One of the things some of us did at the rally is to take a tour of the Bastrop Museum. We had a very interesting tour guide. He is sitting in front of the group after we finished the tour.
Texas has a very interesting history. This area has actually been under six different flags beginning with the Spanish.
Moses Austin petitioned to bring colonists to this area but was initially turned down until he met the Baron of Bastrop who was not really a baron at all but a man with influence with the Spanish government in San Antonio de Bexar. The baron interceded and got permission on behalf of Austin.
Catholic priests made trips from their missions to other locations. Settlers were required to become Catholic and everyone had to be married by a priest regardless of whether or not they were already married.
Bastrop was initially named after the baron by Stephen F. Austin, grandson of Moses Austin in 1834. By 1834e control was under Mexicans rather than the Spanish and the town name was changed to Mina to honor a Mexican revolutionary hero. By 1837 Texas had won independence from Mexico and the town was renamed Bastrop.
During the Texas revolution, citizens fled Bastrop in advance of Mexican troups using carts such as this pulled by people because the horses were all gone to fight the war elsewhere.
This whole evacuation was called the Runaway Scrape.
There were coal mines near Bastop.
After the civil war, there were Freedom colonies in Bastrop County where black families established homes.
At one time before the civil war, there were a number of large plantations worked by slaves. After the war, they were worked by sharecroppers, tenant farmers, and family members.
Cattle became the major industry after the way. The original cowboys were patterned after Mexican vaqueros.
Bastrop became a major training area for training Army infantry during World War II.
German prisoners of war were also held at Camp Swift.
Inside photo of a living room of an historical home in Bastrop.
The museum is very interesting and contains a lot of history of the local area....well worth a visit.
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