THE BEST LITTLE HIGHWAY IN TEXAS...

So it isn't a back road by my definition, but it does take you to some fabulous and interesting places if you listen to the whispers....we used to drive from Austin to Houston via this route before we moved out to the boonies but we never stopped to explore...now I am exploring and liking what I find.  Some of these are from the other day, some from a year or so ago, but all are along or near Highway 71.

I was tempted since it was land AND an air conditioned home but decided to wait and see if they would come down on the price a little.  Besides there are more to choose from.

This one even had a business next door...short commute.  Oh dear, the decisions one has to make!

Right outside of Bastrop if you take a tiny road, make two right turns on a dusty gravel road, and wonder three times if that is banjo music you hear, you will eventually see this great collection.  Besides the wonderful birdhouses, there is car art and other goodies all in this guys front yard! 

These are all loosely connected to Hwy. 71 and Hwy. 21 (that takes me to 71)

Red Rock, 12 miles southwest of Bastrop in Bastrop County got its name (so some say) from a red rock used in building the chimney of the first settlers house in the early 1850's.  Good of a reason as any, I guess.  The post office was established in 1870.  It was described as a "thriving village" in 1879 and by 1884 had a population of 150, a steam gristmill, and a cotton gin.  Around 1890 the railroad came through and the little community really flourished and reached a population of 350 by 1914.  It however never really boomed and has remained a center for agriculture and cattle raising.

The inside of the store was like a walk into a favorite store from my childhood summers spent at my grandparents.  Mr. Price's store was filled with all sorts of goodies just like this one, except I think Mr. Price had a lot more crammed in.

 

Interesting little community that is gone if you happen to sneeze on the way through.

Now San Marcos, on the other hand, is a thriving college town.  If you read Susan Wittig Albert, this is the college in her books (my thought, not hers, but it fits).  It is the county seat of Hays County; home to Texas State University, Aquarena Springs - long known for its swimming pig, the Outlet Malls, the Comal River (one of the bridges is said to be haunted by a Confederate soldier), Summer concerts in the park, and much much more! 

 

Bastrop is where I turn onto 71 but we visited that a few posts ago, but rest assured I will go back and get some more photos.  I passed through a couple of weeks ago and was pleased to see that there is a lot of new growth where the forest fire was and the crews were still removing dead timber.  Sadly they are still building mammoth mountains of wood chips from the fallen timber.  

I would advise not getting on this bridge if you want to get to your destination sometime in your lifetime.  This is right off 71 in Plum, Texas.  

This wonderful place (beauty is in the eye of the beholder remember) was the gas station in the movie "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". 

 

Heading on down the road a piece (as we are prone to say around these parts) you come to a lovely little oasis of a rest stop.  It isn't only a rest stop, it is the site of Woods' Fort.

The memorial was erected by the State of Texas in 1936 and reads:

SITE OF WOODS' FORT

USED BY COLONISTS OF THIS VICINITY AS

A PROTECTION AGAINST INDIAN ATTACKS

1828 - 1842

FORTIFIED RESIDENCE OF

ZADDOCK WOODS

VETERAN OF THE WAR OF 1812

ONE OF THE "OLD THREE HUNDRED"

OF AUSTIN'S COLONISTS

OLDEST MAN KILLED IN THE 

"DAWSON MASSACRE" 

SEPTEMBER 18, 1842

Walking down the path after reading the memorial you see this sign which is my sign to get out of there as fast as possible.

Then there is Prairie Lea

Prairie Lea is Caldwell County's oldest community and was named by Sam Houston after his soon to be bride, Margaret Lea.  During the Civil War Prairie Lea men served with Hood's

Texas Brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia and with the botched Silbey Campaign  to New Mexico. Stranded and starving members of that expedition were brought home by a community committee, which in June 1862 organized the necessary wagons, mules, harness, food, and supplies. Other food supplies, paid for by a special county tax and donations, were distributed from the Mooney gristmill to those county families made destitute by the Civil War.  Texans have always taken care of Texans.

Graves in this historic cemetery date from the 1840's although trustees of the Brenham Cemetery did not formally set aside the property until 1871.

Among those buried in Prairie Valley Cemetery are veterans of military conflicts dating to the Texas Revolution.  Many gravestones are inscripted with names well known by Texans, some have lent their names to universities, libraries, lakes and counties.

This little home made marker was on several gravesites.

La Grange - Finally!!!

This is where we were heading all along and I got side tracked with other neat spots.  But, that is what I love about the back roads, you never go directly to where you were going to begin with, and sometimes you don't even make it to the destination at all. :) 

La Grange is best known for being the site of The Chicken Ranch, the house of ill repute in the musical "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas".  Some of you may not know that it is a true story.  There are plenty of young men from Texas A&M and The University of Texas in the day that could attest to that - grin. In 1973 Houston TV newsman Marvin Zindler (later known for his restaurant reviews ending with "sliiiiiiiiiiiiimmmmmmme in the ice machine and his horrible toupee) heard tell of two houses of prostitution in two small towns west of Houston, Sealey and La Grange.  Prostitution is not now, nor has it been, legal in Texas.  If there was in fact such a business going on then it was being overlooked by local law enforcement.  Marvin set out to find out why.

