Area History
Call or email Linda about reservations: 713-822-5038; linda@lilypondscottage.com.
Located 90 min. from Houston and Austin
Austin County, A Legacy of Harvest
Summer rolls into Fall,
Prepared entries come to the fair,
The natural cycle of the seasons.
Keeping the wheels rolling—
From pickles to pigs,
One year after the other,
The judging rolls on,
Steer after steer,
Year after year.
Such is the legacy of the land—
Of Austin County, Texas
And all other counties
Of the Great Lone Star.
The Cycle of Nature,
The Circle of Life.
Brenham (N), Industry (N),
Bellville (E), Sealy (SE), Columbus (SW),
Frelsburg (W), Fayetteville (W), La Grange (WNW),
Round Top (NW)
Rolling Hills Chamber of Commerce covers the entire area, your best inclusive look at the land and its attractions.
New Ulm
New Ulm had its beginning as Duff's Settlement in honor of James C. Duff to whom the land was granted in 1841. The old community of New Ulm was about one mile north of the present town of New Ulm.
About the year 1840, the people petitioned the government for a post office. It was then decided to name the community to New Ulm in honor of Ulm, Germany since many of the settlers came from that area. In 1852 New Ulm officially became a post office town. There was a hotel, cigar factory, several stores of general merchandise, several cabinet makers, several blacksmiths, a shoemaker, a tailor a brewery and gin.
In 1867 a church building was built that also served as the schoolhouse. In 1888 the MKT (Missouri-Kansas-Texas) Railroad bought the farm land of Franz Pille. In 1892 the railroad completed its track from Dallas to Houston. The first train coming through here was met by the New Ulm Band.
The railroad and a land company surveyed the area and laid out streets and lots. Land was set aside for a school and for two churches. Soon businesses and homes were established in the new town.
In 1894 the old church school congregation voted to separate. A new school was built in 1894 in the new town. In 1898 seventy-five children were enrolled in the school. That same year the population was 225. That year there were five stores of general merchandise, two furniture stores, one drugstore, one saddlery, two blacksmith shops, two tin shops, two public scales for weighing cotton bales, one livery stable, two cabinet shops, a soda water factory, a barber shop, and a broom factory.
The New Ulm State Bank was chartered in 1906 and became the New Ulm branch of the Industry State Bank when it was purchased n 1989. It is the oldest continuing business in New Ulm today. The first weekly paper was the "The New Ulm News". "The New Ulm Enterprise" was first published in 1910 by John Moran and is the second oldest business in New Ulm.
A. F. Bartay operated his New Ulm Bottling Works in a small log cabin near his home. He bottled such flavors as strawberry, lemon, orange, julep, and iron brew.
Miss Thekla John and Mr. and Mrs. Otto Rudloff managed the two hotels. Salespeople, "Drummers" as they were called, came on the trains and stayed in the hotels overnight. During the day they visited the stores in the area to get orders for merchandise.
Flour packed in sacks of cotton material was sent into town a railroad box car at at time. The local merchants, as well as those in Frelsburg, Post Oak Point, and Industry, hauled to their stores by horse-drawn wagons.
Cotton was the major crop. In 1898, 7627 bales of cotton, 4739 crates of eggs, 1528 coops of poultry, and 128 buckets of butter were shipped from the local railroad depot. The gross receipts for freight and passenger fares that year amounted to $25,537.18.
On April 11, 1916, twenty-one men of the town of New Ulm met for the purpose of discussing the general welfare of the town by securing fire apparatus for protection of property. Thus the New Ulm Fire Company was born which is now the New Ulm Fire Department. The first purchase was a Ajax (chemical) Fire Engine at a cost of $137.50. In 1962 a ten-acre Firemen's Park was established in the timberland a short distance from town.
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New Ulm City Band
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Industry was the first permanent German settlement in Texas and is situated in the heart of natures most charming rural landscape, on rolling hills in western Austin County. Friedrich Ernst, Industry's founder settled here in 1831, and gained Industry the title Cradle of German Settlement in Texas. In a letter written to his family and friends in Germany in 1882 he wrote:
In February of the previous year we embarked on a brig in New Orleans. It was still winter on our departure from New York, then mild spring breezes blew upon us four days after our departure. Between Cuba and Florida, we had later real summer, and the whole sea voyage of a thousand miles over that part of the ocean, through the Bahama Islands, into the Gulf of Mexico, up the mouth of the Mississippi, we lay constantly against the wind and came somewhat back. On the Mississippi up to New Orleans, a hundred and twenty miles (five make a German mile) we received favorable news of Austins colony in Texas; we embarked again in the schooner of thirty-seven tons and landed after an eight-day voyage at Harrisburgh in this colony.
