A nearly deserted town an hour north of Fredericksburg in Mason County, Pontotoc was on the brink of becoming a boom town before a series of misfortunes. Settled in 1859, there was an established...
Things to See & Do in Central Texas
Round Top
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 general for the Republic of Texas.
New Braunfels
New Braunfels is situated in Comal and Guadalupe counties. Braunfels means “brown rock” in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city’s population was 57,740 as...
Hearn-Gidden House in Kosse
Kosse, located in Limestone County in Central Texas, has a colorful history dating to 1869. Born as a railroad village, Kosse has had booms and busts throughout its history. It is the birthplace of...
Bastrop County Countryside
“Texas is the finest portion of the globe that has blessed my vision.” ~ Sam Houston, 1833. Photo by joolieboolie
Lake Belton Sunset
Belton Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Leon River in the Brazos River basin, 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Belton, United States. The lake extends into both Bell...
Grey-Crowned Crane, San Antonio Zoo
The grey-crowned crane (Balearica regulorum) is a bird in the crane family Gruidae. It occurs in dry savannah in Africa south of the Sahara, although it nests in somewhat wetter habitats. They can...
Lawrence Chapel, Williamson County
Lawrence Chapel is off Farm Road 112 eleven miles southeast of Taylor in southeastern Williamson County. It was named for Adam Lawrence, a pioneer rancher and farmer and a veteran of the Texas...
Old barn in New Bielau
Photo Rob Sneed
Old Barn in Weimar
The barn was old when I was young – as far as I know it was built before the war. Its really showing its age these days, but I dare say it is aging quite gracefully. As for the rusty implements...
St. Stanislaus in Chappell Hill
In 1888, Rev. James Grabinger, announced that a church would be built in Chappell Hill — St. Stanislaus. The great hurricane of 1900 that devastated Galveston destroyed this first church. The...
Circa 1618-1648 Steinbach Haus in Castroville
The Steinbach Haus was originally built in Wahlbach, France between 1618 and 1648 and lived in until 1988. Centuries after it was built, it was gifted to the city of Castroville.
Texas Czech Center in La Grange
Like this oak near the Texas Czech Heritage Center, massive trees that are hundreds of years old were here before the streets of La Grange were laid out. In La Grange’s residential...
Bend
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 of a horseshoe-shaped bend in the Colorado River...
Starlite Drive-In in Schertz
The ticket booth and marquee are still standing. In its day, capacity was around 200 cars. photo by Noel Kerns
McKinney Falls State Park
McKinney Falls State Park located in South Austin is a 726-acre park acquired in 1970 from private donation and was opened to the public in 1976. The park is named for Thomas F. McKinney, who came to...
St. Michael’s Catholic Church
Located in Weimar. Established as a Mission in 1888, by Father Edward Brucklin, who became first resident priest in 1892. An earlier frame structure was replaced by this stately sanctuary in 1913...
Bellville
Bellville was initially settled by Thomas and James Bell who immigrated from Florida in 1822, as some of Stephen F. Austin's earliest settlers. They donated over 145 acres to Austin County. Bellville...