I was asked one time if I knew of a dentist in Marble Falls by the name of Roper.
I hadn’t heard that name come up before.
He went on to tell me he believed that he moved on to Austin with his practice sometime in the 30s and by the later 40s he had been involved in a murder, but didn’t know a great deal about it.

After doing a little research I found several things that seem to be quite interesting about this dentist. Yes, he had in fact been convicted of murder (I couldn’t find out much about the actual trial but did find out more of the details in an appeal that was made.

This is a link to that appeal:

https://casetext.com/case/roper-v-state-4

However, supposedly after he served a 5 year sentence he once again practiced dentistry and came back to Marble Falls to establish a well known landmark at the Max Starke Dam – The Ramp.

I have taken these different events for several places and pieced them together. If anyone has better or contradictory information, please let me know.

As an added bonus, I ask my AI friend to help me with a poem about The Ramp, a favorite place for many of the boys, and men. I guess the gals that likes to fish probably enjoyed it just as much. So here goes with that Poem:

With fishing poles in hand, we made our way
Down the bluff, where adventure held sway
The Ramp awaited, its allure so grand
A place where dreams and memories would expand

The waters flowed, released through the dam’s might
Creating a haven for fish, a true delight
We sought to catch our limit, to reel them in
but it wasn’t just about the victory, it was kin

The camaraderie we shared, as we cast our lines
Bonds formed stronger than the toughest of times
For in this place, friendships were made
solid as the foundation, on which we laid

The joy of the catch, the thrill of the fight
filling our hearts with pure delight
but it was the memories we made, that stood tall
For boys from Marble Falls, we’d remember it all

The laughter that echoed, along the rivers side
The stories we shared, as the sun began to hide
with every cast and every fish we’d claim
our bond grew stronger, a friendship to proclaim

So as we crawled back up the bluff, tired but fulfilled
We knew this trip to The Ramp was a thrill
for in the end, it wasn’t just about the fish we’d find
It was the friendships we made, the memories intertwined

For boys from Marble Falls, The Ramp held it all
The joy of the catch, the bonds that would never fall
A trip to The Ramp, etched in our hearts forevermore
A testament to friendships, that would always endure.