Independence Trail Region
Alvin
Three hundred years before settlers moved to Alvin, the Karankawa Indians roamed the Gulf Coast area and the Spaniards explored it. Through the centuries, Alvin, originally named Morgan, is known as the…
Independence Trail Region Cities and Towns
Explore cities and towns in the Texas Independence Trail Region
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Independence Trail Region
Anahuac
In 1721, French explorer Jean Baptiste de la Harpe visited a village of Atakapan Indians who lived nearby. A little more than a century later, a Mexican fort was established here, and…
Independence Trail Region
Angleton
Angleton and the surrounding area have an abundance of attractions for even the most diverse group such as the 70-foot Stephen F. Austin statue honoring the "Father of Texas," the Brazoria County…
Independence Trail Region
Barrett
"Barrett, TX...Rich in Heritage, Education and Community Pride" This unincorporated community is also known as "Barrett Station" and was named after former slave, Harrison Barrett in 1889. This community is south of…
Brazos Trail Region
Bastrop
RIVER BARON Bastrop, first established in 1804 as Puesta del Colorado – a fort built along the banks of the Colorado River – acquired its official name later from Stephen F. Austin…
Independence Trail Region
Bay City
CITY BY THE BAY The year Bay City became the county seat of Matagorda it had yet to contain a single building. The community was little more than a concept, courtesy of…
Independence Trail Region
Baytown
BRIDGING HISTORY There’s plenty of local history at the Baytown Historical Museum, featuring Native American, Spanish, Mexican, Republic of Texas, and industrial exhibits and artifacts. The museum is housed in the former…
Independence Trail Region
Beeville
El CAMINO REAL, CATTLE, AND A RESTORED COURTHOUSE Beeville is serious about preservation and was named a Texas Main Street City in 2005. Downtown buildings dating to the late 19th and early…
Independence Trail Region
Bellville
PROSPERITY AND ORDER Modern Bellville residents may be surprised to learn that two languages – both English and German - were required subjects in local public schools at one time, particularly during…
Independence Trail Region
Brazoria
AN EARLY STARTER Brazoria got a jumpstart in a pre-statehood Texas courtesy of a land grant from Stephen F. Austin. Founding Father John Austin, land grant recipient, defined the townsite in 1828…
Independence Trail Region
Brenham
BLUEBONNETS AND BLUE BELL DREAMS Plan a visit to Brenham, the seat of Washington County, and visions of bluebonnets and Blue Bell ice cream will dance in your head. Wildflowers proliferate in…
Independence Trail Region
Burton
COTTONING TO THE PAST The buildings and setting of the Burton National Register Historic District tells the story of the cotton economy from 1870 – 1940s. Burton owes much of its growth…
Independence Trail Region
Chappell Hill
BLUEBONNETS! Located in what many consider one of the best regions for the spring-blooming bluebonnet, the community of Chappell Hill likes to engage visitors and community members alike. Situated in the heart…
Independence Trail Region
Clute
Clute, Texas, renowned for hosting The Great Texas Mosquito Festival, is conveniently situated just 45 minutes from Houston. This annual event has earned national acclaim, drawing numerous visitors from across the nation…
Independence Trail Region
Columbus
HISTORIC COLUMBUS The Texas Independence Trail city of Columbus enjoyed a quiet start as a crossing along the Colorado River in the early 1800’s. Called Beeson’s Ford, it served as settlement for…
Independence Trail Region
Cuero
THE TURKEY TROT Cuero, Spanish for “leather”, was named for the Arroyo del Cuero nearby, a Spanish reference to the wild cattle that would often get stuck in the arroyo’s mud. In…
Independence Trail Region
Danevang
DANISH CAPITAL OF TEXAS Danish settlers first began arriving in Texas in the late 19th century, encouraged by the Danish Folkesamfund, the Danish Folk Society of America, an organization that often was…
Independence Trail Region
Deer Park
It began with a ragtag settlers army under General Sam Houston defeated dictator General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna’s well-trained Mexican Army April 21, 1836, securing Texas’ independence from Mexico. The Houston…
Independence Trail Region
Dubina
Surrounding Schulenburg, rolling blacklands are home to the “painted churches” of Dubina, High Hill, Praha and Ammansville. Nineteenth-century German and Czech settlers employed traditional fresco and mural techniques to give the interiors…
Independence Trail Region
Eagle Lake
The story of how this Colorado County community got its name has a hint of mythology. In 1821, two scouts for Stephen F. Austin were exploring the area and one of them…
Independence Trail Region
Edna
Edna, county seat of Jackson County is home to one of Texas' Modern courthouses, built in 1954 and designed by architect F. Perry Johnson. Edna's pioneer past can be explored through the…
Brazos Trail Region
Elgin
BRICKS AND SAUSAGE Elgin, a Texas Main Street city, has been manufacturing both bricks and sausage commercially for over one hundred years. Exactly how many bricks and pounds of sausage is that…
Independence Trail Region
Fannin
In March 1836, Col. James W. Fannin and several hundred volunteers retreated eastward from Goliad after the Alamo fell. At today’s community of Fannin, they encountered the Mexican army and fought valiantly…
Independence Trail Region
Fayetteville
HISTORY EVERYWHERE If you’re planning a trip to Fayetteville for some rest and relaxation, feel free to do so. But be aware that once you arrive the list of exciting activities available…
Independence Trail Region
Flatonia
Local heritage is cause for celebration in Flatonia. Visitors flock here each October to celebrate Czech heritage at the Czhilispiel Festival.
