Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 103, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 7, 1955 Page: 7 of 10
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BASTROP (TEXAS) ADVERTISER, APRIL 7, 1955
I
l|i The Shadow of The Lost Pines
A HISTORY OF BASTROP COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE
ri
iEE
IE!
The following articles are results of research by
members of the Bastrop Historical Society and
the Bastrop Advertiser, published under the
sponsorship of the merchants and business men
listed below, whose interest in the preservation
of local history is making this publication pos-
sible. Clippings of these pages will make a scrap
book history of Bastrop and Bastrop County,
and all material will be placed in the Archives
of the Bastrop Museum.
iriesenbeck
insurance
agency
OUf
IT rl
OOS'J
LY
Cr
Fox Dept. Store
LtrofiV Leading Dept. Store'
V. ASH MOTOR
COMPANY
lodqes Cleaners
Bastrop Chamber
for H Of Commerce
> 01
for
01
30CI
SNOW WHITE
LAUNDRY
02-1
2 k
if*
r
n
ion Music & Jewelry
Company
Mrsir A. JKXX El IIY
CITIZENS STATE
IANK OF BASTROP
•0
Hastroj) Hustles \\ itli
('.amp Suit! Iloom
(Taken from the comMnat .mi edition of the Bj; -
trop Adverti.-or and the ICg. Courier of July
This story might well trm "Oru -• upon a tatv- "
becau the - tory of Ba-trop i a fair.y lory ir •■••il!
One hundred Mild years ago, a four league
tract of land was set aside in a arrant to become the
town of Mina, latei ita >*<1 Bastrop. Cut out of a
wiklerm • it* handful of pioneer • • fighting
both w d animals and Indians for their vety is
t«-*i * . tb« little settlement grew with the years
into a peaceful, typkally southern town. Beauti-
ful home- H'ere built, storey constructed along the
picturesquely narrow n am street that parailed *he
(■dorado River unit the an -toe rati atmosph.iv
of the old oiith pervaded Ha trop.
The year# cww and went, the outside world mov-
'•d rapidly, bumne-- ij.-vi-'uipmenta arid invntions
that I'fcamr a commonplace part of cve'yday life
were evident, but, while Bastrop took on the tele-
pi <me, the automob . tin radio and other luxur.es
a* they t ame, fundamentally, the town reman ed
th. - .mic.
The name bu*.irw- - sfi were conducted in the -a me
'lu.tt'.e ■ hwiM-i by the am- ;.en, or by their ins
vi grandsons, with a rare, Occa-ional «xceptioii.
T> < *nm« people * ei > n other daily on the
*<ti<> *t ; the afiie ■! i,i gtovip* gathered for out-
inn and parties '
XX .-n a •traiiirei . aire to tow n, it wa« an • vent.
U he he whet- ra ne from, a d bi '«*•;' «
.mined'tateh > t* ■ topii of coinessutioft ..p
a ltd dowi Main -n
When the fir.. - n < . d-*1, «.%, rybody '. irried
t the fire. Ir • n> ? i> niu .oil event be .,tne
f • 'i.iKiiate of tit <-r>'body in to a «.
the ; a -age of * • „ wa marked, finally by a
>u(ward h > ■, \ttu-ug tnrm *« re the re*
• ..i. ' of *h' < . •• •■ .d, the i. < -U si g of tne
< ou i !•.<• tn< t . v o' a new bridt'. over ? he
I • ioraoo, 11 * bn >*• . -t the eity ball, pav;ng t..e
«it> ' f e.-t <, t . =• ■ i jf of the «' '< f amp to oy. t<i
ti< ,-tftti Ta-'k I'Hiii'i' .--.on-. . •>! -;de<.'i"nle
urhiii t etr«n. a: i finally the Intadinjt of
a ( er>:j lrt< r.ew eyftfiW.
