|
|
San Augustine
County Jail, circa 1914. The jail is now being renovated and will
become a museum when the renovations are completed.
Photo courtesy Texana
Pictures - Tony Morrison |
History
in a Pecan Shell
San Augustine's history predates the revolution. As early as the 1540s,
European visitors were getting lost in the pines around San Augustine.
In 1691 the Old
San Antonio Road (as it was later called) was cut by Domingo Teran
de los Rios. The Mission
Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de los Ais was established
in 1717, has been restored and is one of San Augustine's major attractions
today. You might find "Mission
Dolores" easier to remember.
As Anglo migration to Texas increased in the early 1800s, San Augustine
was the site of the customhouse and a stopover for everyone entering
Texas. It soon became the most civilized place around, and its early
history shows it to be the birthplace of several colleges and the
first churches (in Texas) of several denominations were opened here.
Sam Houston
was a frequent visitor and Texas' first governor now sits (as a statue)
on the courthouse lawn of his former residence. His name was James
Pinckney Henderson, but you already knew that. |
San
Augustine ›
by Archie P. McDonald
".... let us examine some of the "rest of the story."
It is true that the Civil War left San Augustine in economic depression.
Two major sources of capital investment -- slaves and land -- no longer
had value. Slavery was "gone with the wind" and few had resources
to purchase the land. But cotton gins, a gristmill, sawmills abounded..."
Read full
article |
Historical
Marker:
San Augustine
An early eastern
gate to Texas, in area claimed in
1600s by both France and Spain. To back her claim, Spain in 1691
chartered from Mexico past this site El
Camino Real (The King's Highway) and established nearby in 1717
Mission
Dolores de los Aies.
Inhabited by Ayish Indians and Spaniards until the late 1790s, when
Richard Sims came and was soon followed by John Quinalty, Edmond
Quirk and families of Broocks, Cullens, Cartwrights, Hortons, Hustons,
Prathers and others. By 1824 the settlement had a water mill to
grind corn meal; in 1826, a cotton gin.
In the 1827 Battle of Ayish Bayou, Col. Prather and 69 men put down
Fredonian uprising over land titles.
The town was laid off in 1833 by Thomas McFarland. In 1836 it sent
as delegates to sign Declaration of Independence S. W. Blount and
E. O. LeGrand; fielded 3 companies to fight in the war for independence.
Its Republic
of Texas statesmen included vice-president K. L. Anderson; J.
A. Greer, Secretary of the Treasury; Wm. Holman, congressman; J.
Pinckney Henderson, minister to England and France, and later
the first governor of the state. Oran M. Roberts was 16th governor.
Home of the 1965 United States Ambassador to Australia Edward Clark.
Many historic sites are marked.
(1966)
|
A
20th Century History
The Feud
San Augustine was also the scene of one of the more interesting feuds
in Texas history. It's roots were in the 1890s, but things didn't
really get going until the Spring of 1900 when Lycurgus (Curg) Border
stirred things up in the Wall-Broocks-Border feud. Curg, who
was a handsome man and a good dancer until he was partially crippled
in a shooting, shot Sheriff George W. Wall, who died a few days later.
Curg Border was elected sheriff in 1902 and served until he was suspended
in 1904 by the district judge. W.S. (Sneed) Noble took over
the sheriff's duties and found himself caught up in the feud. Sheriff
Noble shot and killed Curg Border in May of 1904. (This information
is from Texas County Sheriffs by Sammy Tise).
(A detailed account of this feud can be found in C.F. Eckhardt's
Tales of Badmen, Bad Women and Bad Places: Four centuries of Texas
Outlawry)
Excitement flared up again in San Augustine just before Christmas
in 1934. Four men were shot in a hardware store and not too much was
done about it. Texas Ranger Leo Bishop was sent in and he found the
town to be under the control of a lawless element. After few months,
Leo and partner Dan Hines had banished the main villain and made the
rest behave. The people of San Augustine presented both Rangers with
fancy pistols as token of their appreciation in 1935.
(This incident is covered in detail and fine story-telling form under
the chapter Leo Bishop and the San Augustine Crime Wave in Just
one riot: Texas Rangers in the 20th Century by Ben Proctor) |
San Augustine
Landmarks / Attractions
|
Here's the place
that saw it all, the San Augustine County Jail.
Photo
courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2010 |
Sundial on Texas
Bank & Trust
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2010 |
|
Columbus-Cartwright
House
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Craft St. off SH 21
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2010
|
San Augustine
has one of the rare traffic stop button
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2010 |
 |
 |
San Augustine
Chronicles
(From "All
Things Historical" Column)
McMahan
Chapel by Bob Bowman
The news that San Augustine businessman Jack Maund has contributed
$100,000 for a museum and events center at McMahan Chapel Methodist
Church has focused new attention on one of East Texas’ most historic
churches...
McMahan's
Chapel by Archie P. McDonald
Mr.
