The Neff family owned land on the Leon River in Coryell County.

This was a popular picnic spot for residents of the area.

Starting in 1905 the Woodmen of the World of the Whittson community gathered here each year for a picnic and celebration.

Other groups would often call Mrs. Neff, requesting the use of her land for meetings and gatherings.

Mother Neff, as she was often called, never charged for the use of her land.

When the Woodmen of the World offered to pay for the use of the land she told them, “As long as the Woodmen of Whittson maintain a lodge, the picnic grounds shall be free to them, and they shall be open for songfests, revival meetings and other meetings that have a moral and spiritual uplift.”

In 1916 Mother Neff set aside six acres along the Leon River for community meetings. Her youngest son, Pat M. Neff, Texas governor from 1921-25, deeded the property to the state in 1923.

Along about the same time Gov. Neff created the Texas State Park Board and, to honor his mother, made her property the first state park.

In 1934 he donated another 250 acres adjoining the original six donated by his mother.

Gov. Neff made the following observation about the park”

“Nothing is more conducive to the happiness of a people than to go where the bees hum, the birds sing, and the breezes blow. These places must be preserved, not only for the present, but for posterity.”

A gentleman by the name of F. P. Smith donated another three acres, making a total of 259 acres in the park.

From 193438, the men of Company 817 SP-38-T, Civilian Conservation Corps set up camp at the park. The U.S. Army provided the company with tents or barracks, food, clothing and medical care.

The CCC men worked hard at Mother Neff Park.

They quarried stone and cut wood from the area and built many of the valuable assets in use today.

These include the pavilion, club house with picnic shelter, lookout tower, caretaker’s house, restrooms, drinking fountains and campsites.

As you enter the park through the main gate the first thing you see is the large rock pavilion.

Off to the right is the club house with the picnic shelter and back to the left is the old wooden pavilion.

In an open area in front of the main pavilion is a large bell built by C.S. Bell & Company in 1934.

It was originally located in the back area of the park.

The bell was used by Co. 817 to alert the workers for specific reasons. Some of these may have included meetings, dinner or times of urgency such as drastic weather changes.

The bell now stands in remembrance of those who gave their time for the preservation and improvement of our land.

At the back of the pavilion is the Leon River.

Signs here warn, “Caution. Steep River Bank.”

The bank was almost straight down about eight feet to the water’s edge. A little way up the river were some concrete steps going down to the water’s edge.

Just inside the park entrance is the starting point of the two and half mile hiking trail that covers a good portion of the park.

A sign at the start of the trail states, “All plants and animals within this park are protected by law.”

Near the clubhouse is one of two mile stones in the park.

In 1849 a route was established from Austin to Fort Gates by scouts advancing ahead of U.S. Army troops sent to establish Fort Gates.

At that time there were no settlements, just a vast country to cross.

At one time the road was marked by substantial “mile stones,” which stood as a guide to the westward bound pioneers who were seeking a home in the unsettled west.

The two stones in Mother Neff Park stand as a memorial to the bygone days of the “mile stones.”

On the way to the park we asked for directions at McGregor and were told there were two ways to get there.

One was to go south on Texas 317 to Farm-to-Market Road 2671 and take a right to the front entrance to the park. This was the short route.

The other way was to go west on U.S. 84 to Oglesby and head south to the rear entrance to the park. This was the scenic route.

We took the short route there and after touring the park we left out the rear entrance to take the scenic route back.

This was a very narrow road with a steep hillside to our right and the Leon River on our left. After a short distance the area between the road and river widened out.

Soon my wife said, “Look at all those goats out there, and there isn’t a fence between them and the road.”

There must have been 100 or more goats in the area between the road and the river.

About this time we came to a bend in the road and then my wife said, “Look in the road.” There were about 15 goats lying in the road.

My wife honked the horn and a couple of the goats got up and moved out of the road. By this time we had come to a complete stop.

A couple of more honks and three more left.

We then got a picture of the goats through the windshield.

Not knowing the disposition of the goats I didn’t want to get out and try to make them get up and move. After a half dozen more times of horn honking the rest finally got up and moved out of the way.

So this was the scenic route.



John Watson is a Cleburne resident who can be reached at texastraveler@sbcglobal.net.