Smiley Lake and Townsite, Old

Attracted by abundant water from a natural lake, settlers began moving to this area in the late 1840s. Ranching provided the earliest commerce. In addition to cattle and sheep, ranchers raised racing horses for sale in the southern states. Cattlemen brought their herds to the lake area until they were ready for transfer to Belmont (20 miles north), where a branch of the Chisholm cattle trail was located. George W. Colley, considered to be the founder of Smiley Lake community, moved here in 1879. Near his home he built a steam-powered cotton gin and sawmill. He was joined later by Major W. M. Phillips who opened a mercantile establishment here in 1883. The settlement of Smiley Lake, named for early pioneer Jim Smiley, was located on the Cuero-Rancho trade route between San Antonio and the Gulf port of Indianola. The village once had a saddle factory, blacksmith shop, wire fence plant, newspaper, general stores, drugstore, school, baptist church, an I. O. O. F. Lodge and a post office established in 1884. When the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railroad completed lines nearby in 1906, the town of Smiley was moved to the present location (one mile north).

Smiley Lake and Townsite, Old is a historical marker in Smiley, Gonzales County, dedicated in 1980. It is one of 94 historical markers documented in Gonzales County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 186 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.2641, -97.6388 near Smiley. The nearest cataloged historic site is Smiley Lake Baptist Church (cemetery), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Smiley Latin American, Smiley United Methodist Church, and First Baptist Church of Smiley.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5177003812. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.