ABOUT US
It rarely fails to evoke cries of dismay: “How could they name a town after that General?!”

Nestled on the south slope of prominent double mesas dominating the surrounding flat plains, Santa Anna, population 998, lies just 30 miles north of the geographic center of Texas at the intersections of US 83-84, US 67, and US 183. Its curious name is spelled exactly as the Mexican General Santa Anna spelled his. But there the similarity ends. For this Santa Anna is named for the Penatuhkah Comanche war chief who controlled much of this area of Texas from the 1830’s to 1850, when the white man killed him and most of his band—with cholera. Locals took the name for granted for years until the last decade. The HDO was created in late 1991 and soon signed a treaty with the Comanche Tribe of Oklahoma creating a mutually beneficial partnership. Since then, the HDO has taken a leadership role in restoration and economic development in and around the area, seeking to benefit from the popularity of cultural and heritage tourism.