GeoReader Talking Points - Historical Landmarks in Milam County, TX

GeoReader
Talking Points

Milam County, TX Talking Points

Buckholts:

Hope Lutheran Church - Founded in 1890, this congregation began with twelve charter members led

by German missionary Julius Schroeder. Early worship services were held in homes and in a local

school building. The Rev. H. F. Daude was called to serve the church in 1891, and in 1901 the

first sanctuary was erected. It was replaced by a second structure in 1925. Some worship services

were conducted in the German language until 1949. A new sanctuary was erected in 1975. The oldest

church in Buckholts, Hope Lutheran serves a predominantly German and Czech membership

Burlington: (Milam County ?)

Site of Wilson School - The Wilson School that once stood here traced its history to the 1890s,

when entrepreneur William Anderson Barclay deeded one acre of land for a schoolhouse. Typical of

many rural schools in Texas in the late nineteenth century, the Wilson School was functional in

design. Built of clapboard construction and topped with a shingle roof, the building contained

three rooms. Continued in Details. Two rooms were classrooms; one for grades one through four,

the second for grades five through eight. The third room was a communal room shared by both

classes. Ray Hodges served as one of the earliest teachers here. During the depression of the

1930s payment to the two teachers was often delayed, and barter was sometimes used instead of

money. The average graduating class was four or five students, many of whom served with

distinction in World War II. In 1950 the Wilson School District was absorbed into the Rosebud

Independent School District as part of the Gilmer-Aikin Minimum Standards Education Bill passed

by the Texas Legislature. The school building was dismantled in 1955; only a few physical

reminders remain to mark the site.

Cameron:

St. Monica's Catholic Church - Founded in 1883, the congregation erected this structure in 1927-

28 after a fire had destroyed their previous place of worship. The building exhibits influences

of both Palladian and Italian Romanesque architectural styles, an unusual combination for a Roman

Catholic church in Texas. Outstanding features include the Doric portico and the Lombard

Romanesque style bell tower. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1983

Cameron:

First United Methodist Church - This congregation began as part of the early Methodist missionary

effort in Texas. A camp meeting was held in Milam County in 1841, four years after the first

Methodist preachers came to Texas. By 1847, the Rev. Josiah Whipple had helped to organize this

church. Until 1885 the Methodist congregation in Cameron was part of a preaching circuit. Early

ministers included the Rev. Pleasant M. Yell and the Rev. John W. Devilbiss. Continued in

Details. By 1885, the church had grown so that it was given a full-time pastor, the Rev. J. E.

Green. Four years earlier, in 1881, the congregation had constructed its first church building,

during the pastorate of the Rev. J. H. Collard. Larger facilities were needed by the end of the

nineteenth century, and a new brick sanctuary was completed in 1901. The current building was

first used for services in 1923. Over the years, First United Methodist Church of Cameron has

provided significant service and leadership to the community. The congregation has been host to

the Texas Annual Conference of Methodist Churches and has produced several ministers from its

membership. Today the church continues to reflect the ideals and traditions of its founders.

Cameron:

Dr Nathan & Lula Cass House - National register of historical places

Cameron:

Milam County Courthouse - This is the fourth structure to serve as the Milam County Courthouse.

The local Masonic Lodge laid the cornerstone for the building on July 4, 1891. Designed by

architect A. O. Watson of Austin, the courthouse at one time featured a Second Empire style roof

and a cupola with a four-sided clock. The clock was removed and the roof altered in a 1938

renovation project by the Federal Works Progress Administration. As the center of county

government for over a century, the courthouse stands as a significant part of Milam County

history.

Cameron:

Milam County Jail of 1895 - When the 1875 Milam County Jailhouse grew too crowded in the 1890s,

it was removed to make room for larger facilities. In March 1895, the Milam County Commissioners

awarded a contract to the Pauly Jail Building and Manufacturing Company of St. Louis, Missouri,

for the construction of a larger prison. The company furnished all supplies, including St. Louis

pressed bricks. Continued in Details. County Judge Sam Streetman, who later served on the Texas

Supreme Court, approved the contract, although he had preferred the use of local building

materials. This structure, designed with Romanesque revival features and stone detailing above

the windows, had three main floors and a "hanging tower" equipped with a trap door. The tower was

never used for executions because most hangings took place outdoors. The first floor had ten

rooms, three for storage and the remainder serving as a residence for the sheriff and his family.

