| |
SPANISH CAMP, TEXASWharton
County, Texas
Gulf Coast
Just N of the intersection of FMs 640 and 1161
8
Miles NW of Wharton
Population: Unknown
Spanish
Camp, Texas Area Hotels
Wharton
Hotels |
 |
History
in a Pecan Shell
Settlement dates to Austin’s Colony and the
name refers to its use as a bivouac site for Santa Anna’s forces during the Texas
Revolution.
A legend of buried treasure (a Mexican payroll buried when
the troops got word of San
Jacinto) keeps the community’s name alive, and gave the place some notoriety.
Growth occurred in the 1870s when the town got a post office and the basic
businesses were established. In the mid 1880s the population was a mere 50 residents
served by two stores, a gristmill and a school.
The population increased
to 200 by 1890 but it was bypassed by the railroad
and by 1900 it had returned to about 50 people.
The post office closed
its doors in 1905 and potential growth was stymied by the proximity to Wharton.
Population figures stopped after WWII
– with 20 people estimated in 1947.
In 2010 the town consists of three
cemeteries, two churches and the Spanish Camp community center. |
|
|