Each immigrant who wishes to engage in farming receives a league of land; a single person, a one-quarter of a league. A league of land contains four thousand, four hundred and forty acres of land, mountain and valley, woods and meadows, cut through by brooks.
The ground is hilly and alternates with forest and natural grass plains. Various kinds of trees. Climate like that of Sicily. The soil needs no fertilizer. Almost constant east wind. No winter, almost like March in Germany. Bees, birds and butterflies the Planters who have seven hundred head of cattle are common. Principal products; tobacco, rice, indigo grow wild; sweet potatoes, melons of an especial goodness, watermelons, wheat, rye, vegetables of all kinds; peaches in great quantity grow wild in the woods, mulberries, many kinds of walnuts, wild plums persimmons sweet as honey; wine in great quantity but not of a particular taste; honey is found chiefly in hollow trees. Birds of all kinds, from pelicans to hummingbirds. Wild prey such as deer, bears, raccoons, wild turkeys, geese, partridges (the later as large as domestic fowls) in quantity. Free hunting and fishing. Wild horses and buffalo in hordes; wolves, but of a feeble kind; also panthers and leopards, of which there is no danger; rich game, delicious roasts. Meadows with the most charming flowers. Many snakes, also rattlesnakes; each planter knows safanswhole winter through. A cow with a calf costs ten dollars. against them.
English the ruling speech. Clothing and shoes very dear. Each settles builds...a blockhouse. The more children the better for...field labor. Scarcely three months work a year. No need for money, free exercise of religion and the best markets for all products at the Mexican harbors; up the river there is much silver, but there are still Indian races there.
We men satisfy ourselves with hunting and horse races.
On account of the yellow fever, one should arrive some weeks before the month of July or after the first of October.
e me It is good thing if one can speak English; only enough money is needed as is necessary to purchase a league of land. A father of a family must remember that he receives on his arrival, through the land granted to him, a small kingdom which will come to be worth in a short time from seven to eight hundred dollars, for which it is often sold here. The expenses for the land need not be paid immediately. Many raise the money from their cattle.
Your friend,
Friedrich Ernst
Our History
Washington County was named for George Washington. The county was organized in 1837 and began as a Mexican municipality. Located near the center of Stephen F. Austin's first colony, the area was opened to settlement in 1821 under Spanish control. It is one of the earliest settled areas in Texas.
Spurred by the liberal land grants, settlers from all parts of the United States and immigrants from Western Europe gathered in the colony. The first cabins with their crops of necessity, such as corn, peas and tobacco patches, grew into ranches, plantations and farm settlements. The early city of Washington-on-the-Brazos was started in 1821. It developed and flourished with steamboat navigation on the Brazos River until the coming of the railroads in 1860-1880. It was the site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence from Mexico in 1836.
On March 1, 1836, delegates elected from each municipality in Texas convened in an unfinished frame building in Washington-on-the-Brazos. While the forces of General Santa Anna laid siege to the Alamo, the Convention of 1836 declared Texas' independence from Mexico, wrote a new constitution which established the Republic of Texas and organized an ad interim government.
The historic and courageous work of the brave men gathered in Washington to declare Texas independence is often overshadowed by the fall of the Alamo and the defeat of Santa Ana by Sam Houston in the Battle of San Jacinto. After all, at the same time these men put ink to paper, the blood of their fellow Texans was being shed at the Alamo, where men like Colonel William Barrett Travis and Jim Bowie fought to their deaths and became folk heroes.
Often overlooked is the courage and determination of the delegates as they worked while facing the same fear and consequences that loomed over the men who labored for American independence from the British. They knew the desperation of Travis and his men located in the Alamo in San Antonio. They received word of his dire circumstance twice during the Convention. The Alamo was only a few days' march from where they convened, and rumors that Santa Anna was just down the road kept them on edge.
