Bastrop, Texas

Everything Bastrop is known for

9 songs mention this city 1 artist from here

RoadyGoat plays music like this when you drive through Bastrop. It's free on iPhone, and full songs play through Apple Music.

Music in Bastrop

Songs About Bastrop

Down to Bastrop

Bo Ramsey

90%

"I think I'll go down to Bastrop"

Bastrop

Sunny Nights

90%

"Pushin' dirt in Bastrop"

Bastrop

Starlings, TN

90%

"Title track"

Bastrop Pines

Golden Bear

82%

"Bastrop Pines"

Sunshine on Bastrop

Bayou City Swing

81%

"Sunshine on Bastrop"

Bastrop Blues

Tidewater Troubadours

79%

"Bastrop Blues"

Where Even Angels Fear to Fly

Cody Jinks

54%

"Bastrop, you don't grow up, you just get raised"

Bastrop

Flat Lincoln

50%

I’ve Been Everywhere...In Texas

Brian Burns

"Bastrop"

Artists From Bastrop

Lowland Revelry

rock

Rivers & Roads in Song near Bastrop

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Bastrop.

Texas State Highway 71 2 songs Texas Colorado River 6 songs Interstate 35 45 songs US Route 90 9 songs Interstate 10 36 songs Blanco River 4 songs

History of Bastrop

Bastrop Had to Begin Again After 1836 RoadyGoat

1834

Bastrop is one of those rare towns that effectively had to start over. A couple of years after it was founded, the settlement was renamed Mina, in honor of Francisco Xavier Mina, a Spanish-born soldier who had fought and died for Mexican independence. When the Texas Revolution broke out, the people of Mina were in it early, forming a local committee of safety, and Bastrop men fought at both the Alamo and San Jacinto. Then, in 1836, as Santa Anna's army pushed across Texas, families here joined the great panic eastward known as the Runaway Scrape, abandoning their homes and running for safety. When they finally came back, they found the town completely destroyed. They did not give up. They rebuilt, and in 1837 the Republic of Texas restored the old name, Bastrop. So this is not simply an old town. It is a town that was wiped off the map and then willed back into existence. (Source: Texas State Historical Association.)

Texas's First Licensed Woman Engineer Was From Here RoadyGoat

1938

Right here in Bastrop is the hometown of a quiet pioneer named Leah Moncure. In 1938 she became the first woman in Texas to hold a professional engineering license, a credential that for years carried her name almost alone on the state's roster of engineers. She was not a figurehead, either. She spent thirty-two years with the Texas Highway Department, doing the real work of building a state: research, planning the right-of-way for new roads, and road design itself, in an era when engineering was treated as a closed door for women. Her longtime home still stands on Main Street, and a Texas historical marker now tells her story to anyone who walks past. Every time you drive a smooth Texas highway, you are in part driving on the kind of careful engineering work she helped make ordinary. (Sources: Texas Department of Transportation; Texas Historical Commission.)

Bastrop Is Named for a Fake Baron RoadyGoat

1793

Bastrop is named for a European nobleman who was neither a nobleman nor originally named Bastrop. The man who called himself the Baron de Bastrop was really Philip Hendrik Nering Bogel, a Dutch tax collector born far away in Dutch Guiana. In 1793 he was accused of embezzling tax money back in the Netherlands, and with a reward posted for his capture, he fled, reinvented himself as Felipe Enrique Neri, and began presenting himself as a Dutch baron. He was, in plain terms, a wanted man wearing a fake title. And yet, here is the twist: the impostor turned out to genuinely matter. It was his intervention that helped Moses Austin win approval for the first Anglo colony in Texas, and he later issued land titles to Stephen F. Austin's settlers and served in the legislature of Coahuila and Texas. The town and county were named in his honor. So Bastrop carries the name of a tax-fraud fugitive who talked his way into becoming one of the most useful men in early Texas. (Source: Texas State Historical Association.)

The Gas Station

1974

The Gas Station, located on State Highway 304 in Bastrop, Texas, is a barbecue restaurant and horror movie tourist attraction site. The location is best-known for its appearance in the 1974 film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre . The Gas Station was established in 1960 and initially operated as a local gas station south of Bastrop. The location was featured in several scenes of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in 1974, but the building was eventually abandoned and fell into disrepair through the years. In 2014 the property was purchased by Roy and Lisa Rose, who moved from Ohio to Bastrop to restore the structure. The Rose family were fans of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise (the franchise and subsequent movie sequels spelled "chainsaw" as one word) and its filmmaker Tobe Hooper , who hailed from Austin, Texas. In 2016 the restoration project for The Gas Station reached its conclusion, and the owners procured various 1970s items, including an antique gas tank and Coca-Cola machine, to replicate those seen in the movie. It retained its original overhang signage: "We Slaughter Barbecue." The Gas Station was publicly unveiled in 2016 during an opening ceremony attended by actors Edwin Neal and Ed Guinn who appeared in the 1974 movie. Neal is known for his portrayal of the hitchhiker character, while Guinn is recognized for his role as a truck driver. In 2022 the owners were sued for copyright infringement by Vortex, Inc., holders of copyright for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, for the sale of a number of items without a licensing agreement. As of 2024 The Gas Station operated as a pit-stop barbecue restaurant and included a motel, multiple campsites, and a gift shop. The business (also referred to as the Last Chance Gas Station) is a popular tourist attraction in Bastrop County, and many fans of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise visit The Gas Station every year.

Tsha Handbook →

Bastrop - The Lost Pines

1832

Bastrop is surrounded by the Lost Pines, an isolated stand of loblolly pines separated from the East Texas pine belt by about 100 miles. The 2011 wildfire devastated the area.

Bunton, John Wheeler

1835

John Wheeler Bunton, patriot and statesman, son of Joseph Robert and Phoebe (Desha) Bunton, was born in Sumner County, Tennessee, on February 22, 1807. He was educated at Princeton College, Kentucky, and studied law in Gallatin, Tennessee. He arrived in Texas in 1833 and settled first in Austin's colony in San Felipe; soon thereafter he moved to Mina (Bastrop), where, on May 17, 1835, he was elected secretary of the local committee of safety. Such committees, newly organized for protection against the Indians, became the first step toward Texas independence. Bunton represented Mina at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos, signed the Texas Declaration of Independence , and was a member of the committee to draft the constitution of the new republic. Bunton was first sergeant of Robert M. Coleman 's company of Mina Volunteers. For the siege of Bexar on December 5–10, 1835, he was transferred to Capt. John York 's company. After being honorably discharged, he rejoined the army, on March 28, 1836. At the battle of San Jacinto he served on the staff of Gen. Sam Houston in Capt. Jesse Billingsley 's company of Mina Volunteers. Afterward, Bunton returned to his home, and from October 3 to December 21, 1836, he represented Bastrop County in the House of Representatives of the First Congress of the Republic of Texas. In the spring of 1836 Bunton returned to Gallatin, Tennessee, and married his sweetheart, Mary Howell. In April the Buntons, accompanied by 140 friends and slaves, left for Texas. At New Orleans they boarded the Julius Caesar carrying a cargo valued at $30,000. Near the Texas coast on April 12 the vessel was captured by Mexicans and taken to Matamoros, where all of the passengers were imprisoned for three months. After release, the Buntons and other passengers returned to Tennessee. Bunton soon headed another group that traveled by boat and entered Texas at Indianola on Matagorda Bay. While residing in Austin County, he was elected to the House of Representatives of the Third Congress. He is credited for the bill that established the Texas Rangers , the bill providing postal service, and the bill outlining the judiciary system. In 1840 he settled on a farm on Cedar Creek in Bastrop County, where he resided for seventeen years. In 1857 he moved to Mountain City, where he engaged in the cattle business. Bunton originated the famous Turkey Foot brand, which was registered in Hays County. He joined the First Christian Church at Lockhart and was baptized in Walnut Creek in Caldwell County. He was a very tall man, and family members said it was necessary to dam the creek to get sufficient water to immerse him. He was a member of the Texas Veterans Association and a charter member of the Philosophical Society of Texas . The Buntons had five sons and a daughter. On September 16, 1862, Mary Bunton died. Bunton was married again on July 26, 1865, in Bastrop County to Hermine C. Duval. He died at his home on August 24, 1879, and was buried in the Robinson Cemetery beside his first wife. In recognition of his patriotic services in behalf of Texas, on Texas Independence Day, March 2, 1932, the remains of John Wheeler and Mary Howell Bunton were moved and reinterred in the State Cemetery in Austin under the auspices of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas .

