Things to Do

Get Close to Nature in Doss, Texas

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Come to Doss, Texas and be immediately astounded by the peace, serenity, and tranquility in such a stunningly picturesque valley. Located among the hills between Fredericksburg and Mason, Doss is primarily a farming and ranching community.

Founding of a Hill Country Paradise

Doss Quiet Hill Ranch Bluebonnets

Photo: Facebook/Quiet Hill Ranch

Doss was founded by brothers Thomas and John Doss who saw the potential in this very scenic valley amidst the hills and canyons. They built a dam, a grist mill, a distillery, and their home in Doss Valley. They bought acres upon acres of the surrounding countryside and set their cattle out to graze. Unfortunately, luck was not with them. Floods destroyed the dam, damaged the grist mill, and later that year a fire destroyed their home. Distraught and disillusioned, the brothers left the area.

But their spirit and enthusiasm for this Hill Country paradise survived. The Doss heirs, also realizing the potential of such a beautiful and fertile land, later returned and settled in the valley of creeks and springs. Other settlers followed and for over a hundred years, descendants of these original pioneers owned and worked the land and prospered as farmers and ranchers. Visit the historic, Lange’s Mill, which was built in 1849 by the Doss brothers.  It was later sold to William Lange and today stands as a symbol of Doss’s spirit and heritage.

Farming and Agriculture

Doss Texas Longhorn

Photo: Flickr/TimothyJ

The majority of farms in the Doss area are working farms that grow and produce such staples as corn, pecans, fruits or cotton and grains.  The majority of Texas’s annual revenue is from farming and ranching, producing livestock products, and breeding.  The rest is mainly from vegetable crops, grains, and cotton.

Because the land is so vital, Texas farmers and ranchers have a long history of voluntary conservation. The practice of living off the land has been a great incentive to preserve and conserve. They have been resourceful in use and maintenance of available resources. Farmers learned to grow more crops on less acreage with the same water usage as in the 1950s.

Doss’ Wildlife

Hunting Doss Texas
Photo: Pexels

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