Washington-on-the-Brazos archeology

5,645 Views | 25 Replies | Last: 2 mo ago by NE PA Ag
CanyonAg77
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AG
Surprised this hasn't been mentioned here, looks like some great work and some cool additions to the site on the way

https://today.tamu.edu/2024/03/01/archaeologists-unearth-abandoned-townsite-at-washington-on-the-brazos/

Scheduled for completion by mid-2025, planned additions to the site include full-size re-creations of historic buildings, such as the tavern, a drug store, and Houston's log cabin office, which settlers originally constructed as a family home.

In addition to highlighting the town's connection to important figures like Crockett, Houston and the republic's final president, Anson Jones, Failor says the ambitious renovation will give guests a window into the lives of ordinary Texans who occupied the area from its establishment in the 1830s through its heyday in the 1850s.

Scheduled for completion by mid-2025, planned additions to the site include full-size re-creations of historic buildings, such as the tavern, a drug store, and Houston's log cabin office, which settlers originally constructed as a family home.

In addition to highlighting the town's connection to important figures like Crockett, Houston and the republic's final president, Anson Jones, Failor says the ambitious renovation will give guests a window into the lives of ordinary Texans who occupied the area from its establishment in the 1830s through its heyday in the 1850s.

Jabin
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Thanks for posting that. I had no idea that Washington-on-the-Brazos had been such a well-established town. I had thought that it was just a log cabin or three.
BQ78
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It was a well platted town and there are more than 1 witness pecan trees still there. Nice museum too.
JABQ04
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Great site. They've done a great job at building it up. Know a few guys who volunteer out there for living history events and have tagged along a few times to do maintenance on the cannon.
ohAggie17
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Thanks for sharing this here! I'm surprised to see this getting the traction that it has. Really proud to be able to work on this project. The site deserves to have its history told and I'm just glad we have the support to get it done. Let me know if y'all have any questions!
Gig 'em!
Jonathan Failor '17
P.H. Dexippus
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Trivia- how many capitals has Texas had, and how many times did it change?

Imagine if WOTB was still that capital. Hill Country land would still be "cheap".
Rabid Cougar
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P.H. Dexippus said:

Trivia- how many capitals has Texas had, and how many times did it change?

Imagine if WOTB was still that capital. Hill Country land would still be "cheap".
There were five or six of them. Columbia and Houston were two of them; WOTHB and Austin being the obvious ones. Not sure of the others. It was moving fairly often due to Santa Anna's incursions in the 30's and 40's.

BQ78
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You said it
Bighunter43
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La Grange was actually in competition with Austin to become the state capital, but lost by just one vote!
CanyonAg77
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Bighunter43 said:

La Grange was actually in competition with Austin to become the state capital, but lost by just one vote!

So LaGrange became famous for a different type of prostitution
Bighunter43
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CanyonAg77 said:

Bighunter43 said:

La Grange was actually in competition with Austin to become the state capital, but lost by just one vote!

So LaGrange became famous for a different type of prostitution


La Grange probably got the better deal….and yes certainly the less corrupt institution!
cavscout96
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very cool!
CanyonAg77
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Wasn't San Felipe de Austin the original?
PabloSerna
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I happen to be one of the architects working on the Townsite. It will indeed be an impressive, full scale, reconstruction of the original town site based on the most historically accurate information we have from 1836!

A lot of professionals; historians, archeologist, architects, and engineers are working on renovations to the Visitor's Center, Townsite, Conference Center, and Star of the Republic museum. All new exhibits are planned to connect this site with other Texas Historic Sites around the state.

Some interesting details for the Townsite:

There will be (2) historically accurate period cabins, several evocations (open framed structures), a number of wood framed structures based on period photos, written descriptions, and (2) reconstructions. One of the reconstructions will be built over an active archeological dig with a floating walkway for guest to see ruins of the original structure that have been unearthed.