Tsha Handbook →

Davis, Robert Earl, Jr. [DJ Screw]

1971

Rapper, disc jockey, and producer Robert Earl Davis Jr., known as DJ Screw, was born in Bastrop, Texas, on July 20, 1971, the son of Robert Earl and M. Deary Davis. His popularity was based largely on the unique style of music he performed, which was known as "screwed" or "screwed down" music, because it involved slowing the tempo of songs to half their normal speed or less. His nickname grew out of his practice of taking two records and "screwing" them together, using this method of changing the music's tempo. He was considered a pioneer in Houston's burgeoning rap scene, and a number of his musical associates went on to achieve their own notable success. As a child Davis lived in Smithville, Texas, and Los Angeles, California. At the age of five he began collecting records. By the age of ten, when he moved to Houston to stay with his truck-driver father, Davis dropped out of school to concentrate on music. He began his career as a disc jockey in 1989. He often stayed up until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning working on tapes for which he skillfully gathered a handful of local artists and had them perform. DJ Screw made a major breakthrough in the music scene in 1993 with his album All Screwed Up! . Among his best sellers were June 27th , Hellraiser , Plots and Schemes , and The Final Chapter . Other albums included three volumes of 3'N the Mornin , and No Work, No Play . In 1996 he opened the Screwed Up Record and Tapes store and record label in Houston. He also organized the Screwed Up Click, a crew of local rappers who provided him with rhymes to complement his beats. He died of a drug overdose in the restroom of his Houston recording studio on November 16, 2000, just as the Bayou City was becoming nationally recognized as a mecca for Southern rap. After DJ Screw's death, his father Robert Earl Davis, Sr., founded the DJ Screw Foundation to honor and carry on his son's musical legacy. In 2006 DJ Screw: The Untold Story , a CD/DVD on the rap artist, was released by Double Platinum Entertainment. The first annual DJ Screwfest, held in Pasadena, Texas, in July of that year, celebrated the rapper's music and hosted popular rap performers and a car show. M. D. Anderson Library at the University of Houston hosted an exhibit, DJ Screw and the Rise of Houston Hip Hop , in 2012.

Tsha Handbook →

Bastrop, Baron de, Monument

1821

Erected in recognition of the distinguished service to Texas of Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop, 1770-1829. Pioneer Red River empresario, land commissioner of Austin's colony, member of the Congress of Coahuila and Texas. Through his aid, Moses Austin secured from the Spanish government in 1821, the first contract for the Anglo-American colonization of Texas. In his honor, the name of this town and that of this county, a part of Austin's 1821 grant, known as the municipality of Mina in 1834 and the County of Mina after March 17, 1836, was changed on December 18, 1837 to Bastrop. Let this name bring to mind the friend and advocate of the pioneer in a foreign land.

Historical Marker →

Leah Moncure, P.E.

1904

(June 7, 1904 - January 17, 1972)
 As the Texas Highway Department's first female engineer, Leah Moncure, P.E., broke barriers at a time when the engineering field was dominated by men. Leah was born in Bastrop to Cassius Lee (C.L.) Moncure, a Bastrop County Surveyor and a civil engineer, and Hattie Nuckols Moncure. The family moved into a house on Main Street in 1911. At an early age, Leah showed an interest in the surveying profession and became familiar with tools, materials and methods, often acting as a draftsman for her father. Early on, doctors predicted that Leah would not grow into adulthood as she was born with a congenital heart defect. However, Leah persevered. She graduated in 1925 from Baylor University with high honors and a double major in mathematics and education. As she looked for an engineering opportunity, she found her options limited. Moncure taught in Houston for a year before working for a consulting firm.
 Realizing that she needed a degree in civil engineering to pursue the career of her dreams, Leah enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), School of Engineering and graduated in 1937. On April 22, 1938, Leah Moncure became Engineer No. 2250, the state's first woman to register as a professional engineer and the only licensed female for a number of years. Moncure also became the first female life member of the National Society of Professional Engineers. Moncure worked for the Texas Highway Department for 32 years, specializing in research, right-of-way, and road design in east Texas and Austin. Leah retired in 1964 and moved back to her childhood home on Main Street. In 1965, a scholarship for female engineering students at UT Austin was established in her name. Moncure died in 1972 and is buried in Bastrop's Fairview Cemetery. (2020)

Historical Marker →

Things to Do in Bastrop

historical 0.1 mi away

The Man Who Survived His Own Scalping

In 1833 Josiah Wilbarger was scouting near Bastrop when Comanches attacked his party with arrows and bullets. They left him for dead after taking his scalp.…

quirky 0.1 mi away

The Con Man Who Named a Town

Bastrop's namesake Baron de Bastrop was no baron at all. He was a Dutch commoner named Philip Hendrik Nering Bogel wanted for embezzlement in the Netherlands.…

quirky 1.7 mi away

The Forest That Shouldn't Exist

The Lost Pines of Bastrop are a thirteen-mile stretch of loblolly pines growing over a hundred miles west of the East Texas forests they genetically match.…

historical 6.2 mi away

The Fire That Nearly Took the Lost Pines

On September 4 2011 strong winds from a nearby tropical storm snapped trees onto power lines east of Bastrop. Three separate fires merged into the most…

quirky 0.1 mi away

The Endangered Toad Nobody Expected

The Houston toad doesn't live in Houston anymore. Its last major stronghold is the Lost Pines forest around Bastrop where it burrows into sandy soil and sings…

historical 0.1 mi away

The First Shot of the Revolution

The first man to fire a shot in the Texas Revolution came from Bastrop. So did the first soldier killed in the fight for independence. Three signers of the…

historical 0.1 mi away

The Town the Mexican Army Erased

In 1836 the Mexican army swept through Bastrop and razed the entire settlement to the ground. Every building every fence every sign of Anglo colonization was…

food 17.1 mi away

Southside Market & Barbeque

Elgin's BBQ originator, established 1882 by William Moon, who slaughtered animals on FM 1704 and sold meat door-to-door by wagon. Now on US 290 — sausage…

day trip

Day Trip to Bastrop 🚣🏻 (FULL EPISODE) S1 E2

Featured on The Daytripper — a full-episode local travel guide.

