Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas
Washington-on-the-Brazos
Washington | ||
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ZIP code 77880[2] | ||
Area code | 979 | |
GNIS feature ID | 1349512[1] |
Washington-on-the-Brazos is an unincorporated community along the Brazos River in Washington County, Texas, United States.[1] The town is best known for being the site of the Convention of 1836 and the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
The town is named for Washington, Georgia, itself named for George Washington. It is officially known as just "Washington," but after the Civil War came to be known as "Washington-on-the-Brazos" to distinguish the settlement from "Washington-on-the-Potomac," Washington, D.C..[3]
History
Early history
In early Texas, Washington-on-the-Brazos was a significant political and economic hub. After the Civil War, the town's name was changed from Washington to Washington-on-the-Brazos or Old Washington. Washington was located 70 miles northwest of
Robinson granted his daughter Patsy and son-in-law John W. Hall a quarter league in 1831. Hall surveyed and planned out a town in December 1833 after seeing the location's commercial potential and Methodist leader John W. Kenney erected the town's first house. In 1835, Captain Hall founded the Washington Town Company with Dr. Asa Hoxey, Thomas Gay, and the Miller and Somervell Company to purchase the remaining portion of Robinson's grant. The new town was given that name by Hoxey, a former resident of Washington, Georgia.[3]
Washington had developed into a supply hub by 1835. Merchants and tradespeople from nearby settlements settled in the new town, drawn by its location on the river and on or near key routes. The supply of emigrants to the interior and the surrounding area's expanding agricultural development and population both contributed to Washington's commercial expansion. The town's position was healthier and less vulnerable to flooding than that of villages at the river's edge since it was situated on cliffs above the river and had a plentiful water supply from adjacent springs.
Texas Republic
Gen.
Following Texas' triumph at
In Washington, Texas, the Rev.
Growth in the economy helped Washington become a major hub for media and education. The creation of Washington Masonic Academy in 1841 was funded by the
The National Vindicator (1843–1844), the Texas National Register (1844–1855), and the Brazos Farmer (1843) were three publications that were published in quick succession. The former lodge, which had discontinued operations in 1842, was replaced by the Washington Masonic Lodge, which received a charter in 1844. In the summer of 1844, the town served as the location of negotiations for peace between President Houston and the Indians. Inauguration ceremonies for Jones and his inaugural ball, as well as the Texas Congress meeting when annexation to the United States was granted, all took place in Washington in 1845. The Texas National Register likewise moved to Austin when Austin once more assumed that role as the nation's capital in the late summer of 1845, and Washington lost its political importance.[3]
Decline
Residents of Washington, which was situated close to the upper limit of Brazos River navigation, were encouraged to develop the town as a riverport after the arrival of the steamboat Mustang in 1842. Between the interior and the Gulf Coast, Washington served as a distribution hub for trade. The Brazos floods in 1843–1844 reduced cotton production, complicated navigation, and caused diseases in Washington in 1844–1845. To remove obstructions to navigation, town citizens formed the Brazos Steamship Association in April 1848. To start up regular service between Washington and Velasco, this corporation purchased the Washington and the Brazos, two steamboats. Washington's economy and population grew quickly between 1849 and 1858 as the town became a popular stop for steamboats and an important hub for the export of the region's lucrative cotton crop. Although locals had access to retailers in Houston and Galveston, this significant stagecoach stop and riverport saw a boom in service industries serving passengers, wholesale and retail commerce, leather, wood, and metal manufacturing, construction, and the professions.
The Texas Ranger and Brazos Guard started publishing in Washington in 1847. Religious diversity was brought about by the founding of a Presbyterian church (1847) and an Episcopalian mission (1848). The Brazos River Improvements Association was established by locals, and it held meetings in 1854 and 1856 to request government aid. The population grew to 750 in 1856. Washington had two newspapers, four churches, two hotels, a Masonic lodge, two Odd Fellows chapters, a market house, and a commercial district with brick buildings that were two and three stories tall at the height of its prosperity. Another hub of Know Nothing political activity was Washington. There were local gatherings and a secret state Know Nothing conference was held in the town in 1855, during which R. E. B. Baylor was appointed president of the organization's council.[4] The Washington American, an organ of the American (Know Nothing) party, was published there in 1855 and 1856.[3]
Washington turned down an $11,000 bonus the
Post-Civil War
Residents numbered approximately 175 by 1884. The Presbyterian church was the only church structure from the time of the town's prosperity that was still standing in 1891; by 1889, the majority of the townsite had been converted to cultivated fields. A Masonic Hall was among the final historic buildings to burn in 1912. Washington was noted as having 100 residents in that year's Texas State Gazetteer and Business Directory, along with several grocery stores, two general stores, a blacksmith, a doctor, and a cotton gin. The stated population held steady at 300 from the 1940s through the 1960s. In the year 2000, 265 people were living in the dispersed rural village of Washington, which also included a post office, two local churches, country cemeteries, and a volunteer fire department. The Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site served as the hub of activity and trade.
In 1915, the state government set aside money for a park that would include a portion of the former town site. Every March 2, Washington-on-the-Brazos has hosted celebrations of Texas independence. The two most notable 20th-century events at Washington-on-the-Brazos were the celebrations of Texas' Centennial in 1936 and its Sesquicentennial in 1986. The 1970-built Star of the Republic Museum preserves numerous relics as well as comprehensive historical documents of the town from the nineteenth century, and the Anson Jones residence is preserved at the park's Barrington Living History Farm.
Between 1964 and 1969, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory carried out excavations at Washington-on-the-Brazos in collaboration with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the University of Texas at Austin Texana Programs. Their discoveries allowed for more historically accurate furnishing of the renovated Republican-era buildings.[3]
Culture
The town is home to the Washington-on-the-Brazos Historical Site, which has three main attractions: The Star of the Republic Museum (a museum about the Texas Republic), a replica of Independence Hall (where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed), and Barrington Living History Farm (home of last Texas Republic President Anson Jones).
The town is also home to Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, founded in 1849 as the oldest Black Catholic church in Texas.[5]
Geography
Washington-on-the-Brazos is located on
Education
The first school in the community may have been established by the wife of John Hall in 1837. The local Masonic Lodge helped sponsor the academy. Washington Female Academy educated the community's female youth in 1856 and 1857. In 1899, schoolchildren in Brenham honored Independence Hall with a marker after getting permission from the district superintendent, E.W. Tarrant. The community had two schools in the 1930s, one of which was for African Americans.[3] Today, the community is served by the Brenham Independent School District.
Gallery
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Inside the replica of the building where Texan independence was declared on March 2, 1836
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Visitor Center at Washington-on-the-Brazos
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Star of the Republic Museum is located within the state historical park.
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Frontier cabin replica at Star of the Republic Museum
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Steamboat exhibit at Star of the Republic Museum
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Entrance to Barrington Living History Museum
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Barrington Farm, residence of Anson Jones
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Corral at Washington-on-the-Brazos
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Washington-on-the-Brazos historical marker
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Texas Historical Marker for Andrew Robinson Sr.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Washington, Texas". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Washington ZIP Code". zipdatamaps.com. 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Christian, Carole E. "Washington-on-the-Brazos, TX". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ Phillips, Thomas R.; Paulsen, James W. (Summer 2014). "The Enduring Legacies of Judge R. E. B. Baylor, Part 2" (PDF). Journal of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society. 3 (3): 12–26.
- ^ Evans, Roxanne J. "Black Catholics". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ "Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas". Texas Escapes Online Magazine. Retrieved June 20, 2023.