Category Archives: History

Most Historic Small Town in Texas

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.

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.

Fredericksburg, Texas – An Intro

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How do I describe Fredericksburg, Texas….. German, historic, authentic, great food, shopping, art, vineyards, beer, Luckenbach, bed and breakfasts, nature, landscapes, one of a kind destination.

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit Fredericksburg. I had been once a couple years ago for literally just for a couple hours and always said I was going to go back. Returning would involve checking a lot off my Texas Bucket List. In the short time I was there, I was able to get everything on my list done (within the area) and even check out a few others. How’s that for keeping busy!

Fredericksburg is located right off Highway 290, just west of Austin (about 2 hours). Sound familiar? I mentioned Highway 290 in last weeks post about Hye, TX. The trip to Fredericksburg is scenic route. Wildflowers graze the side of the highways along with the Texas state flower, the bluebonnets in the spring. It’s the perfect time to drive with the windows down and just enjoy the view and the fresh air. You’ll drive through Johnson City and see Lyndon B. Johnson’s old stomping grounds (if you are into history, you may want to stop by the LBJ State Park and Historic Site). Did I mention the many, many vineyards you’ll pass along the way which will leave you contemplating on whether or not to stop (trust your gut, you probably should). And if you don’t pay attention, you’ll miss that old sign for Luckenbach (I’ll fill you in on Luckenback later on.)

Soon enough, you will come into town. You’ll see the classic Texas town main street, filled with shops, restaurants and many people. Fredericksburg is a popular tourist destination, be prepared but as popular as it is there is a kind of charm that allows you to become calm, relaxed and able to enjoy the moment.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be telling you a lot about Fredericksburg. Whether you have a family, need a couples getaway or even just a getaway for yourself – leave Fredericksburg to be an option for your break from the real world. I’m going to recommend it!

Need a little more convincing?

Frederickburg is #2 in the country for a wine destination getaway (right behind Napa).
Fredericksburg holds over 400 bed and breakfasts. That’s right – 400!
Shopping, eating, drinking, live music – it’s all at your fingertips.
Need a break to venture into the outdoors? I’ll tell you about my adventure at the Enchanted Rock and the absolute breathtaking view at the top.

I was able to experience a little bit of everything that I’ve mentioned and will be giving my take in the coming weeks. Hope you’ll join me on my journey!

Hye, Texas

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I have a little story for you today… and it goes something like this.

A few years ago, my parents came into town to visit. My poor parents, I just kept them on the go the entire time because I wanted them to see everything that I get to experience (it really happens to everyone I know – sharing is caring, right?). So, I took them to the Dr. Pepper Festival in Dublin, TX. While we were there, my dad went and wandered around the little shops and came back with a couple pictures. One of them was this one…

I took a picture of the print. I hope you get the gist of it.

It’s a picture by George Boutwell who is a Texas artist. I’ve come to love his work through the two prints that I have. More importantly – how awesome are the tractor and the old truck in this picture?! People know me well!

On the back of the print, the following was written:
“HYE, TEXAS, is on U.S. Highway 290, between Johnson City and Stonewall, Texas and I’ve been itching to paint this store ever since I discovered it in 1973 on the same trip that I discovered Luckenbach. Rumor is that Lyndon Johnson was one of the regulars that hung out at Hye. – GEORGE BOUTWELL”

Well, I don’t know if it’s the traveler in me or just Curious George but I knew where U.S. Highway 290 was, Luckenbach is one of my favorite places in Texas and quite frankly there is a John Deere Tractor and old pickup in the photo. Next time I was headed that way, I was going to find this place.

So I did….

Here lies the Hye Post Office. The main building is closed. There is nothing there. This building is basically the town. It sits along side Highway 290 where cars literally fly though. I was a little nervous taking the pictures and had to be quick to take the photo. Across the street, looks like an old garage with some cars sitting out front but how awesome is it that I was able to capture a picture of this building that grabbed the attention of George Boutwell 40 years ago. The building still looks great.

Imagine the history. Between Johnson City where Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson were from, just down the road from Luckenbach where Willie and a ton of other musicians have crossed through. Highway 290 carries a lot of history in this great state. What a treasure! Think about it!