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Box Quarter |
Have you ever heard of Box Quarter, Robertson County, Texas?
The Handbook of Texas Online has
an article about it at
Box Quarter.
Directions:
Does anybody know where Box Quarter actually was? If so,
please contact Shirley Cullum. |
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Englewood
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This ghost town is featured in Ghost
Towns of Robertson County at
Englewood.
The Texas Historic Marker at Englewood reads:
"Settled by people of
Tennessee under an 1822 contract held by Sterling
Clack Robertson [1785 - 1842] who later signed the Texas Declaration of
Independence. Colony and county were named for him. County was created
December
14, 1837; organized March, 1838. County seats: Old Franklin 1838 -
1850; Wheelock, 1850 - 1855; Owensville, 1855 - 1869; Calvert, 1870 -
1879; Franklin,
since 1879. Sent five troop companies into Confederate service in Civil
War.
Established mill to make flour, cotton, and wool cloth. Furnished
cotton, cards,
medicines, bacon, and salt to soldiers' families." According
to Post
Offices Of Robertson County, a
post office existed at Englewood from 6.12.1871 - 4.26.1880.
Directions: On highway 79
near where the roadside park between Franklin & New Baden
currently is.
TopoZone Map |
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Fort Tenoxtitlan |
Have you ever heard of
Fort Tenoxtitlan, nearby in Burleson County, Texas?
Fort
Tenoxtitan has two Texas Historic Markers. Marker #1
reads:
"2000 feet south, site of
Fort Tenoxtitlan established by the Mexican government in July, 1830,
in an attempt to stem Anglo-American settlement. Named in honor of the
Aztec capital, now Mexico City. Abandoned by Mexican troops in 1832. In
the town which grew up after 1834 many prominent Texans lived. The
place passed from the map after 1860"
Marker #2 reads: "Founded by Mexico as a
bulwark against Anglo-American immigration, this fort and its nearby
city were twice proposed for the capital of Texas. Alarmed by the
influx of Anglo settlers into Texas, Mexico in 1830 sought to erect a
line of forts to keep out the intruders. The ancient Aztec name for
Mexico City [originally pronounced "Tex-ox-teet-lan"] was given this
site; it means "prickly pear place". So hopeful of the fort's success
was the military commandant of the region that he envisioned it as the
capital of Texas. But Anglo immigration did not cease. Instead it
thrived on the friendship of the local soldiers and incoming pioneers.
The colonizer Sterling Clack Robertson introduced scores of settlers.
In 1832 the soldiers were withdrawn and the fort finally defaulted to
the Anglos. Subsequently it was a supply center and mustering point for
expeditions against the Indians. During its brief life many Texas
patriots lived here, including 5 signers of the Texas Declaration of
Independence, a martyr of the Alamo siege, and 7 soldiers of the Battle
of San Jacinto. Tenoxtitlan was again suggested for the capital of
Texas during the Republic, but Austin won out. In 1841, after many
Indian raids, the site was abandoned." The
Handbook of Texas Online has an
article at
Fort
Tenoxtitlan.
Directions:
From
Caldwell, take SH 21 E about 6 miles to FM 1362, go N about 8 miles to
CR 338, go E about 1.5 miles to double gate - marker is about 1/2 mile
S across creek.
Map
To Fort Tenoxtitlan |
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Hayes |
Have you ever heard of Hayes, Robertson County, Texas? The
Handbook of Texas Online has an
article about it at
Boone Prairie/Hayes.
According to Post
Offices Of Robertson County,
Hayes had its own post office from 5.24.1880 - June 30, 1906.
Map
To Hayes |
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Lake, Lake Station,
Kirkpatrickville, or Acorn |
Have you ever heard of Lake, Lake Station, Kirkpatrickville, or Acorn,
Robertson County, Texas? The
Handbook of Texas Online has an
article about different names for this same town at
Easterly &
Lake.
According
to Post
Offices Of Robertson County, the
following post offices existed:
Lake
(3.4.1872 - 12.31.1903),
Lake
Station (11.23.1876 - 12.16.1878), Kirkpatrickville (2.5.1879
- 4.1.1879), Acorn (5.17.1881 - 3.24.1890), & Easterly
(6.6.1894 - 1.12.1929). |
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Mount Vernon |
This ghost town is featured in Ghost
Towns of Robertson County at Mount Vernon.
The
Mount
Vernon Cemetery is about all
that is left of this community.
Directions:
6 miles east of Calvert on the Calvert to Owensville highway.
Map
To Mount Vernon
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Nashville-On-The-Brazos |
Have you ever heard of
Nashville, nearby in Milam County, Texas?
Nashville's Texas Historic Marker
reads: "Surveyed in the fall of 1835 as the capital of
Robertson's colony. Named for Nashville, Tennessee where Sterling Clack
Robertson and many of his colonists had formerly lived. Seat of justice
Milam municipality, 1836; Milam County, 1837. First home in Texas of
George C. Childress, chairman of the committee which drafted the Texas
Declaration of Independence."
The Handbook of Texas
Online also has information at
Nashville-On-The-Brazos.
Directions:
Just
across the Brazos River Bridge on US 79 at road side pull-off on the
west side of highway.
Map
To Nashville-On-The-Brazos
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Old Franklin
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This ghost town is featured in Ghost
Towns of Robertson County at Old Franklin.
The
Handbook of Texas Online also
has information at
Old Franklin.
According to Post
Offices Of Robertson County, Old
Franklin had its own post office from 5.22.1846 - 10.20.1851.