Th« people, • ever, did n« t rbanjre. The coin
foTiabii, h-.*[ i!*h,e. i -guid ehai m of the town «a
t: . .,-n« !'?<••?. i iok .i constituted a favorite
past 11:1 Hu .ii' • ne r int<-rf. ted too much
us' p > a? i'he jf.df til 111- « r « fishing trip
t the niiildie of n afternoon a-sumed a nunh
imp. tan e t.i • . nwratte bu-irie.. man on Ma
H«re<! a> tb« amount uf busine** he had. Th >e
p|t ;i i itiviim, happy i.'o-lucky c h a r a t e r i «t i i s
'it many eituser: thrnujfh the- hard depre
..■•I, .e«i . ••• 'hat when tin time i a me to Attain
the , art;, i pa ted progress of the town, they
«< r. •• a11> t" itr Their civic organisations, active
unde r ' • e e d- r-hh> of capable, experietrced men,
:i«iii< i .. . alive and wide awake, and, a lit*
tIf to th. a > r ' hrnent of m<'st of Hawtrop, pro-
t(fe ■ '.va nf-i>; the town.
Over irhf ti < hundred year old town bloomed,
'ike a cent iry plant, into a hustling, bustling lit
tie city. The sound of hammer, fillt*! the once
pea< - : . aire,, p .-re, and the atn'eti* were filled
« lib ts at H' •« .*jde,
did ti>. it t* were torn out, and with aston-
i -t.i* ar i*u drty. new, m>Miern # w windows ap
(•« .ti. ■! t ri(,'e mm i ante into town and opened
ne every availabb building -pace.
'\iv. >. hi k' k-'rew like ttiUHbt'o m Vacant lot
I nut ' • < re cd to «take eoi* in were
covi' • I w ho- UriK ■ of ail and tyjie* or
w, to'..rift court and trailer > mop
Th- . in wi alive with activity.
The ■ on men mnveej in, and on pay day
ohh !**r.f foMStl it more eornforiabie I >
at
e.Adei
He. t
ItU in Spite of
very little di-tui ance. Th. "
ha-* oji to <ie> a they were
i i t about tfeft , that "h (ji>>,|i
be ii-Vcii iii upaec of thlee monti •,
f Uvci'ii Ba-trop and Flgilh cov, r->1
i 1 c.-.tai brake -, youpor. hi d tne.-
<>f -.mail, fertjlc. wrll-mi tivat.'d
i b'oad • :vpan*e of building,*, pa1.-
anenveitng grtrOJidf that i* t'ail'.p
Swirt le.d; l.e - than six monthi* ago, rattle
nak> • r< i. d nek rabbit - -tampered over the
field •' e," .diei drill today. I'he lu././ntd> and
hawk"- thai • • hd in the sky have ieliii«|ui«he>l
t .•, <. i. • • the roai of observation plane.* and
(fittijlt
fhere I- "ousinew as usual" in Rastrop. The
fishing t are forgotten. The golf course is
nesflrit.d I ei- no time to attend to anyone
,.j(hi; it- . nor for practical jokes. The con
„t t .. tate gotte, but the Ireet- are filled
Wi!h oi l i and the town has settled down to
iirve then . in every re<poet, to the best of their
i,hilitv I'h. people of Ha trop have a Job to do,
i ,,n , i at taking cure of Uncle Sam's ooys. and
,,f |', •, i .i v effort toward winning the war,
th. > U' very much in enine-t about netting
\,!t! s , little i !l >tre of one hvitidred nnd ele-
Vpn,. ha at In-t come into its own. und
wtjh it i' th l<a ed upon the unconquerable spi
Il( ,,i y,.. . who have peopled it during the,-e
Vests, it
Limn to
of the fairy story, may it con
pel forever after.
Bastrop History A Collection
Of Articles And Stories
The Bastrop Historical Society and the Bastrop
Advertiser are attempting to bring together as
many articles and stories relative to the history
of Bastrop County and Bastrop County people aa
we can find for publication on these pages.
Many of these articles >ave been published in
previous edition.* of the Advertiser and elsewhere,
and since they are reprint -, we are not attempt-
ing to change them, or briny; them up to date,
but in the.-e case-, we hav> rieer. > areful to desig-
nate the y.ar in which such articles formerly ap-
peared, or were written.
For the -ame reason, many articles overlap in
information, and in order to preserve their origi-
nality, we an ,,-aving then . ,.-t a-, they were.
On the other hand, mai. articles are current,
written by Bastrop citize: or by members of
our taff, concerning curie: • history or recording
present organizations and ■ • t.«. To these people
who have helped us, both in actual writing and in
th. ir contributions of inf nnation, we are deeply
grateful.
