Tilden: Local History and Legends

Tilden was founded in 1858 at the confluence of Leoncita Creek and the Frio River. Tilden’s history encompasses its development from Camp Rio Frio through Dogtown to Tilden, former transportation links, and legends surrounding San Caja Hill.

Place Names and Historical Events

Camp Rio Frio was a stronghold of the Home Guard during the Civil War. It later became Dogtown and then Tilden. This sequence gives the place names a chronological order. In former Dog Town, present-day Tilden, the Old Rock Store was the scene of gunfights during the lawless period of the 1860s and 1870s. The story thus focuses both on the development of the place name and on events at a specifically named location.

Old McMullen College provides another historical point of reference: it ceased operating in September 1897, after 16 years. This detail dates the end of the college’s operations and adds another aspect of the past to the topics of former place names and gunfights.

The history of transportation can also be placed in context using specific dates. In 1879, a ferry across the Frio was established near Tilden. Around 1880, stagecoaches traveling the San Antonio-Laredo Road began stopping regularly in Tilden. The two developments occurred close together in time but describe different connections: a crossing over the river and regular stops along a road route. Together with the town’s founding at the confluence of Leoncita Creek and the Frio River, they provide a picture of the historical development of the town and its transportation links.

Dick Gosset is among those buried at Boot Hill Cemetery. He was killed in February 1869 during the Fort Ewell gunfight. This is a different specific event from the gunfights at the Old Rock Store: in Gosset’s case, the focus is on a named man and a single incident in February 1869, while the Old Rock Store’s history covers a period from the 1860s into the 1870s.

San Caja Hill: Name Interpretation and Legends

The original name of San Caja Hill, “Sin Caja,” means “without a coffin” in Spanish. One possible explanation links the name to the aftermath of the Turkey Creek Indian Battle, which took place a short distance west of the hill in December 1872. This is not the only story about the name: legends of treasure at San Caja Hill associate “Caja” with money that Mexican bandits allegedly hid here in boxes. According to the story, they robbed wagon trains and stagecoaches on the nearby Laredo-Goliad Road. Thus, a possible historical interpretation and a treasure story told as legend sit side by side.

Wildlife Watching and Access Period

Wildlife watching is permitted at James E. Daughtrey WMA. However, public access to the area is permitted only from April 1 through August 1. If you are planning to watch wildlife, take this time window into account and check the current access rules before your visit, as access conditions may change. This places the activity within a specific timeframe without conflating it with the historical topics surrounding Tilden or San Caja Hill.

For the broader travel overview: Mcmullen County.