Everything Near Bastrop

346 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the nearest 200 are listed here — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

Bastrop Had to Begin Again After 1836
Bastrop is one of those rare towns that effectively had to start over. A couple of years after it was founded, the settlement was renamed Mina, in honor of Francisco Xavier Mina, a Spanish-born soldier who had fought…
Bastrop - The Lost Pines · Historical Marker
Bastrop is surrounded by the Lost Pines, an isolated stand of loblolly pines separated from the East Texas pine belt by about 100 miles. The 2011 wildfire devastated the area.
Abram Wiley Hill · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site where Abram Wiley Hill lived, a true Texas hero. He fought in the decisive Battle of San Jacinto in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1836</say-as>, helping to win Texas independence.…
Martin Walker · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site where Martin Walker once stood. He was a volunteer who fought bravely for Texas independence. Walker was part of the Star and Wreath, a group of Mina volunteers who answered the call to…
The Con Man Who Named a Town · 0.1 mi · Things to Do
Bastrop's namesake Baron de Bastrop was no baron at all. He was a Dutch commoner named Philip Hendrik Nering Bogel wanted for embezzlement in the Netherlands.…
The Man Who Survived His Own Scalping · 0.1 mi · Things to Do
In 1833 Josiah Wilbarger was scouting near Bastrop when Comanches attacked his party with arrows and bullets. They left him for dead after taking his scalp.…
Texas's First Licensed Woman Engineer Was From Here · 0.1 mi
Right here in Bastrop is the hometown of a quiet pioneer named Leah Moncure. In 1938 she became the first woman in Texas to hold a professional engineering license, a credential that for years carried her name almost…
The First Shot of the Revolution · 0.1 mi · Things to Do
The first man to fire a shot in the Texas Revolution came from Bastrop. So did the first soldier killed in the fight for independence. Three signers of the…
The Town the Mexican Army Erased · 0.1 mi · Things to Do
In 1836 the Mexican army swept through Bastrop and razed the entire settlement to the ground. Every building every fence every sign of Anglo colonization was…
The Endangered Toad Nobody Expected · 0.1 mi · Things to Do
The Houston toad doesn't live in Houston anymore. Its last major stronghold is the Lost Pines forest around Bastrop where it burrows into sandy soil and sings…
Mina - Bastrop Pioneers Home · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Mina - Bastrop Pioneers Home, built between 1836 and 1837 on land originally granted in 1835. This structure later became the home of two veterans who fought in the pivotal Battle of San Jacinto:…
Thomas H. Mays · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Bastrop, where Thomas H. Mays arrived in 1830. He helped plat the town's streets in 1834, then fought and was wounded in the leg at the Battle of San Jacinto two years later. Mays went on to serve…

