Bastrop is situated right outside of Austin however one shouldn’t let the appeal of a small Texas town deceive you as being “just a small town”. Bastrop holds a huge part of Texas history, history that the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa displays proudly.
Walking the halls of the Hyatt, what you will find on the walls documents the history of Bastrop in the state of Texas. It even led me to do a little research and find out a little bit more…
Back around 1804, a fort / colony was established alongsidethe Colorado River and was named after Felipe EnriqueNeri Baron de Bastrop. (He was actually a wanted man from the Netherlandsnamed Philip Hendrik Nering Bogel who was embezzler.) In Texas,he became a land commissioner for Moses and Stephen F. Austin. Around 1827,Stephen F. Austin moved about 100 hundred families into an area and named thetown after Baron de Bastrop, who had passed a short time earlier. Consideringthe town was located next to (or what was at the time) the Mexican boundaries,the name was later changed to Mina however on December 18, 1837, the town became officially known, forgood, as Bastrop.
In 1839, Bastrop applied to be the capital of Texas.It was later decided that the name “Austin”would be used as the state capital name, no matter where it happened to be established. Theory says, Austin was established right outside of Bastrop because it was not established. In doing so, they prompted growth in the area,bringing business, jobs and creating a community in an undeveloped area.Although Bastrop was defeated that they could not claim the title of being the capital of Texas,they knew that this would bring great benefits to their area.
Bastrop also has some famous citizens that held their place throughout history:
- Three Bastropians signed the Texas Declaration of Independence
- Several gave their lives at the Alamo
- 60 Men fought in the battle of San Jacinto
A huge importance of this area was the Lost Pine Forest which sat around the center of town. This was some of the only lumber available in the area which was supplied to Austin and San Antonio and later even sent off to Mexico.Later on, a pecan-shelling plant, cedar chest factory, cedar oil factory and coal production would bring even more business to the area.
1862 brought destruction to Bastrop.A fire destroyed most of the downtown area, including the county courthouse and many commercial buildings. The majority of buildings in the “old downtown” area are dated post Civil War due to the fire. 1869 brought even more disaster with the highest flood in the towns history, forcing everyone to evacuate.Unfortunately, it didn’t stop there with the most destructive fire in Texas history in 2011. Over 36,000 acres and 1,700 homes were lost in the fire,however the historic downtown remained untouched.
Bastrop joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 which added 131 buildings tothe site list. This helped to earn Bastrop the title of “ Most Historic Small Town in Texas”. In 2010, it was named one of America’s Most Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Now, this is a really quick hit on the information that I found on
Bastrop. Walking the halls of the resort, you will see pictures and information on the history of this historic town (as shown above). About 10-15 minutes down the road, you can also drive into historic Bastrop and view some of the historic buildings in the area (below).
(Above) This house stopped me dead in my tracks. It was gorgeous, on a quiet street with large trees out front. I’m pretty sure I would be sitting on this front porch with a cool drink and a good book year round. Some of the historical homes in this area were beautiful!
Views of some of the downtown shops.
How small is the world. I happened to venture into one of the downtown shops. Here sat a butter churn made in Bellows Falls, Vermont.
A little piece of Vermont found in Texas by this Vermonter = one proud Vermonter.
Bastrop is super cute. If you happen to be at the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort (or going thru the area), I highly recommend taking a little detour and enjoying some of this historic town.
Related Posts:
Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa
Exploring Nature at the Hyatt Lost Pines
Comfort & Beauty – Room Overview
Firewheel Cafe at the Hyatt Lost Pines
Activities at the Hyatt Lost Pines
Texas Tuesday link up with Amanda from Princess of the Panhandle and Crystal from Masons Mama. This is a chance for any blogger to participate in a post on the greatness of Texas! There’s so much to explore!
Historical Information: Visit Bastrop TX, Bastrop Texas Network, Wikipedia
Disclaimer: I was not compensated but did receive one night’s stay at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa in return for this post. All photos and opinions are 100% my own.
