Everything Jarrell is known for
Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Jarrell.
The 1986 sequel The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 was filmed around Austin, Bastrop and Prairie Dell between May and July 1986. Its climax was shot in an abandoned Bavarian-themed amusement park off the Interstate 35 frontage road near Jarrell, which the film renamed Texas Battle Land. The park had operated for about a year in the early 1980s under the name The Matterhorn.
The park closed shortly before filming of the sequel began and was demolished shortly after it wrapped, so the location exists now only on film. The site off the I-35 frontage road was later used as an RV park and is now private land.
Jarrell was born from steel rails. In 1909, real estate promoters O. D. Jarrell of Temple and E. C. Haeber of Bartlett laid out a townsite where an old stagecoach road crossed the planned route of the Bartlett and Western Railway. They named it for Jarrell and held a lot sale that December. The railroad reached town by the end of 1911, and Jarrell boomed on cotton. By 1914 it had peaked at 500 people, with a waterworks, electric lights, a movie theater, and a hotel. The town grew partly at a neighbor's expense: Corn Hill, settled around 1855 about a mile south, was bypassed by the rails. Its residents simply moved north to Jarrell, in many cases hauling their own houses with them, some twenty to twenty-five structures in all. When cotton faded and the railway closed in 1935, Jarrell settled into a long, quiet farming stretch.
Jarrell is on Donahoe Creek at the intersection of Interstate Highway 35 and Farm Road 487, two miles from the Bell county line in north central Williamson County. It was named for real estate developer O. D. Jarrell of Temple, who, with E. C. Haeber of Bartlett, founded the town in 1909 at the intersection of the old stagecoach road and the proposed right-of-way of the Bartlett and Western Railway. The railroad reached the town soon thereafter. A saloon and two stores were operating in 1910, followed by a bank and a weekly newspaper, the Jarrell View , in 19ll and a post office in 1912. The inhabitants of Corn Hill, a town a mile south of Jarrell, moved themselves and in many cases their dwellings to Jarrell when it became clear that Corn Hill had been bypassed by the railroad. By 1914 Jarrell had reached its peak population of 500 and had a waterworks, electric lights, a movie theater, and a hotel. With the decline of the cotton industry in the 1920s and 1930s and the closing of the Bartlett and Western in 1935, Jarrell experienced a long-term decline. In 1933 it had a population of 200 and eighteen businesses. The community revived to an estimated 350 inhabitants and twenty-one businesses in 1945. From 1964 to 1990 the population of Jarrell was reported as 410. On May 27, 1997, Jarrell made national news when a deadly tornado killed twenty-seven people and injured others. The tornado was one of great intensity ripping homes from foundations, throwing vehicles into the air and strewing the remains of livestock. In 2000 the town’s population had reached 1,000.
During the early 1900s, plans were made for the construction of the Bartlett and Western Railway to run from Bartlet to Florence. The line was to serve as a feeder to the MK&T (Katy) Railroad, which passed daily through Bartlett. Temple real estate developer Orlando D. Jarrell encouraged railroad executives to direct the route through a portion of property that he leased, rather than through the established town of Corn Hill, situated two miles to the south. Jarrell partnered with E. C. Haeber of Bartlett who provided the capital to purchase the property. Jarrell then platted a townsite and began to sell lots in December 1909. By December 1911, when the railroad finally arrived in Jarrell, most of the residents of Corn Hill had moved to the new town. In fact, between 20 and 25 structures were also moved from Corn Hill to Jarrell. In 1911, E. M. Wilson, a cotton buyer from Taylor, built a mercantile, bank, and hardware shop in downtown Jarrell. A post office was first opened in the town on March 8, 1912. Jarrell's first school was a frame structure, and a two-story brick building was constructed in 1916. Three cotton gins in Jarrell processed the crop on which the town was so dependent. However, the decline of the cotton industry during the 1920s & 1930s along with the closing of the Bartlett and Western Railway in 1935 resulted in a significant population decline. The town's 1914 peak population of 500 declined to 200 by 1930, but again grew to 350 by 1945. Jarrell made national news headlines when a May 27, 1997 tornado killed 27 residents and injured many others. The town of Jarrell carried on, incorporated in 2001, and has since experienced rapid population growth. (2009)
Tennessee native Daniel Harrison (1816-1870) migrated to Texas in 1835. He served with Texan forces during the Texas Revolution, and as a volunteer for the Republic's militia. He was in the 1839 Battle of the Neches. In 1840, Harrison married Nancy Robbins and soon moved his family to present-day Williamson County and what would be the Corn Hill community. He served in Central Texas' 27th Brigade during the Civil War. As a blacksmith in Corn Hill, a stage stop on the route from Austin to Fort Gates, his work was crucial to traffic on the military road. Later, Harrison also farmed and raised horses and cattle. Originally buried in Anderson Cemetery, Daniel and Nancy were later reinterred in Corn Hill Cemetery. (2007)
Settled primarily by settlers from Texas and southern states, Corn Hill was one of the earliest communities in Williamson County. John E. King, county judge from 1858 to 1860, named it for the home he built on a hill and nearby cornfield in 1852. The dispersed agricultural community was the first stop on the stage line running from Georgetown to Fort Gates (Coryell County). A post office opened in 1855 and by the 1860s, an influx of new residents settled here. In 1878, George G. Grant established corn Hill Academy Male and Female School, built on land donated by Judge King. It thrived and in 1886 moved to a new two-story building with four classrooms, a bell tower and an auditorium, which provided meeting space for local church services. By 1893, a public school opened as part of Corn Hill Independent School District. By the end of the 19th century, Corn Hill had a saddle club, several churches, two locl cotton gins, Corn Hill College, fraternal lodges and school organizations. By the early 1900s, community residents became active in Populist politics and in the Farmers' Union. Industrial activity of the early 1900s included the Corn Hill and Gravis Telephone Company and a waterworks; a planned interurban to Bartlett never materialized. The settlement began to decline in 1909 when the Bartlett Western Railway bypassed two miles to the north, establishing the town of Jarrell. Steam engines helped move homes and businesses to the new townsite, and other moved to the village of New Corn Hill, but many residents chose to remain here. Today, the dispersed Corn Hill settlement survives as a reminder of the area's early agrarian heritage. (2007)
Georgetown Grace Academy defeated Stephenville Faith 58-35 for the 2025 Texas 6-Man TAIAO III state football championship.
