive stay includes modern amenities like air conditioning, a necessity in hot Texas summers; horseback riding; campfire breakfasts; trick roping demonstrations; BB gun target practice; and more. “We’re always trying to improve,” says Hicks, noting that the Mayan also hosts corporate retreats and conventions during the shoulder seasons, when kids return to school. “You just don’t want to get too far from what made you famous.” Another longtime BEC member, Homer Stevens traces his Bandera roots back to 1868, when a small slice of Hill Country heaven was deeded to his family. Stevens inherited the 365acre property from his parents, which they called the Farm because they considered it too small to be a ranch. During an infamous drought in the 1950s, the Stevens family sold off all the livestock, and electricity was connected at the Farm before 1965. After that, Stevens began to envision a different sort of business. Today, he runs the Farm Country RV Park and Country Club, a facility with a 12,500-square-foot
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9/8/2020 4:07:38 PM
