Aransas, Austin, Brazoria, Calhoun, Colorado, DeWitt, Fayette,

Fort Bend, Goliad, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Jackson, Karnes, Lavaca,

Matagorda, Refugio, Victoria, Wharton,

In 1828, James Hewetson and James Power applied for an empresario grant from the Mexican Government to colonize this area. Colonists were recruited from Ireland and Mexico, although 15% of the county now claims German ancestry. Over much of the 19th century the area was a thriving seaport shipping hides, tallow, cattle and cotton to other parts of the country via the Morgan Steamship Company. Several factors contributed to Aransas Countys decline as a major shipping area, but subsequently it became known as a vacation resort area where people could come to relax, fish and hunt.

Aransas County was once part of Refugio County and has the distinction as the second smallest county in Texas. Early settlements such as St. Marys, Aransas and Aransas City faltered, while later settlement such as Rockport, and Fulton flourished. Aransas County has evolved into a state of mind as much as a place. Its a place where you can let your cares vanish over the horizon. One can find history, culture, ecotourism, and outdoor recreation. The Countys three treasures- Fulton Mansion, the Rockport Center for the Arts and the Texas Maritime Museum all showcase the history, art and culture of the area. Come explore Aransas County The Charm of the Texas Coast.

Texas the Dream Begins. From 1824-1836 the Colonial Capital of Texas was located in San Felipe along the Brazos River. Texas oldest German settlement is located in Industry. The oldest and most primitive painted church in Texas is the Brethren Church at Wesley which serves the oldest Czech Protestant congregation in the U.S. Named for Stephen F. Austin, The Father of Texas, Austin County proudly proclaims a celebration of Texas history and culture.

Our coast line was first mapped in 1519 by Alonso lvarez de Pineda but remained unexplored until 1528. Spanish explorer lvar Nez Cabeza de Vaca led an expedition into this region and claimed it for King Charles V of Spain. Soldiers under the command of Alonso De Len searched unsuccessfully for La Salles French colony of Fort St. Louis in 1689. The early Spanish passed through this area but never established missions or forts. Tales of the early 1800s suggests that the pirate Jean Laffite frequently rendezvoused at the mouth of the Brazos River and buried treasures along its banks. In December, 1821 the schooner Lively landed Stephen F. Austins Old 300, the first Anglo-American settlers at the mouth of the Brazos River. Plantations soon developed in the rich bottom lands of the Brazos and San Bernard Rivers which were ideal for farming corn, cotton and sugar cane. Today, several of these plantations sites still survive. Brazoria County was the first authorized Anglo-American settlement in Spanish Colonial Texas. Come and discover Where Texas Began.

Paleo Indians to Karankawa Indians occupied this area well before the influx of the Europeans. In 1519, Alonso lvarez de Pineda mapped the bays in what is now Calhoun County, setting the stage for future exploration. In 1529, a Spanish explorer, lvar Nez Cabeza de Vaca became the first European to reside in Texas. By 1685, French explorer, Ren Robert Caveliar, Sieur de La Salle had set foot on the shores near Powderhorn Lake, eventually losing his ship the La Belle, his colony, and his own life. Following closely, the Spanish explorer Alonso De Len discovered the abandoned Fort St. Louis and later returned with Spanish missionaries. A Presidio and mission was built on the site of La Salles dream.

Empresario Don Martin de Lens land grant brought Mexican colonists to the shores of the bays rich with fish, shrimp, and wildlife. The town of Linnville, on Lavaca Bay, disappeared with the attack of the Comanche on the fateful day of August 8, 1840 and paved the way for the port of Lavaca and the Mother of Western Texas, Indianola. The Calhoun County Museum in Port Lavaca portrays the rich history of Calhoun County from Paleo artifacts, the La Salle Odyssey, the lens from the Matagorda Lighthouse and the towns of Indianola, Point Comfort, Port OConnor, Seadrift and more. Bird watching, fishing, swimming, kayaking and boating are just a few of the pleasures that Calhoun County has to offer.

