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History
in a Pecan Shell
Belmont started life as a stagecoach stop in the
1840s. They used the name Centerville, probably because of its equidistant location
between Seguin
and Gonzales. The name didn’t
sit to well with Centerville in East
Texas and the application for a post office was turned down. The name Belmont
was chosen and according to the Handbook of Texas, it was named for the
Belmont family of horse racing fame (The Belmont Stakes) although no reason is
given.
The population never got higher than 125, due to its being so
close to the population centers of Luling,
Seguin
and Gonzales. At its peak, there
were several stores, a sawmill and a cotton gin in Belmont. The ruin of one of
the stores still faces the highway today, directly across from the one
operating business.
Belmont’s footnote to Texas history is that it
was the site of the capture of Gregorio
Cortez in 1901. |
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Belmont ChroniclesMurder
of Local Doctor During Reconstruction from Murray Montgomery's "Lone
Star Diary"
After the Civil War ended, folks in Texas and throughout
the South underwent a phase in time known as "Reconstruction." During this period,
the states that had previously been part of the Confederacy were now subject to
military rule as well as, occupation by Union troops... more
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