Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Across the Cradle

Yesterday morning as I headed out of College Station and drove to El Campo, I crossed the "Cradle of Texas Liberty" which is basically the area of the original anglo colonies between the Brazos and Colorado Rivers.

My route lay through some beautiful country graced with huge oak trees of many varieties.  My favorites though, are probably the live oak.

Some of the places I passed through:

Snook, where I sometimes went for kolaches made at the Snook Bakery when I was in school at A&M.  The community applied for its first Post Office in 1895.

Independence, founded in 1835, near Washington on the Brazos which is where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed.  It is the original home of Baylor University.  Sam Houston and his family lived there in the 1850's.

Brenham, home of the Bluebell Creamery (best ice cream in the world), was originally known as the community of Hickory Grove before changing its name to Brenham in 1843.

Industry, was the first permanent German settlement in Texas.  It was established in the grant to Johann Friederich Ernst in 1831 (5 years before independence was declared).

New Ulm, originally known as Duff's Settlement, was re-named when the local settlers petitioned for a post office around 1840.  It was named after Ulm, Germany.

Columbus, established in 1821 by some of Austin's original 300 on the site of what was believed to be Montezuma's legendary Indian village.  One of the first ferrys across the Colorado River was operated there by Benjamin Beeson in 1822.

El Campo began as Prairie Switch when the Texas, New York, and Mexican Railway located a switch there in 1882.

El Campo was my destination for the afternoon.  We put on a producer meeting for the area ranchers.  It was very well attended and considered successful by all involved.

More to come.....

Chris

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