The abundance of deer, bison, water fowl, roots and nuts provided the earliest inhabitants food 12,000 years ago. French explorer La Salle and his party camped at Skull Creek on January 20, 1687 and found an Indian village that they called the Hebemes. In 1689, Alonso De Len crossed the county looking for the lost Fort St. Louis built by La Salle. The Spanish traveled this way to La Baha del Espritu Santo in 1718 and 1766 and also to inspect the Spanish missions in East Texas.

As early as 1821, a few of the Old Three Hundred from Stephen F. Austins Colony settled near Beesons Ford, south of present day Columbus. When Sam Houston retreated from Gonzales after the fall of the Alamo, his army camped along the east bank of the Colorado River while the pursuing Mexican army camped down stream. The early Anglo Americans, Germans, Austrians, Czechs and Scots with farming and ranching interests played an important role in developing and settling this area. Today, Colorado County offers many historical and cultural points of interest as well as many natural attractions.

Enjoy history, heritage and hospitality in the Wildflower Capital of Texas. DeWitt County has an marvelous Spring display of Bluebonnets, Indian Paint Brushes and dozens of other vibrantly colored wildflowers on the countys rolling hills and country sides. Settled in 1825, The Green DeWitt Colony was one of the earliest Texas settlements. The newly arrived Germans of 1840-1850 brought a significant increase to the sparsely populated area. Their strong hard work ethics has played an important role in the establishment of the countys prosperous business, ranching and farming communities of today. In the 1860s branches of cattle trails heading North (some joining the historic Chisholm Trail) originated at the staging areas along the Guadalupe River between Victoria and San Antonio. Cardwell Flats near present day Cuero was a major gathering spot for cattle which would be driven north to market.

From the Indians following the buffalo across the Colorado River, to the Spanish , French & Anglo explorers, Austin Colony Old 300 with 54 direct descendents still in the County, to the hard working German and Czech settlersFayette County has richly claimed the values and traditions of cultural preservation that makes it a true Texas Treasure.

In 1822, a group of colonists from Austins Old Three Hundred moved ninety miles inland from the mouth of the Brazos River. They built a two room cabin on a bluff near a bend in the river that became known as Fort Settlement and Fort Bend. Early settlers in Fort Bend County played important roles in early Texas history and were part of the Runaway Scrape from Santa Annas army. Use of barges and riverboats on the Brazos River developed the area into a prosperous trade center for agricultural goods. Slave labor was responsible for the prosperous development of the many plantations of the Lower Brazos Valley. Fort Bend Museum in Richmond portrays Texas history from 1822-1945. The George Ranch Historical Park offers hand-on activities illustrating more than a century of Texas history. The Rosenberg Railroad Museum showcases the railroad history in the city, county and state going back to the first Texas railroad in 1853.

Spanish padres relocated Presidio La Baha and Mission Espritu Santo de Ziga from the Guadalupe River in 1749. The Presidio soldiers guarded the main road from Mexico to San Antonio de Bxar. In the fight for independence from Mexico, Colonel James W. Fannin and his troops of nearly 400 surrendered to the Mexican forces on March 20, 1836 and were unmercifully executed near the Presidio La Baha on March 27, 1836. Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! was a rallying cry of the Texians as they defeated the Mexican Army on April 21, 1836 at The Battle of San Jacinto. Today, the Presidio La Baha is considered the worlds finest example of a Spanish frontier fort.

Early colonists with Empresario Green DeWitts land grant built cabins at Kerrs Creek and established the first Anglo community west of the Colorado in 1825. They suffered numerous Indian attacks and relocated in other locations before returning to the town site of present day Gonzales. By 1831, the area had a population of 532. The first shot of the Texas Revolution was fired by Gonzales colonists when they refused to return a cannon to the Mexican officials. Thirty-two men from Gonzales gave their lives when they answered Colonel Travis call for help in defending the Alamo. After the fall of the Alamo, General Sam Houston ordered the colonists to retreat and burn Gonzales to the ground as to leave nothing of use for the Mexican army. This began the Runaway Scrape to flee from General Santa Annas order to destroy and kill everything in the path of his army.

