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COST,
TEXASGonzales
County, Central Texas S
State Highway 97
6 miles W of Gonzales
Population
62 |
| | The
1936 Monument by Waldine Tauch
Photo by John Troesser, April 2000 |
History
in a Pecan Shell
First known as Oso (Spanish for Bear), the town had
its name changed in 1897 when the post office was granted to Samuel C. Hindman's
store.
Cost has the distinction of being the town closest to where the
first shot of the Texas Revolution was fired in October of 1835.
In 1935,
Governor James Allred dedicated a monument commemorating this event. The sculptor
was Waldine Tauch of Ballinger (via Flatonia). Sent to study under Pompeo Coppini
in San Antonio, Tauch was "adopted" into the Coppini family even though she was
already an adult. Her other works can be found in Brownwood, Waco, Canton, San
Antonio and numerous other Texas cities. |
| | Detail
of the bas-relief monument.
Photo by John Troesser, April 2000 |
| | Figure
of woman on the left side of the monument
Photo by John Troesser, April
2000 |
| | Figure
of woman on the right side of the monument
Photo by John Troesser, April
2000 |
| | Signature
of sculptress Waldine Tauch
Photo by John Troesser, April 2000 |
The first business in Cost was a general store opened for employees of a 10,000-acre
ranch to the west. A saloon soon followed, but both were closed by 1890. German
Cotton farmers coaxed their countryman William Muenzler to move his gin from Fayette
County to Oso in 1892. It remained in operation (under only two owners) until
1950.
In 1896 Adolph Tolle opened a blacksmith shop, which was sold in
1902. It too, continued in operation (as a garage) until the 1960s.
A
public school was open from 1897 until it was merged with the Gonzales ISD in
1959. |
Cost
Texas Forum
Anyone wishing to share history or photos of Cost, Texas, please contact
us.
© John Troesser |
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