Show all 200 nearby places

Two Thousand Years Before the Baron · 0.1 mi · Things to Do
Long before a Dutch con man gave Bastrop its name the Tonkawa people lived among the Lost Pines for thousands of years. When the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines…
Wallace - Holme House · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Wallace-Holme House, built around 1840. It took on its basic look by 1887, with that cool wraparound porch added around 1900. Notable residents included a Texas Ranger and a brick mason who…
Kleinert - Hoppe House · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Kleinert-Hoppe House, a beautiful example of Victorian architecture right here in Bastrop. Built between 1887 and 1890 for German immigrants Charles and Maria Kleinert, it was bought by fellow…
Jung - Pearcy House · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Jung-Pearcy House in Bastrop, built back in 1873 by Joe Jung. He was a Bohemian-Austrian-American, and you can still see the sun-dried brick in the original two rooms of this home. The Pearcy…
The Gas Station · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
The Gas Station, located on State Highway 304 in Bastrop, Texas, is a barbecue restaurant and horror movie tourist attraction site. The location is best-known for its appearance in the 1974 film The Texas Chain Saw…
Bastrop Is Named for a Fake Baron · 0.2 mi
Bastrop is named for a European nobleman who was neither a nobleman nor originally named Bastrop. The man who called himself the Baron de Bastrop was really Philip Hendrik Nering Bogel, a Dutch tax collector born far…
Bunton, John Wheeler · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
John Wheeler Bunton, patriot and statesman, son of Joseph Robert and Phoebe (Desha) Bunton, was born in Sumner County, Tennessee, on February 22, 1807. He was educated at Princeton College, Kentucky, and studied law in…
Davis, Robert Earl, Jr. [DJ Screw] · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
Rapper, disc jockey, and producer Robert Earl Davis Jr., known as DJ Screw, was born in Bastrop, Texas, on July 20, 1971, the son of Robert Earl and M. Deary Davis. His popularity was based largely on the unique style…
Bastrop, Baron de, Monument · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker
Erected in recognition of the distinguished service to Texas of Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop, 1770-1829. Pioneer Red River empresario, land commissioner of Austin's colony, member of the Congress of Coahuila…
Gazley, Thomas Jefferson · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what is now Bastrop County, and you're passing through the footsteps of a Texas signer. Thomas Jefferson Gazley, a doctor by trade, arrived in Texas in 1828. He quickly got involved in the brewing…
Perry, Cicero Rufus · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Central Texas, a land shaped by tough characters and tough times. Right here, you might be near the path of Cicero Rufus Perry, better known as 'Old Rufe.' Born in Alabama in 1823, Perry came to…
Sims, Bartlett Samuel · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, an area that Bartlett Sims helped shape. Born in Tennessee around 1792, Sims arrived in Texas as part of Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred colonists. He wasn't just a settler;…
Thompson, Calvin [Cal] · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, Texas, where in 1890, a respected Black landowner named Calvin Thompson was murdered. Thompson had amassed 500 acres and was considered a leader in the Cedar Creek community. But…
Wilbarger, Josiah Pugh · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Central Texas, not far from Bastrop. Back in 1833, Josiah Wilbarger was part of a surveying crew attacked by Comanche warriors near Pecan Springs. He was scalped, but incredibly, he survived the…
Williams, Roosevelt Thomas [Grey Ghost] · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, Texas, the birthplace of Roosevelt Thomas Williams, better known as the "Grey Ghost." Born in 1903, this barrelhouse piano player and songwriter absorbed the diverse musical melting pot…
Bastrop - Where the Camino Crossed the Colorado · 0.2 mi · National Historic Trail
Every river along the Camino Real had one good place to cross, one stretch where the bank was low enough for wagons and the bottom was firm enough for cattle, and Bastrop is the place where the Camino Real crossed the…
Burleson, Captain James · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the marker for Captain James Burleson, a man who served in two major American wars. He was chosen as commissary by General Andrew Jackson himself for the War of 1812, fighting in the famous Battle of…
Home Town of Texas Confederate Major Joseph D. Sayers · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the hometown of Joseph D. Sayers, a man who went from private to governor. He enlisted right here in Bastrop as a private in 1861. By age 20, he was a captain, earning his rank for gallantry in the…
Bastrop, Texas · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, a town with a name that sounds like it belongs in Europe. But this place has deep Texas roots, tied to Stephen F. Austin himself. In 1827, Austin wanted to establish a 'Little Colony' and…
Bell, Paul Carlyle · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, Texas, and right here is where Reverend Paul Carlyle Bell founded the Mexican Baptist Institute in 1926. Starting with just one student, this industrial school aimed to provide…
Burleson, James, Sr. · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what is now Bastrop County, Texas, and right here is where a true pioneer soldier drew his last breath. James Burleson, a leader in Austin's Little Colony, had a life filled with conflict, serving…
Cunningham, Leander Calvin · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, a town that was once called Mina. Right here, in 1833, Leander Calvin Cunningham arrived, becoming the very first lawyer in this frontier community. He quickly got involved in the growing…
Curtis, James, Sr. · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what is now Burleson County, Texas, but back in the <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1820s</say-as>, this was the frontier. James Curtis, Sr., one of Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred,…
Day, William H. · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what was once wild country, and right here in Coleman County, William H. Day learned the harsh realities of the cattle business. In 1860, on his very first cattle drive, his father drowned. Day…
Gilleland, James · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what's now Bastrop County, and right here, in 1835, James Gilleland defied Mexican law. He organized the very first Methodist congregation in Austin's Little Colony. Imagine him, a lay preacher,…
Gray, Daniel · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, Texas, a land that saw its share of frontier drama. Daniel Gray, a farmer and soldier from Tennessee, arrived here in 1831 with his wife and seven children, drawn by Robertson's…
Jenkins, John Holland · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, and right here, you're passing through the stomping grounds of John Holland Jenkins. Born in Alabama in 1822, his family moved to Texas when he was just six years old. By thirteen, he was…
Jones, George Washington · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, a town that played a key role in the tumultuous post-Civil War era. Right here, George Washington Jones, a local politician and lawyer, was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1866. He was a…
Litton, John · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through a landscape that John Litton knew well. He arrived in Texas around 1827, drawn to Stephen F. Austin's colony. During the Texas Revolution, Litton fought against Santa Anna and his wife, Sarah,…
Magill, William Harrison · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through the heart of Texas history, and right here, in what was once Mexican Texas, you're passing through the area where William Harrison Magill first tried to set up shop. He arrived in 1834, intending…
McGehee, Thomas Gilmer · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving near Bastrop, a place that owes its start to a daring voyage. In 1833, Thomas Gilmer McGehee and his brother sailed a schooner loaded with lumber all the way from Florida to the mouth of the Brazos River.…
Salinas, Porfirio, Jr. · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Central Texas, maybe you've seen them already - those vibrant fields of bluebonnets. Right here, in Bastrop, Texas, Porfirio Salinas Jr. was born in 1910, and he dedicated his life to capturing…
Sayers, Joseph Draper · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, Texas, the hometown of Joseph Draper Sayers. He came here as a boy and attended the Bastrop Military Institute. When the Civil War broke out, Sayers enlisted and rose to the rank of Major…
Stone, Samuel Theophilus · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, and right here is where Samuel Stone, a veteran of the War of 1812, settled after moving to Texas in 1839. He built what's said to be the first ferry boat on the Colorado River. But his…
Wolfenberger, Samuel · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, not far from where Samuel Wolfenberger built his life. He arrived here in 1831, a skilled wheelwright from Missouri, and quickly became a key figure in early Texas. Wolfenberger…
Hall, Constant Kirkland · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, a town that was once a hub for one of the largest stagecoach empires in Texas. Constant Kirtland Hall, a merchant who settled here around 1850, was a key partner in the firm Sawyer,…
Old Iron Bridge · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, and right here is the Old Iron Bridge. It was built in 1923, a Parker steel-truss style bridge that was among the largest in Texas at the time. But this spot has been a crossing for…
The Paper That Never Stopped Printing · 0.2 mi · Things to Do
