Buchanan Cabins, Owned by Original Neal Family

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Buchanan Cabins, Owned by Original Neal Family Buchanan Cabins (ConcanCabins.com)
Helen Burgin, Owner
Cabin Rentals with Frio River Access Buchanan Cabins (ConcanCabins.com)

Neal’s Family 100 year celebration in Concan is coming up on October ninth, tenth, and eleventh. We’re excited about the...
09/30/2026

Neal’s Family 100 year celebration in Concan is coming up on October ninth, tenth, and eleventh. We’re excited about the event!

There will be hayrides, rock painting, photos with memories along with Frio River fun. Joe Jimmy’s will host house music and karaoke Friday night and Kyle Park Saturday night ($20). Fireworks are also scheduled Saturday evening at Joe Jimmy’s!

At 10:00 am on SATURDAY there will a “100 Year Celebration” program and on SUNDAY at 9:45 am there will be a “Legacy of Faith” program after a free breakfast from 8:00 - 9:45 at Neal’s Dining Room for registered attendees.

If you have any question, call 830-275-3457. Hope to see you there!

Find the full schedule here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bdo-SJ1Xq60g5LbTNZlHlv1v5EkyAQO_gJCbSVd_1Lc/mobilebasic

If you’re in town this weekend, be sure to stop by the TerraTx Art Festival and see a very special mural by Matt Tumlins...
09/25/2026

If you’re in town this weekend, be sure to stop by the TerraTx Art Festival and see a very special mural by Matt Tumlinson celebrating Concan and our family. These art pieces are permanent, so add them to your list of sights to see on your next trip!

Can’t make it up here this weekend? No problem! The murals will always be here in Concan. You can find the locations of all 8 art installations at terratxartfest.com.

There will also be a special pop-up market at the Concan Visitor Center tomorrow, September 26, from 10 AM to 4 PM! Find everything from mohair and baked goods to jewelry and more.

09/01/2026

Come celebrate 100 years of the Neal’s family in Concan!

The celebration starts early September 25-27 during TerraTx Art Festival, where artist and muralist Matt Tumlinson will be creating a mural right here in Concan celebrating the Neal family and their history in the area.

Then join us October 9-11 for Neal’s 100th celebration, with hay rides, live music, gospel music and more. While you’re in Concan, take some time to browse the history and photos in Neal’s Dining Room and learn more about the family and the place that has been part of Concan for 100 years.

Start planning your trip now because you won’t want to miss this special centennial celebration!

When our grandparents, Tom and Mimi Neal, married in 1916, they settled on the Neal ranch above Concan, where Tom and hi...
09/01/2026

When our grandparents, Tom and Mimi Neal, married in 1916, they settled on the Neal ranch above Concan, where Tom and his brothers raised goats and sheep. In time, they opened Neal’s Store on the east side of the Frio River
and later purchased land on the west side. By 1926, they were renting small “cottages” under the name Shut‑In which has become a gathering place for
generations. More than one hundred years have passed since the Mimi and Tom first put down roots in Concan. This October, we honor the two people who began it all. Their devotion to family, their generosity, and their steadfast faith still flows through each of us who carry their name and their story. Blessed is exactly what we are.

Mary Tom’s Memory: Both Mama and Tom were wonderful people -- very giving, caring people and were loved by all. Tom was enthusiastic about life and
loved people. If he killed a pig or hog, he would take some of it to Uvalde and give it away. When we had a vegetable garden, he did the same thing. He just gave a lot away. We never did have any money, that's for sure! But
both Mama and Tom loved and gave abundantly, and that same love was given back to them.

Because of the recent Frio River flood, the river is currently great for floating. In the 60's, we floated on black inne...
08/13/2026

Because of the recent Frio River flood, the river is currently great for floating. In the 60's, we floated on black inner tire tubes. They could chap your arms, but we could paddle to different areas as they were lower to
the water. We could also swim along the way because it was easy to get on and out of them. We floated from the 2nd Crossing, so we could get out,
hike up the hill and be home at Neal's Store!