Eli Lamar Whiteley, World War II Medal of Honor recipient, was born near Liberty Hill, Williamson County, Texas on December 10, 1913, the second son of farmers Eli Whiteley and Ruth (Hunt) Whiteley. As a youngster growing up on a farm, young Eli helped his father tend to the livestock (Angora goats and turkeys) and the crops, mostly cotton and grains. While a high school student, he participated in the Future Farmers of America and was active in sports and played football and ran track. A member of the debate club, Whiteley also participated in public speaking. He graduated from Georgetown High School on May 21, 1932. With a desire to study civil engineering and willingness to work to finance his way through school, Whiteley applied to Texas A&M for the fall term in 1932. When his father was informed by the assistant registrar that his son needed additional course work at a junior college and would only be admitted on probation, Whiteley sought employment in order to save money for school. Since job prospects in Central Texas during the Great Depression were slim, Whiteley took odd jobs wherever he could on ranches, gas stations, as a waiter, and building rock fences. His most rewarding employment was his three years with the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA). After working for six years, Whiteley, wanting to major in agriculture, applied again to Texas A&M in 1938 and was accepted at the age of twenty-four. For his military science requirement, he selected the cavalry. Determined to finish college quickly, he also worked his way through school to cover costs and took two jobs-one at a Humpty Dumpty grocery store and one in a café. Whiteley took heavy course loads and attended summer sessions for three years and graduated with a B.S. degree in agriculture on August 30, 1941. Unfortunately, he failed to finish the required ROTC courses that would have led to an army officer's commission. After graduation, he departed for graduate school at North Carolina State College in Raleigh. Whiteley's plans changed with the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He informed the draft board in Brazos County to insert his name for the next call. On April 12, 1942, Whitley was drafted into the United States Army and assigned to basic training at Camp Wolters, Texas. He was then ordered to attend a three-week noncommissioned officers course that he finished on September 19 and subsequently was selected for officers training at the Infantry Officers Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia. Whiteley completed the course and earned a commission as a second lieutenant. He then returned to Camp Wolters to serve as a training officer. After completing the Infantry Officers Advanced Course in Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1944 and another assignment as a training officer at Camp Wolters, Whiteley was ordered to Europe and arrived in England in mid-November. On November 19, he was assigned as a rifle-platoon leader in Company L, Fifteenth Infantry Regiment, Third Infantry Division in France. When Whiteley joined his new unit, the Fifteenth were fighting the Germans in the Vosges Mountains of Alsace in eastern France. As the Allies moved closer to the Rhine River and Germany, the enemy provided a hostile reception. On December 23, the Fifteenth Infantry attacked German positions in Bennwihr and Sigolsheim. Efforts to remove the enemy in Bennwihr proved costly for Whitley's unit. Company L had entered the dangerous fighting with 125 men and had only fifty-six when the fighting ended that day. German defenders proved more difficult to remove from Sigolsheim. On December 26, Lieutenant Whitley distinguished himself as he led his platoon in "savage house-to-house fighting." Making use of a submachine gun, grenades, and a bazooka, Whiteley aggressively attacked three houses, lost an eye, suffered severe wounds, and "killed 9 Germans, captured 23 more and spearheaded an attack which cracked the core of enemy resistance in a vital area
Texas Highway Department drillers punched into this cave in 1963 while testing the ground for an Interstate 35 overpass in Georgetown. The drill bit dropped…
The original 1974 filming location is now a BBQ restaurant. Life imitates art.
Taylor's legendary BBQ since 1949. The soot-blackened walls tell the story.
Texas-sized golden donuts from a bakery dating to the 1920s — the giant 'Round Rock Donut' has drawn dawn lines and a Man v. Food cameo.