Bastrop which bears his name.
Swift va oorn at l-.-rt Chadbourne, Texas,
i> l*,'>i. A graduate of W. -t !'■ ,nt in 187'i, his
fir-t assignment v. as tl indiai. campaigns in
\\ ;■ oinn-i a d o! or stall He -etvi*d in I'uba
and f .i'i t.' U o during t e Spa:.;-h Aineri. at. War,
a d followit'g t ii , was aua. ■ i to the War Col-
lege Staff. He next a active service in the
Moro Hi voHtl on in the I'niiippiie - and following
th ij vsigjimeiit, he was , ■•.nmatvcei of the Army
Srvnr School.
He r.ext responded to : -all to arms during
the Mi\i an npri^i' g pri' t< Woi hi Wai I and i-
iva - w chaige of t i alvary division at El
f
ih crved \v th thi Al l and after the war, was
.of of t Allied Missrn- aty M - ion to Italy and
nnin.ii.' dei of A-iieriean t ••••«•* thei-.
PIONEER MARRIAGES
Man
history of Ba-tlop as compiled by
Be l Jones, June s, ll#i I
At
curly date of Texas History, there were
. mistei of ti e no I- i and no officer who might
h uaily perform a marriage ceremony. The Cath-
0 priests in the m> - .-tor.- of San Antonio were
• ,-v «•<inverting the Indian? and seldom left theii
.Mi • i• -•: ome-. (This combination meeting house,
ei . thou-, and datuc hall was built by S. V. R.
Ilityle ion, who wa- killed by the Indians in his
own dooryard in Bn.-trop in IK.iii.>
\ fine <>4e f onoi prevaded this embryo State;
and -o it came about that marriage by contract
■-.I egji'i,,■ od. This I nve from a pioneer, Mrs.
I'll!, pbell Taylor; "Marriage contract- were drawn
up • , writ; i:, -igned by the contracting parties,
a, d two vvitm -sos, and Were as binding as though
ft w.re a license. Sometimes it would be two or
thre. year- before a priest could be .-ecured to
perform the mainave ceremony."
Mi«. Wilbarger (who# Mr--. I'hamoeisi told me
iti a most interesting way of one wedding feast.
On the bank < f trie i dorado in the southern part
1 f town was a two-room two -dory frame house,
v th a room below and a room above. This build-
ing was a meet ma house, court hou-e and dun e
hall. Oil one o,i a--.on a few sear- alter Mr-. \\ ll
ar ter ha- had her strange journey from t,.e
■ ■on t to her log cabin bottle. «i priest came over
front one of the Mis .mis. Word had been sent
..lit to ah :n, -u -r on tiding country of his coming,
and a- i igl*t drev «n. people on foot, in o\ wagon,
• d oi hoi.eh o.n wen- wotidtng their way to the
frame hud. in., on t . ColotadoV bank. The upper
r :« was ii rhted fe) nd'lOw candle- ir tin holsic ,
nailed to the wall.-. exteii'', d around the room.
Twenty fiv. couple presented thorn-elves for mar-
i •< v Quit*' n m ♦ r wi'Vv w ih hut.i Ik' -h
isnifed by cot tiaet, and their i.hiidien were with
them, fin: goosi pt < •« .-olemnly n-ml tin reli^iop-
"i.ttTiagi er> b t* tin ate. Aftei i i twenty five
sph had made and renewed vows, th. cnupany
" -,.d it n - ' of it the good I'adn as .i.-lij. a-
am on. India; -. nro.vled by night, and it was
not ufe to return to homes until .un-up.
•*\\ III N \ M I I I'Olt I \Mol S
I ll,III IM. I I \ Vv l.K.N MK XI,
|i, Wat Itepiiitment rejected suggefitioiis that
Ba-ttop 1 i.! camp be named for the late <,ov.
j,, |i ayeis, .booing in -lead "Camp Swift"
i, ),,,, i . famous fighting I-miii. Maj ti"ii.
I I,,,. t who died in l!i::s after many yearn of
, i w ih the army, including every major
enrounte! in i the Indian war- of IK7ii.
