Pioneers of the Past: Early Days in the Sabinal Canyon

In 1852, some of the first settlers into the Sabinal Canyon of Texas traveled from Ireland to Arkansas and then made their way in covered wagons to the area now fittingly named Utopia. Minerva Chandler tells of the lives of her ancestors, the O'Bryant and Kelly families, and all those who shared their joys and sorrows on the Frio River and the surrounding area.

Pioneers of the Past was never published in the author's lifetime and has lain dormant since its completion in 1950. It has been brought to life by the author's granddaughter, Charlena Chandler, Minerva's namesake, who has accomplished her grandmother's mission many years later-and a century and a half after those intrepid men and women rode into the beautiful hill country of Texas.

Today, this is a land of tourism and development, but life 'back then" was a world away from the comforts of modern times.

Come and join the days gone by of these hardy pioneers who built the foundations of the Hill Country of Texas.