Hideaway

Hideaway is a gated residential community located north of Interstate 20 about thirteen miles northwest of Tyler in northwestern Smith County. Historically this land had been part of a large plantation settled on by future Texas governor Richard B. Hubbard Jr. and his parents in the 1850s. More than a century later, in the late 1960s, developer James Fair began the community, built around three small man-made lakes. The development, often referred to as Hide-A-Way Lake, was first incorporated in 1969 by Hideaway Homeowners, Inc., and Hideaway Lake Club, Inc. It covered an area of over 1,300 acres with more than 1,900 authorized lots. Amenities included a golf course and clubhouse, a lodge, and other recreational features. Hideaway Community Church, a nondenominational church, served residents of different faiths. In 2000 the two incorporated entities of Hideaway Homeowners, Inc., and Hideaway Lake Club, Inc., merged, and the city incorporated under the organization of Hideaway Lake Club, Inc. Hideaway has a mayor-council form of government as well as a twelve-member board of directors. Private security and a volunteer fire department also serve the community. In 2000 Hideaway had a population of 3,800.