As we left the 2nd Crossing, we floated to where the river ran along the side of the mountain. When it veered off to the right, we knew were getting close to Daddy B's Bathtub (the name we called that area when
we were little). A big rock is right in the middle, and the river drops
down which surprises many. It is best to go on the right of the rock and NEVER tie yourself to some other tube.

As you continue, you will go straight for a while and then the river turns a little to the right and you will hear the Falls. Either get out and walk around or know exactly what you are doing before continuing. Sometimes we went over the Falls numerous times because it was so much fun. Actually, it still is! As you continue your journey, you will hit some rapids and some
slow spots along the way. Enjoy the ride. Take your sunglasses off and enjoy the brightness of the beautiful surroundings!

Eventually you will wind up at the "big rock" and the "slanted rock" at The Swimming Hole. Continuing down you will see the Hwy 127 bridge. Do not go past the bridge as the river continues through private property and the only way to get back is to hike back up the river.

If you lose something (sunglasses, phones, ipods, shoes, rings), there are
teenagers who take their goggles and retrieve many of the items - especially at Daddy B's Bathtub and The Falls. You can check at Neal's Dining Room and let
them know what you lost and how someone can contact you.

Neal Great Grandchildren: Cathy, Shannah, JoAnna, Trent, Shane, Jenny

What is the normal flow of the Frio River?” is a question that I’ve been asked. My answer is that there is no normal flo...
07/29/2026

What is the normal flow of the Frio River?” is a question that I’ve been asked. My answer is that there is no normal flow. The river is low when we are in a drought. The river is high when we have a flood. And then the rest of the time it’s in between! Fortunately, the Swimming Hole is spring fed and it has never run dry.

This 2026 flood is a reminder that the Frio River will always ebb and flow. We are blessed by the current effects of the flood. The tubes and kayaks are out and it is great fun to “float the river”; however, the aftermath of a flood changes the flow rate and flow paths so be careful and ask questions before you set out.

For example, when floating from the 2nd Crossing to Hwy 127 check with those who have already floated. Years ago after a flood, there was a little tiny tree in the middle of the river. It was a serious situation where one needed to know it was there BEFORE they reached it. If tubes are tied to each other (which you should NEVER do), then one can go on one side and the other on the other and the river controls what happens. Continuing down when the river flows away from the mountain area, there is a rock in the middle of the river that drops you down. You need to know it’s there. I always go to the right side of the rock. Then when you reach the Falls, it is best to walk around. I like to go over the Falls although I only go when it is at a certain level. When we floated last Wednesday, we floated to the left of the Falls. On that day, kayaks went over it but the kayaks were in the caught in the undertow. Again, the river controls what happens.

Mary Tom Neal’s Memory: “I was twelve years old in 1932 when the first of the two big floods occurred. The second was in 1935. A lot of rain fell quickly in a short period of time in both floods. I remember having to move that great big heavy wooden icebox full of soda water up from the Cold Drink Stand in the '32 flood. I can still remember bouncing those things on my legs. The river got up to the porch of the Dining Room which is now Cabin 22. Tom (Neal) built five cabins before the 1932 flood. They were all washed away in the ‘32 flood. He built three more, but they went down in the 1935 flood.”

Photos: 1st are the five cabins that went down in the ‘32 flood. 2nd is the 2002 flood.

07/18/2026

26 Years of watching 100,000 tubers these are some of the most important rules to tubing especially after a flood. I know some of you have had experiences with not following the tubing rules and have suffered the consequences. Feel free to share what happened and educate the tubers of tomorrow.

We are currently monitoring the river along with outfitters to make sure it is an enjoyable tubing experience.

