If you are new to El Dorado – or even if you are not – you may be wondering what the name El Dorado means.
Each month the SUNBURST proclaims El Dorado to be “a legendary land of wealth and happiness.” This is a lovely description. It conjures up images of gold and happiness all around. It says, El Dorado is a place where wealth and happiness are free for the taking. Is that an exaggeration?
El Dorado Homes Association was incorporated September 20, 1969. The major developers of the subdivision were Shepherd & Burris and Morton/Southwest.
When the subdivision first started, it was outside the city limits. Cattle grazed in bluebonnet fields. Seven windmills operated in the confines of El Dorado, and the lake was a cow pond.
A local dairy made home deliveries, and deer were everywhere. Perrin Beitel and Nacogdoches were two lane roads. The nearest place to buy groceries was a Piggly Wiggly at Nacogdoches and Loop 410. There were no restaurants in the area, and The Tower of the Americas could be seen from the subdivision.
Sounds like a golden setting!
Today, El Dorado is definitely in the city! The bluebonnets, the deer, the windmills and the view of The Tower of the Americas are gone. Nacogdoches and Perrin Beitel are busy city streets with businesses all around us, bringing conveniences.
Currently El Dorado is a microcosm of the world. We are people of many races, ages and creeds. We are military and civilian. We are business and agriculture. (How many backyard gardens can you count?) We are the children, parents and teachers of a neighborhood school. We are all those who enjoy the pool, the lake and the paseo. We are growth and decline. We are newlyweds who will start our lives here. We are the children who are born and raised here. We are the retired who will grow old and die here. We are a great place to call home.