Empresario Jos de la Baume was granted one of the earliest land grants by Spain in 1806 in the Capote Hills. Between 1827 and 1835 twenty-two families came to the area as part of Green DeWitts colony. Many veterans of the Texas Revolution received land in Guadalupe County for their services in the fight for independence from Mexico. In 1838, a group of DeWitt Colony rangers from Gonzales founded Walnut Spring on the banks of the Guadalupe River. This small colony became the county seat and was later given the name Seguin in honor of Colonel Juan N. Seguin, an early landowner and Tejano hero in the Texas Revolution. Early German settlers traveling from the Port of Indianola to New Braunfels settled here in the mid 1840s. Seguin was an important staging area for the early cattle drives that fed the historic Chisholm Trail. Methodists supposedly established the first church in Seguin in 1841, making it the oldest Protestant Church in Texas.

The first Anglo Americans to settle in the area were six families from Stephen F. Austins Old 300of 1821. Jackson County was one of the original 23 counties established in the Republic of Texas in 1836 and was named after President Andrew Jackson. We are located on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail and have eight viable Bald Eagles nests in Jackson County. In 1721, the Spanish abandoned the site of Fort St. Louis and established Mission Espiritu Santo on the East bank of Garcitas Creek. The mission was later moved to Victoria County. There are 31 historical markers, part of the La Salle Odyssey exhibit at the Texana Museum (Edna), the historic Presbyterian Church at Brackenridge Plantation Park, Brackenridge Family home site, historic movie theater, Lake Texana and much more. Plan to make Jackson County part of your historic culture on your South Texas adventure.

C Celebrating over 235 years of rich history beginning with ranching dating back to a 1768 Royal land grant from Spain, to the 1855 establishment of Panna Maria The Oldest Permanent Polish Settlement in the USA, to the beautiful 150 year old Immaculate Conception CatholicPainted Church.

Indian artifacts found in this area date back to 10,000 B.C. lvar Nez Cabeza de Vaca, a survivor from Pnifilo Narvezs expedition of 1528, was probable the earliest European to set foot in this area. Frenchman Ren Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle explored this area in 1685 and reportedly named the Lavaca River Les Veches (the cattle) because of the large number of buffalo grazing along the banks. The Spanish translated the name to La Baca.

Spanish explorers may have crossed the county, but it was not until 1820 that other Europeans began to drift into the area. Land grants of Empresarios Stephen F. Austin and Green DeWitt included what is now Lavaca County. An Indian attack on the Mexican settlement of La Baha (Goliad) in 1826 probably brought the first settlers. The settlement was located along the Lavaca River but was soon abandoned. By 1831 DeWitt had assigned twenty-one homesteads and Austin had assigned twelve homesteads. These early settlers began establishing small farms and stock ranches. Lavaca County was a center of revolutionary activity against Mexico in 1836. In 1842, the Republic of Texas Congress established the county naming it La Baca County. In 1846 the area was renamed Lavaca County.

The rich celebration of German-Czech and Moravian heritage and culture can be seen at Saint Cyril and Methodius in Shiner and Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Church at Moravia. St. Marys Catholic Church in Hallettsville has an outstanding example of Czech details throughout its interior. The annual events of Kolache Fest, Moulton Polka Fest, Shiner Half Moon Days , The Falling Leaves Polka Fest, the South Texas Polka and Sausage Fest and the Texas State Championship 42 Domino Tournament keep Lavaca Countys heritage alive today.

Where Texas History Began. This coastal region was first claimed for Spain on a coastal mapping expedition of the Gulf of Mexico in 1519. It was later claimed and explored by French Explorer Ren Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in 1685 where he encountered shipwreck, hostile Karankawa Indians and murder at the hands of his own sailors. In 1822, the schooner Only Son landed Anglo American settlers for Stephen F. Austins colony at the mouth of the Colorado River in Matagorda Bay. La Belle, one of La Salles shipwrecked longboats was discovered in Matagorda Bay in 1995 with a wealth of artifacts. Seven La Salle Odyssey museums located throughout the coastal region exhibit many La Belle artifacts and tell the story of La Salles expedition to Texas, his colony at Fort St. Louis and their tragic end.

