|
 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
Named after local
rancher Lafayette Ward (who was also an influence in the neighboring
town of Francitas), the town emerged
on the coastal prairie in 1904 with the arrival of the St. Louis,
Brownsville and Mexico Railroad.
La Ward housed a section crew for the railroad and was prosperous
enough to have two stores. It became a shipping center for area ranchers
who also did their banking in town. The town never had a large population
and by 1940 there were only 200 people living there. The town reached
its high-water mark in 1962 with 300 people and then slid into a decline
losing nearly 2/3rds of the population by 1971. It has since increased
to the present estimate of 200. |
Sandhill Cranes
in La Ward
Photo Courtesy Ken
Rudine, February 2006 |
Sandhill Cranes
in La Ward
Part of our frequent
trips to and from Houston-Rockport
is to travel Highway 172 between Ganado
and Highway 35. On this 22 miles you pass through La Ward which postal-wise
is served by Lolita, Jackson
County, 77971.
On the farming land just south of La Ward there are a dozen or more
Sandhill Cranes that have migrated here from the Platte River, Nebraska
where they have been coming for 10,000 years, according to Pamela
Jensen. Jenson spoke at the Hummer/Bird Celebration in Rockport,
(Sept.,2000) about the legends of the crane. We bought her book and
were previously unaware these birds came to this area. During the
last two years we began to notice in the winter, these large birds
in the plowed-under corn fields on Highway 172 and on Highway 35 about
10 miles south of Tivoli. It is rather
exciting to see these large birds whose call is similar to that of
a turkey. These cranes have a red marking on top of their heads, unlike
the Whoopers red mark on the side of their heads. They are at least
twice as tall as a turkey, but not as tall as the 5-foot Whooping
Cranes nearby in the Aransas Wildlife Refuge. This picture I think
is of two adults and their young. - Ken
Rudine, Houston, Texas, February 3, 2006 |
 |
La Ward Baptist
Church
Photo courtesy Gerald
Massey, October 2010 |
La Ward Mercantile
Co.
Photo courtesy Gerald
Massey, October 2010 |
1920s map showing
La Ward in Southern Jackson
County on St. L. B. & M. Railroad
From Texas state map #10749
Courtesy
Texas General Land Office |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
|
|
HOME
