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Old Downtown
Refugio
TE photo, 2000 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
Refugio
nearly disappeared twice. The "Battle of Refugio" took place in 1836
and nearly everyone abandoned the town. They finally got a post office
in 1847. Later during the Civil War, the town was once again all but
abandoned.
In 1999, a widening of Highway 77 revealed graves just a few hundred
feet from the site of the historic marker, exactly in front of the
doors of the church.
The St. Louis, Brownsville and and Mexico Railroad came to Refugio
County in 1902 and the town paid $30,000 to insure that they weren't
bypassed. The tracks and a depot were finished by 1905.
The mid 20s saw 933 people in Refugio and by 1930 there were just
over 2,000. A small oil boom in 28 helped bring people into Refugio
and some of them stayed.
The population has been declining from the 5,000 high point it enjoyed
in the mid-1960s. The 2010 Census showed 2,890 people called Refugio
home.
Refugio, Texas
Landmarks
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A former bank
building in Refugio
TE photo,
2000
More Texas Banks |
Our Lady Of Refuge
Catholic Church
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, May 2005 |
Another view
of the Catholic Church
TE photo,
2000
More Texas Churches
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Refugio
County Tourist Information
Refugio Community Development - (361) 526-5337
107 Roca Refugio, Texas 78377
http://www.refugiocountytx.com/ |
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