The Bastrop Advertiser published its first edition on March 1 1853 and has not missed a week since. That makes it the oldest continuously published weekly…
Tannehill, Jesse Cornelius · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
Jesse Cornelius Tannehill, early settler, was born in Kentucky on December 30, 1797. He was married to Jane Richardson in 1823 near Nashville, Tennessee. They came to Texas with their two children in 1828 and settled…
Bastrop County Jail · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Bastrop County Jail, a building that stood guard over this town for over eighty years. Designed by Houston architect Eugene T. Heiner, this sturdy structure was built between 1891 and 1892.…
The Bastrop Advertiser · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Bastrop, where a local newspaper has been a constant voice for over a century. Back in 1852, the Colorado Reveille newspaper folded. But don't worry, Bastrop wouldn't be silent for long. A young…
Bastrop County · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, a place with roots stretching back centuries. Right here, in 1804, Spanish governor Manuel Antonio Cordero y Bustamante established a fort at a key crossing of the Colorado River.…
Davis, Nicholas A. · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, Texas, where Presbyterian minister Nicholas A. Davis settled with his family in 1857. But when the Civil War broke out, Davis headed east, not as a soldier, but as a chaplain for John B.…
Garwood, Calvin Baxter · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving past Bastrop, the birthplace of Calvin Baxter Garwood. Born in 1894, Garwood wasn't just a lawyer; he was a decorated military man. He served in the Texas National Guard for thirty years, seeing action in…
Higgins, Jacob C. · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, a town with roots stretching back to the Republic of Texas. Right here, in the Lost Pines Forest, Jacob C. Higgins, a businessman who arrived in Texas in 1840, partnered with Abner Cook…
Highsmith, Malcijah Benjamin · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what is now Brazoria County, but back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1827</say-as>, this was frontier territory. Malcijah Benjamin Highsmith was born right here, the son of refugees…
Kerr, Robert A. · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, Texas, a town that was home to Robert A. Kerr, a remarkable political and civic leader. Born likely in December 1842 in New Orleans, Kerr's early life was marked by resilience. He moved…
Mabry, Evans · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, and right here, Dr. Evans Mabry practiced medicine and ran the City Hotel. He first came to Texas in 1838, settling in Washington-on-the-Brazos before moving to Bastrop. Mabry…
Manlove, James Bartholomew · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, Texas, a place that was home to James Bartholomew Manlove. He arrived here in 1832 with a passport from Kentucky and quickly became a key figure. Manlove served as the mayor of…
McGinnis, Noble L. · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, Texas, the place Noble L. McGinnis called home before he answered the call to war. When the Civil War broke out, McGinnis, a local farmer, raised and captained an infantry company.…
Baptized in the Colorado River · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, and right here on Church Street stands a building with a story reaching back to the mid-1800s. The Bastrop Christian Church, as we know it today, was built in 1895, but its roots go…
Bastrop Christian Church · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
The Bastrop Christian Church is a Protestant Christian congregation located at 1106 Church Street in Bastrop, Texas. The church building, constructed in 1895, features New England Victorian architectural design and is…
Allen, Robert Dickinson · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, and right here is where a father and son played key roles in the Civil War. General Robert Thomas Pritchett Allen recruited the Seventeenth Texas Infantry Regiment in Bastrop in…
Batts, Robert Lynn · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, the birthplace of Robert Lynn Batts. Batts was a lawyer, a judge, and a University of Texas regent. He graduated from UT's law school in 1886, and even edited the university's very first…
Bryson, James Gordon · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, Texas, where Dr. James Gordon Bryson practiced medicine for thirty-seven years. He wasn't just a doctor; after retiring, he returned to the University of Texas at seventy-two years old to…
Garwood, Hiram Morgan · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop, the birthplace of Hiram Morgan Garwood. Born here in 1864, Garwood became a prominent lawyer and judge. He served in the Texas House and Senate, and later as Bastrop County Judge. In…
Mina Municipality · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what was once a vast territory known as the Mina Municipality. Back in 1826, Stephen F. Austin established this district, possibly naming it after a Spanish military leader. By 1834, the…
Morgan, Hiram S. · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what was once Confederate territory, and right here is where Captain Hiram S. Morgan of the Eighteenth Texas Cavalry enlisted in Dallas back in 1862. He rose to Major by 1863 and fought in the…
Price, Robert James · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, Texas, where Robert James Price made his home. He wasn't just a farmer; Price served in the Texas Legislature from 1874 to 1876. He represented Bastrop and Fayette counties in the…
Wells, Martin, Jr. · 0.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, Texas, and right here is the area once known as Wells' Prairie. This land was settled in 1829 by Martin Wells, Jr., who moved his family from Alabama to join Stephen F. Austin's…
The Opera House That Outlasted Everything · 0.3 mi · Things to Do
The Bastrop Opera House opened in 1889 in a town that had already been burned by armies fires and time. While other frontier opera houses crumbled into memory…
Bastrop Academy Bell, Old · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Bastrop, and right here is the old Bastrop Academy Bell. Cast way back in 1850, this bell actually made its way to Texas by a steamboat called the 'Water Mockasin' in 1851, thanks to the…
Bastrop Methodist Church · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the historic Bastrop Methodist Church. Back in 1835, lay preacher James Gilleland formed the nucleus of this congregation. This was a bold move, as Mexican laws at the time outlawed Protestant…
Bastrop Opera House · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Bastrop Opera House, a building that's been bringing culture to this town since 1889. Built by D.S. Green and P.O. Elzner, it quickly became the heart of local entertainment. Imagine traveling…
Burger Home · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Burger Home in Bastrop, a beautiful example of Greek Revival architecture. Richard Burger, a German immigrant who fought with Terry's Texas Rangers, bought this house right after it was built in…
Cornelson-Fehr House, Old · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Old Cornelson-Fehr House, a building that started life as a simple frame cabin back in 1850. John Cornelson was the first owner. Then, after 1854, Joe Fehr took over and expanded the home, using…
Elzner, P. O., House · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Elzner House, a Victorian gem right here in Bastrop. This home was built by P. O. Elzner, a German immigrant who arrived in Texas back in 1858. He bought this property in 1878, and look at this…
First National Bank of Bastrop · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Bastrop, and right here, you're passing the site of the very first bank in Bastrop County. Before this place opened its doors, folks had to trust their money to general stores. It started as the…
Jenkins, Hartford, Home · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the former home of Hartford Jenkins, a man who wore many hats in Bastrop County. Built in 1906 by J. P. Fowler, Jr., this house was purchased in 1912 by Hartford and Beulah Alice Jenkins. Hartford…
Kesselus Building · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're cruising through Bastrop, and right here stands the Kesselus Building. Originally a tailor shop, this brick structure went up in 1891, replacing an older wooden building. It was built by William Kesselus, who…
Kleinert Building · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through historic Bastrop, and right here is the Kleinert Building. Carl and Marie Kleinert, Prussian immigrants, settled here in the 1860s. Carl opened this grocery and mercantile in 1868. It's seen a lot…
Dr. Sayers' Office · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Dr. David Sayers' office, right here in Bastrop. This building, constructed around 1855, has seen a lot of history. It was built from local brick and the famous "lost pines" wood. Dr.…
Klockman - Elzner Home · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Klockman-Elzner Home in Bastrop. Henry Klockman, a blacksmith, and his wife bought this land and built this house around 1895. After Klockman's death, his widow kept the family afloat by taking…
First Baptist Church of Bastrop · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Bastrop, and right here is the site of the First Baptist Church's original home. It all started back on August 3rd, 1850, when Elder G. G. Baggerly organized the Missionary Baptist Church of…
The SEAL on the Bastrop River Bridge · 0.4 mi
The bridge that carries Loop One Fifty across the Colorado River in Bastrop is the Chief Petty Officer Stephen Matt Mills Bridge. Matt Mills grew up in Arlington, and his parents lived here in Bastrop. He enlisted in…
Brooks-Wilbarger House · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Brooks-Wilbarger House. Alexander M. and Althea Brooks built this Greek Revival style home of native cedar and pine by 1851. James Harvey and Dorothy (Olive) Wilbarger acquired the property in 1865.…
