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History in
a Pecan Shell
Union Valley is linked with its neighbors of Nockenut
and Albuquerque,
not only for all three being ghost towns, but their similar locations
– since all three ran alongside the Wilson/ Gonzales County Line.
It has been said that on clear nights, the lights of the other two
towns could be seen from the third.
While there
is no entry for Union Valley in the Handbook of Texas, contributor
Sarah Reveley, has sent in a clipping from the August 5th, 1978
San Antonio Express News, telling of a visit to the three
sites by local historians. Facts from the newspaper article and
Ms. Reveley’s photos have made it possible to include Union Valley
in our town pages.
In the Express-News article written by George Carmack, the men who
took the trip were Roy Sylvan Dunn and W.T. Connally, cousin to
the former Texas Governor accompanied by other local historians.
Dunn had written a 1951 article in the Southwestern Quarterly
called “Life and Times in Albuquerque,
Texas” which included facts on Union Valley.
Connally, himself
was born in the building that housed the local school (ground floor)
and the Masonic Lodge above. His family was waiting for their home
to be built when his mother went into labor and he was born in the
classroom.
Currently, that’s all that’s available on Union Valley, but since
the familes and histories are interwoven, we recommend reading the
histories of all three. (See Nockenut
and Albuquerque.)
The historical
marker mentioning Union Valley is in old Albuquerque
– which is on private property and not accessible to the public.
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