Bloomin’ in Bell: Salado

Rebirth of an eclectic village from the rubble of a roadway redo

By JANNA ZEPP | Photos by Skeebo

Officially, the state flower of Texas is the bluebonnet. Unofficially, it’s the bright orange and white traffic drum that blooms wherever there is road construction. The Village of Salado knows that too well. That traffic drum is more of a weed to Salado residents in that, nearly 15 years ago, it about choked the life out of the popular downtown business district, killing off many local businesses during the Great Interstate 35 Widening that held up and rerouted highway traffic away from the village. You really could not get there from here at that time and many folks just drove on past without stopping.

And then there was Sewergate. Downtown got off septic and onto a sewage system, while the residential areas remained dependent on septic. All that left residents proposing “SEXIT” (a riff on the then-BREXIT issue in the UK) in which it was proposed that Salado break off into two distinct municipalities.

It was too much to keep up with. Fortunately, all of that seems to be wastewater under the bridge (forgive the pun).

Amid the community chaos at that time, KD Hill, and her husband, Graydon, built a brewery that became a community gathering place that helped hold the village together.

“Microbreweries in small towns all over Texas have become centers for their communities to gather,” says KD Hill, co-founder/co-owner of Barrow Brewing Co. “They are often family-friendly places that pull together residents and local businesses such as food trucks. People come out to enjoy food, beer, friendships and live music. And they bring their kids along. Microbreweries can really strengthen a small town. That’s what we wanted to do for Salado.”

The Hills moved to Salado in 2011. When it was time to start looking for a place to establish the brewery, they searched from Georgetown to Killeen and Temple. Location, infrastructure and local laws were all important to consider. Salado had the location, but the other two factors were tricky. Fortunately, the brewery building was previously part of the Stagecoach Inn properties and had been tied onto the small, private sewer system. The Hills got confirmation and approval that the sewer system could handle a brewery’s discharge and moved forward. Then they had to petition for and hold a local option election in November 2014. It passed with 784 votes.

Those votes have been commemorated in the name of one of Barrow’s products.

“Graydon brewed the Belgian style white ale, 784, for me,” KD says. “He spent all of 2015 renovating the brewery building. He did as much of the work as possible and contracted out the sloping of the floors and drainage. We made some special friendships along the way. He was able to keep the original wood walls in place and we love showing people some of the special history they offer,” KD says, pointing out the writing on the brewery’s walls from employees recording sales almost a century ago when the location was a feed store. “Local artisan Lonnie Edwards was key in helping with the build-out, creating some specialized equipment, and sourcing the beautiful longleaf pine bar top.”

“I’m so in love with the village of Salado! The people are some of the best you’ll find anywhere. There is no shortage of things to do — glass-blowing, chillin’ by the creek, enjoying live music downtown, and of course, shopping in all of the boutiques and antique shops! I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
— Janalei Stovall, Salado resident

In addition to Barrow Brewing Co., upscale eateries, several wineries, new boutiques, a nail salon, a dance club, art galleries, martial arts and dance studios, and a new pizza franchise sprang up in the wake of I-35’s expansion and the stink over municipal poo disposal. Salado, literally, has been back in business for quite some time now.

“Business owners really support each other here,” KD says. “We need each other and Salado residents to keep the village alive.”

Nancy Best of Nancy Best Real Estate agrees.

“I started as a resident of Salado seven years ago and fell in love with Salado’s historic charm, walkable streets and eclectic businesses. The community and neighborhoods were like a family. The golf course was a gem with a gorgeous creek winding through the greens,” Best says. “Now, as a real estate broker with a business on Main Street, my connection to the village has evolved. I was inspired by this town full of hard-working, small business owners who have tirelessly seen their shops through the challenges of road construction, COVID restrictions and the natural obstacles that face entrepreneurs. Joining this business community has been a perfect decision for my brokerage.”

Best says the strategic location of Salado, between Waco and Austin, has made it a hot spot for residential and commercial growth. It is a natural stop for travelers and tourists as well as a relocation destination that fits the needs of many types of buyers. People move here to relax and retire as well as to commute to jobs in both the Austin and Belton/Temple markets. Many new people have moved into the area and significant residential construction is still underway.

“My excitement for the village is that as more industry and people come to the Salado area, we can expect to experience easier access to services and planned developments that offer a variety of amenities. The city government is actively working with several planned developments to oversee positive and feasible growth,” Best adds.

Best says that, in Salado, residents and visitors are positioned to receive the best of both worlds; the historic Main Street nestled along the banks of Salado Creek providing the respite needed from the “busyness” of life and easy access to services now only found in bigger cities.

“Our local retail shops, wineries and breweries are continuously offering events and opportunities for Central Texans to enjoy,” she says.

Salado even boasts an indoor golf range. Pete Curtis, owner of The Tee Box, opened the indoor golf clubhouse in 2020 to share his love for the game. Curtis is a long-time amateur golfer and says he is still learning and improving his skills, which is why he wanted to provide a place for like-minded people to play a few rounds. The Tee Box offers a virtual golf experience, which means that hundreds of courses from all over the world are projected onto screens via a high-end simulator. This allows golfers to play year-round, rain or shine. The TrackMan golf simulator, used by the pros, uses dual radar technology to track data such as club and ball speed, angle, and swing direction. You can also download the TrackMan app to easily keep track of your shots and data on your phone.

“We want people to be comfortable coming in and bringing their family,” Curtis says. “It’s a golf community.”

That community continues to grow with an explosion of residential subdivisions spreading out along the fringes of the village. Both east and west of I-35 are now home to new housing. Salado Independent School District completed construction on its new middle school building several years ago, just in time for its elementary and high school campuses to begin bursting at the seams. Salado’s population boom shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Find events at Salado.com and visitsaladotexas.com.

“On any given weekend, I can catch live music at several different venues, from rock bands to country music to solo songwriters. If I want to work on my nature photography, I can choose from Belton Lake or Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Miller Springs Nature Center, Chalk Ridge Falls, or one of the dozens of hiking trails, and don’t forget the Texas wildflowers blooming along the backroads.”
— Jason Deckman, Photographer