Bastrop Christian Church · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Bastrop Christian Church, a place with roots stretching back to before 1857. Imagine this: the congregation first gathered in the local courthouse, then built a rock church right here in 1867.…
Brieger, Richard J. and Annie, House · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the former home of Richard and Annie Brieger, a beautiful example of late Victorian Queen Anne architecture, built around 1910. This house wasn't just a family home for the Briegers and their five…
Confederate Arms Factory, Site of · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're cruising past the site of a Confederate arms factory, right here in Bastrop. Back in 1862, N. B. Tanner set this place up to churn out guns and bayonets for the Confederacy. It kept humming along, making weapons,…
Hubbard - Trigg House · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Hubbard-Trigg House, built in 1890 by Robert W. Hubbard. Hubbard was a Confederate veteran who fought in the very last battle of the Civil War. Imagine that – the war winding down, and he's still…
Perkins, R. L., Home · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the boyhood home of Joseph L. Sayers, a man who would go on to represent Texas in the U.S. Congress and serve as governor from 1899 to 1903. This dog-trot style home was built before 1851, using…
White - Turner House · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the White-Turner House, a beautiful example of late 19th-century Victorian architecture right here in Bastrop. Built in 1890 for John and Martha White, it was known for its intricate Eastlake…
Leah Moncure, P.E. · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker
(June 7, 1904 - January 17, 1972)
 As the Texas Highway Department's first female engineer, Leah Moncure, P.E., broke barriers at a time when the engineering field was dominated by men. Leah was born in Bastrop…
Allen-Fowler House · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Allen-Fowler House, a place that's seen some serious Texas history. It started in 1851 as housing for the Bastrop Academy, with students boarding right here. Later, it became home to Colonel…
Bastrop Military Institute, Site of · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the Bastrop Military Institute. Chartered way back in 1852 as Bastrop Academy by the Methodists, it quickly grew. Just a few years later, in 1856, this school took on a decidedly military…
Primera Baptist Church · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Primera Baptist Church in Bastrop. Organized in 1903, this congregation was a true beacon for the Hispanic community. Led by Rev. Paul C. Bell, they didn't just build a church; they built…
H. P. Luckett House · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the H. P. Luckett House in Bastrop. This Queen Anne-style home, designed by Louis G. Mauer, was built for Dr. Humphrey Powell Luckett, an authority on yellow fever, and his wife Frances starting in…
Dunbar, William · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of William Dunbar's final resting place. Born in Tennessee in 1819, Dunbar was a participant in the Mier Expedition, a disastrous raid into Mexico in 1842. The expedition ended with capture…
B.D. Orgain House · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the B.D. Orgain House in Bastrop, built in 1888. Look for the intricate Victorian details, like the fishscale shingles on the outside. Inside, you'll find woodwork made from pine, cherry, mahogany,…
Crocheron-McDowall House · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Crocheron-McDowall House in Bastrop, a beautiful Greek Revival home built around 1857. It was the home of Henry Crocheron, a New York native who became a big deal in Bastrop business, involved in…
Jenkins House (Bastrop, Texas) · 0.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Stand near the Jenkins House and you're standing near the story of Sarah Jenkins, a woman whose life was marked by both tragedy and resilience. Sarah's first husband was killed by Native Americans. Then, she married…
Billingsley, Jesse · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what used to be Mina, Texas, a place that played a small but vital role in the Texas Revolution. Right here, Jesse Billingsley, a soldier, ranger, and legislator, commanded a company of Mina…
Coleman, Robert M. · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what is now Bastrop County, an area that was home to Robert M. Coleman, a key figure in early Texas history. He arrived in 1831 and quickly became involved in the fight for Texas independence.…
Sayers, Governor, House · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the home of Joseph D. Sayers, built in 1868 for his bride. Sayers was quite a Texan: a Confederate officer in the Civil War, a teacher, a lawyer, a state senator, lieutenant governor, and a U.S.…
Jenkins Home, Old · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Jenkins Home, Old. Built about 1836 for Sarah Jenkins, whose first husband was scalped by Indians, her second killed at the Alamo. Home to 7 generations. Its men were at Battle of San Jacinto, the…
Bell, H. N. (Man) · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the heart of Bastrop County, where H.N. Bell spent over two decades keeping the peace. Born in Arkansas, Bell began his law enforcement career in 1882, right in the middle of the infamous "wire…
Jenkins, John Holland · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the resting place of John Holland Jenkins, a young soldier who fought in the Texas War for Independence. He was part of the San Jacinto campaign, the decisive battle that secured Texas's freedom.…
Reding, Robert Love · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the birthplace of Robert Love Reding, a key player in the Texas Revolution. Born in Tennessee in 1810, Reding came to Texas and fought bravely. He was there for the capture of Goliad on October 9th,…
Taylor, Campbell · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of a Texas hero, Campbell Taylor. He was a volunteer who fought for Texas Independence at the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836. That was the decisive battle that secured Texas's freedom.…
Camp Swift · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving near Bastrop County, and right here is Camp Swift. Built in a lightning-fast four months back in 1942, this massive base covered over 55,000 acres and could house 44,000 troops! It was the largest army…
Elgin-Butler Brick Company · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, not far from Elgin, where a brick empire began by accident. Back in 1871, the railroad arrived, and an Irish immigrant named Michael Butler stumbled upon rich clay deposits while…
Fitzhugh, John T. P. · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Texas, maybe near Bastrop County, and you might be passing the legacy of John T. P. Fitzhugh. He came to Texas in 1835, just in time for the fight for independence. Fitzhugh wasn't just a doctor;…
Hardeman, Thomas Jones · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, the heart of Texas history. Right here, Thomas Jones Hardeman, a veteran of the War of 1812, fought under Andrew Jackson himself. He was captured by the British and wounded in the…
Lost Pines Forest · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Central Texas, right alongside what's known as the Lost Pines Forest. This isn't just any patch of trees; it's a unique pocket of loblolly pines, clinging to existence here at the very western…
Perryville, TX (Bastrop County) · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, near modern-day Elgin, and you might be passing right over the site of Perryville, also known as Hogeye. This community started as Young's Settlement in 1849, but its wilder name,…
Simmons, William Capers · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, heading towards San Jacinto, and you might just pass the land where William Capers Simmons once stood. Born in 1789, Simmons arrived in Texas in 1835, just in time to enlist in the…
Van Dyke, Wilson · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what is now Bastrop County, and right here is where Wilson Van Dyke came to Texas in 1837. He was a stock raiser, but he sure found himself in some fights. In 1842, he helped push back a Mexican…
Sanders, Mary Lavinia Griffith · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, the heart of Central Texas's Lost Pines region. Right here, you're passing near the Griffith League Ranch. This incredible piece of land has been in the same family since 1832,…
Jesse Halderman · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're cruising through Bastrop County, and right here is the marker for Jesse Halderman. He was a fighter for Texas independence! Halderman served in the Volunteer Army of Texas way back in 1835. The very next year, he…
Chambers, Margaret, Home · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Chambers, Margaret, Home. This Greek Revival residence was built in 1853 for Bartholomew Manlove (b. 1776), who was elected the first mayor of Bastrop two years later. In 1857, the property was sold…
Barrett, Don Carlos · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
Don Carlos Barrett, lawyer and legislator, was born on June 22, 1788, at Norwich, Vermont, the eldest son of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Murdock) Barrett. In 1810 at Natchez, Mississippi, he married Lucy Walton, also of…
Morgan, John Day · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
John Day Morgan, farmer and soldier, was born in London on May 15, 1819, the son of Thomas Frances and Sophia Elizabeth (Day) Morgan. He accompanied his family to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of eight, and…
Rockne, TX · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
Rockne, twelve miles southwest of Bastrop in southwestern Bastrop County, has its origins in German settlers such as the Lehman family who arrived around 1846. The original parish included the Meuth community but was…