On March 15, news of the fall of the Alamo finally reached the delegation in Washington. One delegate had lost a son at the Alamo, another a brother. The men remained diligent to their task, though heartbroken, weary and fearing an invasion by enemy troops. For two more days the worked tirelessly, finally electing the new country’s government officials. On March 17, the delegates, along with the citizens of Washington, fled the advancing troops of Santa Anna.
After the Texans' victory at San Jacinto the townspeople returned, they found Washington the only plundering had been the work of army stragglers or deserters and other fleeing Texans
Town fathers lobbied for Washington’s designation as the permanent capital of the Republic of Texas. A special committee of the Congress passed over Washington and other contenders in favor of Waterloo, which later was renamed Austin.
In 1842, during renewed invasions by Mexico, President Sam Houston moved the capital from Austin to Washington.
During its’ time as capital of the Republic, Washington grew. Even after the seat of the government was moved back to Austin in 1845 Washington thrived due to the cotton trade on the Brazos River.
Washington’s destiny was foreshadowed when in the mid 1850’s the railroad bypassed it. The Civil War sealed its fate.
German immigration began in the county in the 1850's and increased after the Civil War. Most of the large farms were divided into smaller ones and taken up by the German immigrants. The county is very proud of its German heritage and demonstrates it vividly at the annual "Maifest" celebration in Brenham.
Brenham was established in 1844 and named for Richard Fox Brenham, a hero of the Mier Expedition. The city was incorporated in 1858. It was occupied by Federal troops during the Civil War, who partially burned the city in 1867 following a confrontation with local citizens.
In 1854, the state changed the charter of the non- denominational Chappell Hill Male and Female College. Having lost interest in Rutersville College, the Texas Conference of the Methodist Church was seeking such an enterprise when it met and decided to found a new Methodist institution. The school would be named "Soule University" after Bishop Joshua Soule of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Chappell Hill was selected as the site.
Today Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historical Park and Star of the Republic Museum reside where the town of Washington once flourished, honoring the men and women who risked their lives and gave us Texas.
Initially settled by Thomas and James Bell who immigrated from Florida in 1822, as some of Stephen F. Austin's earliest settlers, and donated over 145 acres to Austin County. Bellville was named for them.
Bellville is the county seat of Austin County, and the district surveyor, Mr. D. Charles Amthor platted the town in 1846 to center around the Courthouse and town square. Churches, a log cabin, and a wooden courthouse were the first public structures in Bellville. Most of the residents were farmers, and the town grew slowly until the coming of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1880. This brought a rapid increase in population and business development. With the coming of the railroad, the population of Bellville rose from 300 people to 1,000 residents within three years. The railroad created a market outlet for cotton and other agricultural products, as well as providing transportation to Houston, Galveston, and other faraway places. Many large homes were built during this period, and commerce and government had its impact on the city. The Courthouse Square remains as it was laid out in 1846 and many of the historic buildings have now been transformed into a collection of unusual and unique shops and businesses.
In 1883, there were six saloons on the square alone. Local legend tells the story that Irish immigrants were brought in to construct the railroad and bridge over Mill Creek. On Saturday nights a flatcar was used to bring them into town and later they were loaded back on the railcar (in a horizontal position) to take them back to the work camp. Bellville is a city rich in local Texas history.
The many markers in the area chronicle incidents from the early days of Texas, both as a republic and later as a state. Noted with plaques are the original school sites in the county, over 170 cemetery locations (some on private property), the Austin County Jail as well as many buildings and homes located around the town square and in the residential districts.
The Austin County Jail building shown above, stands a half block off of the Town Square and consists of three complete stories, plus a fourth, smaller area, know as the "gallows". The gallows was used only once. On March 14, 1901 at 2:14 pm–Gus Davis was hanged for the murder of Herman Schlunz.
