Menard, Texas

Highways 83 and 190, approximately 140 miles northwest of Austin and San Antonio in central Menard County.

[5] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2), all land.

The community served as a trading post and overnight stop on north and west cattle trails.

In 1910 or 1911, while the Fort Worth and Rio Grande Company was making plans to lay a track through the community, company officials asked residents to rename their town Menard to facilitate the painting of signs.

Although the community was affected by the Great Depression, both of its banks—the Menard National Bank and Bevans State Bank—remained open.

That figure began to decline during the 1950s and 1960s, as road improvements made travel and shipping less dependent on rail service.

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad discontinued its service to Menard in 1972, but donated the depot to the county for use as a history museum.

The Menard County Historical Society began collecting artifacts in 1975 and dedicated the museum in 1978.

Annual events in Menard include the Jim Bowie Trail Ride in September, the Saucedo family reunion, and the Silver Mine Classic Lamb Show in October.

[7] The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.

Aerial photo of Menard, Texas
Menard County map