Central Texas

Hempstead

1 min read
Hempstead, Texas

Hempstead is in Waller County, Texas. The community, located at the junctions of U.S. Highway 290, Texas State Highway 6, and Texas State Highway 159, is around fifty miles northwest of Downtown Houston.

The town was named after Dr. G.S.B. Hempstead from Portsmouth, Ohio. An oil painting of Doctor Hempstead is on display in the Hempstead Library.

Hempstead is famous for its watermelon crop, and until the 1940s the town was the top shipper of watermelons in the United States. Billy DiIorio was known as the Watermelon King and Angelina DiIorio was known as the Watermelon Queen. Both resided in Hempstead, Texas. The town holds an annual Watermelon Festival in July.

reprinted from Wikipedia and Texas Escapes | photo by stevesheriw

You may also like

Tow, Texas
Central Texas

Tow

2 min read

Residents pronounce the name of the town, Tow, as if it rhymed with “cow,” rather than “toe” as might be expected. Tow is...

Comfort, Texas
Central Texas

Comfort

2 min read

From an architectural viewpoint, Comfort is extremely rich. Nearly the entire downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places. Many rock...

Dripping Springs by JR Photography
Central Texas

Dripping Springs

2 min read

  Winding roads, spectacular wildflowers, vineyards, breweries, shopping, artwork, wildlife, dancing, barbecue, all things Texas Hill Country...

Downtown Bryan
Central Texas

Bryan-College Station

1 min read

Bryan-College Station, a community rich in tradition and history, set deep in the heart of Central Texas. Bryan, the county seat of Brazos County, is...

Round Top, Texas
Central Texas

Round Top

1 min read

The original name was Jones Post Office and named after the town's postmaster John Rice Jones Jr. who also happened to be the first postmaster...

McAnelly Settlement, Bend, Texas
Central Texas

Bend

1 min read

Bend is an unincorporated community in Lampasas and San Saba Counties in Central Texas. It is located on Farm to Market Road 580 on the western leg...