In 1976, the Austin County Jail building was awarded a Texas Historical Commission Medallion and was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Cotton Wagon in 1911 Sealy |
| If the name is familiar, yes, it is where Sealy Mattresses were first made. There is a historical marker at the site of the Haynes Mattress Factory. Buildings still remain and we were told "they could still put together a mattress today" (if they really had to). If it wasn't for Sealy, we might all still be sleeping on Spanish Moss. |
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The facade of the former Texas Theater in Sealy. Photo by John Troesser, 2001 |
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You can pick up a driving/walking tour at the chamber of commerce - if it's open. A project of the Sealy Area Historical Society, the brochure provides you with street by street details of businesses, homes and points of interest. The Texas Theater: Dating to 1929, the theater is (as of Fall 2005) in use as a restaurant and apartments. Heritage Park/Santa Fe Park Museum: Items from the original colonial period are on display as well as more modern items. These include the old jail (complete with bent bars from an escape attempt) and a road grader once pulled by oxen. East of downtown, across the RR tracks. Open by appointment. |
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The 1886 Stafford Bank Building / Opera House in Columbus Photo Courtesy Colorado County Visitors Bureau |
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| Columbus has the distinction of being "the oldest surveyed and platted Anglo-American town in Texas." |
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A view from the courthouse showing the water tower and the Stafford Bank Building (Opera House) left. Photo c.1906 |
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| History in a Pecan Shell Columbus' history is so rich, it's difficult to mention even the highlights in the space available. We suggest that the reader consult one of the histories available at the K. Nesbitt Memorial Library (529 Washington Street). We will attempt to include some of the more interesting facts, although each could be (and many have been) written about in length. The Early Years: Columbus (as Beason's Ferry) played an important part in the Texas Revolution and the few houses that comprised the town were burned by Houston in his scorched-earth tactics during the Runaway Scrape. He spent six days on the east side of the river drilling his troops before continuing on to San Jacinto. The last Indian raid in Columbus took place in 1838 when two citizens were killed. Stagelines connected Columbus to San Antonio (a 48 hour adventure) and steamships appeared as early as 1838. The river was navigable from just above Matagorda and in later years (1871) a steamboat once went as far as Dripping Springs. Just prior to the Civil War, the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railroad came just short of Columbus to Alleyton. This made Alleyton the most important town on the Confederacy's "Cotton Road" to Matamoros, Mexico. The railroad's post-war plan was to bypass Columbus and Columbians raised money to build a three-mile "tap line" to Alleyton. The four Stafford Brothers came from Georgia just before the Civil War. R.E. "Bob" Stafford drove cattle to Kansas in 1867 and started making his sizable fortune. He opened his bank in 1882 and he also owned the Columbus Meat and Ice Company on the river. |
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400,000 nicely arranged bricks make up the 32-inch walls of this beautiful tower (c. 1883) The tower stored water piped from the Colorado River. The photo left is the earliest photograph of the tower. Courtesy Nesbitt Memorial Library |
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La Grange's The Bugle Boy is the one of the finest live-music listening venues in the state. Owner Lane Gosney selects the most talented and varied artists to grace her stage in this old WWII barracks, reborn as a great concert hall, intimate and inviting to both musical artist and appreciative fan alike.
History
From Fayette County, Her History and Her People by F. Lotto, 1902:
La Grange lies in a big bend of the Colorado River.
For about a mile, the Colorado runs due south until it strikes the Bluff mount, opposite La Grange; here its course is turned eastward so that it encloses in this angle the city. West and south of La Grange rises the Bluff, north of La Grange abruptly rises a high plateau, while towards the east the land rises gradually. La Grange, therefore, lies in a deep basin, sheltered on all sides against storms. It is said that the Indians always built their camps in storm-proof localities and for this reason the present site of La Grange was the former location of an Indian camp.
La Grange is a beautiful city. The best view of it may be had from the Bluff. Two hundred feet below, at the feet of the spectator, flow the red waters of the Colorado, enclosing from two sides a fertile bottom checkered by corn and cotton fields, a beautiful foreground for a picture of the city. The court house, the steeples of churches and the red roofs of some larger residences break pleasantly through the green of liveoak groves. To the left the bridges and waterworks, to the right the compress and the railroad wagon park give this picture a fitting termination. The high wood-covered hills rising black of La Grange form an appropriate background with Chalk Bluff to the left and the town of Rutersville to the right as a close of the background. What strikes most, is the harmony and symmetry of the picture. An artist could not arrange his subject more artistically than nature has done here. Fitting foreground and background for the main picture of the city, with appropriate beginning and end.