Ambassador by Archie P. McDonald
Edward Aubrey Clark of San Augustine
Man
with a Method by Archie P. McDonald
"Long before winning fame and martyrdom at the Alamo, William
Barret Travis wrote to tell Methodist leaders in the United States
how badly Texas needed their attention. Samuel Doak McMahon held
the first meeting of Methodists in Texas in his home, located ten
or so miles east of San Augustine, in 1832, but the arrival of Littleton
Fowler in 1837 was the first authorized Methodist activity there..."
Ben
Ramsey by Bob Bowman
Scrolling
Through History by Bob Bowman
The search system -- which has brought unbridled joy to genealogists
and historians -- is believed to be the most comprehensive county
archive system in Texas.
A
Soldier's Story by Bob Bowman
Milton Irish's letter, printed in the Lincoln Patriot at Waldoboro,
Maine, on February 10,1837, has become a classic story of a simple
soldier involved in the momentous events that gave birth to Texas
the year before. In a few months, Milton -- an ancestor of Jack
Irish of Lufkin -- found himself involved in the Siege of Bexar,
the battle that preceded the fall of the Alamo, and barely escaped
with his life during the massacre of Texas prisoners at Goliad.
Outlaw
with two faces by Bob Bowman
In July of 1888, Rupert P. Wright, dressed in rags and one eye blinded
by his own hand, pleaded for mercy on a charge of bigamy before
an Arkansas judge. To those who knew Wright, his appearance and
demeanor were far removed from the days when he was a prominent
newspaper editor, attorney, and aspiring legislator in Little Rock.
But they would soon learn that he was also an escaped murderer,
forger, arsonist and jail breaker named Pete Loggins from East Texas.
Webster's
Buck by by Bob Bowman
The San Augustine Tribune, publisher Webster Hays and hist buck.
Drug
Store Centennial by Bob Bowman
A fountain drink known as "The Grapefruit Highball."
The San Augustine Drug Store will in May (2004) celebrate a hundred
years of doing business at the same location in downtown San Augustine.
The
Church Lights by Bob Bowman
Each time I visit Christ Church Episcopal in San Augustine, I am
reminded of Murphey's story and the electric light chandeliers former
U.S. ambassador Ed Clark bought and installed in the church in 1991
to honor his wife Anne Metcalfe Clark.
The
First Governor of Texas by Archie P. McDonald
The
Circuit Rider by Bob Bowman
Beneath the pulpit of an East Texas country church, far from the
saddle-sloped mountains of his beloved Kentucky, Littleton Fowler
lies at rest... Fowler was a circuit rider, missionary, marksman,
chaplain of the Texas Senate and a brilliant pulpiteer who rode
and walked thousands of miles between the Sabine River and San Antonio
to found many of Texas’ Methodist churches.
Nuestra
Senora de los Dolores de los Ais Mission by Archie P. McDonald
The
Chicken War by Archie P. McDonald
A
fowl insurrection, The Chicken War by Clay Coppedge
|
 |
San Augustine
Historical Marker
On US 96 and Hwy 21
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2010 |
San Augustine
Texas, Forum
Subject:
Elisha T. Roundtree robbed and shot dead in San Augustine, TX in
1842
This site is truly wonderful. Would you have any suggestions as
to how I could search/post info. on a certain individual in my family
that I have been researching for years?
Elisha T. Roundtree (my great, great, great, great grandfather)
was a resident of Terrebonne Parish, LA in 1842. Family history
says he ventured toward Texas around that time. He was robbed and
shot dead in San Augustine, TX in 1842. His family settled his belongings
in 1843. His son remained in Louisiana. His wife Charlotte and his
daughter and her family moved to Louisville, KY. They were buried
in KY. We can't find what they did with his body.
We are trying to find out if he was buried in San Augustine, TX
or brought back to LA. I've searched through every possible cemetery
listing in East TX and South LA. Several people have tried searching
with no luck. I'm still trying to get the word about Elisha out
there in hopes someone knows what happened in San Augustine. Thank
you for your time. - Gina LaGrange, gbldml@yahoo.com, January 31,
2020
Shooting
of Rangers in San Augustine County
In July 1918, a squad of Texas Rangers was sent to San
Augustine County to round up deserters from the army. Two Rangers
went to the farm house of Samuel Williams to recover his son Sam
Williams and Daniel Evans. In a gun fight early in the morning,
Ranger White was killed and the other Ranger wounded. A massive
manhunt pursued... more
- John D Carrell, Mesquite, Texas, October 25, 2006
|
Nearby
Destinations
Toledo
Bend lake
Sam Rayburn
Lake
Angelina National
Forest - 11 miles south on Texas 147 to entrance.
Sabine National
Forest - 5 miles east on FM 353 to entrance.
San
Augustine County - Towns, ghost towns, vintage maps
San
Augustine Hotels › Book Hotel Here
San
Augustine Tourist Information
San Augustine County Chamber of Commerce 611 West Columbia St. San
Augustine, Texas 75972 Phone: 936-275-3610 Website: www.sanaugustinetx.com
|
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and contemporary/vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. |
|
|
HOME
Texas
Gulf Coast
East
Texas
Central
Texas North
Central
Texas South
Texas
Panhandle
South
Texas
Texas
Hill Country
West
Texas
Texas
Ghost Towns
Texas
Counties