Independence Trail Region
Floresville
Rich grasslands attracted Canary Island immigrants here in the 1730s. A state historic site recalls that era at the stabilized ruins of Rancho de las Cabras, a ranching outpost that served one…
Independence Trail Region
Freeport — Brazosport Area
As a coastal city, Freeport has some of the best fishing in Texas. A number of offshore charter boat services are available for large and small groups, taking both day and overnight…
Independence Trail Region
Galveston
PIRATES AND HURRICANES By the 1880’s, Galveston was the state’s largest and most prosperous city and its business district, known as the Strand, hosted a lively coastal trade. The Strand’s collection of…
Independence Trail Region
Goliad
CONFLICT CENTRAL A change of river locations by Spanish colonizers helped establish Goliad, considered one of the oldest Spanish colonial municipalities in the state. Goliad grew up around Mission Espiritu Santo and…
Independence Trail Region
Gonzales
FIRST SHOT FIRED The legacy of Gonzales is a long and rich one, placing its narrative among a list of premier historical watermarks in the evolution of Texas statehood. On October 2…
Independence Trail Region
Hallettsville
John Hallett settled here in 1831 on a land grant from Stephen F. Austin. After Hallett’s death in 1836, his wife Margaret donated land for a townsite. As seat of Lavaca County…
Hill Country Trail Region
Helotes
SMALL TOWN IN A BIG CITY Today Helotes finds itself surrounded by the ever-expanding reach of the big city San Antonio. But thanks to surviving places like the Gugger Homestead, built by…
Independence Trail Region
Hempstead
Hempstead celebrates its watermelon heritage every July with a festival. Visitors also come for tours of the 1853 antebellum home and grounds of Liendo Plantation. At the end of the Civil War…
Independence Trail Region
High Hill
Surrounding Schulenburg, rolling blacklands are home to the “painted churches” of Dubina, High Hill, Praha and Ammansville. Nineteenth-century German and Czech settlers employed traditional fresco and mural techniques to give the interiors…
Independence Trail Region
Houston
HISTORY AND INNOVATION Named after the state’s victorious General, the city of Houston serves as both heritage icon and “innovation station” for Texas. This historic-rich community provides ample opportunities to discover the…
Independence Trail Region
Houston — Emancipation Avenue Main Street District
Emancipation Avenue Main Street (EAMS) is a culture-based economic driver, that supports Historic Third Ward entrepreneurs in achieving their goals for equitable and sustainable community development. The goal is to catalyze commerce…
Independence Trail Region
Independence
DAYS OF OLD TIME ROSES Since 1984, visitors to Independence have followed the sweet scent of romance to the Antique Rose Emporium, an eight-acre garden wonderland. This is no ordinary nursery, but…
Independence Trail Region
Indianola
Today, a 25-foot granite statue of the explorer Sieur de la Salle, Robert Cavelier rises from Magnolia Beach in Indianola, once a prime entry point for immigrants to Texas and a Southern…
Independence Trail Region
Industry
In 2007, the Texas Legislature declared Industry is the state’s oldest permanent German Settlement – dating to 1831. A drive around town is probably the best way to see the sites of…
Independence Trail Region
Karnes City
"On December 12, 1890, a group of Cuero businessmen, styled as Buchel, Wagner and Company, purchased a 1,000-acre tract from J. L. Calvert for five dollars an acre. Because the tract was…
Independence Trail Region
Katy
Independence Trail Region
Kemah
Clear Lake empties into the bay, and visitors can dine on seafood while watching a non-stop boat parade pass restaurants and shops at Kemah’s boardwalk.
Independence Trail Region
Kendleton
At the Kendleton community, founded after the Civil War by former slaves, markers describe the historic Annie B. Green House and the Powell Point School. Fort Bend County Heritage Unlimited Museum sits…
Independence Trail Region
Kenedy
The Karnes County area was originally part of a royal Spanish grant. In the 19th century, rancher Mifflin Kenedy purchased land to found the city of Kenedy, becoming part of the route…
Independence Trail Region
La Grange
SET IN STONE Picturesque La Grange is a Texas Main Street City with a revitalized downtown that preserves the community’s 19th Century past. But the roots of this city reach even farther…
Independence Trail Region
La Porte
MONUMENT ON THE BAY Little did the citizens of the sleepy bayside village of La Porte dream that one day their town would be site of the San Jacinto Monument and Museum…
Independence Trail Region
Lake Jackson
COMPANY TOWN When the Dow Chemical Company established a presence in southeast Texas, company executives wanted to accommodate their thousands of employees with desirable living conditions. The best plan, Dow directors determined…
Independence Trail Region
League City
LIVE OAKS AND LONGHORNS Stroll the leafy streets of downtown League City and you’ll find tearooms, gift shops and antiques stores occupying early-20th Century commercial buildings; a one-room schoolhouse museum, and historic…