The Beginnings of Bastrop County
From January 8, 1836 to December 13,
1837, the Municipality and County of Mina
consisted of parts of present day Mason, Kimble,
Llano, Burnet, Williamson, Gillespie, Blanco,
Comal, Hays, Travis, Caldwell, Bastrop, Lee,
Gonzales, Fayette, Washington, and Lavaca
counties. On December 14, 1837, the Second
Congress passed legislation changing the
geographical limits, creating Fayette County,
removing Gonzales and Caldwell Counties
from the boundries and, five months later,
added parts of Kimble and Comal Counties.
On December 18, 1837, Sam Houston signed
an act incorporating the town of Mina and,
on the same day, changing the name of the
county and town of Mina to Bastrop.
May 24, 1838 to January 24, 1840, shows
the borders of Bastrop County to contain
parts of present day Blanco, Burnet, Williamson,
Travis, Hays, Comal, Caldwell, Bastrop, Lee,
Gonzales and Fayette counties. From January 25,
1840 to January 25, 1850 the border changed
to almost it's present size with a small portion of
Lee, Williamson, Caldwell, Gonzales and Fayetts counties included.
In 1839, Bastrop was one of the locations being
considered for the permanent site for the seat
of government of the Republic of Texas.
The seat of government, first on the Washington-
on-the Brazos, moved to Columbia, then
Houston until a more suitable site could be
established. After three seperate commissions
were held to investigate areas on the Brazos
and Colorado Rivers, Waterloo and Bastrop
became the final two locations being considered,
with Waterloo being chosen as the permanent site.
Bastrop was able to benefit from the selection as
travelers on the Old San Antonio Road and
Gotcher Trail had to pass through Bastrop
on the way to the new Capital now known as Austin.
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Furnished by Bastrop County
Spanish explorers arrived at the Lost Pines
when they crossed the Colorado River near
Bastrop in 1691. The future site of Bastrop
became a military post along the Spaniard's
Old San Antonio Road in the 1700's. In 1823,
the Mexican Government awarded Stephen F.
Austin a land grant in the area, in exchange
for a pledge of loyalty to the Mexican government.
The land grant was apparently hoped to serve as a
buffer between Mexico and its upstart
neighbor, the United States, to the north.
In 1827 Austin received permission to
enlarge the station along the Colorado and
establish a town at the site. In 1832 the town
of Bastrop was platted. It was named after
a friend and business associate of Austin's,
Philip Hendrick Nering-Bogel, who called
himself the Baron de Bastrop. Originally
from the Netherlands, Nering-Bogel arrived
in San Antonio after questionable dealings
in Europe, South America and Louisiana.
Among the problems facing the colonists was
dealing with the indigenous inhabitants. Of
many tribes in the area some, such as the
Tonkawa, were peaceful and assisted the
settlers. Others, particularly the Comanche,
were determined to eliminate the newcomers
and resisted the Anglos with considerable ferocity.
Bastrop's colony faced another problem as well.
Tensions between the Anglos and the Mexican
government grew, and in 1835 many local
volunteers rushed to assist in the armed uprising
against Mexico. A Bastrop resident was the first
killed in the War of Texas Independence, at
the Battle of Concepcion in October 1835.
When the Alamo fell, 12 Bastropians died
along side Davy Crockett. After the fall
of the Alamo, settlers in Bastrop fled Santa
Anna's advancing forces, taking as many
of their farm animals, slaves and other
possessions as they could. The young town
was looted by a detachment of the
Mexican Army (and by Indian raiders).
Not much was left of the town when its residents
returned after Santa Anna's defeat and Texas
independence, but they quickly rebuilt. Bastrop
County, with Bastrop as county seat, was among
the original 10 counties established by the Republic
of Texas in 1836, and was a likely site for
permanent Capitol of the new Republic.
However, that honor went instead to the unimportant
village of Waterloo, 30 miles further up the
Colorado. As Waterloo, now renamed in honor
of Austin, grew in importance, so too did Bastrop
become an important supplier of
timber for the growing Capitol City.
The area continued to thrive on the timber trade
and cotton production after Texas joined the
United States in 1845, until the Civil War.
Both industries depended on plentiful slave
labor to keep production costs low. By 1853
the young city had a newspaper, which is still
publishing and is the oldest weekly in Texas.
The Civil War led to economic tragedy. The
end of slavery caused a transformation of life and the economy.
But the community survived and prospered.
During the 1880's and 1890's, the railroad
reached Bastrop, a new Court House (still standing)
was constructed, and the town's first bank
was chartered. Many fine Victorian style
homes were built, which still grace the older
areas of Bastrop. The first tax-supported public
schools and a public water system were also
organized in the 1890's. In 1889, Bastrop's
cultural life received a big boost with the
completion of the Bastrop Opera House.
This facility has been restored in recent
years and serves as a venue for local
and visiting theater and musical groups.
Today Bastrop retains much of its historical
flavor. Many of the historic homes and other
buildings have been restored, and over 120 are
listed in the National Register of Historic
Places. The historic atmosphere has been
heightened by commercial development
focusing on Texana, antiques, crafts and
arts. With its rich heritage and proximity to
dynamic, high-tech Austin, Bastrop
is looking forward to a bright future.