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Ross
Prairie History in a Pecan Shell
The namesake of the community was James
J. Ross, one of the “Old
300” of Stephen F. Austin's
Colony. Settled in the 1820s, the original Anglo settlers sold out to incoming
Czech and German immigrants in the 1840s. Many of these settlers’ descendants
continue to live in the area.
A German Lutheran church was built there
in 1861. The fertile flat to rolling land produced fine grain and cotton
crops from 1850 to 1950 although today much of the land is used for hay production
and some cattle raising.
The
community’s nearness to Fayetteville
prevented independent growth, but its presence has never been forgotten. A historical
marker on Highway 71 gives the history of Ross Prairie's namesake, and the
cemetery was recently designated as Historic Texas Cemetery with a marker.
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Ross
Prairie - St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery
Photo
courtesy William
Beauchamp, December 2009 |
St.
John's Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery
Historic Texas Cemetery
TE
Photo, October 2011 |
St.
John Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery, Ross Prairie, Texas
Photo
courtesy William
Beauchamp, December 2009 |
James
J. Ross, Ross Prairie's namesake, Historical Marker
TE
Photo, October 2011 |
St.
Mary's Catholic Church viewed from Ross Prairie Cemetery
TE
Photo, October 2011 |
View of St. Mary's Catholic
Church
TE Photo, October 2011 |
Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history and vintage/historic
photos of their town/subject, please contact
us.
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