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"Site of the Town of Belgrade"
Texas Centennial Marker
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2010 |
History
in a Pecan Shell
The
site was called Biloxi by Indians although it isn't clear why or if there
is any connection to the place of the same name on the Mississippi coast. William
McFarland settled here in 1837, making it the oldest settlement in what would
become Sabine County.
The name was borrowed from the capital of (what was
then) Serbia in hopes it would become as successful a riverport as that city.
McFarland sold lots here for $100 - a hefty price when vast plots sold for pennies
per acre. It did develop as a port during the 1840s and 50s and due to a huge
raft of logs upstream, Belgrade was the last navigable point on the river.
Belgrade was granted a post office by 1840 and 13 years later the name of Biloxi
resurfaced. It went as Biloxi for about seven years when the townsfolk (and postal
authorities) changed it back to Belgrade. River commerce was dampened by the ever-expanding
railroads in the 1880s and Belgrade's commerce declined accordingly.
While
its location on the river was advantagous for floating logs to market downstrean,
the inland sawmills and the railroads killed all hope of Belgrade developing a
sustaining industry. After the Civil War, the post office closed, reopened around
1880 and closed again in 1906. It opened again in 1910 and remained open until
1936 - the year the Centennial marker was installed.
Although the
original townsite was abandoned years ago, nearby communities of Upper and
Lower Belgrade are currently inhabited.
Photographer's Note:
Subject:
Newton County: "Old" Belgrade
"This is a strange one. It's up to
you to figure it out. Dig out your map of Newton County.
Belgrade, as
currently shown on the map, is located about 12.5 miles southeast of Newton
on FM 1416. The Belgrade Centennial Marker is two miles SSW of Belgrade near the
Sabine River, or one mile SE of Sandjack. The Old Belgrade Cemetery is located
2 miles SW of Belgrade or 0.3 miles south of Sandjack.
The Francis Wilson
Historical Marker (poor photo due to camera facing the sun) is located at Sandjack
on FM1416. It states that Wilson is buried in the Old Belgrade Cemetery, "2 mi
SE" (of Sandjack). The current Old Belgrade Cemetery is only 0.3 miles south of
the marker. ????" - Barclay
Gibson, December 2010
PEOPLE:
Heavyweight
champ Jack Johnson by Bob Bowman
Heavyweight champ Jack Johnson was arrested for boxing in 1903 in Galveston. Johnson,
who was born in Galveston and honed his physical skills by lifting cotton bales
as a youngster in the Newton County river port of Belgrade, became the heavyweight
title in 1910 when he defeated Jim Jeffries...Francis
Wilson |
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Centennial Marker Full View
Photo
courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2010 |
Francis Wilson Historical Marker
On
FM 1416 "6 miles SE of Bon Wier"
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2010 |
Historical
Marker Text Francis
Wilson (1790-1867)
A central figure in the early
days of Texas Methodism, Virginia native Francis Wilson was the son of a Scot-Irish
immigrant and a native Marylander. After a brief period of military service in
the War of 1812, he became a Methodist minister, preaching his first sermon on
Dec. 25, 1815. He rode the circuits in West Virginia and Ohio until 1839, when
he moved to the Republic of Texas over the objections of family, friends, and
his bishop.
Stationed first at Shelbyville
and then at San Augustine,
Wilson traveled over all of East Texas,
holding camp meetings and organizing churches. Noted for his lectures and stirring
sermons, he was respected throughout the area. In 1846 Wilson was appointed as
a delegate to the first convention of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He
was instrumental in the establishment of Wesleyan Male and Female College in San
Augustine. In 1847 Wilson and wife Elizabeth settled near Belgrade on the
Sabine River.
Francis Wilson's last official service was in 1851 as a
missionary to the black communities on the Austin circuit. Shortly after, he retired
in poor health to his home in Newton County, but continued to preach locally until
1864. He died three years later and is buried in the Old Belgrade Cemetery (2
mi. SE). |
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1940s
Newton County map showing Bon Weir (SE of Newton)
Courtesy
Texas General Land Office |
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