539 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the nearest 200 are listed here — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
Jarrell is on Donahoe Creek at the intersection of Interstate Highway 35 and Farm Road 487, two miles from the Bell county line in north central Williamson County. It was named for real estate developer O. D. Jarrell of…
Settled primarily by settlers from Texas and southern states, Corn Hill was one of the earliest communities in Williamson County. John E. King, county judge from 1858 to 1860, named it for the home he built on a hill…
Jarrell is picked fourth in District twelve, four-A Division One, up from Division Two with what the preview calls a lethal offense. Explosive running back Brayden Henderson leads it, and the preview says he will not be…
Tennessee native Daniel Harrison (1816-1870) migrated to Texas in 1835. He served with Texan forces during the Texas Revolution, and as a volunteer for the Republic's militia. He was in the 1839 Battle of the Neches. In…
You're driving past Cornhill Cemetery, established in 1886 on land donated by the Bridges family to the Cornhill Masonic Lodge. It's grown from two to six acres and has been maintained by a cemetery association since…
The 1986 sequel The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 was filmed around Austin, Bastrop and Prairie Dell between May and July 1986. Its climax was shot in an abandoned Bavarian-themed amusement park off the Interstate 35…
The park closed shortly before filming of the sequel began and was demolished shortly after it wrapped, so the location exists now only on film. The site off the I-35 frontage road was later used as an RV park and is…
During the early 1900s, plans were made for the construction of the Bartlett and Western Railway to run from Bartlet to Florence. The line was to serve as a feeder to the MK&T (Katy) Railroad, which passed daily through…
Jarrell was born from steel rails. In 1909, real estate promoters O. D. Jarrell of Temple and E. C. Haeber of Bartlett laid out a townsite where an old stagecoach road crossed the planned route of the Bartlett and…
For most of the 20th century Jarrell was a small railroad and farming town that had peaked at 500 people back in 1914. Then the Austin metro spread north. Sitting directly on Interstate 35 with access to Ronald Reagan…
You're driving past the Land Cemetery, a final resting place with a story that stretches from early settlement to a devastating natural disaster. It started in 1863 when Nicholas and Elizabeth Land buried their son John…
On the afternoon of May 27, 1997, a massive tornado touched down about three miles north of Jarrell and ground its way south-southwest for roughly five miles over 13 minutes. It was rated F5, the top of the old Fujita…
Two things made the 1997 Jarrell tornado extraordinarily destructive: raw wind speed and time. The Fujita scale rates tornadoes F0 through F5 by damage. An F5, the highest rank, implies winds above 261 miles per hour.…
You're driving through the heart of Central Texas, a place that drew immigrants from across Europe in the late 1800s. Look around – this land was so rich, people came from Austria, Bohemia, Germany, Moravia, and Silesia…
On May 27, 1997, Jarrell became the site of one of the most violent tornadoes in American history. That afternoon, a massive F5 twister descended on the Double Creek Estates subdivision, just west of I-35. Unlike most…
Jarrell has been significantly affected by two major tornadoes in its history. On May 17, 1989, an F3 tornado struck the town, killing one person and injuring 28. The most devastating event occurred on May 27, 1997,…
The Jarrell tornado of 1997 wasn't just destructive; it was a meteorological anomaly that scientists still study. It was rated an F5 on the Fujita scale, the highest possible rating, signifying winds between 261 and 318…
As you travel along Interstate 35, you're seeing the modern heart of Jarrell. But this isn't where the town started. Its original soul lies over by the old rail grade, where in 1909 two developers — O. D. Jarrell of…
You're driving through Walburg, where a community of German-Wendish immigrants found a new home. Back in 1882, they established Zion Lutheran Church, bringing their unique Slavic heritage from Lusatia to Texas. Reverend…
The mill sequence is the film's staging point before the final act, and the location was used largely as found. It sits directly on the farm road in open country, one of a tight cluster of Williamson County locations —…
The Old Crawford Mill stands on Farm to Market Road 1105 near Walburg and Weir, roughly ten miles northeast of Georgetown. The 2003 remake used it as the derelict mill where the group is told to wait and meet the…
Georgetown Grace Academy defeated Stephenville Faith 58-35 for the 2025 Texas 6-Man TAIAO III state football championship.
You're driving past the area where James B. Williams settled, a true pioneer of this region. Born in Kentucky in 1821, he arrived in Texas with his bride, Sarah Coffey, and his father's wagon train on Christmas Eve,…
You're driving past the Odle Log Cabin near Valley Mills. This sturdy oak structure was built around 1860 by John Odle, a Tennessee native who arrived in Texas in 1843. He and his wife Lucinda raised thirteen children…
You're driving past the Stockton Family Cemetery, a quiet resting place with a story that stretches back over a century. Douglas Hayden Stockton and his wife Mary Elizabeth arrived in Bell County in 1870, buying over…
You're driving through the Lawler community, a place that grew up around a generous man. Before the 1850s, this land was settled, and it got its name from L. T. Lawler, better known as 'Uncle Lee.' He was so beloved…
You're driving through Williamson County, passing the spot where John Berry settled in 1846. Born in Kentucky, this frontiersman fought in the War of 1812 before bringing his family to Texas in 1827. His sons, Joseph…
You're driving past Willingham Cemetery. Willingham family members were original settlers at Salado Springs (Salado) in the early 1850s. They eventually moved a few miles west and established a successful stock farm…
You're driving past the spot where the town of Weir got its start, but it wasn't always called Weir. Back in 1856, Thomas Weir settled here, and a bit later, James Towns and his brother opened up a mill and blacksmith…
The town of Weir is a direct product of 19th-century transportation technology. Before the tracks came, this was farmland worked by families like the Weirs, who settled in during the 1850s. The change came from the…
In the late 19th century, the communities of Weir and Townsville grew around early settlers like Tennessee-native Thomas Calvin Weir, who became a prosperous farmer in the area. The turning point for Weir came in 1893…
You're driving past the site of Neusser, a town that rose and fell with the railroad. It all started back in 1872 when Johann Neusser, a Moravian immigrant, arrived in Texas. By 1881, he and his neighbors moved here,…
You're driving past the Pennington Family Cemetery, a final resting place for folks who saw a lot of history. John Parker Pennington was born way back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1840</say-as>, in Fannin…