I;, , | tat the .amp be known a < amp Sat-
t • Will ded to the War llepartment by
'!h( s . nnd Kljfin i ham hers of Cummerce,
, J!,, . ,{, citizens favored "Camp Bastrop" in
> . Union do Bast top, who aided Stephen
| \ it tm in establ tnhing hi - colonv along the
Hra;o' in is.I und who later founded the City of
Seventh Day Adventist Sabbath
Schools Over 100 Years Old
By B. (,. XX K XBNKK
I)i-irict .superintendent. Austin, Texas
Repre .• ti g the Seventh Day Adventist Church
ir B.i-tioj) are Mr. and Mrs. John McGee, 1610
Mam St.ieet, and Mrs. A. W. Carlisle, 413 Cedar.
Mr. M ine i- a veteran of many years of service
,n the publishing department of his church. He
has worked in 18 -tales in this program of circula-
tion of religious literature.
The Texas Conference Sabbath School depart-
ment honored Mr. McGee in 1 !i.">2 a.- the oldest Sab-
bath School member in the State of Texas. He has
been a niembei continuously for eighty four years.
Th;.- reeognitio! was given on the occasion of the
.•'(HI, anniversary of the denomination's Sabbath
Si-hooi-, which now have over one million members
uttered in many countries around the world.
Mi . Mi'.ee also has a record -,f work in reli-
gioti- a tivities in variou.- -tate.-, especially in the
fie • of .-aching. She ha- -.-nod several years as
• Me, itiv, -cretan of the Bastrop County Chapter
of the Red Cross.
Mr. McGee is also honored in San Antonio as
t o founder of the first Sabbath School in that city
in This humble organization has now grown
: to three church organizations, the largest of
wiiii . ha- about 4"i0 members.
Both Mr, and Mrs. McGee have had a part in
th. Advent!-t Church activities in Elgin, where a
i > ma-onry church luilding was recently con-
structed.
Merchants And Businessmen
During 1870s
By Xl.FBKl) E. MENN
c. Ki i.ar-i • • oldest druggist in Texas. Medi-
cal w no- and • upiors.. Patent medicines.
XX -, a. Ke-sel.; • . . . Meichant tailor. Wilson's
Sew i! c Machines Sewing machines of all kinds
repair id on short notice.
A. F. B. h xnei . . . ha- opened a cabinet and
■ i ;• iii -hop. He - prepared to make or repair
all k;i ds and styles of furniture . . . Coffins al-
ways on hand.
Edward Ba-tian .... dealer in stoves and tin-
ware.
The Nicholson House or Hotel. Diagonal Street.
Near tin Military College.
John S Johnson . . . merchant. Had on hand
too many bedsteads, cradles, bed springs, mat-
ti« -. es, chairs and baby buggies.
C. B. Garwood, with J. C. Higgins . . . would re-
spectfully ca 1 the attention of the people of Bas-
trop and vicinity to oui m->. and splendid stock
of giaid,- now in store and for sale cheap. Stock
embraces staple and fancy dry goods. Ladies' and
gentlemen's hats, boots and shoes. Ladies' sad-
dles. all ,-tyles and price.-. Ready-made harness.
All kinds of tools for carpenters, farmers and
mechanic-. Genuine French brandy. "XX'o guarantee
our whiskeys to be the best and purest to be
found . . . Our stock of fancy and staple groceries
car,not >.• surpassed in this market ..." Pipes,
tobacco and cigar.-. School books.
\V;ufl;i|e land for sale . . . John J. Moncure, Bas-
trop. Tesas.
If your jon ts ached during the 1870s, there was
always an opportunity to buy a bottle of the fa-
mous Mexican Mustang Liniment.
George I'feiffer operated a Saddle and Har-
ro-s Shop o< the west side of Mam Street. First
door beiow KesseLis' Tailor Shop.
Notice wa- given that a social dance would be
he id at tiii Academy building, to the young ladies
of t e F.x« • -tor ' oliogc. All Untie- and gentlemen
are reipet'tfully invited. Excelle it uUi-ic.
Refugee From Holland
Early Settler Of Texas
Ih XI.FBI D I.. MKNN
(F
ill!
