|
History in
a Pecan Shell
Although there
is a Borden County (in the Panhandle)
named after the same man, Borden, the village is here in Colorado
County. Tiny Gail (population 202) is the Borden County seat.
Both county and seat were named some years after Mr. Borden's death
in 1874. He never got anywhere near either place.
Gail Borden
is most famous for originating the process of condensing milk,
but in 1837 he was a humble Justice of the Peace in the recently
formed Colorado County. He had also been a surveyor for Austin's
Colony and was in the printing business in Galveston.
While in Galveston he reportedly sold over 2,500 lots.
His experiments in Colorado County included canning beef. Ironically,
the railroad charged more for transporting canned beef more than
it did beef "on-the-hoof"and while it was feasible, it wasn't profitable
until after Borden's death. He also worked on a "Beef Biscuit" which
wasn't well received.
Borden's dairy interests were what made him wealthy, primarily
by supplying condensed milk during the Civil War. Carnation
Dairies came to nearby Schulenburg
in 1928 based mostly on Borden's earlier choice of land. Today in
Borden there's the pictured store and no other business. Although
Borden died in Borden, he was sent back to his native New York for
burial.
There are several small picturesque cemeteries in the Borden / West
Colorado County area.
|