The principal streets of La Grange are
those leading from the public square. most of the streets are nicely graded and graveled. The residences are elegant, with beautiful gardens and lawns in front. What strikes the stranger most upon visiting La Grange is the great number of large and beautiful liveoak trees, veterans of the wood that reach back into past centuries. Of the more noticeable buildings may be mentioned the courthouse, the jail, the First National Bank Building, the Schuhmacher Bank building, the Heintze building, the Rosenberg building, the Myenburg building, the Casino, the Opera House, the school and the compress.
La Grange was settled in the latter part of the twenties on land granted to John H. Moore. It was for a long time a very inconsiderable place. The first settlers had come from Tennessee and named their new home after their old home, La Grange in Tennessee. (La Grange is French, the name of La Fayette's estate, and means "the mansion.")
The Census of 1900 gives La Grange 2400 inhabitants. Its population is American, German, and Bohemian. About one-third of the population are negroes.
La Grange is an independent school district; it has two schools, one for white and one for colored pupils. The school for white pupils is managed by Prof. C. A. Brown with the assistance of an able corps of teachers and visited by 251 pupils. The colored school is visited by 196 pupils and managed by Prof. ___ Jefferson. The city levies a district school tax.
The lodge brother has a large choice of lodges to join to. There are not less than nine lodges in La Grange: Odd Fellows, Knights of Honor, Knights and Ladies of Honor, Free Masons, Knights of Pythias, United Workmen, Sons of Hermann, Fraternal Mystic Circle and A. L. of H. Some of these lodges insure the lives of their members, others aid them in case of illness. Besides these lodges, the Fayette County German Mutual Aid Society pursues the same object.
The city of La Grange has made a reputation for sociability over the whole State. The principal gathering place is the Casino. Here the whole town, enforced by a great many outsiders, gathers on festive occasions. The building is owned by a club, the Casino Club. Another club that contributes its share to entertainment is called "the La Grange Froesch," a German singing club which repeatedly has earned applause at feasts by their songs. Traveling theater troops generally find large audiences in this social city.
La Grange has a fertile surrounding country that contributes to its trade. It has the rich Colorado bottom land northwest and southeast of it, the fertile Rutersville prairie to the northeast and the rich Navidad prairie to the southwest. Only very little land around La Grange is not fit for cultivation. The county being one of the oldest in the State, one of the original counties, a great many small places in the county sprang up before the arrival of the railroads. The stores and shops in these places are a great convenience for their neighborhoods, but impair the otherwise brilliant business prospects of La Grange.
La Grange is situated on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad and on a branch of the Southern Pacific from Columbus. There are two express companies in La Grange, the American and the Wells Fargo. By telegraph it is connected with the outside world through the Western Union and the Postal Telegraph Cable Company. La Grange is the headquarters of the Southwestern Telephone Company, a local system.
The main pursuit of the citizens of La Grange is the mercantile business, supplying the farmers of the neighborhood and purchasing their products. There is one wholesale grocery business in La grange; there are 7 general merchandise stores, 4 groceries, 5 dry goods stores, 3 hardware stores, 3 furniture houses, two saddleries, 2 jewelry stores, 3 drugstores, 11 barrooms, 2 beer agents, 3 blacksmith shops, 3 shoemakers, 2 tailors, 1 millinery, 2 restaurants, 3 hotels, 1 lumberyard, 2 livery stables, 2 granaries, 1 marble yard, 1 English, 1 German and 1 Bohemian newspaper, 16 lawyers, 2 dentists, 5 physicians, 2 banks, 2 meat markets and two photograph galleries in La Grange.
Of industial [sic.] establishments of greater importance are the waterworks and electric light plant, a cotton oil mill, a cotton compress, a soda and ice factory and two gins.
The writer will now mention some of the business men of La Grange to whom he is obliged for patronage of his book. It may be said that these gentlemen take some pride and interest in their county and do not look only on dollars and cents, but are public spirited enough to give their support to a worthy enterprise. In the writer's judgment, such men who feel an interest in their county are worthier to be patronized than those who do not, who live only in the county to accumulate all the dollars they can, who show no other interest for the people among whom they live as gathering from them dollars first, last and all the time. A man who deals with people to whom he presents only dollars and cents never will receive as fair treatment from them as from men who, on account of their station in life, feel obliged to evince an interest in the advancement of the community where they live. it is only natural for the writer to wish that the latter may reap benefits from their liberality towards him and he takes this occasion to bespeak the patronage of the friends of this book for those business men who enabled him by their support to get out this work.
