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| | Muldoon
street scene
TE photo | |
|
Muldoon
at the Millennium
Today Muldoon sits undisturbed and nearly forgotten in Fayette County just a few
miles north of I-10 with a few handsome stone buildings and a sprinkling of houses.
There are two churches and a post office, but most Muldoonites do their shopping
in LaGrange, Bastrop,
or Smithville. |
| | Muldoon
as Stubbs, Iowa
TE photo | |
|
Muldoon's
15 minutes of near-fame came when it was filmed as a stand-in for Stubbs, Iowa
in the 1996 movie Michael. It appears in the very first scenes of
the movie. Look closely. We missed it. Other nearby locations for Michael
were a dancehall in Winchester
and the Fayette
County Courthouse in LaGrange (interior scenes).
Book
Your Hotel Here & Save
La
Grange Hotels
More
Texas Hotels |
DVD
Movie featuring Muldoon Texas | |
| History
in a Pecan Shell
The Man Muldoon
Muldoon was named after Father Michael Muldoon, a clergyman who briefly
served Stephen F. Austin's first colonists. He was the only non-Hispanic
member of the Monterrey, Mexico Diocese and was probably assigned his duties since
he spoke English. He was born in County Cavan in Ireland but was ordained
in Spain. He returned to Mexico, visited Stephen Austin during his 1834
confinement and also assisted William Wharton in his escape from a Matamoros
prison in 1837. Muldoon
was openly pro-Texan, which led to a brief imprisonment.
He made an appearance back in Texas in 1842 when he was given a letter of appreciation
from Anson Jones.
After that Father Muldoon disappeared from history and his final resting-place
is unknown. |
| | Post
Office in Muldoon
© 2000, heskco.com | |
|
The
Town Muldoon
The town of Muldoon sits today on land that he bought (while he was in Saltillo,
Mexico) in 1831. The 48,000 acres was surveyed by Thomas Borden and after Father
Muldoon disappeared, the change of ownership was brokered by Gail Borden, the
man who later invented condensed milk and had a town in neighboring Colorado County
named after him (Borden) as well
as a town (Gail) in Borden County.
The
post office followed the railroad by two years (in 1888). Muldoon
never had more than 200 persons living there and that record was
reached in 1943. Current Postmaster Jerry Alexander states that there are about
35 persons in the immediate "town center."
Book
Your Hotel Here & Save
Austin
Hotels |
| | Chester
L. Cherry tells us this truck was backed into the garage in 1946
© 2000, heskco.com |
| |
Muldoon
and some of the very few things that happened there
A local quarry furnished stone to several
buildings in nearby Moulton, other parts of Fayette County and beyond. According
to the Handbook of Texas Online, some of the stone in the Galveston
jetties was produced from the Muldoon quarry.
See The
Muldoon Quarry > |
| | The
Kerr Store c. 1890
© 2000, heskco.com |
| |
| The
Kerr Store close up
TE photo 2001 | |
|
| | This
stone water tank supplied gravity-flow water to the Kerr store.
© 2000, heskco.com |
| |
| | A.B.
Kerr and Son Token (front and back) from Muldoon
Photos courtesy Joe Meyers |
| |
Muldoon
Native Son:
Marshal
Pitman by Mike Cox
Walter W. Pitman’s good luck held for more than
half a century. Not everything went his way, but in big-stake deals the figurative
roulette wheel of life generally spun in his favor... |
Muldoon
Texas ForumSubject:
A.B. Kerr and Son Token
A few years ago I was metal detecting at Gibtown,Texas
in Jack County. I found a token from the A.B. Kerr and Sons store in Muldoon,
Texas. Sure would be a great story on how the token made the 300 mile trip from
Muldoon to Gibtown, probably by horse and wagon. - Joe Meyers, July 24, 2006I
have just been reading your article on the town in Fayette County, Texas called
Muldoon. My name is actually Padraic Muldoon and I live very close to Co. Cavan
in Ireland. My father's name is Michael Muldoon and his grandfather was also called
Michael Muldoon. I'd be interested to know if Father Michael Muldoon, who the
town was named after, is an ancestor. Thanks - Padraic Muldoon, August 11,
2004
The
info on Muldoon is great! Shroyer Construction has just started construction on
a house which will use the "Muldoon blue" stone for its exterior & we are excited
about it. Your website is wonderful.- Helen H, March 02, 2001 |
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