You're driving past the site where Rev. James E. Ferguson, an Alabama native, began his Texas ministry in 1847. For 20 years, he rode circuits across central and southeast Texas, serving Methodist communities. He…
You're driving past the home of Elijah Sterling Clack Robertson, a key figure in early Bell County. Robertson built this house between 1856 and 1860, right around the time he was helping found Salado College. He was a…
You're driving past Salado Cemetery, a resting place established in 1856 on land donated by E.S.C. Robertson. This isn't just any graveyard; it's the final home for some seriously distinguished Texans. Look for the…
You're driving past the site where Robert Bonner Halley built his life and career in Texas. Halley arrived here with his family around 1853, quickly becoming a key figure in the community. He partnered to run a…
You're driving past the site of a remarkable educational partnership in Salado. Samuel and Charlotte Jones arrived here in 1884, teaching at Salado College. By 1890, they were running their own school, Thomas Arnold…
You're driving through Salado, passing the site of the Barton homestead. Dr. Welborn Barton, a physician trained in Kentucky, came to Texas in the late 1840s. He married Louisa Adeline Cox, who would serve as his nurse,…
You're driving through Salado, where Captain Milton Wesley Damron settled in the 1840s as part of the Mercer Colony. He served as Bell County's first tax assessor and then captained a Confederate cavalry unit in Indian…
You're driving past the site of Salado College, a place that thrived thanks to Professor James Lowry Smith. He led the college starting in 1863, navigating challenges like the Civil War and financial panics to maintain…
You're driving past Hermon and Margaret L. Aiken. New Hampshire native Hermon (Herman) Aiken worked in Illinois and Tennessee before moving to New Orleans. There, he served as a ship's captain taking supplies to…
You're driving past the Old Salado Graveyard. This burial ground was likely in use around 1852, when Salado Springs got its U.S. Post Office. Colonel Elijah Sterling C. Robertson later purchased land here, and it's…
You're driving past the birthplace of Mary Elizabeth Carpenter, a true trailblazer in journalism and politics. She wasn't just any student at the University of Texas; she was the first woman ever elected vice president…
You're driving past the Robertson Home, a rare ante-bellum plantation complex right here in Salado. Built by Colonel E.S.C. Robertson and his wife Mary Elizabeth, this place has been continuously occupied by the fifth…
Pull over, because right here, you're standing on history – imagine weary travelers pulling up after days on the Chisholm Trail! This is the Stagecoach Inn in Salado, and it's believed to be the oldest building still…
Ever wonder what it took to build a state? This spot, near Salado, Texas, was once home to Salado College, a vital center of learning in the mid-19th century.Founded in 1860, Salado College aimed to provide a classical…
This unassuming spot was once the heart of a sprawling plantation, a window into a complex and often painful chapter of Texas history. Col. Elijah Sterling Clack Robertson, a prominent figure in the region, built this…
You're driving past the Stagecoach Inn, built in the 1860s. It's been known as the Salado Hotel and Shady Villa, but took its current name in 1943. Legend has it that military leaders George Armstrong Custer and Robert…
You're driving past the site of the Thomas Arnold High School, a private academy established in 1890 by Dr. Samuel and Charlotte Jones. It took over the buildings of the old Salado College, providing quality education…
You're driving past Salado, Texas, home of Major Archibald Johnson Rose. This guy struck gold in California back in 1849, then brought his family and fortune to Texas. He fought in Indian battles and served as a…
You're driving past the George Washington Baines House, built in the 1860s. From 1870 to 1883, this was home to the Rev. George Washington Baines himself. He was a true pioneer: a Baptist preacher, missionary, editor,…
You're driving past Salado, a town that officially got its start in 1859 when Colonel E.S.C. Robertson donated land for a townsite and a college. The name 'Salado' comes from Spanish explorers who found the area's…
You're driving past Salado Creek. Gushing limestone springs, abundant fish, flowers, and trees have long made the banks of Salado Creek a good home site. Indians camped beside stream; Spanish explorers named it; the…
Hey road-trippers, take a look at this grand old house you're passing! This is the Major A.J. Rose House, built between 1870 and 1872. Notice that perfect symmetry? That's classic Greek Revival architecture. This home…
You're driving across Salado Creek on Main Street, a spot that's seen more bridges than you might expect. Since 1870, this crossing has been rebuilt again and again. From a volunteer-built suspension footbridge in 1869,…
You're driving past Salado, where Louisa Adeline Barton, or Addie, grew up and attended Salado College. In 1884, she answered a missionary call and traveled to Saltillo, Mexico. For over two decades, she taught at…
You're driving past Salado, where Kate Crawford and Zachary Clay Taylor were commissioned as Baptist missionaries to Brazil. They married on Christmas Day, <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1881</say-as>, right…
You're driving past the Salado Methodist Church, a place that's been a spiritual home for generations. This congregation started way back in 1854, meeting at a site on Salado Creek. The building you see was erected in…
You're driving past the site of the home of Orville Thomas Tyler, a true pioneer Texan who lived from 1810 to 1886. Tyler was a man of many hats: he served as County Judge, represented this area in the Legislature, and…
You're driving past the site of the Davis Mill, built way back in 1864 by William A. Davis. This wasn't just any mill; it was the first stone mill in the area to boast a carding machine! They added a sawmill and a…
You're driving past the Salado United Methodist Church. Back in 1854, a traveling preacher named Thomas Gilmore held a revival and started a Methodist church and Sunday school right here in Salado. Over the years, this…
You're driving past the site of the First Baptist Church of Salado, a congregation with roots stretching back to 1854. Back then, Baptists held revivals on the banks of Salado Creek. By 1860, Baptists, Methodists,…
You're driving past Weir Community Cemetery. Weir Community Cemetery John Breneke (1847-1927) came from Fayette County to purchase 365 acres of farmland here in 1875. Deed records show he set aside two acres for a…
Before he became the all-time leading scorer in Green Bay Packers history, Mason Crosby was a do-everything athlete at Georgetown High School. He did not just kick; as a senior he earned all-district honors at three…
The Stagecoach Inn in Salado sat at the crossroads of nearly every major route through central Texas, and its guest register reads like a roll call of nineteenth-century American history. Sam Houston gave a speech from…