In all, we plan to represent as many as 14 structures to some degree (framed, cabin, evocation, etc.). Our hope is to bring back to life a great moment in Texas History.
p_bubel
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aalan94
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This is great. I loved that place so much at A&M that I would just drive out there with a picnic lunch and study under some of those pecan trees.

On an unrelated (or somewhat related) note, I was at the Texas State Historical Association annual meeting two weeks ago at A&M, and there was a great presentation on German/African-American relations in the post Civil War era, and Washington figured prominently. Seems that Washington County had a huge influx of Germans and after the war, they developed political alliances with Blacks in the short-lived Republican ascendancy during reconstruction. What was so interesting was that some blacks even learned the German language, in part because the Germans ran integrated schools, which the Anglos did not. One of the black leaders who spoke German (though he apparently learned it in Louisiana) was Matt Gaines, who was one of the folks who led the effort to establish land grand schools (A&M and Prairie View) and of course, who now has a statue on the A&M campus.

The guys have a really cool website: Afrogermantexas.info

Includes this fascinating tidbit:
Quote:

Over 860 African Americans in Texas indicated that "German" was their home language and that they were native-born to native-born parents in the 1970 census.
I think that's supposed to be 1870.
Jabin
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That is intensely interesting, Aalan. Thanks for sharing that. In many ways, "little" history/local history is much more interesting than the "big" history that's taught in school.

And as an aside, big history is badly incomplete no matter how much the historian tries to be impartial and how much research he or she does. I've lived in and participated in some very historical events, and the official histories only capture 0.001% of what actually occurred and why it occurred.
aalan94
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To your point, when I was at the PR firm, we were working on a plan to build a national Desert Storm/Desert Shield memorial. It's still on track, but really slow going. People just don't seem to know or care. I have younger nieces who are completely clueless this war took place, even though we had twice as many people in theater than we ever had in either Iraq or Afghanistan after 9/11.
doubledog
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P.H. Dexippus said:

Trivia- how many capitals has Texas had, and how many times did it change?

Imagine if WOTB was still that capital. Hill Country land would still be "cheap".
Fort Tenoxtitln ... "Dream Capitol of Texas"

Just a pasture in 2024

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=129343

P.H. Dexippus
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Awesome. Never heard of it before. Also always believed the Anglo settlement was universally desired as a buffer against the Comanche.
CanyonAg77
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Bighunter43 said:

CanyonAg77 said:

Bighunter43 said:

La Grange was actually in competition with Austin to become the state capital, but lost by just one vote!
So LaGrange became famous for a different type of prostitution
La Grange probably got the better deal….and yes certainly the less corrupt institution!

Also got a cool song.

A-haw haw haw
cavscout96
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Pablo

Are you often out at the site? I have a student interested in both archeology and architecture and I'd love to get her a chance to see the dig and talk to some folks if that is remotely feasible.

Do you have a POC that I could link up with?
ABATTBQ87
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P.H. Dexippus said:

Trivia- how many capitals has Texas had, and how many times did it change?

Imagine if WOTB was still that capital. Hill Country land would still be "cheap".


In 1835, the General Council of Texas, a provisional government of Texas, made Harrisburg its capital. On April 16, 1836, during the Texas Revolution, almost all of Harrisburg was burned by the forces of Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna. After the Texas Revolution ended, the city of Houston was founded just west of Harrisburg and was named county seat of Harrisburg (later shortened to Harris) County and capital of the Republic of Texas.
Build It
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I'm friends with some Harris descendants to this day! They didn't move far.
PabloSerna
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Yes, I visit the site from our Austin HQ from time to time and can meet to discuss the architecture aspect that we worked with our archeologists.

My main # 512-463-6974. Let me know with enough time and we can arrange a visit. There is not much out there' now except the reconstructed Independence Hall and a dig site.
“Falsehood flies and the truth comes limping after it” -Jonathan Swift, 1710
NE PA Ag
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Both my maternal grandparents were born in WotB, my grandmother in 1899 and my grandfather in 1900. I wish I knew where, but it was likely in farmhouses in the immediate area of the town. I have no idea what was left of the town by then as it was supposed to have been mostly done already.
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