The shores of Copano Bay offered an ideal food supply of fish and wildlife for the early nomadic Karankawa Indians. In 1520, Alonso lvarez de Pineda mapped the shores of the present day Refugio County. Spanish explorer lvar Nez Cabeza de Vaca and his companions were the first Europeans in the area in 1529. In 1722, the Spanish established Nuestra Seora del Espritu Santo de Zuiga Mission (La Baha Mission) at the site of present day Goliad to minister to the Karankawa and to secure the Spanish claim to the Texas coast. La Baha was in the territory that became part of the original Refugio County but is not within the present county lines. After several unsuccessful attempts to establish a mission along the San Antonio and Guadalupe Rivers, the Spanish established a mission on the Mission River in 1795. This mission was not successful in attracting many Indians but it was the start of a small village that would later become Refugio. Mission Nuestra Seora del Refugio was the last Spanish mission to be secularized after the Mexican War of Independence and was home to at least 100 Mexicans living on nearby ranchos.

In 1834, Impresarios James Power and James Hewetson were allowed to develop a colony with two boat loads of settlers from Ireland. Later colonists came from New Orleans, New York and other areas to this sparsely populated area. The flat grassy prairies provided ideal conditions for raising cattle. Spanish, Irish and Black American traditions have combined to create the strong ranching heritage found in Refugio today. Refugios location as one of the most westward settlements in colonial Texas made it a staging area in the fight for independence from Mexico. Refugio was organized as one of the original thirteen counties in the Republic of Texas.

Refugio County has many natural attractions to offer. Coastal fishing, hunting, hiking, kayaking and other water activities are year round opportunities. The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is site No. 37 on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail and attracts thousands of birders each year for a glimpse of the endangered Whooping Crane that winters here. The county has four other birding sites on the Great Texas Birding Trail where nearly 400 other species of birds have been seen. Come and visit Refugio County as part of your South Texas adventure in the discovery of the rich heritage and cultural roots of our region.

In 1685, French explorer La Salle established the ill-fated Fort St. Louis on the west bank of Gracias Creek. This was the first European colony in Texas. The Spanish claimed this land but had not established outposts north of the Rio Grande. Threatened by the French, the Spanish desperately tried to establish colonies for over a century and a half. In 1721, the Spanish established Presidio La Baha on the abandoned site of Fort St. Louis and established Mission Espritu Santo on the east side of Garcitas Creek. The Presidio and mission were later moved to two other locations along the Guadalupe River in Victoria County. In 1749, they were moved to Goliad.

Margaret Wright, The Mother of Texas was known to have already settled in this area by 1822. In 1824, Empresario Don Martin de Leon established over 39 Mexican families and several Anglo families between the Guadalupe and Lavaca Rivers. Thousands of German and Alsatian settlers came through the Port of Indianola in the 1840s and 1850s. Victoria is the only county in Texas where the Spanish, French, Mexican, Texas Republic, United States and Confederate flags have flown.

Native Indians inhabited this area for well over 10,000 years. The fierce Karankawa Indians lived in this area until the late eighteenth century. The Colorado and the San Bernard Rivers provided them with excellent food sources of native pecans, roots, buffalo and fish. Explored by early Spanish and French, the Spanish controlled the territory until Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821. From the thirty-one colonists of Stephen F. Austins Old Three Hundred of 1821, to the fleeing Mexican soldiers from the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836, to the arrival of the Czech, Moravian and Danish farmers at the turn of the 19th Century, to the cattle empire of Abel Head (Shanghai) Pierce whose land holding of 500,000 acres stretched over present day Wharton, Jackson and Matagorda counties, Wharton Countys blended heritage and culture can be equaled by few.