Like the people who helped forge the Hill Country community it is today, a new history book on the North Shore required hard work from a slew of local residents in order for it to become a reality.
Members of the North Shore Heritage & Cultural Society (NSH&CS) and a long list of volunteers contributed to “The North Shore of Lake Travis,” published by Arcadia Publishing and available online and at some area bookstores. The book traces the roots of North Lake Travis from its earliest settlers to the close-knit community it is today—from dirt trails to city streets.
Previous NSH&CS President Charlene Vohs spearheaded efforts toward creating and publishing the book that gives a pictorial history of the area in nine chapters. She said through research, collecting pictures and working with residents with roots of ancestry in the area, she broadened her idea of the place she calls home.
“We’re not a no-mans land,” she said. “We’re a community and we’re interlocked in this history. I think it’s a steppingstone to rally around our uniqueness.”
The book traces the North Shore’s earliest inhabitants to Native American tribes like the Comanche, Kiowa, Tonkawa and Lipan Apache. Stephen F. Austin, “The Father of Texas,” recruited people to settle throughout the area like historical figure Noah Smithwick and other local namesakes.
Contributions from local sources helped flesh out many of the chapters with pictures of family memorabilia and a glimpse of what at times was a harsh life in the Hill Country.
Current NSH&CS President Shirley Davis said her initial interest in North Shore history arose from her relationship with a neighbor, Ivan Pearson.  Later, she met Pearson’s daughter, Claretta, and husband, Joe, who opened up her collection of family memorabilia. The photos, letters and correspondence inspired Davis to look further into North Shore history.
“Our heritage society owes its existence to Joe and Claretta,” she said.
Some of North Shore’s first settlers found a harsh land with little help in terms of growing crops, and the hilly terrain made it a more arduous journey for visitors. Because of the land, Davis said, development came much later than many other areas in Central Texas.
“The feeling I get from what we found is that it was a very difficult place to live,” Davis said. “People living here had to be a very resilient group of people. Other places had better land, better physical land. And this was a tough land.”
Regardless of the terrain, inhabitants lived and thrived in the area, and developers began to notice the allure of the lake community. The history book’s middle chapters explore this growth spurt that is still being felt today.
With the dam built and electricity available, roads lead to an area being promoted as a resort under National Resort Communities, a precursor to the city of Lago Vista. Davis said looking through land grants and other records, she was surprised to see such a diverse group of people coming to the area.
“It has amazed me constantly to see the diversification of the people,” she said.
Gloria Van Cleave, who published, wrote and edited the North Lake Travis LOG through most of the ’80s, penned the book’s introduction and helped in editing. She said her research started with a briefcase filled with notes and pictures given to her by Davis.
“I’ve learned a lot just looking through the materials, and I felt fortunate to be able to talk to descendants of the area,” she said.
Davis said she hopes the history book will be spark interest for residents to look further into local history, as it is important to record and remember the pursuits and achievements of their ancestors.
“We felt we were fortunate to get as much as we did because so much is lost. We lost a lot of history when the dam was completed,” she said. “This side of the lake sort of became a lost land.”
After months and months of research, Davis said the book is a labor of love by the heritage and cultural society and the people who fill its pages.
“It wasn’t work,” she said. “To me, it was a hobby.”