BORDEN, TEXAS

Borden Area Hotels - Book Here & Save
Columbus Hotels

History in a Pecan Shell

Although there is a Borden County (in the Panhandle) named after the same man, Borden, the village is here in Colorado County. Tiny Gail (population 202) is the Borden County seat. Both county and seat were named some years after Mr. Borden's death in 1874. He never got anywhere near either place.

Gail Borden is most famous for originating the process of condensing milk, but in 1837 he was a humble Justice of the Peace in the recently formed Colorado County. He had also been a surveyor for Austin's Colony and was in the printing business in Galveston. While in Galveston he reportedly sold over 2,500 lots.

His experiments in Colorado County included canning beef. Ironically, the railroad charged more for transporting canned beef more than it did beef "on-the-hoof" and while it was feasible, it wasn't profitable until after Borden's death. He also worked on a "Beef Biscuit" which wasn't well received.

Borden's dairy interests were what made him wealthy, primarily by supplying condensed milk during the Civil War. Carnation Dairies came to nearby Schulenburg in 1928 based mostly on Borden's earlier choice of land. Today in Borden there's the pictured store and no other business. Although Borden died in Borden, he was sent back to his native New York for burial.