All roads lead to Lake Tejas in the summertime for many in East Texas. It is one of the only small swimming holes to include food, picnic tables, diving platforms, slides, tubes, paddle boats, music, fishing, games, campgrounds and cabin rentals. The lake is owned and managed by Colmesneil Independent School District (CISD) on land provided to the school in the 1930s for this purpose. For many years, thousands flocked to the 14-acre lake each summer and the lake enjoyed regional notoriety with very little competition for this type of facility. As with many businesses, times have changed and the competition to remain relevant has been a fierce battle. For those seeking simpler times, Lake Tejas is a good place to take your family for the day to swim, fish and hike. Overnight camping for tents and RVs is also available, as well as rustic cabin rentals and pavilions for large gatherings.
Funding for the lake does not come from federal, state or taxpayer dollars. Instead, it must be self-sustaining. The vision of the school district, led by CISD Superintendent Lee A. Taylor, was for the lake, his “dream child” as some referred to it, to support and provide work opportunities and a place for youth to take pride in their accomplishments. The Boy Scouts were very involved in this project during the 1940s.
The caretakers for the lake since the very beginning have been employed by the school to take care of the property year-round, and manage lake days during the summertime, including lifeguarding and snack bar duties. The manager is paid a small salary and receives a reduced price for renting a house provided on the property.
According to the CISD business manager Wanda Ryan, the income for Lake Tejas comes from customers at the lake. Entrance fees are $9 per person or $100 for a season pass. Camping fees start at $20 per night. Pavilion rental is $15-$40 per day depending on size. Cabin rental is $75 per night. The current caretaker for the lake, Kristin Bruton, said, “With our pricing and the number of customers who come to Lake Tejas, we are able to meet all of our regular expenses, but we have not had the money for senior scholarships in a few years, and we do not have much money for repairs or improvements.” Ironically, in a column written for the Houston Post in approximately 1958, Taylor stated “not much profit is made from charging for the recreational facilities, since operational expenses must be subtracted, … new building has been a slow process.” So, this is not a new problem.
Unfortunately, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has cited Lake Tejas for needed dam repairs that they currently cannot afford. “They are working with us, but we don’t have the financial means to make the repairs at this time,” Ryan said. The school board is working on fundraising ideas for Lake Tejas to bring in extra revenue to help with these repairs so the lake can get back in good standing with TCEQ and stay open.
According to Jackie Ruth (Sturrock) Brown, Superintendent Taylor was always coming up with new schemes to raise money for the lake. He served as superintendent of CISD between 1930 and 1969 … 39 years total. “The lake has a very colorful history,” Brown said. “I remember one time Mr. Taylor planned a ‘Miss Lake Tejas’ pageant and myself and some friends of mine were involved. There is a picture of us at the Burger House (in Colmesneil) that promoted this event.” Brown went on to reminisce about the early days of Lake Tejas. She was a student at CISD from 1939 to 1950 and remembers Mr. Taylor taking every student to “Lake Day” once a year, and the rest of the summer her and her friends would walk there and pay 25 cents for the day. “When the lake first opened it had a big raft for climbing located in the middle of the lake, and a cable tethered from the shore to the raft we could hold on to, to get back and forth,” Brown said. “It also had a snack bar, high dive, a volleyball court and tubes we rented for a quarter to float and sunbathe on the water. Several girls liked to sunbathe. Later, they added the water slide and paddle boats.”
In 1945 Brown said that she, along with several young people in the community, including the boy who would later become her husband, and Nannie Lee (Lamb) Pittman of Colmesneil, were all baptized in Lake Tejas by Bro. Tom Campbell. “I believe Nannie Lee and I are the only two still living who were baptized that day.
“I remember in the 1950s when water skiing became popular, Mr. Taylor planned a big July Fourth celebration and a group performed stunts while skiing. In those days they allowed boats on the lake.” This group was called the First Neches Ski Club and they performed a human pyramid act on water skis. This occurred in 1959 and the five people in the pyramid ski stunt were Munro Scurlock, Buddy Herbert and Warren Smith on bottom, and Janet Scurlock and Delores Smith on their shoulders. According to Brown, the lake offered ski lessons and swim lessons too, all things Taylor came up with to bring in more revenue.
According to an article published in the Tyler County Booster, a newspaper started in 1930 that still serves the community today, Lake Tejas was dedicated on July 25, 1940, and the Sam Houston State Teacher’s College band performed at the lake for the celebration.
More history recorded on the lake’s website states that the original excavation of the lake turned up a large arrowhead 10 feet under the topsoil and it was believed to be carved by a member of the Caddo Indian Tribe, the same tribe that influenced the naming of the state of Texas. Tejas is the Spanish version of the Caddo word “Taysha” which means “friend” or “ally.” They decided to name the lake Lake Tejas because of this find.
It was a coincidence that while Kenneth Belt was clearing, digging and attempting to preserve some of the natural beauty around the future lake, it was realized by Taylor and others that the shape was looking similar to the shape of Texas, so the workers made the effort to continue making it resemble the shape of Texas even more.
Anyone who has a fond memory of spending a summertime day at Lake Tejas at least once in their life is encouraged to make plans to visit this summer. The lake provides good, wholesome family fun at an affordable price, and all support is appreciated and needed for the future of the lake. Tax-deductible donations for the Lake Tejas Dam project can be sent to: Colmesneil ISD Business Office, Attn: Wanda Ryan, P.O. Box 37, Colmesneil, TX 75938.
