Texas Almanac, 1964-1965 Page: 91
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LANDMARKS OF TEXAS
stead is site of Groce's Ferry established
across Brazos 1822 (river has since changed
course); built by Jared E. Groce. (See also
Grimes County.) Near Hempstead at planta-
tion of Charles Donoho, Texas Army camped
Apr. 14-15, 1836. The Plantation Home of Ed-
win Waller is located one and a half miles
southeast of Hempstead. He was member of
the Consultation of 1835. signer of Declara-
tion of Independence, first mayor of Austin,
member Secession Convention, 1861. Acquired
the property in 1846 and resided there many
years.
WARD: Sandhills State Park near Mona-
hans, mounds of shifting white sands. Twelve
miles south of Monahans is Soda Lake. At
Grand Falls, on State Highway 82, is marker
honoring Butterfield Overland Stage Line
which at one time followed substantially
route of this highway through Ward County.
WASHINGTON: One of Texas' most his-
toric localities is Washington-on-the-Brazos
in the eastern part of Washington County,
Washington State Park, between Brenham and
Navasota, is its site. Here Texas' independ-
ence was declared, March 2, 1836. (Some his-
torians say signing was on March 3.) Here
are: a statue of George Campbell Childress,
chairman of the committee of five who draft-
ed the Texas Declaration of Independence,
and accepted by most authorities as the
author of the Texas Declaration, a replica of
the house in which the independence session
was held and the old Anson Jones home. Also,
there are an auditorium and amphitheater.
At Independence is site of Baylor University
State Park on land donated for park purposes
by Baylor University and heirs of original
trustees of Baylor which was established
here. Institution was incorporated 1845,
moved to Waco, 1886. Columns of old Baylor
Female College only evidences standing, to-
day. At Chappell Hill is site of Soule Univer-
sity, established in 1855. Charter granted in
1856 to replace Rutersville and Wesleyan col-
leges, closed during War Between the States,
and closed again after the war on account of
yellow fever epidemic. Succeeded in 1875 by
Southwestern University, Georgetown. On the
campus of the high school at Chappell Hill is
marker on site of Chappell Hill College, estab-
lished in 1852 by the Methodist Church as
Chappell Hill Male and Female Institute.
After the establishment of Soule University
for Boys, 1855, Chappell Hill College became
a school for girls. Closed in 1912. (Name of
town later changed to Chapel Hill, and more
recently changed back to original form, Chap-
pell Hill.) Near Gay Hill is Oak Lodge, his-
toric old Miller home. At Independence is site
of Baptist Church organized 1839. Sam Hous-
ton was baptized here, 1854. Present building
was erected 1872. One mile east of Independ-
ence is home of John Hoblett Seward, built
in 1855 of hand-sawed cedar. The Sledge home
at Chappell Hill was built in 1855. Near Inde-
pendence is site of home of Gen. Sam Hous-
ton and family; original house built 1837 by
Thomas Barron, first occupied by Houstons,
1854; torn down and rebuilt in 1897 by James
Dallas. Near Independence is home of Dr.
Asa Hoxey, built in 1833. Seven miles south-
west of Independence is site of Holly Oaks,
home of Dr. Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor,
where he died in 1873. One mile south of In-
dependence is site of home built by Gen. Je-
rome B. Robertson in 1845, captain in Army
of Republic of Texas, 1836. Four and three-
tenths miles east of Brenham, on U.S. High-
way 290, is marker to City of Brenham, estab-
lished 1844. In Brenham is D. C. Giddings
home, now the Sons of Hermann Hall; built
1867; on Highway 290. B. Eldridge Jr. home
on Main two blocks from business district.