Judge A. Haidusek, the owner of the Svoboda and the president of the First National Bank of La Grange, has established a reputation for liberality throughout the state. There never has come a literary man or printer who solicited his aid and who did not receive his hearty support. There is no man who takes greater pride in Fayette County than the judge and it was most natural that he gave his aid to this writer in getting out this book. The writer only hopes that his work may meet his expectations. [See 1880 Slovan Czech newspaper advertisment for Augustin Haidusek's law firm at Institute of Texan Cultures website.]
The first National Bank of La Grange with Judge A. Haidusek as president and John B. Holloway as cashier is the most solid financial institution in the county and deservedly enjoys the full confidence of the people. The Schuhmacher Bank is the other financial institution of La Grange and shares with the First National Bank the patronage of the capitalists of the county.
Of the merchants of La Grange August Heintze, jr., is undoubtedly the leading one. There is not a more liberal , more energetic and more accommodating merchant living in La Grange than he. Since he has opened his large department store, a great many faces of people who traded before elsewhere have appeared again to trade in that city. He carries an immense stock of goods.
Rosenberg & Co. are the owners of an elegant store and carry an immense stock of goods. In the dry goods line Carl Mosig is up-to date and keeps up with the fashion. Friedberger & Johnson are their able competitors.
Frank Reichert and A. Harigel have well stocked furniture stores and treat their customers liberally. Aug. Streithoff and Connell & Holloway are the hardware firms in La Grange and also do first-class work in roofing, guttering, etc.
The marble yard of O. E. Stolz has a reputation for turning out masterpieces of art in the monumental line, well established throughout South and Central Texas, and is assisted by a corps of able agents.
The most popular saloons are the County Seat Saloon owned by Chas. Schaefer & Son, and the Diamond Saloon owned by Hackebeil & Wessels.
In the hotel business Joe Kainer ranks in the front as well for accommodations as for liberal rates. No hotel in South Texas furnishes its patrons so many accommodations as telephone, bathrooms, electric lights, etc., at such liberal rates. The rooms and the board cannot be surpassed.
B. White, Wm. Hermes, jr., and J. Meyenberg, jr., are engaged in the drug business and share the patronage of La Grange and neighborhood with each other.
Drs. T. W. Moore and R. A. McKinney have a large practice and are known for their liberal rates. They do not cure a man first to kill him with their bills for medical attendance afterward.
Dr. Jno. Baur, an erstwhile pupil of the writer, is a consciencious young man, engaged in the practice of dentistry.
Louis Rice is engaged in photography and turns out first class pictures.
The lawyers of La Grange are a class any city may be proud of. The writer refers the reader to their biographies.
The history of the La Grange Journal, the Svoboda and the La Grange Deutsche Zeitung will be found under the head of "Newspaper Press of the County."
La Grange is well protected against fire. As stated before, it has a good waterworks system. A volunteer fire company does efficient service in case of fire.
While La Grange has not increased very rapidly in population, it has been on a constant, steady growth. While in 1836 there were only two storehouses on the public square, in 1850 it was large enough to be incorporated. During the last decade its population increased thirty-five percent. In 1890 it had according to the U. S. census 1800 inhabitants, now their number is 2400. The increase of its business kept pace with the increase of its population.
During the last few years the farmers around La Grange made only little more than half of the usual crop on account of the boll weevil plague. This was a great drawback to the business of La Grange. There also being a large number of prosperous, thriving villages in the immediate vicinity of La Grange, doing a general merchandise business and thereby curtailing that of La Grange, it may be said that for its present population and its tributary country, the mercantile business is overdone in La Grange. La Grange is favorably situated for the manufacturing business. If it shall not remain at a standstill, it must engage in these pursuits. Lately, the establishment of a cotton factory has been much talked about. It should be the time now to start this enterprise, before Texas is overcrowded with establishments of this kind. The conditions for a market of the manufactures may then be less favorable than now. The market may then be overcrowded.
