COMMEMORATING

GULF HIGH SCHOOL

(1918-1938)

BUILT BY TEXAS GULF SULPHUR COMPANY
GULF, TEXAS

LOCATED 5 MILES EAST OF THIS PARK.

_____________________________

SOON AFTER THE SCHOOL BEGAN, A MUCH
LARGER BRICK BUILDING WAS BUILT. STUDENTS
FOR WADSWORTH AND MATAGORDA CAME
BY BUS TO JOIN GULF RESIDENTS. THE
SCHOOL IS FONDLY REMEMBERED FOR ITS
WINNING BASKETBALL TEAMS. THE
“PIRATES” WON 7 CONSECUTIVE COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS.

GULF HIGH SCHOOL CLASS RINGS BORE THE
FIGURE OF LASALLE, AS WELL AS HIS SHIP, IN
ORDER TO REPRESENT THE PERIOD IN WHICH
TEXAS WAS CLAIMED FOR FRANCE

 

 

SITE OF DREAM COLONY OF JANE MCMANUS

PROSPECTIVE COLONIAL LEADER WHO IN 1832 HOPED TO SETTLE THRIFTY EUROPEANS ON A MEXICAN GRANT, WHICH SHE NEVER RECEIVED. MRS. MCMANUS, DAUGHTER OF A U. S. CONGRESSMAN FROM NEW YORK, WAS A FAMILY FRIEND OF STEPHEN F. AUSTIN, “FATHER OF TEXAS”. JOINING HER TEXAS VENTURE WAS HER BROTHER, ROBERT MCMANUS, WHO LATER FOUGHT IN THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE. ALTHOUGH HER COLONIAL PLANS FAILED, JANE MCMANUS REMAINED ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT TEXAS. FOR YEARS IN THE 1850’S SHE AND HER SECOND HUSBAND, GEN. WM. CZNEAU, LIVED IN EAGLE PASS. SHE IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN AN ADVISOR FOR THE U. S. PEACEMAKERS AFTER THE MEXICAN WAR. OUTSIDE TEXAS SHE HAD A CAREER AS A NEW YORK JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR. SHE DIED IN 1878 WHEN A SHIP WAS LOST AT SEA AS SHE JOURNEYED TO HER ESTATE IN JAMAICA.

ALTHOUGH AUSTIN WAS THE MOST FAMOUS LEADER IN TEXAS COLONIZATION, OTHER EMPRESARIOS INCLUDED GREEN DEWITT, HAYDEN EDWARDS, ROBERT LEFTWICH, FROST THORN, MARTIN DELEON, BEN MILAM, GEN. ARTHUR G. WAVELL, DAVID G. BURNET, JOHN CAMERON, JAMES HEWESTON, JAMES POWER, JUAN DOMINGUEZ, JUAN ANTONIO PADILLA, THOMAS J. CHAMBERS, GEN. VICENTE FILISOLA, J. C. BEALES AND JOSE M. ROYUELA. MRS. MCMANUS WAS THE ONLY KNOW LADY COLONIZER.                       (1968)

EARLY TEXAS FREIGHTING

INDUSTRY THAT MOVED GOODS TO BUILD, SUSTAIN DISTANT SETTLEMENTS IN 18TH-19TH CENTRAL TEXAS. TEAMSTERS DEFIED INDIANS, BANDITS, AND TEXAS WEATHER TO SUPPLY OUTLYING FORTS AND INLAND TOWNS, WHICH SUFFERED IF IMPORTS FROM THE GULF COAST, U. S. OR MEXICO SLACKED.

ON OF THE FEW REGULAR RUNS WAS AUSTIN-MATAGORDA. WAGONS LEFT EACH CITY ON 1ST AND 15TH OF EVERY MONTH, CROSSING MATAGORDA, WHARTON, COLORADO, FAYETTE, BASTROP AND TRAVIS COUNTIES. HOUSTON WAS MAJOR TEXAS FREIGHT CENTER BECAUSE OF ACCESS TO GALVESTON BAY. GEORGE T. HOWARD AND CHARLES OGDEN WERE EARLY FREIGHT MEN.

FIRST CARTS, LATER WAGONS WITH 3000-7000 LBS OF CARGO WERE DRAWN BY 3 TO 6 OXEN OR MULE TEAMS. “GRASS RATES” FOR OXEN, GRAZED ON WAY, WERE LESS THAT “CORN RATES” FOR FASTER MULES. EARLY WOODEN CARTS WERE 15FT. LONG WITH TWO 7-FT WHEELS AND A THATCHED ROOF. THEIR HUBS WERE GREASED WITH PRICKLY-PEAR LEAVES. FOR HEAVY LOADS, ROUGH ROADS, THE 2-TON “PRAIRIE SCHOONER” WAS BEST. CARAVANS VARIED FROM 5 TO 150 WAGONS.

WHEN RESTING OR ATTACKED, WAGONS FORMED A ROUND, PROTECTIVE CORRAL AND TRAINED MULES TOOK THEIR PLACES INSTANTLY. TEAMSTERS OFTEN BANDED TOGETHER FOR MUTUAL ASSISTANCE. WITH COMING OF THE “IRON HORSE” IN 1853, THE FREIGHTER BEGAN SLOWLY TO DISAPPEAR FROM THE STATE.

 

EARLY TRAVEL, TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION SERIES
ERECTED BY THE MOODY FOUNDATION                                            1967