The second and third stories consisted of cell blocks for prisoners. In 1975 a new county jail

was constructed, and the Commissioners Court turned this facility over to the Milam County

Historical Commission. After renovation, it was opened as a museum in 1978. Recorded Texas

Historic Landmark - 1978

Cameron:

Milam County Courthouse & Jail - National register of historical places

Cameron:

Ben Milam - Benjamin Rush Milam, born in Kentucky 1788. Soldier in the War of 1812. Trader with

the Texas Comanche Indians, 1818. Colonel in the Long Expedition in 1820. Empresario from 1826 to

1835. Benjamin Rush Milam participated in the capture of Goliad, October 9, 1835; was killed in

San Antonio December 7, 1835 while commanding the Texas forces which later captured the town. Who

will follow Old Ben Milam into San Antonio Erected by the State of Texas 1936 with funds

appropriated by the Federal government to commemorate one hundred years of Texas Independence.

Cameron:

George Green - (Star and Wreath) San Jacinto veteran, Texas War for Independence. Ranger,

surveyor, honored citizen of Milam County. Erected by the State of Texas, 1962.

Cameron:

Massilon Farley - A soldier of the Texas army stationed at the camp at Harrisburg, April 21,

1836. First chief justice (county judge) of Milam County. Died in 1882.

Cameron:

Milam County - A part of Robertson's colony in 1834. A part of the municipality of Viesca, 1835.

Named changed to Milam, December 27, 1835 in honor of Benjamin Rush Milam, 1788-1835, who fell at

San Antonio. After Burleson and Robertson counties were cut off Nashville became the county seat

in 1837. The later creation of Williamson, Bell, McLennan and Falls, reduced Milam County to its

present size. Cameron, the county seat since 1846.

Crossroads (Milam County ?):

McNab Grocery - After the Civil War Ahab Bowen acquired this land, then an area of grape

vineyards and small farms. In 1891 he sold the lot to J. B. Franklin, who erected this brick

structure. James McNab (d. 1924) operated a neighborhood grocery here in partnership with William

A. Boren and Thomas M. Cullum, who later founded the Cullum and Boren Sporting Goods business. A

livery stable in the rear housed a horse and delivery wagon. Civic leader Frederick Appell

retained part ownership in the building until his death in 1943. Other grocers occupied the

structure until the 1950s.

Davilla:

William Carroll Sypert - (Nov. 15, 1815 - July 18, 1885) A native of Tennessee, William C. Sypert

entered the army of the Republic of Texas in 1836 at the age of 20. He returned to Tennessee and

married Permelia Benjamine Perry (1819-94) in 1838. After two trips via covered wagon between

Tennessee and Texas, they settled permanently in Texas in 1849. A schoolteacher and musician,

Sypert served as justice of the peace in Bell County, as postmaster at Bryant's Station in 1859,

and as Milam County Judge, 1867-70.

Gause:

The Town of Gause - William J. Gause (1829-1914), born in Alabama, moved to Texas in 1849, to the

Brazos region in 1856, and to this locality in 1872. Buying lumber in Montgomery, he gave his

friend Dan Fowler half in return for hauling it here. The two built the first homes in this

settlement. In 1873, Gause gave right of way and 100 acres of land to the International & Great

Northern Railroad, and the town was platted. Gause Post Office opened in 1874, with James S.

Continued in Details. Reynolds as postmaster. The I. G. N. freighted out great quantities of

cotton, and the town thrived. Cotton gins, stores, blacksmith shops, a lumber yard, a bank,

hotels, livery stables, a newspaper and other businesses were established. Besides W. J. Gause,

civic leaders included Dr. J. E. Brown, Richard Cox, Dr. James dollar, Lafayette Ely, Bill

Faubian, Dan Fowler, J. C. Lister, C. C. Moore, Dr. John Porter, Frank Thomas, and T. L. Watts.

Churches were organized and a Masonic Lodge chartered. The county's first independent school was

established in Gause. Good highways, mechanized farming, and decline of railroading halted

commerce in the town of Guase. It survives, however, as a residential site chosen by descendants

of the pioneers and by commuters of industrial plants and businesses in this vicinity.