St. Mary's Colony, TX · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
St. Mary's Colony, a black farming community, is located in the far western corner of Bastrop County, seventeen miles west of Bastrop on State Highway 21. The Doyle and Patton families founded the community shortly…
Fairview Cemetery · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Fairview Cemetery, a place that's been part of Bastrop history since the very beginning. The city itself was laid out right around 1830, and this twelve-acre burial ground overlooking the Colorado…
Ferrell, Stephen C · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what was once Bastrop County, a place that sent some tough men to fight in the Civil War. Right here, Stephen C. Ferrell was farming before he answered the call. He became the first captain of the…
Morgan, Charles Leroy · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
Right here in what is now Bastrop County, Texas, a young man named Charles Leroy Morgan was born in August of 1840. When the Civil War broke out, he joined Terry's Texas Rangers, serving in Tennessee. But Morgan wasn't…
Oak Hill, TX (Bastrop County) · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what used to be Oak Hill, Texas, a farming community that sprang up around 1849 on the Martin Walker land grant. It was a place where cotton and corn grew, and several churches shared a single…
Osborn, John Lyle · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what is now Bastrop County, and right here is where John Lyle Osborn built his home back in 1832. He was a soldier in the Texas Revolution, and his log house on Wilbarger Creek became a vital…
Stewart, Samuel · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, not far from the Colorado River. Back in 1823, Samuel Stewart and his family arrived here as part of Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred settlers. Sadly, both Samuel and his wife…
Pfeiffer Home · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Pfeiffer Home, built in 1901 by Joseph R. Pfeiffer for his new bride. Pfeiffer, a local builder and lumberman, wanted this house to be a showcase of his skills, using fine materials and…
Alum Creek, TX · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
Alum Creek is located where Highway 71 crosses Alum Creek about four miles southeast of Bastrop in central Bastrop County. It is one of the oldest communities in Bastrop County, having been settled about 1829 by seven…
Burleson, David Crockett · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
David Crockett Burleson, a member of the Texas Rangers and Civil War officer, the son of Sarah (Owen) and Edward Burleson, Sr. , was born on September 6, 1837, probably in Bastrop County, Texas. In 1848 the family…
Calvin, TX (Bastrop County) · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
Calvin is between State Highway 95 and Big Sandy Creek five miles north of Bastrop in north central Bastrop County. The town, named after Calvin Silliman, son of Calvin Coal Company founder W. C. Silliman, was…
Dunstan, TX · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
Dunstan, formerly known as Glenbelto and as Glenham, is just west of State Highway 95 near Big Sandy Creek and what was formerly the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad five miles north of Bastrop in north central…
Sayersville, TX · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
Sayersville (originally Sayers) is near the east bank of Big Sandy Creek a mile west of State Highway 95 and seven miles north of Bastrop in north central Bastrop County. In 1886 land developer William Elliott founded…
Miller, William G. · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, a place that was home to William G. Miller. Miller was a farmer, surveyor, and even served in the Alabama legislature before moving his family here in 1853. By 1860, he was a…
Moncure, John James · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what was once Bastrop County, Texas, a place that saw a unique moment in state history back in 1866. John James Moncure, a farmer and Confederate officer who'd survived battles like Mansfield and…
Campbell, Michael · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
Michael Campbell, participant in the battle of San Jacinto , arrived in Texas in January 1836, according to a headright certificate, and joined Capt. Jacob Snively 's company on a two-year enlistment. He later received…
Grassyville, TX · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
Grassyville, fourteen miles east of Bastrop in far eastern Bastrop County, was settled by German immigrants around 1856. They quickly formed a community and established a private school for their children. Early…
Hills Prairie, TX · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
Hills Prairie, four miles south of Bastrop in central Bastrop County, had its origins when Elisha Barton and Edward Jenkins settled in the area about 1830. In spring 1833 John Gilmer McGehee explored the prairie, and in…
Upton, TX · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
Upton, seven miles south of Bastrop in central Bastrop County, traces its origins to settler J. P. Young's arrival in the area in 1847. Young was soon joined by John and Tom Hancock and John Bright. The first community…
Watterson, TX · 0.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
Watterson, located in southern Bastrop County about nine miles south of Bastrop on an old road between Bastrop and Red Rock, is named for pioneer Charles Coffin Watterson, who with his wife, Martha, settled in the area…
Sayers, J. D., Governor · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're cruising past the birthplace of Joseph Draper Sayers, a man who saw a remarkable arc in Texas history. Born in 1841, Sayers rose through the ranks during the Civil War, earning a reputation for battlefield valor…
Bastrop County · 1.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Bastrop County, Texas, a place with roots stretching back to the earliest days of Anglo settlement. In <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1821</say-as>, this land was part of Stephen F.…
Bastrop, Early History of the City of · 1.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Bastrop, a town with deep roots stretching back centuries. Long before settlers arrived, this was Tonkawa and Comanche land. Spanish explorers passed through here way back in 1691, blazing parts…
Gotier Trace · 1.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the historic Gotier Trace, a vital route that began in the 1820s. This trace connected San Felipe, the capital of Stephen F. Austin's colony, all the way to Bastrop. Imagine following this marked…
Lost Pines of Texas · 1.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through the legendary Lost Pines of Texas! These loblolly pines stand isolated, 80 miles from the main pine forests. They're a living relic, likely survivors of prehistoric pine forests that retreated…
Why a Pine Forest Survives Where It Shouldn't · 1.5 mi
The Lost Pines of Bastrop are a genuine puzzle: a pocket of tall loblolly pines growing about a hundred miles west of where pines are supposed to stop, cut off from the main East Texas forest by a hundred miles of post…
The Army Camp That Became a City of 90,000 · 1.6 mi
Just north of Bastrop, World War II built and then erased an entire city. After Pearl Harbor, the Army threw up Camp Swift on nearly fifty-six thousand acres, opening in 1942 with around two thousand seven hundred and…
The Forest That Shouldn't Exist · 1.7 mi · Things to Do
The Lost Pines of Bastrop are a thirteen-mile stretch of loblolly pines growing over a hundred miles west of the East Texas forests they genetically match.…
Baron de Bastrop, Felipe Enrique Neri · 1.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Bastrop County, and right here is where we remember Baron de Bastrop, born Felipe Enrique Neri. He was a key figure in early Texas settlement, serving as the land commissioner for Stephen F.…
CCC at Bastrop State Park · 1.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Bastrop State Park, a testament to the Civilian Conservation Corps. Back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1933</say-as>, President Roosevelt's New Deal created the CCC to put unemployed…
The Most Destructive Wildfire in Texas History · 2.1 mi
On September 4, 2011, after a brutal drought, strong winds tied to Tropical Storm Lee pushed dried-out trees into power lines around Bastrop, and the sparks did the rest. The Bastrop County Complex Fire that followed…
Jonathan Burleson · 2.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the resting place of Jonathan Burleson, a true Texas patriot. He fought in the Texas War for Independence, seeing action at key battles like Velasco, Gonzales, Bexar, and the decisive San Jacinto.…
The Unexpected Forest of the Lost Pines · 2.4 mi
If you're driving here from the east or west, you probably noticed something strange happen to the landscape. The open prairie and farmland suddenly gave way to a thick, towering pine forest. You've just entered the…
Bastrop, TX · 2.4 mi
On September 4, 2011, Bastrop experienced the worst and most destructive wildfire in Texas history. Two wildfires started when trees fell on power lines, merging into the Bastrop County Complex fire. This devastating…
The Fire That Changed Everything · 2.4 mi
In September 2011, Bastrop faced a catastrophe. After the driest year on record, and fanned by strong winds from Tropical Storm Lee, three separate fires ignited in the county. They merged into one massive inferno known…
An Ecological Island Made of Sand · 2.4 mi
The famous Lost Pines forest you see around Bastrop is a perfect lesson in ecology and soil science. Why do pine trees thrive here, but not 20 miles to the east or west? The answer is buried in the ground. The forest…
Hollywood on the Colorado · 2.4 mi
As you pass through Bastrop's historic downtown, you might get a feeling of deja vu. There's a good chance you've seen these streets before — in a movie. Bastrop County has been a go-to location for filmmakers looking…
The Case of Rodney Reed · 2.4 mi
