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Grazing in a
Pecan Grove
TE photo, April 2010 |
History
in a Pecan Shell
First settled in
the 1830s, Elisha Barton and Edward Jenkins are credited with being
the area’s first settlers. In 1833 a man by the name of John Gilmer
McGehee visited the region and left – returning two years later with
140 people from Georgia and Alabama.
Edward Jenkins had since died and his widow sold substantial acreage
to Abram Wylie Hill. The settlement was thereafter referred to as
Hill’s Prairie.
A private school was constructed and in 1843, the community had a
cotton gin – constructed by Wylie Hill himself.
In 1877 a post office was granted and seven years later the population
was reported as 30 residents.
In the late 1880s the name of the post office changed to McDonald's
Store, but two years later Sarah Hill became postmistress and
the name reverted to Hill’s Prairie.
Hill’s Prairie found itself with a railroad connection in the 1880s
when an extension of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad arrived.
In the mid 1890s the population had risen to 50 and town businesses
included a drugstore as well as a general store.
1914 found Hill’s Prairie with a population of 75, but for some reason,
the 1925 figure was given as 6. The proximity to Bastrop
had to have been a factor, but the town closed its school in 1928
and by 1930 the post office closed its doors. There was a slight rise
in the population as the Great Depression wound down, and although
it rose to 62 by the late 1960s, a decline again set in and the 1990
census reported 35 residents. It has since risen to 50 for the 2000
count.
Where to Stay: Smithville
Hotels | Bastrop
Hotels |
 |
Hill's Prairie
Baptist Church
TE photo, April 2010 |
Rip shops for
a church
TE photo, April 2010 |
Mailboxes by
the Pecan Grove
TE photo, April 2010 |
Exotic Livestock
TE photo, April 2010 |
Spring
TE photo, April 2010 |
Not your everyday
tree
TE photo, April 2010 |
The Hill in
Hill's Prairie?
TE photo, April 2010 |
1920s
Bastrop County
map showing Hills Prairie
From Texas state map #2090
Courtesy
Texas General Land Office |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage/historic photos, please contact
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