Even the
Old Franklin Cemetery is now
gone. The bodies
of ten Robertson County men who lost their lives in a battle with
Indians on January 16, 1839 at Morgan's Point (near present-day Marlin,
in Falls Co., TX) were brought back to Robertson County and buried in
the small Old Franklin Cemetery. There were other burials at
this lost cemetery as well.
Directions: Old Franklin was on the headwaters of Mud Creek
about 1 1/2 miles southwest of the present town of Franklin.
Map
To Old Franklin |
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Owensville
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This ghost town is featured in Ghost
Towns of Robertson County at Owensville.
Owensville's Texas Historic Marker reads: "Site
Of Owensville. Robertson County's third county seat was located here,
1855 - 1869, on land given by D. H. Love [1816 - 1866]. The town was
Owensville, named for Harrison Owen [1803 - 1896], who was the first
county clerk, 1838 - 1847. Public officials, doctors, lawyers,
businesses moved here and town thrived. It was on the Houston-Waco
mail, stage, and freighting road. As Civil War county seat [1861 -
1865] this place armed and dispatched soldiers and cared for civilians.
After Houston & Texas Central Railway bypassed Owensville in
1868, county records were moved to Calvert. Owensville Cemetery, oldest
in the county, marks townsite."
According to Post
Offices Of Robertson County,
Owensville had its own post office from 9.19.1856 - 2.1.1871 &
from 3.20.1895 - 1.9.1897. Additional information is at Owensville Article
&
Owensville Cemetery.
Directions: North of Franklin, at the junction of FM 979
& FM 46.
Map
To Owensville |
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Sketch to left from
Owensville Marker Dedication brochure. Color photo to
left taken by Dr. Habib U. & Martha Jean (Baxter) Rahman.
Photo to right is from History Of Robertson County,
p. 133.
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Port Sullivan |
All that remains of this once bustling trade center just across the
Brazos River in Milam County is its historic cemetery. John
Martin Brockman has recorded this ghost town's history at Port Sullivan.
Port Sullivan's
Texas Historic Marker reads: "Early important trade and
educational center. Established by Augustus W. Sullivan in 1835. River
navigation extended to this point for many years. The Austin-East Texas
and the Houston-Waco roads crossed here. On this spot was located Port
Sullivan College. Established in the early fifties. Incorporated
December 16, 1863. Destroyed by fire in 1878."
The Handbook of Texas
Online also has information at
Port Sullivan as well as at
Fort Sullivan.
Directions: Located off of
FM 485 / CR 260, 1 mi. to county road 259 approx. 1.3 mi. on south side
of dirt road.
Map To Port Sullivan |
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Staggers Point |
This ghost town is featured in Ghost
Towns of Robertson County at Staggers Point.
The Staggers Point Texas Historic
Marker reads: "Earliest
large community in Robertson's colony. Settled by Irishmen who came to
America in 1821; lived in South Carolina and then in Alabama; and in
1829 sent west an emissary, Robert Henry, to find a permanent location.
In 1833, their ox-wagon train arrived, and log cabins were built. By
1836, kinsmen had joined early arrivals to strengthen settlement.
Community name, meaning "Strivers' Point" in dialect, was probably
given for rugged zeal of settlers in face of hardships. James Dunn
built a fort, to give neighborhood a refuge during Indian raids. In War
for Independence, 1835-36, Staggers Point men fought in major actions,
including the April 21, 1836, Battle of San Jacinto, which freed Texas
from Mexico. In 1830s and 40s, the Irish were compelled to keep up
their defenses against the Indians. Women as well as men earned respect
for skill with "long guns." In time their village had a church, stores,
cotton gin, race track, and taverns, and was invaded by gamblers and
ruffians drawn to the races. Until the settlers subdued the lawless,
duels and gunplay were common. This remained a progressive community
until 1868, when Houston & Texas Central Railway bypassed it,
and business waned. Descendants still honor the settlers. Original
settlers: William Henry, Mary F. Henry Dixon, James M. Dixon, Ann
McMillan, Henry & Sarah Fullerton, Robert & Elizabeth
Henry, George H. Fullerton, John R. & Sarah Peyton, Jimnive
Henry Rice, William Fullerton, Hugh & Elizabeth Henry, James A.
Henry, Bradford & Mary Henry Seale, Columbus &
Elizabeth Henry Seale, James & Isabella Dunn"
The
Handbook of Texas Online also
has information at
Benchley/Staggers Point.
Directions:
1 mile east of Hwy 6 at Benchley on Old San Antonio Road.
Map
To Staggers Point
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Sterling
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This ghost town is featured in Ghost
Towns of Robertson County at Sterling.
The Texas Historic Marker at the Sterling Cemetery reads:
"Burial place of some 400 Texas pioneers and descendants. On land
granted [1835] to A. J. Webb; bought in 1850 by Judge Robert Calvert, a
civic leader in Sterling, a town named for empresario Sterling C.
Robertson. Calvert dedicated 11.1-acre cemetery and built adjacent
Cumberland Presbyterian Church of his own plantation timber. In 1867,
Judge Calvert died and was buried near cemetery gate. The church
building was moved by oxen to new town of Calvert [2 mi. E]. In 1868,
his wife, Mary Keesee Calvert, and their three daughters deeded
cemetery site to the Cumberland Presbyterians."
The
Handbook of Texas Online also
has information at
Sterling. Burial
information is at
Sterling
Cemetery.
Directions: Two
miles west of Calvert on FM 979 to CR 116.
Map
To Sterling
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