The Very Slow Death Of A Hill Country "Mountain"

Granite Mountain, located on the western edge of the Texas Hill Country town of Marble Falls, is a large monolith of red and pink granite which has been gracing the skyline for many millions of years. With each passing day and week, however, it disappears a little bit more, as the demand for granite worldwide ensures it’s extremely slow, but inevitable destruction.

Since the late 1800’s, the mountain has been quarried for its high quality granite. And, this has both supplied jobs and helped create impressive Texas structures like the State Capitol Building and the seawall in Galveston. But, someday, well into the future, long after my lifetime and yours, the quarrying of the mountain, if it continues at its present pace, will eventually cause its demise.

After a fire destroyed the previous capitol building in Austin, plans for a new building were drawn up, and construction began in the 1880’s. Originally, the capitol building was supposed to be built using limestone local to the area. That plan was scrapped when it was determined that the limestone would discolor over time. As a result, a series of events took place which would hasten the end of Granite Mountain, at least as it had remained for those many millions of years.

A bargain of sorts was struck between the owners of the quarry at Granite Mountain and the state. In exchange for the state constructing a short rail line from the quarry to an existing rail line leading to Austin, the owners of the quarry provided the granite which was used in building the capitol building. In a controversial decision, the state agreed to provide prisoners to help with the project, at far less than what it would have cost to pay skilled union labor.

While state prisoners were used to build the short rail line and to provide the painstaking work necessary to quarry the granite from the mountain, they did not have the talents to perform the more delicate cutting and finishing work necessary to complete the project. The use of prison labor horrified most regular workers and labor organizations in and around Austin, so they essentially boycotted the project, and refused to take part in any work connected with the construction of the capitol building. As a result, skilled stone craftsmen were brought from Scotland to help complete the project.

The new Texas State Capitol was completed in 1888, and opened that very same year. The result of using granite from Granite Mountain was fortuitous, in that it produced a magnificent building in which all Texans still take pride. But, there is another legacy of the project. While it is true that the quarrying of Granite Mountain was taking place prior to the capitol construction project, the lack of rail transportation to the quarry limited the amount of granite which could, as a practical matter, be utilized. This, of course, changed with the construction of the rail line, which had been facilitated by the project. Additionally, the notoriety of the project, along with its spectacular end result, brought even more interest in the granite found in Marble Falls. This led to greater demand for the granite, and consequently, more quarrying.

The quarrying still continues today. And with every kitchen countertop produced, a little bit more of Granite Mountain disappears, as the granite is chipped away. There is still a lot of the mountain left, of course, and barring some extraordinary event, it will still be something striking to view for a very long time to come. But, it is also remarkable how much 130 years of quarrying can change the face of something that has been around for millions of years before recorded time.

Having Turkey Sausage At Billy Inman’s Place



Billy Inman

When I pulled up in front of Inman’s Ranch House in Marble Falls, and saw all the pickup trucks, I suspected I was on to something very good. Workers don’t waste their time or money on food which doesn’t deliver, and Inman’s has been around since 1964. Nevertheless, I was a little hesitant as I approached the old wood and screen entry door. Even though it was the only entrance I could see, it felt like I was entering someone’s private home, and with good reason.

Despite the fact that the owner, Billy Inman, doesn’t actually live in the place anymore, the building is, indeed, an old house. And, although I was a stranger, I was warmly greeted the minute I opened the door from a voice somewhere in the back of the place. I walked past two small rooms filled with a couple of tables and chairs (just like you’d see in a million homes across the country) to the friendly voice which had welcomed me. In the kitchen of this "house," I found Billy.

Billy Inman has a big smile and an engaging personality which only adds to the wonderful experience of his somewhat unique eatery. The man in line ahead of me asked Billy how he was doing, and Billy quickly replied, “If I was doing any better, I’d be fishing.” You really have to admire somebody like that. He’s got life all figured out, and he knows it.

The Inman family food story is well-known around these parts, so I won’t repeat it here in great detail, except to say that the Inman family got things going making turkey sausage in Llano, Texas in the early 1960's, with one of the Inman brothers eventually opening a place in Marble Falls in 1964. That brother was the father of Billy, and like any dutiful son, Billy learned the business at his father’s side.

Texas Hill Country foods are not well-known for turkey, perhaps, but the Inman family has perfected the art of making sausage from turkey, and the result is unbelievably good. The sausage, along with the homemade sauce, slaw, and bean offering, is made from scratch. This is down home food in a down home place at a very inexpensive price. And, although many hill country barbecue joints cook their food with mesquite, Billy is a big fan of oak, and his choice of wood produces an excellent result. He obviously knows what he’s doing.

Eating in the small and laid-back atmosphere in either one of his two “dining rooms,” you feel like a family guest invited over for lunch. Sitting among Billy’s regulars, you hear every word of every conversation, and it doesn’t take long before you know what’s going on in the town that day.


Turkey Sausage and all the Fixin's

Locally owned family restaurants are an important part of American history, and, unfortunately, they are quickly disappearing. Fortunately, however, for residents of the hill country, Billy Inman’s place is still around. And, just like the friendly greeting which I received when I entered, I got a nice good-bye and thanks when I left, just like you would expect to get as you depart someone’s personal residence. Given the character of the place, and the way he treats his guests, Billy must view the restaurant as an extension of his own home. And, that makes all the difference in the world, or, as the sign hanging on his kitchen wall states, "On Earth As It Is In Texas."