Everything Nacogdoches is known for
Nacogdoches, known as "The Oldest Town in Texas," has a notable connection to music. The city is a Certified Music Friendly Texas Community, a designation from the Texas Music Office. Many artists have ties to Nacogdoches, including country artist Kasey Lansdale and jazz musicians Ernie Fields and Viviane Greene. The city is also mentioned in songs like "Buenas Noches From Nacogdoches" by Rich Mullins and "What I Like About Texas" by Gary P. Nunn.
Nacogdoches continues to foster its musical identity with various live music events and venues. Willie Nelson even recorded an album, *Nacogdoches*, in the city's Encore Studios.
Showing top 20 of 26 songs
Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Nacogdoches.
This East Texas city has been home to a remarkable array of influential figures. Sam Houston, a pivotal leader who served as president of the Republic of Texas, once called this place home. The city also boasts a Medal of Honor recipient, Oscar P. Austin, recognized for extraordinary heroism. In the realm of politics, Albert Thomas and Lera Millard Thomas both served as U.S. Representatives, contributing to national policy.
Nacogdoches calls itself the oldest town in Texas, formally established in seventeen seventy-nine — more than fifty years before the Texas Revolution. While the rest of Texas flew six flags, Nacogdoches flew nine. It declared independence from Mexico not once, not twice, but three separate times. In eighteen twelve, the Gutierrez-Magee Republic declared Texas free and was crushed by Spanish forces. In eighteen nineteen, James Long's Republic of Texas tried again and failed. In eighteen twenty-six, the Fredonian Rebellion declared the Republic of Fredonia out of Nacogdoches and collapsed within weeks. Three attempts, three failures. Then in eighteen thirty-five the rest of Texas finally caught up, and on the fourth try it worked. Nacogdoches also claims the first operational oil well in Texas: Lyne Taliaferro Barret leased the ground in eighteen fifty-nine and finally brought the well in in eighteen sixty-six — thirty-five years before Spindletop made anyone pay attention.
When Davy Crockett came into Texas in January of 1836, he passed through Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas, and here he did something that tells you exactly who he was. To join the cause, volunteers had to swear an oath of allegiance to the provisional government. The oath bound a man to support any future government Texas might form. Crockett stopped and refused to sign. He had the clerk add one word, republican, before the word government, so that he could never be forced to defend a tyranny. Only then, with that single word written in, did he take the oath, before Judge John Forbes. Then he climbed back on his horse and rode southwest toward a mission in San Antonio called the Alamo. (Sources: Texas Revolution records; standard Crockett biographies.)
(November 3, 1793 - December 37, 1836) Republics often point to one person whose vision and leadership led to their creation. For the Republic of Texas (1836-1845) that person is Stephen Fuller Austin. Austin, the son of Moses and Maria Brown Austin, was born on the Virginia frontier. He attended schools in Kentucky and Connecticut before opting to work in his father's mercantile business in Missouri. He served as a judge in Arkansas prior to moving to New Orleans where he worked at a newspaper and studied law. In 1821 Moses Austin was granted permission by Spain to settle 300 families in Texas. His untimely death while in Louisiana recruiting settlers left the completion of his ambitious project to his son Stephen. Although a series of Mexican leaders subsequently rejected his father's original grant, Austin persevered and successfully lobbied for the grant's continuance. He astutely governed every facet of the original 300 families' settlement in southeast Texas (1821-1825) and those of another 900 families in the area by 1832. Austin was imprisoned in Mexico after requesting separate statehood for Texas in 1833. He returned to Texas in 1835 and helped it gain independence from Mexico. Austin, chosen as the new Republic's first secretary of state, is known as the father of Texas. Stephen F. Austin Bicentennial 1793 - 1993
On February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during reentry over East Texas, killing all seven crew members. Nacogdoches became the center of the debris field and recovery operation.
Angelina (Angelica) was a woman of the Hasinai Caddo (Tejas) nation who grew up in Monclova, Coahuila and at the Spanish Presidio San Juan Bautista south of the Rio Grande. According to European accounts, she was baptized a Catholic and learned to speak fluent Castilian Spanish. The earliest written account of Angelina came from the memoirs of the Frenchman Andre Penicaut who claimed to have met her in 1712 en route to the Presidio San Juan Bautista while accompanying French trader Louis Juchereau de St. Denis. Describing her as a "learned Indian woman," Father Isidro Felix de Espinosa mentioned her translation and diplomatic efforts when the 1716 Ramon-Espinosa expedition entered the kingdom of the Tejas west of the Neches River. Domingo Ramon noted at the time her key role at the dedication of East Texas missions. Clearly pleased to see her during his East Texas relief tour, Gov. Martin de Alarcon in 1718 persuaded the sagacious Angelina to live in the village surrounding Mission Concepcion. In 1721, Angelina acted as the interpreter for a meeting between the Hainai Caddi, the recognized leader of all the Tejas (Hasinai) nations, and the Spanish governor of Texas, Marquis de San Miguel de Aguayo. This exchange solidified Caddo and Spanish cooperation against the French. Angelina was more than an interpreter; she was a diplomatic bridge between disparate worlds who facilitated mutual understanding. Her legacy lives on in the landscape of East Texas where the region honors her memory with the Angelina River, the Angelina National Forest and only county named for a woman. (2015)
