Horseshoe Bay History
Wayne and Norman Hurd
In 1930 the Luptons and Browns of Ft. Worth purchased the "Coke Ranch" which is now known as Horseshoe Bay. It was often referred to as the "Coca-Cola Ranch" due to the prominent families ownership of the Coca-Cola Franchise. The original ranch house is known as Quail Point. In March of 1970 Norman and Wayne Hurd purchased the "Coke Ranch", and in May of 1971 the development of Horseshoe Bay began. With that came one of the finest private air strips in the state of Texas with a 6,000 foot airstrip capable of handling a DC-9 and facilities for property owners to park their private aircraft into backyard hanger. Horseshoe Bay nestles along 23-mile lake, 2 1/2 miles wide at the widest point and approximately 80-feet deep. There are some channels running as deep as 120 feet. Built upon 5,500 acres of land with a potential of 7,000 lots, its average single family residential lot is one-quarter acre.
In September of 1970 the Lower Colorado River Authorities announced that the level of Lake L.B.J. would be lowered 31 feet because excavation to the channel to the new thermal plant and for construction work on the flood Gates of Wirtz Dam. While the Lake was down, Norman and Dorothy hired Bill Chaney to do hundreds of tons of earth moving in the lake bottom resulting in an additional mile of shoreline to Horseshoe Bay. It also resulted in creating several peninsulas, on which was constructed "The Beach House" located approximately 100 yards beyond "The Inn" bearing left of Horseshoe Bay Blvd. The "Cape" located by bearing approximately 75 yards to the left, then right, continuing on behind the Yacht Club. During that time Wayne joined Norman, who was walking the lake bottom to determine a safety program for the dredging boat and shoreline shapes he was studying. During the walk, Wayne found an old rusty horseshoe. Picking it up and handing it to Norman, he suggested the name "Horseshoe" be used for the new development. Norman studied it, placed it in the position of the curving shoreline and replied, "Add bay to that," and thus was born the name "Horseshoe Bay." But the name was only the beginning...
