Uvalde County built an economy on goats and bees

By 1900, ranchers in Uvalde County kept more than 81,000 goats. Those goats produced mohair. Mohair is the fiber sheared from Angora goats. It is a soft, silky material used in clothing and fabric. Mohair became a big part of the local ranching economy in the early 1900s.

Bees were also a big business here. Uvalde honey won a top prize at the 1900 Paris World's Fair. That prize put the county on the map. Beekeeping stayed part of the county's identity for decades.

Today Uvalde County still has ranching operations. Agriculture remains part of its economy. The Handbook of Texas is the place to check for more on this history.