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History in
a Pecan Shell
The Man Muldoon
Muldoon was named after Father
Michael Muldoon, a clergyman who briefly served Stephen
F. Austin's first colonists. He was the only non-Hispanic member
of the Monterrey, Mexico Diocese and was probably assigned his duties
since he spoke English. He was born in County Cavan in Ireland
but was ordained in Spain. He returned to Mexico, visited Stephen
Austin during his 1834 confinement and also assisted William Wharton
in his escape from a Matamoros prison in 1837. Muldoon was openly
pro-Texan, which led to a brief imprisonment.
He made an appearance back in Texas in 1842 when he was given a letter
of appreciation from Anson
Jones. After that Father Muldoon disappeared from history and
his final resting-place is unknown.
The Town Muldoon
The town of Muldoon sits today on land that he bought (while he was
in Saltillo, Mexico) in 1831. The 48,000 acres was surveyed by Thomas
Borden and after Father
Muldoon disappeared, the change of ownership was brokered by Gail
Borden, the man who later invented condensed
milk and had a town in neighboring Colorado
County named after him (Borden)
as well as a town (Gail)
in Borden County.
The post office followed the railroad by two years (in 1888).
Muldoon never had more than 200 persons living there and that record
was reached in 1943. Current Postmaster Jerry Alexander states that
there are about 35 persons in the immediate "town center."
See Muldoon Photos Gallery
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Muldoon
Today
Today Muldoon sits undisturbed and nearly forgotten in Fayette
County just a few miles north of I-10 with a few handsome stone
buildings and a sprinkling of houses. There are two churches and a
post office, but most Muldoonites do their shopping in LaGrange,
Bastrop, or Smithville.
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Muldoon's
15 minutes of near-fame came when it was filmed as a stand-in for
Stubbs, Iowa in the 1996 movie Michael. It appears in
the very first scenes of the movie. Look closely. We missed it.
Other nearby locations for Michael were a dancehall in Winchester
and the Fayette
County Courthouse in La Grange
(interior scenes). |
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Muldoon, Texas
Landmarks
& Photo Gallery
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Muldoon Depot,
c.1940s
Submitted
by Carolyn Heinsohn, Fayette County Historical Commission
More Texas
Depots |
The Precinct
Courthouse in Muldoon
Photo
courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2006 |
The
Kerr Store in 2000
© heskco.com |
The
Kerr Store in 2001
TE photo |
A.B.
Kerr and Son Token (front and back) from Muldoon
Photos courtesy Joe Meyers |
This stone water tank supplied gravity-flow water to the Kerr store.
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2006 |
Muldoon and
some of the very few things that happened there
A local
quarry furnished stone to several buildings in nearby Moulton,
other parts of Fayette
County and beyond. According to the Handbook of Texas Online,
some of the stone in the Galveston
jetties was produced from the Muldoon
quarry. |
| Photo
courtesy Fayette County Heritage Museum and Archives |
Muldoon Native
Son:
Marshal
Pitman by Mike Cox
Walter W. Pitman’s good luck held for more than half a century. Not
everything went his way, but in big-stake deals the figurative roulette
wheel of life generally spun in his favor... |
Muldoon, Texas
Forum
Subject:
A.B. Kerr and Son Token
A few years ago I was metal detecting at Gibtown,Texas
in Jack County. I found a token from the A.B. Kerr and Sons store
in Muldoon, Texas. Sure would be a great story on how the token
made the 300 mile trip from Muldoon to Gibtown,
probably by horse and wagon. - Joe Meyers, July 24, 2006
I have just
been reading your article on the town in Fayette County, Texas called
Muldoon. My name is actually Padraic Muldoon and I live very close
to Co. Cavan in Ireland. My father's name is Michael Muldoon and
his grandfather was also called Michael Muldoon. I'd be interested
to know if Father
Michael Muldoon, who the town was named after, is an ancestor.
Thanks - Padraic Muldoon, August 11, 2004
The info on
Muldoon is great! Shroyer Construction has just started construction
on a house which will use the "Muldoon blue" stone for its exterior
& we are excited about it. Your website is wonderful.- Helen H,
March 02, 2001
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| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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