We always loved the river, and that's all we ever called it. Not the Frio, simply the river. It was the place that held...
07/10/2026

We always loved the river, and that's all we ever called it. Not the Frio, simply the river. It was the place that held some of our happiest memories. When we were younger, we headed to the shallow water, where generations of families have gathered to wade, splash, and play. That’s Johnny Graves with his hands up in the “Baby’s Pool” with Billie sitting on the bank.

Tom and Mimi Neal settled here in 1916 and began renting cottages in 1926. For more than a century, the Neals, Graveses, and Buchanans have experienced God's quiet presence in the warmth of the sun, the cool water, and the beauty of Concan and the Frio River. Families that have passed through these hills remind us of the blessings we enjoy as a nation.

My granddaughter Addison, at seven years old, wrote about her favorite time of year, summertime, with the kind of openness and happiness only a child can offer. She wrote about feeling warm and hot, about splashing in the water, about admiring the sun as it gleamed on the river. She talked about swimming, going on vacation, hanging out with her cousins, and feeling free and young, like she never had to go to school again. She ended with the kind of declaration that makes you smile because it’s so true to childhood: “I LOVE summer because it is awesome.”

Reading her words, I'm transported back to my own childhood at the river, remembering that same delight, freedom, and the joy that generations of families have experienced over the years.

During the horse-and-buggy days, settlers traveled a dirt road from Sabinal to Concan and crossed the Frio in the “shall...
06/25/2026

During the horse-and-buggy days, settlers traveled a dirt road from Sabinal to Concan and crossed the Frio in the “shallow water” at the right of the current bridge and then traveled up the flat river rock to the path between the bluff and the river towards U.S. Hwy 83 which was a Branch of the Chisholm Trail. When cars and trucks replaced wagons, a concrete bridge was built. Two big floods occurred in the 1930’s and made it useless. Remnants of it is still there and we refer to it as “the broken bridge”. Funny name but it is still there “broken” in two. For many years, the river flowed closer to the east side; however, floods have pushed rocks down and the Frio now flows closer to Neals side.


Mary Tom Neal Buchanan’s Memory: Up until 1938 when Hwy 127 was built, the only way to go from one side of the river to the other was upriver from the current bridge where the “broken bridge” is now. I guess it was one of the two floods in the 30’s that washed away that bridge. Tom gave the land to the highway department to build the bridge where it is now. When it was built, Tom and Mama moved their store and the post office from the east side of the river to halfway up the hill on the west side of the river to where Neals Cabin 7 is located.

Mr. Baker, Pete Van Pelt, Scott Dodds, and Kenny Arthur were among the “cowboys” who led the horse rides each summer. Al...
06/19/2026

Mr. Baker, Pete Van Pelt, Scott Dodds, and Kenny Arthur were among the “cowboys” who led the horse rides each summer. All the girls were crazy about the young cowboys. Put on a cowboy hat and they were smitten. Susan Buchanan and Nell Roosa were the cowgirls who could easily match the boys in riding skill, and they often led the rides as well. The rest of us simply enjoyed the ride, happy to let others handle the hard work of feeding, rounding up, brushing, saddling, and bridling the horses, and sometimes even having to help us get on the horse. It was all great fun.

The rides began at the store and followed the road down to the river where we crossed either in front of Cabin 21 or by the springs near the campground. From there, the trail ran between the river and the cliffs, leading up to open fields where we were sometimes allowed to gallop. After winding along the trail, we made our way back toward the store, completing the ride in about an hour.

MEMORY: Susan remembers riding ba****ck across the river in the off-season. Her favorite memory is her antics when she would stop Gasoline in belly deep water. She would then stand on her, dive off and then swim under her belly. One time, however, the river had previously risen and the bank where she normally got out had changed. Gasoline couldn’t get out where Susan was leading her. Finally, Susan just let go of the reins and jumped off the horse so Gasoline could figure it out herself. The horse and the child made it safely to the other side! Yes, our parents hardly ever knew what we were up to!

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20640 US HIGHWAY 127
Concan, TX
78838

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