Bastrop is at the center of one of the most controversial capital punishment cases in modern American history. In 1998, a local man named Rodney Reed was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1996 murder of Stacey…
Bastrop Emptied Out for Plum Creek · 2.4 mi
In the second week of August 1840, word came up the Colorado that four to five hundred Comanche warriors under Buffalo Hump had burned the Gulf port of Linnville and were walking home across the prairie with three…
An Ancient Royal Road · 2.4 mi
The modern highways you're driving on today, like State Highway 21, follow a much older and more important path: the El Camino Real de los Tejas. This wasn't a single road but a network of trails used for centuries,…
Bastrop State Park · 2.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Hike through the 'Lost Pines' of Bastrop State Park, a unique ecosystem that tragically suffered a devastating wildfire in 2011. In September of 2011, the Bastrop County Complex Fire, one of the most destructive…
Aldridge-Fitzwilliam Home · 2.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Wexford, a home built in two stages by two different families. The first part went up in 1852, built by John Aldridge, who farmed this land, part of a league originally granted by the Mexican…
Sued over merchandise in 2022 · 4.5 mi
In the film, the gas station is where the group is warned off and turned back; its proprietor, the Cook, later returns as one of the family. The site now operates as The Gas Station, with the 'We Slaughter Barbecue'…
The Last Chance Gas Station · 4.5 mi
The building used as the film's gas station opened in 1960 as a country store on State Highway 304 south of Bastrop, later known as Ryan's Hills Prairie Grocery and then Bilbo's Texas Landmark. Tobe Hooper's crew…
Original cast attended the reopening · 4.5 mi
The location sits at 1073 State Highway 304 in rural Bastrop County. After decades of decline the property was bought in 2014 by Roy and Lisa Rose, who restored it and reopened it on October 8, 2016 as The Gas Station —…
Camp Swift, TX · 5.7 mi
In December 1942, Sgt Walter Springs was gunned down by a military police officer following a dispute as Springs was reporting to Camp Swift. Springs was shot in the back, but the case remains largely unsolved to this…
Circle D-KC Estates, TX · 5.9 mi
The ethnic heritage of Circle D-KC Estates is a tapestry of diversity. According to the 2010 census, the community was 89.1% White, 1.6% African American, 1.0% Native American, 0.1% Asian, with 5.4% from other races,…
Claiborne Cemetery · 6.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Claiborne Cemetery, a resting place for families who settled this area. The first burial here was Sherly Gage in 1850. Later, John and Gabriella Black gave land to their daughter Martha Jane…
The Fire That Nearly Took the Lost Pines · 6.2 mi · Things to Do
On September 4 2011 strong winds from a nearby tropical storm snapped trees onto power lines east of Bastrop. Three separate fires merged into the most…
Mt. Olive Baptist Church · 6.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Cedar Creek, past a cornerstone of the African American community here: Mt. Olive Baptist Church. It began in 1874 as a brush arbor meeting, later moving into a small sanctuary built on land…
Alum Creek Cemetery · 6.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Bastrop County, passing by the Alum Creek Cemetery. Back in the 1820s, families like the Cottles and Highsmiths answered Stephen F. Austin's call to settle this land, then part of Mexico. Sarah…
Scallorn, Stephen · 7.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the area where Stephen Scallorn, a Maryland native, settled his family in Texas back in the late 1830s. He was a doctor and a Primitive Baptist preacher who followed his son John Wesley here, who’d…
Union Hill Missionary Baptist Church · 8.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Union Hill Missionary Baptist Church, a place with roots stretching back to the days of slavery. Local tradition says enslaved people gathered here long before the church was officially…
Samuel Wolfenberger · 8.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site where Samuel Wolfenberger lived out his days. Born in Virginia in 1804, Wolfenberger arrived in Texas in 1831, just a few years before the Texas Revolution. He fought under Lt. W. J. Russell…
Young School House and Cemetery · 8.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the Young School House and Cemetery, a place that's been a cornerstone of this community for over a century. Back in 1872, John P. Young donated land for both a school and a resting place…
Samuel Wolfenberger · 9.0 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Bastrop County, near Rockne, and you're passing the resting place of Samuel Wolfenberger. Born in Virginia in 1804, Wolfenberger came to Texas in 1831, a Dutch descendant who became a Stephen F.…
Wyldwood, TX · 9.5 mi
Wyldwood is a rural community located in Bastrop County, Texas. It is situated about seven miles west of Bastrop and covers a total area of 12.1 square miles, with a small portion of 0.1 square miles being water. The…
Hunt, John Campbell, Captain · 9.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the resting place of Captain John Campbell Hunt, a veteran of the decisive Battle of San Jacinto. Born way back in Alabama on December 18, 1811, Hunt went on to serve as a captain in the Army of the…
Nicholas W. Eastland · 9.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site where Nicholas W. Eastland lived out his days. He arrived in Texas in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1834</say-as>, just two years before the Texas Revolution. Eastland volunteered…
Bronze Bust of Knute Rockne · 10.4 mi · Things to Do
A bronze bust of Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne sculpted by Jerry McKenna stands on a stone pedestal in front of the Rockne Museum in the tiny…
Rockne · 10.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Rockne, a community with a name that might surprise you. It started as Walnut Creek, settled by German immigrants in the 1840s. By 1900, it was Lehman, then Hilbigville. But in 1931, the children…
Rural Farms and Communities Before Camp Swift · 10.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Bastrop County, near Sayersville, where history was literally bulldozed for war. Back in 1940, as the U.S. geared up for potential conflict, this entire area was chosen to become Camp Swift, a…
Litton, Addison · 10.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Cedar Creek area, where Addison Litton made his home. He arrived in Texas way back in 1827, before it was even a republic. Litton served in the Texas Army during the Revolution, fighting with…
The Village That Said No · 10.9 mi
In the 1990s, the city of Austin was growing like wildfire, and its borders were creeping west. For the residents living on large, multi-acre lots out here, that felt like a threat. They worried about city taxes, city…
Cedar Creek, TX · 10.9 mi
Cedar Creek has a quiet beauty, a real sense of place. You can feel it in the air, see it in the post oaks and blackjack oaks that dot the hills. But it’s more than just the scenery. It's the stories woven into the land…
Bear Creek, TX · 10.9 mi
Bear Creek is located in northern Hays County, with its namesake creek passing 0.3 miles south of the village limits. The creek is part of the Onion Creek watershed, which flows to the Colorado River. The village itself…
Rosanky, TX · 10.9 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bastrop County, heading toward Rosanky. This place started out as Snake Prairie, but it got its current name thanks to Ed Rosanky. He was part of a Prussian family that settled here way back in…
The Jefferson Davis Highway Plan · 11.1 mi
Several Texas highways carry an old honorary name, the Jefferson Davis Highway. It grew out of a plan conceived in nineteen thirteen and promoted by the United Daughters of the Confederacy: a coast to coast road named…
Chancellor House · 11.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the former Chancellor House in Smithville, built around 1909 by J. H. Chancellor, a big-time land developer and merchant. This place was right in the heart of downtown, near the train depot and…
Yerger-Hill Family Home · 11.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Yerger-Hill Family Home in Smithville. This Colonial-style house was built in 1887 by John C. Yerger, who settled here in 1840, and his son-in-law John W. Hill. Hill, a native of Bastrop County,…
Smithville, TX · 11.7 mi
Smithville's history is deeply rooted in the pioneering spirit of Thomas Jefferson Gazley, who arrived in 1827 and set the foundation for the city's development by building the first house and establishing the first…
Smithville · 11.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Smithville, a town with roots stretching back to the late 17th century. In 1691, Spanish explorers noted a lagoon here, called Nenocadda by the local Indians, which you might know today as Shipp's…
Three Decades on Main Street · 11.7 mi
If you want a meal that's been a downtown Smithville fixture since well before the town's recent Hollywood-and-weekenders glow-up, Pockets Grille at 301 Main Street is the one. The place opened on September 16, 1996,…
First Methodist Church of Smithville · 11.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Smithville's first Methodist Church, founded way back in 1888 by Reverend H. M. Haynie and just eight members. They started out meeting in the local schoolhouse, but by 1893, they had…
The Science of a Railroad Town · 11.8 mi
Smithville's boom wasn't an accident; it was an engineering calculation. In the age of steam, locomotives were thirsty, high-maintenance machines. They could travel only a hundred miles or so before needing water, coal,…

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Bastrop, Texas

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Bastrop - The Lost Pines

Bunton, John Wheeler

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Leah Moncure, P.E.

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