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Bastrop County, TX |
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The Beginnings of Bastrop County From January 8, 1836 to December 13, 1837, the Municipality and County of Mina consisted of parts of present day Mason,
Kimble, Llano, Burnet, Williamson, Gillespie, Blanco, Comal, Hays, Travis, Caldwell, Bastrop, Lee, Gonzales, Fayette, Washington, and Lavaca counties.
On December 14, 1837, the Second Congress passed legislation changing the geographical limits, creating Fayette County, removing Gonzales and Caldwell Counties from the boundries
and, five months later, added
parts of Kimble and Comal Counties. On December 18, 1837, Sam Houston signed an act incorporating the town of Mina and, on the same day, changing the name of the county
and town of Mina to Bastrop. May 24, 1838 to January 24, 1840, shows the borders of Bastrop County to contain parts of present day Blanco, Burnet,
Williamson, Travis, Hays, Comal, Caldwell, Bastrop, Lee, Gonzales and Fayette counties. From January
25, 1840 to January 25, 1850 the border changed to almost it's present size with a small
portion of Lee, Williamson, Caldwell, Gonzales and Fayetts counties included. In 1839, Bastrop was one of the locations
being considered for the permanent site for the seat of
government of the Republic of Texas. The seat of government, first on the
Washington- on-the Brazos, moved to Columbia, then Houston until a more suitable site could be established.
After three seperate commissions were held to investigate areas on the Brazos and Colorado Rivers, Waterloo and Bastrop became the final two locations being
considered, with
Waterloo being chosen as the permanent site. Bastrop was able to benefit from the selection
as travelers on the Old San Antonio Road and Gotcher
Trail had to pass through Bastrop on
the way to the new Capital now known as Austin. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Furnished by Bastrop County Spanish explorers arrived at the Lost Pines when they crossed the Colorado River near Bastrop in 1691. The future site of Bastrop became a military post along the Spaniard's Old San Antonio Road in the 1700's. In 1823, the
Mexican Government awarded Stephen F. Austin a land grant in the area, in exchange for
a pledge of loyalty to the Mexican government. The land grant was apparently hoped to serve
as a buffer between Mexico and its upstart neighbor,
the United States, to the north. In 1827 Austin received permission to enlarge the station along the Colorado and establish
a town at the site. In 1832 the town of
Bastrop was platted. It was named after a friend and business associate of Austin's, Philip Hendrick Nering-Bogel, who called himself
the Baron de Bastrop. Originally from the Netherlands, Nering-Bogel
arrived in San Antonio after questionable dealings in
Europe, South America and Louisiana. Among the problems facing the colonists was dealing
with the indigenous inhabitants. Of many tribes in the area some, such as the Tonkawa, were peaceful and assisted the settlers.
Others, particularly the Comanche, were determined to eliminate the newcomers and
resisted the Anglos with considerable ferocity. Bastrop's colony faced another problem as
well. Tensions between the Anglos and the Mexican government grew, and in 1835 many local volunteers rushed to assist in the armed
uprising against
Mexico. A Bastrop resident was the first killed in the War of Texas Independence, at the
Battle of Concepcion in October 1835. When the Alamo fell, 12 Bastropians
died along
side Davy Crockett. After the fall of the Alamo, settlers in Bastrop fled Santa Anna's advancing forces, taking as many of their farm animals, slaves and other possessions
as they could. The young town was looted by a detachment of the Mexican Army (and by Indian raiders). Not much was left of the town when its
residents returned after Santa Anna's defeat and Texas independence,
but they quickly rebuilt. Bastrop County, with Bastrop as county seat, was among the original 10 counties established by the
Republic of Texas in 1836, and was a likely site for permanent
Capitol of the new Republic. However, that honor went instead to the
unimportant village of Waterloo, 30 miles further up the Colorado. As Waterloo, now renamed in honor of Austin, grew in importance, so too did
Bastrop become an important supplier of timber
for the growing Capitol City. The area continued to thrive on the timber
trade and cotton production after Texas joined the United States in 1845, until the Civil War. Both industries depended on plentiful slave labor
to keep production costs low. By 1853 the young city had a newspaper, which is still publishing
and is the oldest weekly in Texas. The Civil War led to economic tragedy. The end
of slavery caused a transformation of life and the economy. But the community survived and prospered. During the 1880's and 1890's, the railroad reached Bastrop, a new Court House (still
standing) was constructed, and the town's first bank was
chartered. Many fine Victorian style homes were built, which still grace the older areas
of Bastrop. The first tax-supported public schools and a public water system were also organized
in the 1890's. In 1889, Bastrop's cultural life received a big boost with the completion
of the Bastrop Opera House. This facility has been restored in recent years and serves as a venue for local and
visiting theater and musical groups. Today Bastrop retains much of its historical flavor.
Many of the historic homes and other buildings have been restored, and over 120 are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The historic atmosphere has been heightened by commercial development focusing on Texana,
antiques, crafts and arts.
With its rich heritage and proximity to dynamic, high-tech Austin, Bastrop is
looking forward to a bright future. |
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