You're driving past the site of the William R. Alexander Distillery, which met a crucial wartime need right here in Salado. Back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1862</say-as>, Governor Lubbock ordered all…
You're driving past the site of the Bartlett Colored School. Back in 1909, when the town's main school built a new brick building, this six-room frame structure was moved here to become the first local school for…
You're driving past Old Anderson Place. Built 1860 at edge of an old Indian campground, by James B. Anderson, one of town's founders and a school trustee in Salado. Community leaders, lawyers and doctors have lived…
You're cruising past the Norton-Orgain House in Salado, a home built around 1872. Notice the cool architectural mix: sturdy Doric columns downstairs, and more decorative Victorian ones up top. This house has seen some…
You're driving past the site of a building that wore many hats right here in Florence. Back in 1845, John C. Caskey donated this land, first for a cemetery and then for a meeting house. That native stone structure,…
You're driving past the Armstrong-Adams House, built between 1869 and 1872 by Dr. David H. Armstrong, an early trustee of Salado's public schools. This home later became the residence for a succession of Salado doctors.…
You're cruising past one of the rarest bridges in America! This 87-foot lenticular truss bridge is a unique design, patented in 1878 by William O. Douglas. It's shaped like a lens, with a curved top and bottom. While…
You're driving past Twelve Oaks, a Greek Revival mansion built of stone quarried right here on the property. It was built for B.D. McKie, a Texas doctor who saw action and was wounded in both the Mexican and Civil Wars.…
You're driving past the home of Wellborn Barton, a pioneer physician who served this region for decades. Barton lived here from 1821 to 1883, a long life dedicated to healing and community. He was also a trustee for…
You're driving through Williamson County, passing the site of a long life lived on the Texas frontier. Elisha Allen was born in Louisiana in 1813, but moved to Texas with his family when he was just a boy. When the…
You're driving past the site of Florence's first Methodist congregation. They shared a stone building with other groups starting in 1856, and officially got their first pastor in 1858. The current church building was…
You're driving near Florence, Texas, and right here is a place that saw a lot of action. John Mullen, a farmer and Confederate officer, was part of the ill-fated Mier Expedition in 1842, captured by the Mexicans and…
You're driving past the site of Mount Arie Missionary Baptist Church, founded in 1898 by Black laborers who came to Bartlett for the cotton harvest. Reverend F. E. Garrett helped Thomas Sanders, Nelson Secret, and their…
You're driving through McLennan County, not far from Florence, the Texas town where Dr. Kenneth Hazen Aynesworth was born in 1873. He became a prominent surgeon in Waco, serving railroads and city boards. But Aynesworth…
You're driving through Williamson County, an area that was on the Texas frontier when Archillus P. Ratliff first settled here in the 1840s. Ratliff wasn't just a farmer; he was a Texas Ranger, serving with John S. 'Rip'…
You're driving through Salado, and just ahead is the site of a church with a long history. This Church of Christ congregation started way back in March of 1859, meeting first under a simple brush arbor. Two of its early…
You're driving past the First United Methodist Church of Bartlett. This congregation started way back between 1870 and 1875 as the Indian Creek Church. They moved to Bartlett around 1885, holding services in whatever…
You're driving through Florence, Texas, a town with a name that might have come from a person or a place. Settled in the early 1850s and officially named Florence by 1857, its origin story is a bit of a mystery. Was it…
You can't talk about Salado without talking about the Stagecoach Inn. That historic white building is one of the oldest inns in all of Texas — by its own keepers' account, the second-oldest continuously running inn or…
Florence, Texas got its name in the eighteen-fifties, most likely from Florence, Alabama, the earlier home of its first postmaster, though some say it honors Florence Brooks, a merchant's daughter. Neither theory points…
If you look up at the hill on the east side of town, you can still see the stone ruins of Salado's original purpose: Salado College. Founded at a tent meeting by the springs in 1859, this wasn't just a local…
The clear, cool water of Salado Creek isn't just pretty—it's the result of a fascinating geological and hydrological process. The town sits on the Balcones Fault Zone, a series of cracks in the earth that separate the…
Here's a myth worth busting as you drive through Florence, Texas. It's easy to assume this town was named straight for Florence, Italy, that jewel of the Renaissance. But the documented theories don't say that. The…
Florence, Texas got its name the plain way. Settlers arrived in the early eighteen-fifties, briefly called the spot Brooksville, and it was known as Florence by eighteen fifty-seven, when the first post office opened.…
Have you ever wondered why Salado has so many beautiful, original nineteenth-century stone buildings? The answer is failure. In the 1880s the railroad was everything. A town with a rail line thrived; a town without one…
As you look at the clear water of Salado Creek, listen for a local legend. It's the story of Sirena, an Indian maiden who loved a young brave who did not love her back. Sitting by the water studying her reflection, she…
Salado's history is marked by significant events that shaped its identity. Incorporated in 1867 to build a bridge across Salado Creek, the village has witnessed the rise and fall of industries and populations. The…
You're driving through Bell County, near Salado, the birthplace of Eliza Sophia "Birdie" Johnson. In 1920, Birdie Johnson made history. She and her husband were elected delegates to the Democratic National Convention.…
You're driving through Central Texas, not far from where a printer and soldier named Martin Carroll Wing met his end. Wing came to Texas to fight in the Revolution, landing in Matagorda and hearing the guns of San…
Rolling through Florence up here in northwestern Williamson County, you might picture Italy. Hold that thought, because the honest answer is: nobody's completely sure where this town's name came from. The site was…
Whatever brought the name Florence to this Texas town, the word itself carries a lovely old meaning worth knowing. It reaches all the way back to Latin. The original Florence, the one in Italy, began as a Roman…
Let's play a little name game as you roll through Florence, Texas. Remember, this Florence most likely got its name from a first postmaster's old Alabama hometown, or from a merchant's daughter, not straight from Italy.…
You're driving through Salado, a town that owes its start to pioneers like Herman Aiken. He arrived in Texas back in 1833, a young man ready for adventure. Aiken fought in the Texas Revolution and the Mexican War, but…
You're driving through Central Texas, and you might be passing near Salado, the home of Elijah Sterling Clack Robertson. Born in Tennessee in 1820, Robertson came to Texas in 1832 and quickly became fluent in Spanish.…