Marak:

S.S. Cyril & Methodious Catholic Church - Through the efforts of fellow immigrant Joseph Russek,

many Czech families came to this area of Milam County in the 1880s. The first Catholic Mass in

the Maraksville settlement was conducted by a visiting priest in the Kaspar Kubecka home in 1883,

and later services were held in other homes. In 1889 the Kubecka family donated land for a

Catholic school and church, and the community began raising funds to erect a building. Continued

in Details. A wooden church structure was completed in 1904 and dedicated in 1905. Named for the

patron saints of the Moravian immigrants, the congregation was served by the Rev. K. Kacer.

Worship services were conducted in Latin, German, and Czech for many years. The congregation has

been associated with parishes in Cyclone and Cameron over the years, and additional church

facilities have been built and adapted for various purposes, including a school, rectory, and

parish hall. Two burial grounds, known as the Old Marak Catholic Cemetery and the New Catholic

Cemetery, were established on land donated by church members. The church has been the social

center of the community since its founding, and the annual parish picnic has become a popular

event in Milam County.

Maysfield:

Little River Baptist Church & Cemetery - Organized in 1849 with eight members. Met in local homes

for worship. First building was a small log cabin. Church grew as settlers entered area. In 1855

70 members joined congregation following a three-day revival. Church was center of social life

here, as throughout rural Texas. Important members sat in front, in "Amen Pews." Had separate

sides for men, women. Present building was finished in 1873 by church together with Masonic

Lodge. Cemetery started in early days. The structure was enlarged to present size in 1909. (1970)

Maysfield United Methodist Church - Though area Methodists met as early as 1847, this church was

not formally organized until 1854. Itinerant preachers of the Cameron-Port Sullivan-Maysfield

circuit served the congregation, which met in a school building. In 1885, a separate Maysfield

circuit was organized, and the Rev. William G. Nelms was appointed pastor. A sanctuary was built

in 1897 and stood at this site until destroyed by fire in 1933. The congregation met in the

Presbyterian Church until 1952, when the present structure was donated and moved here from Ben

Arnold, Texas. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986

Minerva:

Detmold Cemetery - The small agricultural community of Detmold was settled near the turn of the

century by German immigrants. In 1900, local residents Carl Fick, August Boening, and Ernst

Richter deeded land at this site for the establishment of a Lutheran church and cemetery. The

oldest recorded grave, that of Gottfried Eschberger, dates to 1903. Over 175 graves are located

here, many with tombstones bearing German surnames and inscriptions. In 1963, the church

congregation relocated to Thorndale, but the cemetery remains as a tangible reminder of the small

community.

Rockdale:

First Christian Church - Organized in 1887, this church was first served by the Rev. A. J. Bush,

Sr. (1846-1920), a Civil War veteran who was instrumental in establishing Christian churches in

many areas of the state. Previous buildings on this site were replaced in 1958 by a new brick

sanctuary, with volunteers from the congregation providing most of the labor. The church has been

involved in local and foreign missionary activities for many years. Offering assistance to people

in need, the First Christian Church continues to be an important part of the Rockdale community.

Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986

Rockdale:

George Sessions Perry - The son of Andrew and Laura Perry, George Sessions Perry was born May 5,

1910, in Rockdale. In 1933, he married Claire Hodges of Beaumont. Four years later, he published

the first in a long line of fiction and non-fiction stories and novels, many of which were based

on people and events from his growing-up years in Rockdale. As a World War II correspondent, he

brought first-hand accounts of the war to readers of "The New Yorker" and "The Saturday Evening

Post." Perry won several major awards, including the 1941 National Book Award, before his death

in 1956-57.

Rockdale:

I&GN Railroad - National register of historical places

Sharp:

William Persky - (Nov. 21, 1844 - Feb. 9, 1945) A native of Germany, William Persky migrated to

the United States with his family at the age of eight. He enlisted in the Confederate army during

the Civil War and served time as a prisoner of war. A farmer, Persky lived in Austin and Bell

counties before moving to this area in 1925. He lived to be 100, and at the time of his death in

1945 was the oldest resident and the last Confederate veteran of Milam County.

Sharp:

Sharp Presbyterian Church - This church traces its history to 1872, when the Mt. Herman

Cumberland Presbyterian Church was founded. It was divided into the Davilla and Leachville

congregations in 1893. The Leachville church was renamed Sharp in 1902, the same year this

structure was built. The vernacular church building, exhibiting influences of the Italianate

style of architecture, features a truncated tower, window hoods, and horizontal milled siding.

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1988

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