It's OFFICIAL! Lampasas is an entry in the HGTV Hometown Takeover request for applications! There are so many people to thank that helped make this happen but I'd like to post those separately along with some explanations so you can see the entry as HGTV received it. We hope you enjoy it!Dear Erin and Ben -I’m submitting this application on behalf of my hometown, Lampasas, Texas. I was born and raised here. I’m a third generation Lampasan. I left home to attend college and then work in Houston where I had a very successful career. I got married and when the topic of children came up I realized that I didn’t want to raise my children in the big city. I wanted them to experience the benefits of community and the values of a small town. So I came back to the place I call home – the place where my children will know their neighbors, have a sense of security, appreciate our rich history, and most of all be surrounded by family and friends.I know you have received numerous applications so I’d like to briefly address your most important question – Why Lampasas?There are thousands of small towns that have beautiful buildings, homes, and parks that have been abandoned, decayed, and are begging for help. And yes, Lampasas certainly has its share. But there are two key things that make Lampasas different. First, we know that rebuilding our past is the key to our future. And secondly, any project undertaken by HGTV can be supported and celebrated long into the future by the residents of Lampasas.Let me explain. Lampasas was founded because of the belief that the spring waters had healing powers. There is documented proof of that, however, modern medicine convinced the public that taking medications was the actual solution, not some Indian lore of healing springs. What “mystical power” did the healing waters have? Sulfur. And what is in the antibacterials and antibiotics of today? Sulfur. Today we line up at stores to purchase bottled water, mineral water, distilled water, flavored water, and “pure” water that offer none of the benefits of the spring waters of Lampasas. We are living in an age of holistic medicine. Add to that the rich history of a frontier town that led the expansion to the West. With our town spruced up and our healing springs celebrated, people arriving from outside of our town will provide the necessary revenue to continue to rebuild and maintain our town long after HGTV has moved on.Secondly, simply rebuilding a house or a building or a park doesn’t ensure its future. A little over two years ago an abandoned stage coach stop and hotel from the 1850s that had suffered major damage over the years was purchased and restored. The town followed closely every step of the restoration. People stopped by to bring artifacts that families had stashed away years ago and to share stories passed down through generations. We even interviewed a woman who at 101 waxed poetically about her honeymoon night in the hotel two days after WWII ended. People have come from all across our country and even from Canada to see this hotel. Famous musicians have come simply to play in the ballroom and hear the amazing acoustics. As of today, there are over 4500 people that follow that hotel, and since its purchase, seven other historic homes have been purchased in Lampasas and are being restored along with new businesses opening on the square. So what separates Lampasas from other applications is that we have seen the impact that reviving our frontier town can have on our future. And with the help of HGTV, we can not only finish what has been started but hopefully leave a legacy for at least the next 167 years. We sincerely hope you will come visit Lampasas, let us show you where we are and where we think we need to proceed. I am Mandy Love Walsh, Economic Development Director for Lampasas. But I’m not asking for your consideration in my official capacity. I’m asking as a resident of my hometown. I recognize that I am only one voice but I am representing my friends, my family, my neighbors, and thousands of residents of Lampasas. In the end we hope you will come to the conclusion we have – We believe in Lampasas!
Posted by Lampasas Heritage Foundation, Inc on Friday, February 7, 2020
