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History in a Pecan
Shell
Although the popular poem "Casey at the Bat" mentions a town
of Mudville - the name was not borrowed from the one in Texas.
This Mudville
was settled as early as the 1860s and was named for it's most abundant natural
resource. In 1878 a post office was opened in Henry Steele's store and the names
Steele's Store and Mudville have been used interchangeably from
the beginning.
In 1884 Steele's Store/ Mudville had an estimated population
of 150 with another store beside Steele's and several other business. The population
was mostly Black, but Italian immigrants also contributed to the population. In
1891 the Hearne and Brazos Valley Railway came through and by 1896 the
population had swelled to 350.
The post office closed in 1950, and the
school consolidated with Bryan ISD in the 1960s. The community is still included
on TxDoT's county maps in 1998 although there is no visible town center.
The town received a historical marker in 1992. | |
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