Bexar A•
0
Baron de Ba -tiop, a refugee f
ed Oiim: iiita, Louisiana in 17h .
the Spanish Government u per
families or 12 h-a in - of land,
fan dies, but tin prole t failed i
ne Holland, reach-
ed o itaine-l from
lit to settle 300
lie settled 100
■caii.-e the locality
at.
Mysterious Incident Occurs
In Hills Prairie Years Ago
(Fiom the ll -torrid Edition of the Advertiser,
Xiiv" st 2«i. l;i:l."ii
By I.* ii II. I.. Karling
I X related to me b> Mrs. Sallie McGehee Barret
o! San \ lit onto, Mi Bottle Trigg Price, and Ro-
bert XX at son of Ba trop.)
One morning in the sixties, a- the Trirg aid
Met, children w.ie walking to -■ hool together,
as they alway did. they saw in a giove of trees
ome d tame in front of th.- John Tom McGehee
home, a man who coined to be dancing a fantastic
kind of a waltz. They watched him with wide
eyes and growing fear for some time, then inn
and t.dd Mi XI Gc ei, who came to investigate.
He found that a rope extended from t >• man's
reck to the limb of the tree, and the wind -waving
the tice limb turned htm back and foith. making
bun I'ein to be dancing. Thev f uind, idnited on the
man's che-t, this in-i ription; ''Horse 1 hu t'
No one knew by whom or from whence " had
been brought th.re ill the dark hours of the
night and hanged. But the law of the "Med. - and
I'd ians" wa no more relentless than tin I'exas
sentiment against home and cattle stealing He
wa bulled bv the men on land now belonging to
Mi M. X. CiafS
Main Street Burns In 1862
Practically every building along Mail Street
in i!i. "rop wa des' 'oyed in the spring of
\Io-t if the buildings were of frame cm iruction
and following tlo fire, tlicv were ie|ilimn with
hi ok -tinctures, everal Ol which stan. .. lay. The
\ J, Knittel building is one of that nun -it.
was not adapted to giiAVH u wi
Th - sriant of a man one report states that he
was marly seven feet tall -wa • not discouraged
however. When Louisiana was purchased by the
United States, Bastrop decided to conic to Texas
m lHdo. Hi.- destination was San Antonio.
He tiied once more to colom/., a certain district.
Thi- dream failed to materialize. He decided to
become a freighter, and hauled -tipplie.- from Mon-
terrey and othei cities to San Antonio.
Don Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop, was
appointed an official interpreter by acting Gover-
nor Yarela in IM<;. Having won the confidence
of the Spanish politicians, Bastrop became Che "se-
cond alcalde" of San Antonio in lS'Jth the year
m which Mo-e- A.c-tin trnv.lh ; all the way from
Missouri to San Ai tonio. It Wa- through Bastrop's
efforts that the then Governor Martinez allowed
Moses Austin to stay in San X undo for a short
time. Later, of course, Mo-es \ istm was granted
the right to settle diH) faniilic in Texas. Stephen
F. Austin made that dream cottte Hue, after the
death of h - father.
Bustron, once the town of Miua, was named iti
honor of Baron de Bastrop,
Receives Contents Of
Courthouse Cornerstone
By Ml Bill I I. MINN
When t e present county courthouse was built
in |sv , tiie old i ernei-tore, dated Is.'io, contained a
rusty box.
M'.uh of the content.- were too decayed to be of
much use In the dust were found: an' ISI'J -diver
dollar, a half dollar, a ipiar'.e' and a dime, dated
IS5U. I s,.u a ,j l.v.e ,\ few si rap- of the Xdvertiser
were found.
XX ho received the tllomentoe- of thi- old corner-
stone ' Majot J. ll. Savers was presented with
the aged , oi in t-tone Judge Dyer Mome received
the dime. Uo'iert Gill the quarter and Tom C Cn tl
the half dollar. Gus Jung kept the dollar.
FIRST NATIONAL
BANK
ELKINS 5-10-25c
STORE
SHARP FURNITURE
COMPANY
Denison's
LANGLEY MOTORS
B. A. ELZNER
Morris Rector
Chastain - Miller
LONG'S
I.G.A. Food Market
Phone 81
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Standifer, Amy S. Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 103, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 7, 1955, newspaper, April 7, 1955; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth237525/m1/7/: accessed June 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Bastrop Public Library.