Anthony Wolf, Alamo defender, was born on February 17, 1782, in Arkansas Post on the banks of the Arkansas River in Spanish Louisiana. His parents were "the German Michael Wolf" and Mary Elizabeth (Roland) Wolf. Contrary to some historical accounts, Wolf was neither Jewish nor was he born in England. In Arkansas Post, Wolf grew up in a multi-cultural community (which included future Texas pioneer leaders and brothers, John Marie and Joseph Durst ) where citizens spoke several languages, including American Indian dialects. Following the Louisiana Purchase, Wolf served as lieutenant in the first U.S. Army infantry company of the "District of Arkansaw." About 1805 he married Christine Bringle, with whom he had a son, Michael. About 1814 Christine died. Thereafter, their son was apparently raised by the Bringle family. By 1818 Wolf had been transferred to Natchitoches, Louisiana, where he was employed as an American Indian scout and interpreter. On about September 15 of that year he was sent as an emissary to the Wichita Indians on the Brazos River. Around 1820 Wolf married Mary V. Durst (sister of John Marie and Joseph Durst). This union may have produced two sons. By 1822 Wolf had moved to Nacogdoches, Texas, where he lived at the home of alcalde James Dill and his wife Helena. James Dill had previously lived in Arkansas Post, where he knew Wolf as a child. In October 1822 Dill prepared a letter of introduction to Governor José Félix Trespalacios , in which he described Wolf as "a just and honest sittozen [citizen]." From Béxar Trespalacios sent Wolf as an interpreter with José Antonio Mexía and a delegation of Cherokee leaders (including Chief Richard Fields ) to Mexico City where the Cherokees made a request for a permanent land title. By 1824 Wolf served as constable of Nacogdoches. In messages written in Spanish by alcalde Juan Seguín , he addressed Wolf as "Antonio Callote" (pronounced "coyote"). Around this same time, Wolf and his wife Mary divorced. In 1825 she married Theophile Tauzin. Prior to the Texas Revolution , Wolf went through a long illness and convalesced at the home of John W. Hall at Washington-on-the-Brazos, where Wolf had applied for a land grant and planned on resettling. Following his recovery, Wolf went to Béxar, where he may have participated in the siege of Béxar . Afterwards, he served in the Alamo garrison as a member of Capt. William R. Carey 's artillery company. He died in the battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836. Susanna Wilkerson Dickinson , an Alamo survivor, later stated that a defender named "Wolff" asked the Mexicans for clemency but was killed. She further claimed that his two young sons (aged eleven and twelve) were killed in a room with Alamo survivors, their bodies removed on bayonets. Wolf may have been the oldest Alamo defender, while his sons may have been the youngest non-combatants who were killed at the Alamo. In 1841 Mary V. (Durst) Tauzin filed for one league and labor of land and claimed that she was Wolf's widow. She was denied the claim, and David S. Kaufman was named the administrator of Wolf's estate. The son from Wolf's first marriage, Michael Wolf, who by 1836 was married and still living in Arkansas, apparently never filed a claim for his father's land bounties.
Nacogdoches, founded around a 1716 Spanish mission on the Camino Real de los Tejas, considered the oldest town in Texas. The Old Stone Fort (Casa Piedra) served as the trading post and customs house.
In 1836 Sam Houston sat down with Cherokee Chief Bowles right here in Nacogdoches and signed a treaty promising the tribe a permanent homeland in East Texas.…
On August 2 1832 a group of East Texas settlers had finally had enough of Mexican military rule. They grabbed their hunting shotguns and squirrel rifles and…
In the winter of 1826 an empresario named Haden Edwards got into a land dispute with the Mexican government and decided the reasonable response was revolution.…
Everyone knows the story of Spindletop — the 1901 gusher near Beaumont that launched the Texas oil boom. But thirty-five years before that famous blowout a man…
Built in 1779 as a simple trading post the Old Stone Fort in Nacogdoches became the most politically fought-over building in Texas. It served as rebel…
Adolphus Sterne ran a respectable mercantile shop in Nacogdoches but behind the bolts of cloth and barrels of flour he was running one of the Texas Revolutions…
Long before Austin or San Antonio were anything more than frontier outposts the Caddo people had been living on the red hills of East Texas for nearly a…
Late at night in Turner Auditorium at Stephen F. Austin State University the theater students say you are never truly alone. They call him Chester and he has…
Featured on The Daytripper — a full-episode local travel guide.
8 alumni who reached major-college or pro sports
Nacogdoches High School has a proud tradition of producing athletes who have gone on to compete at the highest levels of professional sports. Among the notable alumni are several who made their mark in Major League Baseball, including former pitcher Bucky Brandon and former starting pitcher Delvin James. The school also saw former professional basketball player Damion James reach the NBA.
The gridiron has also been well-represented by former Dragons. Kynan Forney and Mark Moore both played in the National Football League, with Moore also playing in the World League of American Football and the Canadian Football League. Nash Jones is an NFL guard for the Denver Broncos, and Greg Roberts was an American football guard. Additionally, Clint Dempsey was a professional soccer player for MLS, EPL, and the United States men's national soccer team.
Clint Dempsey was a professional soccer player for MLS, EPL, and the United States men's national soccer team.
Most recent: 2017 3A
In the piney woods of East Texas, Central Heights High School in Nacogdoches stands as a testament to baseball excellence. Competing in UIL Class 3A, the Blue Devils have established a strong tradition on the diamond. Their dedicated program has cultivated a competitive spirit among its athletes, reflecting the community's passion for high school sports.
The pinnacle of their achievements came in 2017 when Central Heights High School secured the Class 3A State Championship. This significant accomplishment highlights the quality of baseball played in this corner of Texas, bringing pride to the Central Heights community and cementing their place among the state's top programs.
The 2017 Class 3A State Championship marked a high point for Central Heights High School baseball.
350 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the nearest 200 are listed here — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
This East Texas city has been home to a remarkable array of influential figures. Sam Houston, a pivotal leader who served as president of the Republic of Texas, once called this place home. The city also boasts a Medal…
Nacogdoches calls itself the oldest town in Texas, formally established in seventeen seventy-nine — more than fifty years before the Texas Revolution. While the rest of Texas flew six flags, Nacogdoches flew nine. It…
On February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during reentry over East Texas, killing all seven crew members. Nacogdoches became the center of the debris field and recovery operation.