You're driving through what used to be wild Texas frontier country. Right here, along the San Saba River, Archibald Johnson Rose settled in 1860. He wasn't just ranching; he built a community with mills and a school.…
You're driving through Salado, Texas, and right here are the Salado Springs. For thousands of years, this was Tawakoni and even earlier Paleo-Indian land. Spanish explorer Juan Antonio Bustillo y Ceballos may have…
You're driving through Bell County, near Salado, where Archibald Willingham became the first permanent settler. He arrived in Texas in January <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1839</say-as>, already an older man,…
You're driving through Salado, a town born from a dream of education and culture. Right here, in October of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1859</say-as>, Colonel Elijah Sterling C. Robertson offered land to…
You're driving past the site of the First Baptist Church of Florence, organized way back in April of 1856! The founding pastor, Reverend Robert Hay Taliaferro, was a real pioneer, helping establish Baptist congregations…
You're driving through Central Texas, a land that was once wild frontier. Right here, in what is now Burnet County, Welborn Barton set up his medical practice back in the 1850s. He was a doctor, but life on the Texas…
You're driving through Central Texas, not far from Salado. Right here, Milton Wesley Damron was a man of many hats. He was a county official, a justice of the peace, and even served on the first grand jury in Bell…
You're driving through Central Texas, maybe near Salado, and you're passing through land that Alexander Russell once called home. He came to Texas in 1834, just before the Revolution, and fought at Gonzales and…
You're driving through Bell County right now, and not far from here in Salado, Texans of Scottish descent have been gathering for decades. Since 1961, an annual 'Gathering of the Clans' brings together folks celebrating…
You're driving through Texas, and right here, in Bartlett, you're passing through a piece of history. Back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1935</say-as>, when only 2.3 percent of Texas farms had electricity, a…
You're driving through Williamson County, not far from Bartlett, where a little railroad once hauled cotton and earned a nickname. The Bartlett Western Railway, chartered in 1911, was built to profit from the region's…
You're driving through Salado, Bell County. Alice Gray Hamblen, born in Mississippi in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1846</say-as>, moved here with her husband in <say-as interpret-as="date"…
You're driving past the site of the M. H. Denman Cabin, built way back in 1867. This wasn't just any old shack; it was constructed from hand-hewn, square cedar logs, all joined together with wooden pegs. Imagine the…
You're driving past the First Presbyterian Church of Bartlett, but its story starts way back in 1875 as the Nazareth Church of the Central Texas Presbytery, founded on Indian Creek. It reorganized right here in 1897,…
You're driving through Bartlett, a town born from the railroad. It all started back in 1881 when the Katy Railroad surveyed a route right through here. John T. Bartlett and J. E. Pietzsch donated the land, and by 1882,…
You're driving through Williamson County, maybe near Georgetown, and you're passing through the story of Whitfield Chalk. He arrived in Texas in 1839, and right away, he was in the thick of it. Chalk fought in the…
You're driving through Georgetown, Texas, and right here is a place where a pivotal moment in Texas history unfolded. In <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1861</say-as>, Thomas Proctor Hughes, a lawyer who had just…
Iola Bowden Chambers, music teacher and director of the Negro Fine Arts School, was born at Holder, Texas, on October 18, 1904. She was the daughter of Andrew Mack and Amanda (Heflin) Bowden. Her father was a doctor,…
You're driving through Georgetown, home to Southwestern University. Right here, Claude Carr Cody, a math professor and administrator, fought a major battle to keep the school from moving to Dallas. In 1910, a proposal…
You're driving through Williamson County, maybe near Georgetown. Right here, in the late 1860s, William Cornelius Dalrymple, a veteran soldier and politician, led two expeditions into the rugged Rio Grande country. What…
You're driving through Williamson County, and right here is Georgetown, a town named for George Washington Glasscock. He was an early settler who helped organize this county back in 1846. But Glasscock wasn't just a…
You're driving through Williamson County, and right here in Georgetown, a pivotal moment in Texas law enforcement history unfolded. In 1930, a local lawyer and politician named Harry N. Graves, who served in the Texas…
You're driving through Georgetown right now, a place that was home to a scientific pioneer. Robert Stewart Hyer, a professor at Southwestern University, was experimenting with wireless communication. In 1894, he…
You're driving through Georgetown, home to Southwestern University, where Henry Edwin Meyer left an indelible mark on music education. Arriving in 1926, Meyer became a professor of piano, organ, and sacred music,…
You're driving through Georgetown, home to Southwestern University. Right here, Francis Asbury Mood, a Methodist preacher, took charge of a struggling school in Chappell Hill in 1868. He saw its potential, but knew it…
You're driving through Grayson County, Texas, and the town of Georgetown right here owes its name to George Robertson Reeves. He was a legislator, a soldier, and a prominent figure in this area. Reeves fought in major…
You're driving through Georgetown, home to Southwestern University. It all started back in 1870 when five Methodist conferences decided to merge four existing colleges into one new institution. They named it Texas…
You're driving through Williamson County, not far from Georgetown. Right here, in the mid-1800s, lived Edward Hughes Vontress. He was a lawyer, a judge, and a state representative. But when the Civil War broke out,…
You're driving through Georgetown, Texas, a town with a rich visual history thanks to photographer Robert James Stone. Stone made a name for himself right here as 'Southwestern's Photographer.' Though he never attended…
You're driving through Georgetown, the county seat of Williamson County. This town got its start back in 1848, named for George Washington Glasscock, who donated the land. Pioneers were drawn here by the timber and…
You're driving past the site of the old Bartlett Grammar School. By the early 1900s, Bartlett was a booming cotton town and a railroad hub. The school district formed in 1903, but the original five-room schoolhouse…
You're driving through Williamson County, not far from Georgetown. Back around 1920, this area was a hotbed for the Ku Klux Klan. Right here, lawyer Richard Critz, who served as Georgetown's city attorney and later…
You're driving through northern Grayson County, not far from Lake Texoma. Right here, in November of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1840</say-as>, a temporary Republic of Texas fort called Fort Johnston was…
