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Sugarloaf Mountain - Gause, Milam County, Texas

16,869 Views | 71 Replies | Last: 11 mo ago by GSS
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Ol_Ag_02
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AG
Been up there three different times.
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justnobody79
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I used to fish in the area a lot, tons of history in the area. The story of Port Sullivan on the Brazos is fascinating to me. Used to be able to catch a lot of catfish where the Little River merged with the Brazos river. The blending of the muddy water and the sandy water is unique.
agfan2013
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I've been out to the bridge at the foot of it and in the area several times, but never went up the mountain myself. Had a couple of college roomates decide one evening to go up in the middle of the night (might have been after a few beers) while we were still in school, but I had a full day of work at producer's coop the next morning and didnt feel like loading hundreds of feedsacks hungover and tired from shenanigans. Would love to hike up it, but dont want to get busted for trespassing, as noted its a lot more enforced/patrolled now from what I've heard.

I do know the farmer who works most of those fields to the north, farms a good chunk of owned & rented land in that Hearne/Gause/Branchville area. Supposedly there was talk years ago about damming up the little Brazos near there and turning that big field to the north of it into a resovior of some sort? Story I think he told me one time, but I've never seen anyone else talk about it, he's still farming over there so I guess it never happened.
Howdy Dammit
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AG
Took an ex gf up there back in 2015
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justnobody79
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agfan2013 said:

I've been out to the bridge at the foot of it and in the area several times, but never went up the mountain myself. Had a couple of college roomates decide on evening to go up in the middle of the night (might have been after a few beers) while we were still in school, but I had a full day of work at producer's coop the next morning and didnt feel like loading hundreds of feedsacks hungover and tired from shenannigans. Would love to hike up it, but dont want to get busted for tresspassing, as noted its alot more enforced/patrolled now from what I've heard.

I do know the farmer who works most of those fields to the north, farms a good chunk of owned & rented land in that Hearne/Gause/Branchville area. Supposedly there was talk years ago about damming up the little Brazos near there and turning that big field to the north of it into a resovior of some sort? Story I think he told me one time, but I've never seen anyone else talk about it, he's still farming over there so I guess it never happened.
The story about damming the Little River is accurate. They were looking at it to supply water to Williamson County
justnobody79
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FAT SEXY said:

justnobody79 said:

I used to fish in the area a lot, tons of history in the area. The story of Port Sullivan on the Brazos is fascinating to me. Used to be able to catch a lot of catfish where the Little River merged with the Brazos river. The blending of the muddy water and the sandy water is unique.
This old building is still standing right off of FM 485.. I'm guessing you've seen it a time or two.



https://kathiesees.wordpress.com/2019/01/15/exploration-dilapidated-gas-station-texas/
A friendly state trooper wrote me a ticket right in front of it one time
Ducks4brkfast
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AG
FAT SEXY said:

I still go back from time to time, but I only view from the road and fly my drone. I haven't actually went up there in years. I've heard that the new owners are less forgiving to trespassers.

15-20 years ago it wasn't as big of a deal to go on the property.

Here is an interesting article about a previous owner that wanted to donate it as a public park:

https://www.tdtnews.com/archive/article_6d466422-6b06-558b-9690-a239c23d0df4.html

I wish it was a State Park.

Herzog still owns the property and the top was mined prior to 1994.
Ducks4brkfast
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FAT SEXY said:

I talked to a guy that lived on that road a few years ago that said someone else owned the property now. I guess he was full of ****

If it isn't a new owner causing crack downs on trespassing, I guess it's just the sheriff's office exploiting it for ticket revenue.

Do you happen to know when it was mined?
These articles have some good history on Sugarloaf. The second article is dated July 28, 1994 and mentions the hill having been mined.








justnobody79
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I don't recall it being mined in the 90's but I can't 100% confirm that
oklaunion
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justnobody79 said:

FAT SEXY said:

justnobody79 said:

I used to fish in the area a lot, tons of history in the area. The story of Port Sullivan on the Brazos is fascinating to me. Used to be able to catch a lot of catfish where the Little River merged with the Brazos river. The blending of the muddy water and the sandy water is unique.
This old building is still standing right off of FM 485.. I'm guessing you've seen it a time or two.



https://kathiesees.wordpress.com/2019/01/15/exploration-dilapidated-gas-station-texas/
A friendly state trooper wrote me a ticket right in front of it one time
First time I ever hit 100 mph was when I came over the bridge to the west and had a straightaway long enough to get my '68 Tempest going. Was slowing down at the old store.
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AgLA06
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AG
Wasn't this exact post done a couple years ago and it divalved into locating Jimbo's ranch?
Jackie Daytona
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In the late 80s-early 90s we'd go out there all the time. High school years. We built a make shift rope swing a couple of trips. Some of the scariest fun I've ever had.



BaronDeBishopville
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J W Jackson was the owner before the Herzogs, he sold it to them in 1995. The story I heard was there was no mining involved, just pushing stuff around with a dozer.
BaronDeBishopville
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Also, the brick building at the corner of 1644 and 485 was called Mears Store. There used to be about a half dozen "houses" behind it along 485 where farm hands and their families lived. I think they were torn down in the 60's. A friend of mine grew up in one when his whole family worked for "Mr. Joe" Reistino. According to him, they would get paid on Saturday and make just enough to pay their bill at the store and have to charge most of the next weeks groceries.
water turkey
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kyledr04
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AG
AgLA06 said:

Wasn't this exact post done a couple years ago and it divalved into locating Jimbo's ranch?


It's close.
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BaronDeBishopville
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you can learn a lot from the Milam CAD interactive map
91AggieLawyer
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AG
Jackie Daytona said:

In the late 80s-early 90s we'd go out there all the time. High school years. We built a make shift rope swing a couple of trips. Some of the scariest fun I've ever had.





I went out there a few times in the Spring/Summer of '91. A time or two, guys were doing the rope thing. I think the water level was a bit higher than it appears in that top pic. The water didn't look, to me, too appealing -- to get into it, anyway! It was a cool place to take a date to.

I never inquired as to public/private at the time but I guess I assumed it was public in some form. I don't recall seeing any private property signs and certainly never had anyone chase us off. However, other than 3 or 4 guys on the bridge swinging into the water that time (or maybe twice), I never saw anyone else up there.
JYDog90
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AG
So interested in this thread.

I grew up in Caldwell and when I was in 3rd grade we had a field trip (can't remember where) and two kids in our grade got sick and couldn't go. One teacher felt sorry for the two kids and she called them into her room before school started and I asked what that was all about. One of the kids said, "she's taking us to Sugarloaf Mountain on Saturday."

I know, "cool story, brah."

But I've wondered for 45 years what the deal is with that place. Thanks for sharing.
KALALL
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I knew Mr. Jackson very well. He just knocked the top off of it looking for the gold. He sold it after people got up in arms about him taking the top off it. I think it happened in my life time which would put it in the early 90s. Knowing James he probably made more off selling the land than any hypothetical gold was worth.
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CS78
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The 1981 aerial looks the same as the 2008. You can see the same outcroppings.

https://www.historicaerials.com/viewer

Im not near a computer but check the historicals on google earf pro.
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redaszag99
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In earth, use the clock looking icon and then slide the bar to change the dates
JustPanda
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AG
"Mountain"
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