When Davy Crockett came into Texas in January of 1836, he passed through Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas, and here he did something that tells you exactly who he was. To join the cause, volunteers had to swear an…
Willie Nelson has made more records than almost anybody alive, and one of them is named after this town, for the simple reason that he cut it here. In 2004 he went into Encore Studio in Nacogdoches with Paul Buskirk,…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, a place that's seen more flags fly than most. Beyond the usual Spanish, French, Mexican, Texan, and Confederate banners, this region was once home to the emerald flag of the…
This is the oldest town in Texas, and it was someone else's land first. The Nacogdoche people, a band of the Caddo Confederacy, had a settlement on this site for centuries before the Spanish arrived. The Caddo were…
You're driving past the Old Spanish Cemetery in Nacogdoches, used from 1800 to 1895. It's the final resting place of Antonio Gil y Barbo, founder of this frontier town. In 1783, he even published Nacogdoches' first…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, where William Clark Jr. settled in 1840. He was a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and served in the Republic of Texas Congress. On this very site, he built his home in…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, near where Thomas F. McKinney, a key figure in early Texas commerce, had his mercantile establishment. He was the builder of the very first wharf at Galveston, and served as a…
Most Texans know the six flags that flew over their state but Nacogdoches raises that number to nine. Beyond the familiar six this town also flew the banner of…
Late at night in Turner Auditorium at Stephen F. Austin State University the theater students say you are never truly alone. They call him Chester and he has…
You're driving past the Nacogdoches Federal Building, a classic example of early 20th-century government architecture. Designed by James A. Wetmore, this brick structure was built in 1917 and served as the city's main…
You're driving through the area where Appleby used to be a bustling East Texas community. It started in 1840 with a pioneer named Herran and his tar kiln, but really grew when the Houston East and West Texas Railway…
You're driving past The Sparks House. The typical East Texas pioneer home stands on the Pedro Esparza Grant, affirmed by Spain about 1810. It was the residence of Dr. John Marion Sparks (1831-1909), whose family came to…
You're driving past Rock Springs Cemetery, a burial ground established on land officially deeded for cemetery use in 1853. It served the historic Cumberland Presbyterian Church until 1940 and is still in use today,…
Angelina (Angelica) was a woman of the Hasinai Caddo (Tejas) nation who grew up in Monclova, Coahuila and at the Spanish Presidio San Juan Bautista south of the Rio Grande. According to European accounts, she was…
On August 2 1832 a group of East Texas settlers had finally had enough of Mexican military rule. They grabbed their hunting shotguns and squirrel rifles and…
In 1836 Sam Houston sat down with Cherokee Chief Bowles right here in Nacogdoches and signed a treaty promising the tribe a permanent homeland in East Texas.…
You're driving past the site of a pivotal piece of Texas history! In <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1839</say-as>, General Sam Houston, the hero of San Jacinto and the first elected President of the Republic of…
You're driving past the Durst-Taylor House in Nacogdoches, a home that's seen some serious Texas history! This property was owned by Andres de Acosta as early as 1809. Joseph Durst, who was Nacogdoches Alcalde, bought…
You're driving through East Texas, a land where Spanish Franciscans once tried to plant the seeds of faith and empire. Back in 1690, Father Damian Massanet and Captain Alonso de Leon led the first Spanish mission into…
You're driving through East Texas, the very land that Governor Marquis de San Miguel de Aguayo fought to keep Spanish. Back in 1719, with war brewing between Spain and France, Aguayo was appointed governor and tasked…
You're driving through East Texas, near Nacogdoches, where Captain Domingo Ramon led Spain's second attempt to permanently settle this province in 1715. His mission? To establish a presidio and four missions, and…
You're driving past the site of John S. Roberts' home, a key figure in Texas independence. He came to Texas in 1826 and was a leader in the Battle of Nacogdoches. Roberts even signed the Texas Declaration of…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, right where the modern city began. Look for the marker commemorating the home of Antonio Gil y Barbo. He was a Spanish frontiersman who, in 1779, founded this settlement and led the…
You're driving past the site of Goyens' Hill, where William "Bill" Goyens lived out his remarkable life. Born enslaved in South Carolina in 1794, he escaped to Texas in 1821. He aided the Army of Texas in 1836 and…
Built in 1779 as a simple trading post the Old Stone Fort in Nacogdoches became the most politically fought-over building in Texas. It served as rebel…
Adolphus Sterne ran a respectable mercantile shop in Nacogdoches but behind the bolts of cloth and barrels of flour he was running one of the Texas Revolutions…
Everyone knows the story of Spindletop — the 1901 gusher near Beaumont that launched the Texas oil boom. But thirty-five years before that famous blowout a man…
You're driving past the site of a pivotal moment in Texas history, thanks to Governor Martin de Alarcon. Back in 1716, Alarcon was tasked with securing the frontier, but got sidetracked investigating a French smuggler…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, the site of a key clash in 1832. Settlers, forming the 'National Militia,' resisted Mexican orders to surrender firearms. After fighting broke out on the square, the militia took the…
You're driving past the home of Milam Lodge #2, the oldest Masonic Lodge in Texas still operating in its original location. Chartered in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1837</say-as>, it honored revolutionary…
You're driving along what's known by many names: the King's Highway, the Camino Real, or the Old San Antonio Road. This route was marked back in 1918 by the Daughters of the American Revolution and the State of Texas.…
You're driving past Nacogdoches, the very first place Sam Houston called home in Texas. He arrived in February of 1833, after leaving his life as a governor and congressman in Washington D.C. He boarded with the Sterne…
You're driving past Nacogdoches, a major hub for Confederate stagecoach lines during the Civil War. From this historic King's Highway site, passengers boarded coaches heading to places like Waco, a four-day journey.…
You're driving past On This Site Stood for a Century an Old Stone House. On this site stood for a century an old stone house thought to have been built in 1779 by Antonio Gil YBarbo. Sold by him as community property in…
