WIMBERLEY — First, it was Forister’s in the 1940s, then it became Dinner Bell. In 1981, it was purchased by the Calkins family and became the Cypress Creek Café.
Now, in the Oak Park and Welcome Center on property by Wimberley Square owned by the family for nearly 30 years, members of the Calkins family have joined together to design, build and install a special piece of functional art — a park bench.
Contributed Photo
The bench is “functional art.” It is constructed of steel with a copper acid finish and granite. It depicts a rendition of the façade of the original building and other memories including buzzards, crawfish and musical notes.
“The city is grateful for the donation of this special piece of artwork that is so fitting for the site,” Wimberley City Council member Rebecca Minnick said in a news release. “It will evoke memories for residents and be appreciated by visitors.”
A collaboration between sculptors Susan Calkins and James Hendricks, the bench is made of a quarter-inch steel with a copper acid finish and granite slab seating. It weighs more than 400 pounds and is perched in the shade of the restroom building.
“[The café] was my life and my brother Dave’s for 28 years,” said Bruce Calkins, a Wimberley local, foodie and music lover. “I feel like we broadened the food and entertainment options in the Hill Country.”
Bruce and Dave Calkins brought a number of performing artists to the Cypress Creek Café’s Buzzard Bar in its nearly 30-year run. Some of their favorites include Pat Malone, Lee Roy Parnell, Hal Ketchum, W.C. Clark, Willis Alan Ramsey and a long list of other musicians. In 2000, Willie Nelson performed before a large crowd as a joint charity fundraising effort of Bruce Calkins and his wife, Mardee.
According to a news release, the bench illustrates those things that the café was known for, but also the connection that the Calkins clan has to their parents. The hearts depicted on the bench are “in loving memory of our parents, Earl and Dorothy,” said Susan Calkins.
Earl and Dorothy Calkins were born and raised in New Orleans and Bruce Calkins recalls their Cajun influence on the café’s menu. It started with gumbo and grew into a full-fledged crawfish festival. The boil began in the Square parking lot, but quickly grew to where it required building an outdoor stage to accommodate the crowds. Wayne Toups and his Zydeco band headlined most of the festivals, with a lineup of opening acts.
Intricate crawfish designs are depicted on the bench and are “reminders of the fun festivals,” Susan Calkins noted.
Jazz, a part of their New Orleans heritage, was also beloved by the family. The genre is represented on the bench.
“In those days, January was a super slow business month,” Bruce Calkins said. “We missed live jazz and it wasn’t common in the Hill Country until we brought it here.”
Jazzfest was an annual event for approximately 20 years. Over the course of two weekends, the festival brought diversity to the live music offerings in the area. Performers included Paul Glasse, Mitch Watkins, Bobby Doyle and noted local resident and vocalist Joyce Webb, along with numerous other musicians.
Finally, perched beneath the bench are three steel buzzards — the namesake of the open-air Buzzard Bar, a longtime center of Wimberley Square and a popular gathering place.
“It was my life and I’m proud of what we did,” Bruce Calkins said. The family agrees that the bench is a tribute to their legacy in Wimberley.
A QR code engraved on the bench’s plaque will lead residents and visitors to the history of the Cypress Creek Café on the city of Wimberley’s website.
