Cheryl and I spent an amazing week driving the back roads of the Texas Hill Country in search of old country stores. We discovered so many interesting places and so much history along these quiet two-lane roads. After a few days of exploring, we set our navigation for Mountain Home, a small community south of Interstate 10 and home to the Garven Store, one of the historic stops on our list.

Mountain Home is a small, unincorporated ranching community in northern Kerr County, located at the junction of State Highways 27 and 41. Settled around 1856, it received its post office and name in 1879, briefly becoming known as Eura in the early twentieth century. Ranching has long been the foundation of the local economy in this rugged part of the Texas Hill Country.

When we made our initial list of historic country stores to visit, the Garven Store easily made the cut. Everything we learned about the store convinced us that it was a must-see stop on our Hill Country trek. The historic Garven Store is located at the remote intersection of U.S. Highway 83 and Texas Highway 41 near Mountain Home. The store traces its roots to Scottish immigrant William Burney Garven and his son Edward, who purchased ranchland along the historic Rocksprings-to-Kerrville trail.

In 1932, Edward built the original store on his ranch beside Highway 41. When his son Clarence left the following year, Edward’s wife, Lettie, took over its operation with the help of ranch hand Gene Roberts.

In 1948, Edward and Lettie’s daughter Myrtle and her husband, George “Bill” Dowdy, assumed responsibility for the store. Their son Billy remembers a time when customers arriving after hours could take what they needed, write down their purchases, and leave payment on the counter. That was definitely a different time!

When U.S. 83 was constructed through the area in 1952, the store building was moved from its original location to the crossroads where it stands today. In 1998, Billy and Shirley Dowdy began operating the Garven Store, continuing five generations of family involvement. Over its long history, the little store has survived economic changes, highway construction, and the challenges of its isolated Hill Country location.

When we stepped through the double screen doors, we were not disappointed. The front part of the store remains much as it was when first built, with worn wooden floors, sturdy old shelving, a counter where generations of customers placed their purchases and exchanged money, and an original candlestick telephone mounted on the wall. The whole place felt as though decades of history were still lingering in the air.

Today, the Garven Store proudly boasts that it has “the best dang jerky in Texas.” Of course, we had to put that claim to the test. For such a little store, it offers an impressive selection, and Cheryl wasted no time choosing several varieties for us to sample. Our conclusion: They are telling the truth in their advertising. The jerky is truly outstanding.

In addition to their great selection of homemade jerky, they offer a large selection of pickled products bearing the Garven Store brand. And if you need an affordable pocket knife, they have a selection in pick-and-grab boxes next to the cash register. The addition on the back side of the store has refrigerated coolers with a variety of drinks and a few simple grocery items.

The Garven Store has remained open for nearly a century, and we hope it will welcome travelers for many more years. Places like this are more than convenient roadside stops; they are living museums of Texas history. Country stores once played an essential role in rural communities, providing farming and ranching families with groceries, supplies, news, and a place to connect with their neighbors.

The next time you are traveling from here to there, take a closer look at the map and add a stop along a back road. Find an old country store, historic site, or other hidden place worth exploring. We are fortunate to have so many Texas treasures tucked away along quiet country roads. I promise you, the extra time and miles will be worth it.