You're driving past The Daily Sentinel. The first newspapers in Texas, beginning in 1813, all had direct links to Nacogdoches. The leading family in the newspaper business was that of Col. R.D. Orton and his nephews,…
You're driving past the Charles Hoya Land Office, built in 1897. Designed by Houston architect Frank E. Rue, this was the first fireproof building in Nacogdoches, serving as a model for others. The business continued…
You're cruising through Nacogdoches, and right here is the Ingraham Building. Built in 1897 by George Francis Ingraham, a New York native who became a local attorney and politician, this structure originally housed his…
You're driving past the site of the First United Methodist Church of Nacogdoches. Tradition says Methodists preached here even before Texas independence. Missionary Littleton Fowler officially founded this congregation…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, the site of the original Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Established as a parish in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1847</say-as>, this church served a vast area stretching from…
You're driving past Nacogdoches, where folks here helped outfit a volunteer force for the Texas War for Independence. These weren't locals, though; they were the New Orleans' Greys! In November of <say-as…
You're driving past the route of La Calle Real del Norte, the North Royal Road. This wasn't just any dirt path; it was a vital 18th-century artery connecting the Nacogdoche and Nasoni Indian villages right here in East…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here stood the Old Red House. This wasn't just any building; it was the headquarters for Colonel Jose de las Piedras, the commander of the Mexican garrison right here in…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here is the site of "Old Soledad." Long before Texas was even a republic, this was the bustling headquarters for William Barr and Samuel Davenport. These weren't just any…
You're driving past the heart of historic Nacogdoches, a town shaped by the architectural vision of Diedrich Rulfs. Born in Germany in 1848, Rulfs brought Northern European styles to East Texas, designing many of the…
You're driving past the Roland Jones house in Nacogdoches, a late Victorian residence built back in 1896 and 1897. It was designed by architect D. A. G. Rulfs for the Matthews family, who were railroad executives, and…
You're driving past the First Baptist Church of Nacogdoches. The Baptist General Association of Texas sent Luther Rice Scruggs here in 1884 to start Baptist work, organizing the church with 13 members in 1885. The…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here is the site of the home of Charles S. Taylor. Born in London, England, in 1808, Taylor came to Texas and became a citizen of Nacogdoches in 1830. He played a crucial…
Pull over, history buffs! You're about to visit a house where Texas history practically drips from the walls. This unassuming home played host to some of the most famous figures in Texas independence, including a future…
You're driving past Oak Grove Cemetery, a final resting place for some of the biggest names in Texas history. Originally called "American Cemetery," this ground dates back to 1826, but the earliest marked grave here is…
You're driving past the site of Nacogdoches University, a beacon of higher learning chartered by the Republic of Texas way back in 1845. It started in temporary downtown buildings before this grand structure opened its…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here is the former home of Adolphus Sterne. Born in Germany in 1801, Sterne became a key figure in early Texas. He served as Alcalde under the Mexican government and later…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here is Washington Square, the unlikely birthplace of a Texas college. In 1923, the new Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College wasn't ready for students. So, President…
You're driving past the resting place of Kelsey Harris Douglass, a key figure in early Texas history. He was a member of the Second Congress of the Republic and, most notably, commanded Texas forces in a crucial battle…
You're driving past Dill, James. Born in Pennsylvania in 1770. Pioneer Indian trader. Recognized by the King of Spain as a public- spirited citizen. First alcalde of Nacogdoches under the Mexican government in 1821…
You're driving past the Lindsey House in Nacogdoches, a grand Victorian residence built in 1901. This hilltop home was built by Robert and Emily Lindsey, successful dry goods merchants who were also big supporters of…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here is the site of Old Nacogdoches University. Chartered by the Republic of Texas way back in 1845, this school was built to bring higher education to the settlers. The…
You're driving past the site of Nacogdoches University, a pioneering co-educational institution that opened its doors in September of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1845</say-as>. It was incorporated by an…
A pioneer co-educational institution incorporated by an independent board February 3, 1845. Granted four leagues of land for its support. Opened September, 1845. Eventually absorbed by the public school system. Marcus…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here is a marker for General Thomas J. Rusk. Born in South Carolina in 1808, Rusk became a true hero of Texas liberty, fighting bravely at the Battle of San Jacinto. He…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here is the site of Mission Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. Founded way back in 1716 by Father Antonio Margil de Jesus, this Spanish outpost was built to civilize and…
You're driving past the final resting place of Charles Standfield Taylor, a true Texas patriot who arrived from London in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1808</say-as>. Taylor was the Land Commissioner of Texas…
You're driving past the final resting place of Elias E. Hamilton, a young man who saw some of the most pivotal moments of the Texas Revolution. Born in Georgia in 1816, Hamilton came to Texas and fought bravely in the…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and just ahead is the final resting place of John S. Roberts, a true Texian hero. Before Texas even declared independence, Roberts was in the thick of it. He led the Nacogdoches…
You're driving past the final resting place of William Clark, Jr., a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Born in Virginia in 1798, Clark came to Texas and put his name to that pivotal document. He lived a…
You're driving past the site of a real Texas firebrand, Haden Edwards. He led the Fredonian Rebellion right here in Nacogdoches back in 1826 and '27. Later, he headed back to the United States to raise funds for the…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and you might not realize it, but you're passing right by a piece of history that predates even the oldest buildings in town. Mound Street got its name in the 1700s because it was…
You're driving past Zion Hill First Baptist, a testament to African American resilience and faith in Nacogdoches. Organized in 1879 by the Rev. Lawson Reed, the congregation first worshipped under a simple brush arbor.…
