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History of Fayette County
Fayette County, on Interstate Highway 10, is 60 miles southeast of Austin
in the Blackland Prairies Region of South Central Texas. In the spring, wildflowers
blanket the Rolling Hills and Blackland Prairies. The county covers 950 square
miles and is composed of three land resource areas. Blackland Prairies on
the Uplands are the Clayey Blacklands and Loam Claypan areas. The Bottomlands
contain dark loamy and clayey soils, while the Post Oak Belt contains the
Texas Claypan area with Uplands of gray, slightly acid, sandy loam and sandy
to clayey Bottomland soils.
The vegetation is a mixture of the Post Oak Savannah and Blackland Prairie
Region, with tall grasses, Oak, and Elms predominating. Also commonly found
are Eastern Red Cedars, Pecans, Cottonwoods, and Sycamores. Some Hickory,
Walnut, Mesquite, and Yaupon grow in diverse areas.
Game species found in this district include squirrel, quail, dove, and water fowl. Southern Bald Eagles traverse the county, particularly along the Colorado River. Natural resources include timber, lignite, sand, gravel, bleaching clays, volcanic ash, oil and gas. The climate is subtropical humid with hot summers and mild winters.
Prior to European settlement, Lipan Apaches and Tonkawa Indians inhabited
parts of what is now Fayette County. Many Indian artifacts have been found,
especially along the Colorado River and near Round Top. The earliest known
white settlers, Aylett C. Buckner and Peter Powell, arrived early and lived
on La Bahia Road west of La Grange where they ran a trading post. Formal settlement
began in 1822 with the arrival of the Austin colonists. On December 14, 1837,
upon petition of the citizens, the Congress of the Republic of Texas established
the county of Fayette, named in honor of the Marquis de LaFayette. La Grange,
the name of the chateau to which LaFayette retired, was designated the county
seat. The citizens organized the county government on January 18, 1838, and
the southwestern boundary of the county was extended westward on May 3, 1838.
The county lost territory in the south to Lavaca County in 1854 and in the
north to Lee County in 1874.
The early settlers' life revolved around their plantations, but problems with Indians occupied much of their time. Sometimes the settlers felt so threatened that they moved down to the Lower Colorado River area. At other times, they grouped together.
The first private schools opened in the county as early as 1834. Academies and institutes were opened in La Grange, Fayetteville, and Round Top in the 1840s.
The Civil War and its aftermath brought profound changes to the county. Although
it made only a small material contribution to the war effort, the lack of
markets and wild fluctuations in Confederate currency caused hardships for
many. The end of
the war brought wrenching changes in the economy.
During Reconstruction, Fayette County received little attention from federal,
political or military authorities. Federal troops were stationed there only
briefly, and there was little of the violence that many other areas experienced.
The economy began to recover in the late 1860s and by 1870, production levels
neared or exceeded the 1860 figures.
The influx of Germans, Czechs, and Wends after the Civil War also gradually
altered the cultural face of the county. Although some of the new settlers
moved in from other counties, including most of the Wends, many of the settlers
were new immigrants who brought their own distinct culture with them.
During the early decades of the 20th Century, Fayette County continued to
grow and prosper. Corn remained an important crop, along with cattle and dairy
products providing significant sources of income. But it was cotton which
emerged as the single largest cash crop.
Beginning in 1872, the development of the railroad system caused the decline of many rural communities and the development of new towns–Schulenburg and Flatonia.
During the 1880s and 1890s, the economic development of the county was
largely dependent on its natural resources. Construction gravel and sand,
grinding pebbles, clays, and Fuller's earth were mined. Oil, first discovered
in 1943, was
an important source of income.
Tourism and recreation are a growing economic resource for Fayette County.
The cooling pond of the Fayette Power Project has been developed into
a stocked fishing lake of 2,400 surface acres, averaging a depth of 30
feet. It is open to the public and is especially popular with bass fishermen.
Monument Hill-Kreische Brewery State Historic Site, the historical Henkel
Square in Round Top, and Winedale Historical Center draw visitors year
round. Antique fairs, the
International Festival-Institute at Round Top, ethnic and town festivals,
and the county fair are popular special events. The "painted churches"
at Dubina, Praha, Ammannsville, and High Hill offer popular historic-preservation
tours, and each
of the four major towns has a museum actively preserving county history.
Fayette County keeps just the right balance between historical interest, business opportunity and tourism development, and a sense of community.
Cities in Fayette County include: Carmine, Ellinger, Fayetteville, Flatonia,
La Grange, Ledbetter, Muldoon, Plum, Round Top, Schulenburg, Warda,
Warrenton, and West Point.
Fayette County Courthouse
The present and fourth courthouse to grace the downtown
square was constructed
beginning in January 1891. The chosen architect was famed courthouse designer
James Riley Gordon of San Antonio.