Other interesting homes are Elijah Penning-
ton house, N. E. Connell home, E. C. Abbott
home, F. W. Schuerenberg home, Schleider
home, Graber home. At Chappell Hill oldJohn Smith house, restored; built 1855. Other
noteworthy homes near Chappell Hill are
Stagecoach house, built 1852; Browning home,
1858; Routt home, built 1846; Thomas Inn,
Camp Waul, Confederate Army camp, seven
miles from Brenham. No trace today. At In-
dependence is site of Blue House, built 1843;
Clark house, about 1850; Houston-Lea house,
about 1850; 0. A. Seward house and Samuel
Seward house, both about 1850; Toalson
house, about 1850. At Washington is site of
Anson Jones house, built early 1800s and
Brown house, about 1850.
WEBB: Monument at Laredo marks the
original site of Villa de San Augustin de La-
redo, founded by Tomas Sanchez, May 15,
1755, a part of the colonization scheme of
Escandon. Fort Mcintosh was founded as a
Spanish presidio in 1757. Established by the
United States Army as Camp Crawford March
3, 1849. The name was changed shortly after-
ward to Fort McIntosh. Abandoned in 1858;
reoccupied 1859; new fort one-half mile south
of old fort. Present fort completed in 1880,
declared surplus by U.S. Army in 1947 and
sold to City of Laredo for junior college. Fine
examples of "Laredo" style houses found at
Laredo: Capitol of Republic of Rio Grande,
across from San Augustin (Martin's) Plaza,
in Laredo, and El Carmen, rancho home of
Cortinas, seven miles north of Brownsville in
Cameron County, best examples. On Casa
Blanca Club grounds, Laredo, site of battle-
field where Erastus (Deaf) Smith had en-
counter with superior force of Mexican caval-
ry from Laredo garrison. Twenty-five miles
south of Laredo on U.S. Highway 83 is site of
Mission Dolores a Visita, established 1750 as
part of Jose de Escandon's project to settle
region.
WHARTON: At Pierce is home of Shang-
hai Pierce, early cattle king. Near Wharton
is site of home of Robert McAlpin Williamson,
editor Texas Gazette and Mexican Citizen,
pioneer Texas newspapers.
WHEELER: Old Mobeetie, near Mobeetie,
was principal trading point in eastern part of
Panhandle for many years after Its founding
in June, 1875, after Indians driven from this
area by Battle of Adobe Walls in 1874. Orig-
inally named Sweetwater; name changed to
Mobeetie when application for post office
made, because Sweetwater already existed
as post office. Near Mobeetie is site of Fort
Elliott, established June 5, 1875, named for
Maj. Joel H. Elliott; one of the last posts
established in Texas as protection against the
Indians. Post abandoned in 1889 and buildings
sold at auction in 1900.
WICHITA: "Smallest tallest" skyscraper
in world, 9x16 feet, 4 stories high, erected
during 1919 oil boom on LaSalle Street, signi-
fies transition from West Texas trading town
to metropolis in Northwest Texas. On China
Creek near Red River in Northwest Wichita
County is old headquarters structure of Wag-
goner Ranch before it moved to Wilbarger
County.
WILBARGER: Twenty miles north of Ver-
non on U.S. Highway 283, there is a bridge at
Doan's Crossing on the Red River, used by
herds on the Western or Dodge Trail, 1876-
1895. Six million cattle and horses passed
over Doan's Crossing. Cedar Bluff, located
near Doan's Crossing, faces toward old Co-
manche-Kiowa Indian Reservation in Okla-
homa; summit of bluff used as gathering
place by early Indian tribes. Ethel's Point,
prominence jutting out from rim of Cedar
Bluff, shows signs of fire and other ritualistic
use by primitive races. The community of
Harrold, 25 miles east of Vernon, was once
site of Ranger-outlaw warfare in 1880s.
WILLACY: Near Raymondville is La Sal
Vieja, saline lake which has been source of
salt since beginning of Texas history. This
and nearby salt lake in Hidalgo County,
known as Sal del Rey, supplied salt since
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Texas Almanac, 1964-1965, book, 1963; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth113807/m1/93/?q=hardscramble: accessed May 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.