You're driving past the site of Captain Hayden Arnold's final resting place. A native of Tennessee, Arnold was born in 1805 and came to Texas to fight for its independence. He commanded the Nacogdoches Company during…
You're driving past the resting place of Thomas Young Buford, a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto. Born in South Carolina in 1814, Buford came to Texas and fought for its independence. Though he survived the pivotal…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, home of Adolphus Sterne. Arriving in Texas in 1826, this German-Jewish immigrant became a merchant and one of the first Scottish Rite Masons in the state. Sterne aided Texas…
You're driving past the Nacogdoches home of Dr. Robert Anderson Irion, a pivotal figure in the Republic of Texas. Born in Tennessee, he came to Texas and served as a Senator in the First Congress of the Republic from…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, passing the site where Juan Antonio Padilla once lived. He was a key figure in early Texas, serving as Land Commissioner in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1829</say-as> and…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and Westminster Presbyterian Church has a history stretching back to 1893. Originally Main Street Presbyterian, it built this sanctuary and manse in 1930 and became Westminster. The…
Anthony Wolf, Alamo defender, was born on February 17, 1782, in Arkansas Post on the banks of the Arkansas River in Spanish Louisiana. His parents were "the German Michael Wolf" and Mary Elizabeth (Roland) Wolf.…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, a town with roots stretching back to the early 1700s. It all started when the French governor sent Louis Juchereau de St. Denis to trade with the local Caddo Indians. He marked a…
You're driving through East Texas, perhaps near Nacogdoches, where Thomas Jefferson Rusk landed by accident, but stayed to become a giant of Texas history. He came here in 1835 chasing swindlers who stole his mining…
You're driving through East Texas now, a land that saw fortunes made and lost. Right here, in Nacogdoches, Peter Samuel Davenport built an empire. In 1798, his firm, House of Barr and Davenport, secured a monopoly on…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here, you might be passing near the route of John Marie Durst, the Paul Revere of the Texas Revolution. In 1835, Durst was in the Mexican state legislature when he learned…
You're driving through East Texas, maybe near Nacogdoches, and right here is where a bold, if short-lived, rebellion kicked off. It's December 1826, and Benjamin Edwards, taking charge of his brother's colony, felt…
You're driving through East Texas, near Nacogdoches, where Haden Edwards, a wealthy land speculator, tried to carve out a new empire. He was granted land in 1825 to bring 800 families to Texas. But there was a problem:…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here, you're passing through the stomping grounds of William Goyens. Born free in North Carolina in 1794, Goyens arrived in Texas in 1820 and became a successful blacksmith…
You're driving through Texas, but back in 1812, this land was the target of a filibustering expedition. The Gutiérrez-Magee Expedition, a group of adventurers and Mexican rebels, marched into Spanish Texas with dreams…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here, in what is now Marion County, lived Robert Potter. He was a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and a leader in the Republic of Texas. But Potter had a wild…
You're driving through East Texas, perhaps near Nacogdoches, where John H. Reagan got his start. Born in Tennessee in 1818, Reagan came to Texas seeking opportunity, and he found it, first as a deputy surveyor and…
You're driving through what's now Hamilton County, but back in 1833, this was the edge of the Texas frontier. James W. Robinson arrived here with a letter to Stephen F. Austin, settling in Nacogdoches. He quickly became…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here is where a man known as Richard Parmalee began a new life. But before he arrived in Texas in 1836, he was Richard P. Robinson in New York City, embroiled in one of the…
You're driving through East Texas, maybe near Nacogdoches, and you might be passing the resting place of a French soldier of fortune named Louis Rose. Rose fought for Napoleon in Europe, but ended up in Texas by the…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, the site of a dramatic moment during the Texas Revolution. In 1835, Mary Frances 'Polly' Cleveland Rusk moved here with her husband, Thomas J. Rusk, fleeing Georgia after he pursued…
You're driving through what is now Smith County, Texas, but back in the 1840s, this area was a frontier. You're passing through land once owned by General James Smith, a veteran of the War of 1812 and a key figure in…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here is where Adolphus Sterne, a man who came to Texas seeking fortune, found himself in a fight for his life. Born in Germany, he fled military conscription and landed in…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, a town that played a key role in Texas history, and right here is where Charles Stanfield Taylor made his mark. Born in England in 1808, Taylor arrived in New York in 1828, eventually…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here, you're passing through the territory that was once Trammel's Trace. This rough road was carved out by Nicholas Trammell, a frontiersman whose life was as wild as the…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here, you're passing through the hometown of Madison G. Whitaker. He fought in the Battle of San Jacinto, that pivotal moment in Texas history. You can even see him in…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, home of a woman who turned women's college basketball into a national powerhouse. Sue Gunter arrived at Stephen F. Austin State College in 1964, when women's sports were often…
Andrew Jackson (John) Spradley, lawman and political figure, son of Patrick Henry and Dicey (Williamson) Spradley, was born near Westville, Mississippi, on March 8, 1853. His father was an illiterate, although…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas, and right here is where Hayden S. Arnold made his mark. He arrived in late 1835, just in time to join the fight for Texas independence. By March of 1836, he…
You're driving through East Texas, maybe near Nacogdoches, and right here is a place that saw action from Isaac Watts Burton. He arrived in Texas in 1832, fighting in the Battle of Nacogdoches. Later, he served as a…
You're driving through East Texas, near Nacogdoches, where in the summer of 1838, a plot threatened the young Republic of Texas. It was called the Córdova Rebellion. What started as a local dispute over stolen horses…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, a place that saw some real frontier drama thanks to early settlers like James Dill. Born in Pennsylvania in 1766, Dill eventually landed here in East Texas around 1799. He became a…