Marvin Zindler - Eyewitness News

Marvin worried this story like a bulldog with a juicy bone.  He interviewed the local sheriff, he gathered notes, he talked to Edna Milton, the madam of the house.  All his efforts finally paid off and the Chicken Ranch was closed.

An informative and comprehensive article about the history is here

Eyewitness News 13  

Oh...if you are wondering why it was called the Chicken Ranch....that has to do with the Depression.  As you can imagine business fell off drastically, but Edna being an astute business woman began taking chickens in payment.  One sexual act was worth one chicken.  It fed the girls, plus the extra eggs and chickens were sold to bring in some extra cash.
 

You must understand that La Grange is so very much more than The Chicken Ranch.  To begin with it is the county seat for Fayette County and has a beautiful courthouse in the downtown square.  Sorry about the cut off bottom..you didn't miss anything, it was all cars and pickups parked at the curb.

Prominent during the Texas Revolution local men formed companies that fought in most major battles.  These same companies protected residents against Indian attacks.  The Civil war brought strife between those dependent on plantation style farming and those firmly against slavery, mainly the German population.  Many of the Germans went back to Germany or fled to Mexico.  After the war looting, fights, and threats to burn down the town finally settled down and peace returned to this small community.

In 1867 about 20% of the population was lost to a Yellow Fever epidemic.  Many were buried in communal graves. 

Outside La Grange is Monument Hill.  This is a twofer, because also on the property is  the first brewery in Texas (important to us folk).  Although actually two parks, it is administered as one.  The first is the Kreische Brewery and Kreische home.  Built in 1855 this location was chosen for the good cellaring and proximity to nearby springs.  Heinrich Kreische was a stone mason and and expert craftsman before starting the brewery.  He also opened a shooting range and a dance hall on this property....what a combination, huh?

The other park on this 40 acres is Monument Hill dedicated to the men who lost their lives in the Dawson Creek Massacre.  

Also buried here are the remains of the victims of the Mier Expedition.  The group followed the Mexican Army into Mexico, were captured and by order of General Santa Ana 10% of the 176 prisoners were to be put to death.  An earthen jar was filled with beans, 17 of the beans were black.  Each prisoner drew a bean if it was white they remained a prisoner and if it was black they were to be executed. 

As a side note, that I just found out on this trip, Pat's family comes from this area and in fact Nicholas Mosby Dawson and Robert Eastland are both on her family tree even though she isn't directly descended from either of them.

 Today it is a fun place to visit for a Girl's Day Out or two.  We met at Latte on the Square for a cup of coffee, a pastry and to catch up.  Yummy cranberry orange scones lifted my spirits since they were no better than the ones I had made the day before.

After giggles, groans and solving world problems we decided to explore one side of the square as we made our way down to the quilt museum.  Oh I'm glad we did.

Miscellaneous stuff we found on our way....

Nothing special and all special, that's what I love

about poking around on town squares in

small Texas towns.

This shop we had on our "must see" list, and just stepping in the door reaffirmed that decision.  All I can say is HEAVEN!!!!  Any and everything you could possibly want, and goodies perfect for every pocketbook.  The next time you are in La Grange stop and visit them.

Chef Mike and Donella make Le Petite Gourmet Shopped worthwhile even if you never get fancier in the kitchen than nuking a TV dinner.  Lovely people, with great senses of humor and great knowledge of their products and cooking in general.  Fair warning, you two, I will be back!  Want to see more....click on their names and it will take you to their web site.

After a delightful hour or so rummaging around the shop (and spending a little money) we headed around the corner to the Texas Quilt Museum.

No photography allowed inside but this was the side wall mural.  So real you wanted to go up and touch the quilts.

The exhibits inside were beyond my expertise for sure, and were truly works of art in so many different styles and mediums.  For those that know quilting a bit, I once paper pieced a pineapple pattern that was what I would call "normal size".  My eyes were crossed, my seams were mostly accurate, and I swore that was it for pineapples.  Inside this museum is a pineapple wall hanging that the strips are maybe 1/8" wide.  Teeny teeny and the wall hanging required tons of them.  Oh I wish I could show it to you....

The fence encloses the flower garden, that was suffering along with the rest of us from Texas heat and summer drought, but well laid out and has to be just gorgeous when in bloom.

Too soon it was time to eat lunch and hit the road.  We had done our homework and decided on Bistro 108 for lunch.  The menu was what drew us and it didn't disappoint.  We both had a BLAST (my terminology not theirs).  A bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomato sandwich.  The "S" you ask?   The "S" is for the two grilled shrimp(!!!!) they put on top of the BLAT.  :) The one problem with the sandwich is the vicious homicidal avocado slices that attack without warning....I fought valiantly and went home with its blood all down the front of my white t-shirt.  Never trust a crazed avocado!!

On the way to the cars we saw this down the side street.  It is now the Chamber of Commerce but at one time it was the jail!!!  Boy I might commit a felony if it meant staying here!  We thought at first it was a church.  Isn't it beautiful?

Time to head home, of course a different way than I had come...

Oh yeah baby this was the road I took home, or at least part of the way home.  I did have to get on the highway eventually.  The reason there is no striping is because it isn't wide enough for two lanes....LOVE IT!!!!  I couldn't find this again if I tried.

Until next time, listen for those back road whispers you never know what they might say!