An early photograph of the Round Top Volunteer Fire Department
Located beside Cummins Creek near the eastern boundary of Fayette County, Round Top was first known as "Townsend Settlement" after a family of early settlers in the area. It was also referred to as " Jones Post Office" after Myers F. Jones, the first postmaster. Round Top is entirely situated on one square mile of land taken from a league of land granted to James Winn on March 31, 1831. It is unclear when the town first began to be know as "Round Top." Records indicate it was before 1850. Stories claim that it was named after a local house and stagecoach stop that had a “round top” where settlers would watch for the stage on the chance that it needed defense from hostile Indians. The first settlers were predominantly Anglo-American and many distinguished themselves in the Texas War of Independence. Joel Robison, a local man, captured an older Mexican officer after the Battle of San Jacinto. Feeling pity for the vanquished man, he allowed him to ride on the back of his horse on the way back to where the prisoners were held. As they rode along the road, the other Mexican troopers began to salute and show great deference towards the older officer. It turned out that he was Santa Anna, the Dictator of Mexico. In gratitude for his gentle treatment, the Mexican leader gave Mr. Robison his gold braided vest. For years, young men in the Round Top area wore the vest on their wedding days. In the San Jacinto campaign, the Townsend family had a larger representation present than any other family in Texas. Three local men of the Hill family also fought in the battle. By the late 1840’s, German immigrants had bought land in and around Round Top and began to indelibly imprint their culture on the region’s landscape. Prior to the settling of German immigrants in Round top, Count Boos-Waldeck, a cousin of Queen Victoria of England, purchased the Nassau Plantation below Round Top. It was bought in 1842 by the Adelsverin of Germany to promote German colonization of Texas. During the civil war, Round Top served as a recruiting station for the northern half of Fayette County. Two companies, the Round Top mounted infantry and the Round Top Guerrillas were organized here. After the war, lawlessness prompted citizens to organize a community militia. In 1870, Robert Zapp, a legislator in the twelfth legislature and a citizen of Round Top, introduced his first bill, a writ calling for the incorporation of Round Top. The charter was granted the same year. In 1866, the residents erected the stone sanctuary of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church. That same year, Traugott Wandke of Round Top, an herbalist, organ maker and magician, built a new pipe organ made entirely of native cedar and donated it to the church. Wandke constructed the first pipe organs made in Texas. The organ is still operational and the church is still a house of worship, making Bethlehem Lutheran Church one of the oldest continuously operating Lutheran Churchs in the State of Texas. By the early 1900’s, the population of Round Top was 250. It was a thriving mercantile and agricultural community. Amongst other significant businesses whose buildings still exist are one of the earliest cigar factories in Texas, built in the late 1800’s by Charles Schiege. The Round Top General Store, still in existence, was built in 1848. Round Top organized its volunteer fire department (shown above) in 1902. During World war I and World war II, many area citizens served their country. The people of Round Top have long been patriotic and loyal Americans as is demonstrated by the fact that the Round Top Fourth of July Parade is the longest continuous Independence Day parade west of the Mississippi. In the past several decades, many old buildings and homes in the Round Top area have been restored. Some of these early restorers were John Nielson, Hazel Ledbetter and Charles and Faith Bybee through their Pioneer Arts Foundation. Some of the best examples of German arts and architecture are to be found at the Winedale Historical Center, restored by Miss Ima Hogg and donated to the University of Texas. In 1970, three new organizations began that were to mark Round Top history. Texas philanthropist, Miss Ima Hogg was instrumental in the creation and/or inspiration of all three. She had invited a brilliant young concert pianist, Mr. James Dick, to play in the performance barn at Winedale. With this performance, the Festival Institute at Round Top was born. She also talked to Dr. James B. Ayres about performing Shakespeare in the same old building. Soon afterwards, Shakespeare at Winedale was begun. She was also an inspiration to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bybee, who created the Pioneer Arts Foundation that same year. Round Top is also known for large antiques and crafts events that were founded by Ms. Emma Lee Turney in the late sixties and have grown into events that now involve several neighboring towns and bring 50,000 to 60,000 people to the area on the first full weekend of April and October each year. In later years, the Round Top Herb Festival and the Round Top Arts Festival were founded by local enthusiasts to broaden even further Round Top's repuation as a small town arts capital. Accounts of life in the early part of the century in Round Top can be read in the interviews of old time residents, Harry Graeter, Mayor Dave Nagel and in the interview called The Girls of Round Top . |
Call or email Linda about reservations: 713-822-5038; linda@lilypondscottage.com.