You're driving through South Texas, maybe near Kenedy County, and right here James H. Durst made one of the earliest large land purchases in the Nueces Strip. He bought fourteen leagues of the La Barreta grant in 1852,…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, a town that was once a hotbed of revolutionary activity. Right here, John Forbes, an Irish immigrant, found himself thrust into the heart of Texas independence. Arriving in 1835, he…
You're driving through East Texas, maybe not far from Nacogdoches, where you'd find Robert Kemp Goodloe. He was a doctor from Virginia, but he headed to Texas in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1836</say-as>,…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here in Nacogdoches, you're passing through a place that played a key role in the early days of Freemasonry in the Lone Star State. John Henry Holland, a prominent lawyer and…
You're driving through East Texas, the land that Antonio Gil Ybarbo fought to resettle. In the late 1700s, Spanish authorities ordered settlers out of East Texas, but Ybarbo, a leader among them, wouldn't give up. He…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here is the area where David Spangler Kaufman made his mark. A lawyer by trade, he also fought on the frontier, even being wounded in the 1839 encounter that claimed the life…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here in Nacogdoches, a rockabilly legend got his start. Bob Luman was born here in 1937, picking up his first guitar at age thirteen. After seeing Elvis Presley in 1955,…
You're driving through what was once the heart of the Republic of Texas, and right here, James Shannon Mayfield was a key player. Arriving in Nacogdoches County in 1837, he served as a lawyer and legislator, even acting…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here near Nacogdoches, you're passing through a place with deep roots. In 1716, Spanish explorers established the very first settlement in this area. This wasn't just any…
You're driving through Nacogdoches County, a place with deep roots. Back in 1716, Spanish explorer Domingo Ramón arrived here, finding Caddo Indian villages. He established three missions, including Nuestra Señora de…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here, you're passing through the territory where Sister Josephine spent the last twenty years of her life. Born Renée Ernestine Françoise Potard in France in 1822, she came…
You're driving through East Texas, likely near Nacogdoches. Right here, you're passing through the territory that was home to Henry Wynkoop Raguet. He wasn't just a local merchant, he was a Confederate officer who saw…
You're driving through East Texas, perhaps near the Milam community in Sabine County. Back in 1826, this was the wild frontier. Harriet Fenley Roberts, a woman of considerable means, found herself in a dangerous…
You're driving through what was once the Texas frontier, a land of constant negotiation between settlers and Native American tribes. Right here, back in the mid-1800s, Luis Sánchez was a key player. Born around 1804,…
You're driving through East Texas, maybe near Nacogdoches, and you might be passing by the old stomping grounds of Jacob Snively. In 1843, Snively, a Republic of Texas officer, got permission to lead a partisan command.…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, where Franklin Jefferson Starr met his end. Starr, a law partner of William B. Travis, came to Texas in 1835. He took his Mexican citizenship oath and formed a law practice with…
You're driving through Montgomery County, and right here is where John Marshall Wade landed in Texas, arriving in Nacogdoches in October of 1835. He joined up to fight for Texas independence, but got sick and ended up…
You're driving through East Texas, perhaps near Nacogdoches, and you might be passing the final resting place of Jesse Walling. He fought in the Battle of San Jacinto, the decisive fight for Texas independence,…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas, and right here, William Whitaker was a key player in its early days. He arrived around 1833 and quickly became involved in the local Committee of Vigilance…
You're driving through East Texas, passing through Nacogdoches, a town that played a crucial role in the Texas Revolution. In 1835, Richard Sparks, a recent arrival from Mississippi, found himself at the heart of the…
You're driving through East Texas, a region that saw some of the earliest action in the Texas Revolution. Stephen Franklin Sparks arrived here with his family in 1834, just a year before the fight for independence. He…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, where William Sparks settled after a long life of service. Born in North Carolina in 1761, he fought in the American Revolution at just seventeen, serving as a mounted rifleman. His…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here is where Willie Lee Dorothy Campbell Glass made her mark. Born in 1910, she was a trailblazer in home economics and education, even earning a graduate degree from Iowa…
You're driving past the site of Los Ojos de Padre Margil, or 'The Eyes of Father Margil.' Father Antonio Margil, a Spanish missionary who spent nearly 50 years in the Americas, arrived in East Texas in 1716. By 1717, a…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, a town that was home to Bennett Blake, a man who arrived in 1835 with just twenty dollars and a dream. Blake didn't just become a merchant and farmer; he became the unofficial banker…
You're driving through East Texas, maybe near Nacogdoches, where William Clark, Jr. lived. He was a lawyer and a legislator. When Governor Sam Houston called for a special session to discuss secession, Clark voted…
You're driving through East Texas, perhaps near Nacogdoches or Newton County. Imagine this land centuries ago, before paved roads. You're traveling a route once known as the Coushatta-Nacogdoches Trace. This was the…
You're driving through East Texas, perhaps near Nacogdoches, where Haden H. Edwards made his mark. He wasn't just a soldier in the Texas Revolution, fighting at the Siege of Bexar, but also a businessman, driving…
You're driving through East Texas, maybe near Nacogdoches, where Peyton Forbes Edwards earned a colorful nickname. During his time in the Texas Senate, from 1876 to 1879, he was known far and wide as the 'Red Rooster of…
You're driving through East Texas, maybe near Nacogdoches, and right here is where William Baxter Pendleton Gaines started his Texas adventure. He arrived in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1835</say-as>, just as…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here, Archibald Hotchkiss was surveying land and acting as an interpreter back in the 1830s. He came to Texas representing land companies, even working for the Galveston Bay…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, a town that was home to Robert Anderson Irion, a physician who also served as the Republic of Texas's Secretary of State. After practicing medicine in Mississippi, Irion moved to…