You're driving through Georgetown, Texas, a town that was once home to John Cowper Granbery Jr. A Methodist minister by training, Granbery became a sociology professor influenced by Jane Addams and earned a doctorate…
You're driving through Williamson County, where William K. Makemson's family settled way back in 1847. He grew up here, working as a farmer, drover, and shoemaker to support his family after his father died. He even…
You're driving through West Texas, and right here, you're passing through land once owned by John Wesley Snyder. He arrived in Texas back in 1856, partnering with his brother on orchards and horse trading. But Snyder…
You're driving through Georgetown, home to Southwestern University, where Roland Angus Springer spent over three decades shaping the drama department. <break time="400ms"/> Arriving in 1943, he transformed a small stage…
You're driving near Georgetown, Texas, a town that owes its start to a railroad that almost didn't make it. The Georgetown Railroad was chartered in 1878, aiming to connect this city to Round Rock. They laid ten miles…
You're driving through Williamson County, maybe even passing Georgetown itself. Right here, in the late 1800s, George Washington Glasscock Jr. was making his mark. After serving in the Civil War and surviving a yellow…
You're driving through Georgetown, home to Southwestern University. Right here, John Howell McLean served as the university's regent from 1890 to 1897. He was unique – the only head of Southwestern to have actually…
You're driving past the First Baptist Church of Bartlett, originally organized in 1873 as Pecan Grove Baptist Church. It was led by Reverend M.V. Smith, Reverend H.I. Kimball, and Reverend G.W. Baines – who also…
You're driving through Bartlett, and right here, a group of women started something special back in 1902. It began as a literary and history club, and by April 1903, the Woman's Study Club was formed with nineteen…
You're driving through Bartlett, a town that owes its existence to two things: cotton and the railroad. Settlers first arrived in the 1830s, but it wasn't until the 1870s that J. Edward Pietzsch and Captain John T.…
You're driving past the Florence Church of Christ. Established around 1853, this congregation was influenced by the Second Great Awakening and the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement. A deed in 1873 secured land for…
Eli Lamar Whiteley, World War II Medal of Honor recipient, was born near Liberty Hill, Williamson County, Texas on December 10, 1913, the second son of farmers Eli Whiteley and Ruth (Hunt) Whiteley. As a youngster…
As you look at the brick buildings of downtown Bartlett, you might get a strange sense of deja vu. Have you been here before? Maybe in a movie. Since the 1990s, Bartlett's beautifully preserved, almost untouched…
The story of Granger is tied to a pivotal moment in the fight for justice in Texas, thanks to a young lawyer named Dan Moody. In the early 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan held immense power, intimidating citizens and…
You're driving through Central Texas, maybe near Williamson County, where one of the most infamous horror films of all time was brought to life: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Filmed in the sweltering Texas summer of…
Williamson County — the county you're driving through — produced one of the most important figures in twentieth-century Texas politics: Dan Moody. He was born down the road in Taylor, and he made his name as the…
Look at the buildings lining Granger's main street, then look down at the street itself. Granger was born in 1882 where two branches of the Katy railroad crossed, and cotton money built it fast — three churches, a…
As you pass through Granger, you're in the heart of Texas Czech country. For the thousands of Czech immigrants who settled this land, life was hard. To survive, they relied on each other, formalizing their cooperation…
Just east of town lies a massive piece of engineering that reshaped this whole area: Granger Dam. The San Gabriel River, which runs about seven miles out that way, was prone to destructive flooding that threatened farms…
You're driving through Williamson County, Texas, and right here is the territory of William Polk Hardeman, a man who lived a life straight out of Texas legend. Born in Tennessee, he came to Texas in 1835 and immediately…
You're driving through Williamson County, Texas, where one of the most infamous cattlemen in Texas history got his start: Isom Prentice 'Print' Olive. Born in Mississippi in 1840, Olive moved to Texas as a child and…
Look closely at the main street here in Bartlett. You’re looking at more than just a road; you’re looking at a border. Clark Street, the town’s primary business thoroughfare, is the official dividing line between two…
If downtown Granger looks like a movie set to you, you're right. In 2010 this quiet Texas town got a Hollywood makeover. Joel and Ethan Coen picked Granger to stand in for 1870s Fort Smith, Arkansas in their remake of…
You're driving through Williamson County, not far from where Kenney's Fort once stood. Built in 1839 by a San Jacinto veteran, this wasn't some grand military post, but a vital frontier defense for the outermost…
You're driving through Williamson County, not far from Taylor. Right here, in the late 1800s, Alice McFadin was a force to be reckoned with. She wasn't just a farmer and rancher, raising corn and cotton and livestock…
You're driving through Williamson County, and right here, in the vicinity of Circleville, is where David Hutchinson McFadin settled after fighting in the Texas Revolution. He arrived in Texas as a teenager and saw…
You're driving through Williamson County, a place that saw intense frontier action. Right here, in what is now Williamson County, James O. Rice discovered the Manuel Flores party in May of 1839. Rice, a veteran of the…
You're driving through Texas, maybe near Williamson County, and thinking about the Civil War. Right here, Confederate troops were forming the Arizona Brigade, tasked with retaking the Southwest. These weren't your…
You're driving through Williamson County, not far from Leander. Right here, between 1838 and 1839, John Webster led thirteen settlers west, hoping to establish a new home. But they were overtaken by Comanche warriors…
You're driving through Williamson County, and right here, a little off the road, is Willis Creek. This waterway has two names that might ring a bell. Spanish explorers likely called it San Ygnacio back in 1721. But…
You're driving through Williamson County, right near Brushy Creek, and you're passing over 12,000 years of Texas history. The Wilson-Leonard site is one of the most complete records of ancient life ever found in North…
U.S. 90, the Crosby Freeway, runs across the northwestern corner of Barrett — twenty-two miles southwest to downtown Houston, sixteen northeast to Dayton. Worth knowing whose ground it crosses. Barrett is a freedmen's…
The Barrett Station Community Center sits on nearly thirty-eight acres, and it carries the name of the man who bought this ground. Harrison Barrett was born enslaved around 1845. After emancipation he settled his family…
