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HALLETTSVILLE,
TEXAS
"City of
Hospitality"
Lavaca County Seat, Central
Texas S
On Hwy 77 off I-10
25 miles SE of Weimar
18 miles S of Schulenburg
45 miles N of Victoria
113 miles W of Houston
123 miles E of San Antonio
Population: 2,345 (2000) 2,718 (1990)
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Courthouse
Tower
Photo by John Troesser |
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find the tranquil and tidy town of Hallettsville just south of I-10
and halfway between Houston
and San Antonio.
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The
1897 Lavaca County Courthouse
Town Square has a beautiful 1897 Courthouse designed by Eugene
Heiner, famed Architect and would-be rival to J. Reily Gordon
if he hadn't died at age 42. Although
several of his courthouses are standing, they’ve been altered over
the years. Today only Hallettsville and Columbus have representative
Heiner structures. The closest example of Heiner's other work is the
Old Jail Museum in Gonzales.
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1897 LaVaca County Courthouse detail
Photo by John Troesser |
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The Hanging Tree in Hallettsville
Photo by John Troesser |
History
in a Pecan Shell
The town was named after Margaret Hallett, wife of John Hallett, who
bequeathed the land for the townsite. This woman's life reads better
than a novel.
Married to a seafaring man against her family's wishes, the newlywed
Halletts traveled west with a wagon whose tongue was cut from a ships
mast and the sails serving as the wagon cover. He even brought his
anchor.
A Veteran of San Jacinto along with one of his three sons, Mr. Hallett
died, as did all the males in the family, leaving Mrs. Hallett alone
with her only daughter. Fluent in Spanish and able to defend herself
in two Indian dialects, she left Goliad
where they had been living and returned to the original grant in Lavaca,
opening a trading post and making friends with nearly everyone.
She once cudgeled an Indian who was making a nuisance of himself.
The Chief paid her a visit and she explained the injury should be
regarded as "a knowledge knot". The Chief laughed. Upon
her death in 1863, local Indians decorated her grave. Her grave is
in the Founder's cemetery, a short distance from the Town Square.
Lavaca County is also the home of "The Archives War"
in which the citizens of Hallettsville rode into Petersburg
to liberate the county records, which had been removed in a disputed
election over the official county seat. The Hallettsville "committee"
rode into Petersburg
where the Petersburgans were celebrating their "victory"
with a barbecue. They not only reclaimed the records, but also ate
the barbecue for their trouble. Petersburg
never recovered from this, the greatest Texan humiliation, and faded
into oblivion. |
The
adventures of John Himes Livergood by Murray Montgomery
In the days of early Texas, Lavaca County had its share of adventurous
pioneers, and a man from Missouri, John Himes Livergood, can be
counted as one of the best among them... Here is a story about him
in an expedition against the Indians who had killed a settler’s
wife and daughter and kidnapped his 8-year-old boy...
The
Old Iron Bridges of Lavaca County
by Murray Montgomery
"In 1891 the county had a total of 19 iron bridges; the paper
referred to them as 'substantial structures' and folks back then
took great pride in their creation." more
Rustlers
and Outlaws Were Common in Early Days by Murray Montgomery
"Folks living in Lavaca County in this day and time might be
surprised to know that back in the 1870’s, 1880’s and 1890’s this
was quite a wild place ..." more
The
Demise of Bad Man Buckley by Murray Montgomery
During the days of early Texas, there were many a scoundrel packing
guns and causing panic and mayhem amongst the town folk. Hallettsville
had one of the worst of these villains in a fellow known as "Bad
Man Buckley." more
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Hallettsville
Attractions and Events
Several other noteworthy
buildings on the square includes the one now occupied by the Hallettsville
Florist. This was the photography
studio of H. J. Braunig and offers the absolute best view of a
courthouse anywhere in the state.
Hallettsville is the home of the Lavaca Historical Museum (open
weekends 2-5) at 413 N. Main.
The Texas Championship Domino Hall of Fame (tournament held
every January) shares space with The Texas Fiddler's Hall of Fame
(Fiddler’s Frolic held fourth week of April) at the Knights of
Columbus Hall, Hwy 77 South. Both are open Mon - Fri 9am to 11am.
Hallettsville also is home to the Alton C. Allen Historical Conference,
sponsored by the LaVaca County Historical Commission and the Raymond
Dickson Foundation. Contact the Chamber.
One of the few remaining downtown single screen movie theaters in
Texas, The Cole shows first run movies, just off the north side of
the square. |
Hallettsville
City Hall
TE photo |
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Hallettsville
Tourist Information
Hallettsville
Chamber of Commerce: 512-798-2662
Website : www.hallettsville.com.
The chamber is just north of town on
highway 77. If you're coming from the North, it's on your left just
after you enter the city limits.
The Hallettsville Chamber of Commerce will provide you with an excellent
map showing all points of interest and for visitors interested in
history and/or Courthouses, two pamphlets
are for sale (to cover printing costs). One is Lavaca County Seats
and Their Courthouses (including the "Archives War")
and is written by Paul C. Boethel. The other is a Historical Tour
and is written by Dorothy Bujnoch, Anne Rhodes and Doug Kubicek. Local
historian Mr. Doug Kubicek is an "Investigative Historian"
who also teaches History at the Middle School. It was he, along with
the late Dr. Pat Waggoner who spent years authenticating the
Gonzales "Come
and Take It" Cannon.
Our
special thanks to Mr. Kubicek who enlightened us on many historical
details, and to Chamber Director Pat Carr, who represents what an
invaluable asset a dedicated Chamber Director is to a town.
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© John Troesser
Since 2000 |
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