You're driving through Texas, a land that saw many men build new lives. Allen Carter Jones arrived in Nacogdoches in 1826, a man already on his third marriage and with a passel of kids. But he didn't just settle down;…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, Texas, a town that played a crucial role in Texas's fight for independence. Right here, in November of 1835, David E. Lawhon arrived from Louisiana. He was a printer by trade, and…
You're driving through East Texas, perhaps near Nacogdoches, where John Thomson Mason found himself in a whirlwind of land deals and revolution. Back in 1830, Mason arrived as an agent for a massive land company, aiming…
You're driving through Texas, and right here, in the early 1830s, a man named Angus McNeill was buying up huge tracts of land. He arrived in Texas in the late summer of 1835, just as the winds of revolution were…
You're driving through Texas, a land where faith took root alongside the earliest settlements. Back in 1716, Spanish explorers planted the seeds of Catholicism here, founding missions and towns like Nacogdoches. But the…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, a town with a history as bumpy as this road! Back in 1825, Samuel Norris was elected alcalde, essentially the town's mayor. But his opponent, Chichester Chaplin, didn't agree.…
You're driving through East Texas, maybe near Nacogdoches, and right here is where Moses Lockhart Patton made his mark. He arrived in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1835</say-as>, a merchant who also got caught…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, a town that owes part of its early boom to a man who arrived with nothing but a story. Henry Raguet came to Texas in March of 1833, after a business failure in Ohio. He met Sam…
You're driving near Nacogdoches, and right here is where a Swiss immigrant named Henry Rueg set up shop. He arrived in Texas in 1821, after a failed colony in Louisiana. By 1831, he and his brother opened a general…
You're driving through what is now Coryell County, but back in the late 1830s, this area was a frontier. Henry Madison Smith, a soldier born in South Carolina, found himself fighting for Texas independence. He arrived…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here is where James Harper Starr, a physician and a key figure in the Republic of Texas, made his home. He arrived from Georgia in 1837, quickly becoming deeply involved in…
You're driving through East Texas, perhaps near Nacogdoches, where Henry B. Stout found himself in a bit of trouble back in 1819. Just arriving in Texas, he was caught up in the collapse of the Long Expedition and…
You're driving through East Texas, near Nacogdoches, where Thomas Jefferson Walling arrived in January 1836. He immediately swore allegiance to the Texas government and joined Captain Peck's company in the Texas…
You're driving past Zion Hill Baptist Church Cemetery, a final resting place for Nacogdoches' African American pioneers. Back in 1878, Reverend Lawson Reed arrived to find no Baptist church for the Black community. He…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas, and right here is where Jesse Saul Bledsoe, a man who'd already served as a U.S. Senator in Kentucky, settled in 1835. He was a lawyer, a politician, and…
You're driving through East Texas, the birthplace of Ernie Fields, a jazz legend who started his musical journey right here in Nacogdoches. Born in 1904, Fields initially trained as an electrician before picking up the…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here is where a railroad once connected this East Texas hub to the logging camps. The Nacogdoches and Southeastern Railroad was chartered in 1905, built primarily to serve…
You're driving through East Texas, maybe near Nacogdoches. Right here, a determined nun named Sister Rosalie Pepin arrived in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1870</say-as>, at the request of a bishop. She took…
Right here in Nacogdoches County, you're passing through territory once represented by John Cleveland Rusk. He was a businessman and planter, but in 1861, he answered the call to serve in the Ninth Texas Legislature.…
You're driving through what was once the wild frontier, and right here in Nacogdoches, Charles H. Sims was a key player in keeping the peace. In the chaotic days leading up to and during the Texas Revolution, Sims…
Nacogdoches, founded around a 1716 Spanish mission on the Camino Real de los Tejas, considered the oldest town in Texas. The Old Stone Fort (Casa Piedra) served as the trading post and customs house.
Long before Austin or San Antonio were anything more than frontier outposts the Caddo people had been living on the red hills of East Texas for nearly a…
You're driving past the Stone Fort Museum in Nacogdoches, a place dedicated to East Texas history. Its story really begins in the late 1700s with the original Old Stone Fort, a key player in the region's turbulent past.…
You're driving past the site of Christ Episcopal Church in Nacogdoches. Founded in 1848 by the missionary Rev. Henry Sansom, this congregation built the first Protestant church in Nacogdoches in 1851. The current…
You may have heard of the 'Six Flags Over Texas,' but here in Nacogdoches, they do things differently. This town claims to have been under nine different flags. It's a testament to the town's turbulent, rebellious…
On the morning of February 1st, 2003, the sky over East Texas filled with smoke trails as the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during reentry. It was a national tragedy, but for Nacogdoches it became a local mission.…
When the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated in 2003, the investigation into the cause began on the ground, and Nacogdoches was where it started. The recovery was a monumental problem in logistics and forensic…
Nacogdoches, known as 'The Oldest Town in Texas,' has a rich history that dates back to 10,000 years ago with evidence of settlement in the area. The town's name originates from the Caddo-speaking Native American tribe…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here is where Thomas J. Rusk called home. He was a true hero of Texas independence, fighting bravely at the Battle of San Jacinto. After the fighting, Rusk didn't hang up…
Imagine declaring your own country. In 1826, that’s exactly what happened here. A fiery land speculator named Haden Edwards, angry with the Mexican government, gathered about 30 men, rode into Nacogdoches, and declared…
The road you may be driving on right now, State Highway 21, is more than just a Texas highway. It follows the path of one of the most important historical routes in North America: the El Camino Real de los Tejas, or the…
If you pass the Sterne-Hoya House on South Lanana Street, you're looking at the oldest house in Nacogdoches still standing on its original site, and it has a great story inside. Built around 1830, it belonged to…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, and right here is the site of the Old Stone Fort. This wasn't just a house; it was a hub of Texas history. Built by Don Antonio Gil Y'Barbo around 1788, it served as a home, a…