You're driving past West Salado Cemetery, a quiet reminder of the community's early black history. Following the Civil War, former slaves settled in this area, and this cemetery began around the 1870s. The earliest…
You're driving through what was once central Texas, near Lawrence Chapel. This was the stomping ground of Adam Lawrence, a name you might recognize if you're familiar with the area. Born in Kentucky in 1802, Lawrence…
You're driving through Texas, likely not far from where these men once rode. During the Civil War, Morgan's Texas Cavalry Battalion wasn't a typical unit. It was a 'hodgepodge' of independent companies, each with its…
Corn Hill was on Willis Creek and Interstate Highway 35 two miles south of Jarrell in north central Williamson County. The site was settled in 1855 by Judge John E. King as a stage stop on the road between Georgetown…
Hoxie is on Pecan Creek six miles northeast of Taylor in northeastern Williamson County. In 1878 John R. Hoxie, a railroad magnate, purchased 9,000 acres of ranchland in the area and built an estate called Hoxie House.…
Jonah is on State Highway 29 and the San Gabriel River, seven miles east of Georgetown in central Williamson County. In 1857 James P. Warnock and Joseph T. Mileham erected a mill on the San Gabriel River, and a…
Neusser, a small community of the early 1890s located almost equal distance between Georgetown and Granger in central Williamson County, was named after one of its early pioneers, Johann Neusser. Johann left his…
Post Oak Island was a town on the low ridge dividing the watersheds of Brushy and Yegua creeks in Williamson County. It was named for the large "island" or grove of post oak trees at its site on the prairie. It was one…
Rock House is on Farm Road 3405 and the North San Gabriel River, three miles northeast of Liberty Hill, in western Williamson County. Draco, the Indian name for the village that occupied the site before White…
Schwertner is on Farm Road 487 near the Bell county line forty-six miles north of Austin in north central Williamson County. It was named for Bernard Schwertner and his sons, Frank, Edward, and Adolf, Austrian…
Barrett, Texas exists because a man who had been enslaved bought the ground it stands on. After emancipation, Harrison Barrett settled his family on part of the Reuben White league east of the San Jacinto River, north…
You're driving through Williamson County, a place that once hosted a Texas state representative named Samuel Allen Easley. He arrived in Texas in 1852, looking to settle in Kaufman County, but found a bargain on land…
You're driving through Williamson County, a place with a history as varied as its landscape. The Balcones Escarpment splits this region, creating rolling plains to the east and hilly brushland to the west. For…
Andice, also called Berry's Creek and Stapp, is at the intersection of Farm Roads 2338 and 970, five miles southwest of Florence in northwest Williamson County. The site was first settled by Joshua Stapp, who built a…
Hare is on Farm Road 1331 forty-five miles northeast of Austin in eastern Williamson County. The origin of the town's name is disputed. Local folklore maintains that early settler William Caesar, who bought land in the…
The land around Barrett, Texas tells a story of ancient seas and gradual uplift. It lies within the Gulf Coastal Plain, a vast, low-relief expanse formed by layers of marine sediment laid down over millions of years as…
Bartlett, a city with a rich history, has witnessed pivotal moments that shaped its identity. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the city was known for its distinctive architecture, attracting film crews for…
You're driving past the site of the former Booker T. Washington School in Bartlett. Back in the late 1940s, Bartlett's African American school was bursting at the seams. So, they bought four buildings from a World War…
You're driving through Williamson County, and right here is the Macedonia Cemetery. Local legend says an all-faiths church stood here as early as 1858. By the 1860s, English and German immigrants were settling in,…
You're driving past the Fowler House in Salado, built in 1872. This home belonged to Josiah Fowler, a settler who came here from Tennessee. He fought in the Confederacy, and after the war, he became a college teacher…
You're driving through Bartlett, and right here is the site of the First National Bank of Bartlett. It started in 1898 as a private bank run by Jesse L. Bailey and his son Charles, operating alongside their mercantile…
You're cruising along the North Fork of the San Gabriel River, a key part of the Brazos River system. This stream has been a lifeline for ages. Spanish explorer Fray Isidro Felix Espinosa first named it Rio de San…
You're driving past the route of the Double File Trail, laid out by Delaware Indians around 1828. They called it that because two horsemen could ride abreast. The Delawares carved this trace migrating from East Texas,…
You're driving through Georgetown, and right here, you're passing the campsite of a failed but ambitious dream. It's June 19th, 1841, and President Mirabeau Lamar's Texan Santa Fe Expedition is just beginning its long…
You're driving past San Gabriel Park, a place that’s seen it all. Long before settlers arrived, local tribes camped here by the springs. The Spanish tried to settle, but raids and drought drove them out in <say-as…
You're driving through Bartlett, and right here is the story of Saint John Lutheran Church. It all started back in 1880 when German settlers built a small school and church on land donated by John Bartlett himself. The…
You're driving past Mankins Crossing, named for Samuel Mankins who settled here along the San Gabriel River in 1849. The river's limestone bed made it an easy crossing for local farmers. A community grew up nearby,…
Hey road-trippers! You're driving past the site of the German-English School, established way back in 1880 by German immigrants. Originally called Indian Creek School, its name changed to reflect its unique bilingual…
You're driving through Georgetown, where the San Gabriel Lodge No. 89 of Freemasons was organized way back in 1851. Chartered in 1852 with a Methodist minister as its master, this lodge grew with the county and even…
Salado (Salado, TX) placed on the 4A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: BJ Amann (4 HR); Landen Noske (3 HR).
You're driving past the home of Jesse Cooper, a true Texas entrepreneur. Cooper arrived in Texas in 1876 and by the next year, he was already helping launch the Williamson County Sun newspaper. But he didn't stop there.…
You're driving through Granger, and right here is the site of Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church. Imagine the early 1880s: Czech and Moravian immigrants settling in this area, traveling twelve miles to worship…
You're driving past the site of the Granger Brethren Church, a testament to faith and community for Czech immigrants. These pioneers, settling Williamson County in the early 1880s, held their first services in a humble…
Driving through Granger, you're passing the site of Saints Cyril and Methodius School. In 1899, Czech and Moravian parishioners here started a school for their children, just eight years after founding their church. In…