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History
in a Pecan ShellHelena
once held great promise. It was founded by Lewis Owings and Thomas Ruckman. The
name came from Owings wife Helen. Ownings went on to become the first Governor
of Arizona (Territory). Helena's situation on the San Antonio River and the Chihuahua
Trail guaranteed it would become a major city.
Helena became the
first Karnes County Seat when the county organized in 1854 and during the
Civil War it served as a major point on the "Cotton Road" between Matamoros,
Mexico and Alleyton, Texas
(Colorado County).
See The
First Karnes County Courthouse
According
to story, the demise of Helena can be traced to one man. He was a rancher whose
son was shot and killed in Helena. He demanded revenge and when he couldn't find
the individual(s) responsible, he instead swore to kill the entire town. When
the railroad came through the area, the rancher practically gave the railroad
their right-of-way and we can see the results today. The
other story was that the railroad was demanding a bounty of 35,000 dollars and
the town could only come up with 32,000. The railroad insisted on the full amount
and moved on to Karnes City
when the extra money couldn't be raised. The second story is believable, but doesn't
have the pathos of a father's grief. |
| | Historical
Marker Text
Photo
courtesy
William
Beauchamp
Click on image to see markerHelena |
Founded in 1852 on
San Antonio River by Thomas Ruckman, a graduate of Princeton, and Lewis Owings,
later first governor of Arizona Territory. Town was named in honor of Owings'
wife, Helen.
Situated on branch of famed Chihuahua Trail (running from
Indianola to San
Antonio to Northern Mexico), Helena was to experience quick growth. Much traffic
of wagon freight and gold bullion traveled trail. Four-horse stages daily passed
through town.
Helena was designated county seat when Karnes County was
created and organized in 1854. First election of county officials was held on
gallery of Ruckman-Owings Store.
During Civil War, Karnes County mustered
six companies, including Helena Guards, for service. Helena was a Confederate
post office and issued its own stamps. Much Confederate cotton destined for Mexican
ports passed through Helena.
During its heyday, Helena had a courthouse,
jail, newspaper, academy, drugstore, blacksmith shop, two hotels, and several
saloons and general stores.
Bypassed by the S.A. & A.P. Railroad in 1886,
town died. County seat was moved to Karnes City in 1894 after hotly contested
election.
1967 |
 |
Photographer's Note
- "The old white Helena house shown was originaly in another Helena location.
Was taken apart, moved to the Courthouse grounds & reassembled. It was in use
for many years till 2008 by the "Happy Helena Quilters". The house has many interesting
community items in it, including the first electric stove in Karnes County.
The
old house & Post Office are all part of the Museum Complex at the Courthouse grounds."
- William
Beauchamp |
| Helena
Post Office rebuilt from the lumber of the original store in 1945. Now part of
the Karnes County Museum Complex
Photo
courtesy
William
Beauchamp, April 2012
More
Texas Post Offices |
| Photographer's Note
- "The little post office building holds Post Office related items from several
of the early small post offices in Karnes County. The early Helena Post Office
was in a store across the street." - William
Beauchamp |
| Helene
issued its own stamp during the Civil War
Photo
courtesy
William
Beauchamp, April 2012 |
Black Diamond Elephant
Leg
Photographer's Note - "Above photo is of an old "Real" leg of
an elephant in a early traveling circus. It sits now in the corner of the little
Post Office Building on the Courthouse Grounds in Helena. Story is the Circus
Elephant killed someone in Corsicana.
They decided to kill the elephant but wait till there next stop in Kenedy.
It was killed across the road from were Otto Keiser Hospital now stands and at
the location of the Black Diamond Ranch. It took 170 shots to kill the big animal.
After it was downed it was found the poor creature had a bad tooth. Probably the
reason it went crazy at the stop before." - William
Beauchamp |
Strap
iron cells from Helena jail and Falls City jail. The plaque in the middle is from
the former Karnes County jail, dated 1954.
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, June 2012
More
Texas Jails |
Ox-Cart
Road Historical Marker
On Old courthouse Square, FM 81
Photo courtesy William
Beauchamp, April 2012 |
Historical
Marker TextOx-Cart
Road(Section
of Chihuahua Road)
After
centuries of use by buffalo
and Indians, this trail from San
Antonio to the Texas coast
gained importance when opened to colonial travel by the Alarcon Expedition in
1718.
Spanish conquistadores and priests, the Gutierrez-Magee
Expedition (which invaded Spanish Texas in 1812), Stephen F. Austin, Alamo
heroes, Santa Anna's messenger ordering the death of prisoners at Goliad,
Polish and German settlers of Texas-- all traveled on road.
Rich trade
in gold, silver, and leather with Mexico and the West was conducted along the
road from San Antonio to Powderhorn.
The U.S. 2nd Cavalry Forts, established to protect the Texas frontier, moved men
and supplies over it. Materials were transported in two-wheeled ox-carts, prairie
schooners, Wells-Fargo wagons drawn by sixteen mules, and by pack animals.
In
1852 Helena was founded on road as a midway point between San
Antonio and Goliad;
Lewis S. Owings operated a daily stage line here, 1854. Major incidents of the
Bizarre Cart War of 1857 between Texan and Mexican teamsters occurred near Helena.
Herds of longhorns
from South Texas crossed the road
here enroute to market. After the railroad came through county in 1886, the Ox-Cart
Road was abandoned.
1967 |
| | Historical
Marker Text
Photo
courtesy William
Beauchamp
Click on image to see markerThomas
Ruckman(November
8, 1826 - December 2, 1914) |
Founding father of
Karnes County, Ruckman was born in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. He graduated
in 1848 from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and taught in
South Carolina for a year. But the lure of Texas--
then a frontier state where land was cheap and opportunity boundless-- brought
him on Christmas morning, 1850, to San
Antonio.
In 1851 he started a trading post in the little Mexican settlement
of Alamita, located on the Old Ox-Cart Road between San
Antonio and Goliad.
Other businessmen followed his example, and soon Ruckman was able to build a gristmill
near the San Antonio River, enlarge his store, and erect a stately home.
Soon after, Ruckman took as partner Dr. L. S. Owings, and together they foresaw
a metropolis arising at this important and inviting roadstop. Their store once
stood near the site of this marker.
In 1852, they laid out a new town,
which they named "Helena", in honor of Owings' wife. When Karnes County organized
in 1854, Helena was chosen county seat.
Ruckman was postmaster here, 1854
to 1857, and he continued nearly 40 years as leading merchant and banker. In 1872,
he helped found the Helena Academy.
He is buried in the Masonic Cemetery
of Helena. |
| The
Helena Museum Complex
TE Photo, 2001 |
| State
Highway 80 through Helena
TE Photo, 2001 | |
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