In the winter of 1826 an empresario named Haden Edwards got into a land dispute with the Mexican government and decided the reasonable response was revolution.…
You're driving past the site of early athletic and recreational facilities at Stephen F. Austin State College. President Alton Birdwell knew this campus needed more than just classrooms. In 1923, *before* the college…
You're driving past the Nacogdoches home of Thomas Jefferson Rusk, a giant of Texas history. Born in South Carolina, he became a lawyer, a key figure in the Texas Revolution, fought at San Jacinto, and served as…
You're driving past Dr. Joseph William Kennedy, Jr.. Dr. Joseph William Kennedy, Jr. was born in Nacogdoches on May 30, 1916 and graduated from Nacogdoches High School in 1932 as valedictorian. Kennedy attended Stephen…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, the home of Karle Wilson Baker, a poet and writer who made a national name for herself in the early to mid-20th century. Born in Arkansas in 1878, she moved to Nacogdoches in 1905 and…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, passing the site where Alton W. Birdwell, a true East Texas educator, dedicated his life to learning. Born in 1870, he worked his way through school, molding bricks and hewing ties,…
You're driving past the site of Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College during World War II. When America entered the war, SFA President Alton Birdwell rallied students and staff. Many answered the call to arms, while…
You're driving past the site of Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College, where Paul Lewis Boynton served as president from 1942 to 1958. He kept the college from closing during World War II by bringing in the Women's…
You're driving past the Rusk Building, a cornerstone of Stephen F. Austin State University. Though planned earlier, cost-cutting delayed its construction until 1926. Designed in a classical revival style, it initially…
You're driving past Pioneering Higher Education in East Texas. The absence of an institution of higher learning to train teachers in East Texas became obvious in the early 20th century. "Normal institutes" or ad hoc…
You're driving past The University Tradition in Nacogdoches. The Spanish friars who built the Mission of Our Lady of Nacogdoches passed to the townspeople a sense of scholarship and educational responsibility. Prominent…
You're driving past the site of Wisely Hall, Nacogdoches' first Public Works Administration project. Built between 1935 and 1936, this men's dormitory was a solution to student housing shortages exacerbated by the Great…
(November 3, 1793 - December 37, 1836) Republics often point to one person whose vision and leadership led to their creation. For the Republic of Texas (1836-1845) that person is Stephen Fuller Austin. Austin, the son…
You're driving through Nacogdoches, home to a unique chapter of World War II history. Right here, on the campus of what's now Stephen F. Austin State University, the U.S. Army established Army Administration School No.…
You're driving past the Austin Building, the oldest academic building still in use at Stephen F. Austin State University. Back in 1917, Texas lawmakers wanted to boost public education, and Nacogdoches beat out 27 other…
You're driving past the site of Shay Locomotive No. 2005, a real workhorse of Texas logging. This 36-ton engine, built in 1907, was designed with a unique vertical-piston drive and direct-gear system, patented by…
You're driving through Texas, and right here, you're in the territory where law and order as we know it began to take shape. Back in 1823, in Stephen F. Austin's first colony, a man named Thomas V. Alley was appointed…
Oil Springs is on Farm Road 226 thirteen miles east of Nacogdoches in southeastern Nacogdoches County. Indians used oil seepage in the area for medicinal purposes. As early as 1790 Spanish and Anglo settlers learned the…
You're driving through what was once the Sabine District, a place Andrew Caddell called home. He arrived in Texas in April 1834, a veteran of conflicts in Alabama, and soon found himself fighting for Texas independence.…
You're driving through Nacogdoches County, near the town of Douglass, a place founded by Michael Costley. Costley was a Texas Ranger and soldier, but his life ended abruptly in 1837. He died from a pistol wound…
You're driving through Texas, and right now, the ground beneath your tires might be hiding a fortune. For decades, folks found oil by pure luck, drilling near gas seeps or by accident while searching for water. But in…
Linn Flat, a rural community off State Highway 204 some fourteen miles northwest of Nacogdoches in northern Nacogdoches County, was first settled in the late 1840s. The town is said to have been named for its location…
Pattonia, also known as Patton Landing, was an early riverport on the Angelina River at the mouth of Dorr Creek, near the confluence of the Angelina River and Attoyac Bayou in southeastern Nacogdoches County. The town…
You're driving through East Texas, maybe near Nacogdoches, and you might be passing through the tiny community of Nat, the birthplace of William Bartholomew Bates. Born in 1889 or 1890, Bates was one of thirteen…
You're driving through what is now Nacogdoches County, but back in the early 1800s, this was a hotbed of illicit activity. Right here, you're passing near El Camino del Caballo, also known as Contraband Trace or…
You're driving through what was once Mexican Texas, a time when settlers were just finding their footing. John Morgan Little was one of the very first, an 'Old Three Hundred' settler who arrived in April 1822. He was a…
You're driving through Nacogdoches County, where William Asburry Skillern, a farmer and Confederate veteran, became a driving force in the Populist movement. After serving in the Civil War, Skillern returned to farming…
Sacul, at the junction of Farm roads 204 and 1648, twenty-one miles northwest of Nacogdoches in northwestern Nacogdoches County, was founded just after 1900. It began when the Texas and New Orleans Railroad was built…
You're driving through East Texas, and right here is the story of the Caro Northern Railway. Chartered in 1906, this wasn't just any railroad; it started as a logging road, aiming to connect Caro in Nacogdoches County…
You're driving through Nacogdoches County, the heart of East Texas. Right here, Charles Childress Grayson was a man of many trades: farmer, surveyor, and even a Confederate officer. After serving in the Civil War, he…
Etoile is on State Highway 103 and Farm Road 226, between the Angelina and the Attoyac rivers twenty miles south of Nacogdoches and nineteen miles east of Lufkin in southeastern Nacogdoches County. In 1876 the Reverend…
Smyrna, also known as Chinita, Lowery, and River Fork, was a farming community off Farm Road 226 some twenty-six miles southeast of Nacogdoches in extreme southeastern Nacogdoches County. The area was first settled in…
Woden is on Farm Road 226 approximately eleven miles southeast of Nacogdoches in southern Nacogdoches County. The area was settled in the 1830s by immigrants from the Old South. The community was known for a time as…