ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO BE ADDED TO THIS PAGE

Welcome to the Robertson County Renaissance! 

Robertson County is in the midst of a great revival or rebirth that is celebrating and preserving the county's colorful history, structures and places with architectural and historical significance, and rich cultural heritage.  While Robertson County's Renaissance may pale in comparison to the great revival of art, literature, and learning that swept through Europe several centuries ago, great things are nonetheless happening in Robertson County.  Consider the following:

Website

Robertson County has one of the most comprehensive history and genealogy web sites in the country.   Compiled by volunteers who are coming together to preserve Robertson County's history for future generations, this 1,000+ document website at www.robertsoncounty.info was recently awarded a 2002 Distinguished Service Award By The Texas Historical Commission.  Public spirited individuals are rummaging through basements and attics to find and share family history information, books, yearbooks, and items of historic interest.  As a result of this, ordinary folks, students, family researchers, historians, academicians, foundations, corporations, and others interested in Robertson County now have a wealth of information readily available at the the click of a mouse.  What's more, new information is being added to this website daily.

Books

Three books relating to Robertson County are being released in 2003.  Check out Hot-Off-The-Presses for details.  These books include:

Historical Recollections Of Robertson County: With Biographical & Historical Notes On The Pioneers & Their Families.  This 1954 book by Richard Denny Parker has been out-of-print for many years.  It has been republished by the Robertson County Historical Commission.

Texian Odyssey: The Life & Times Of A Forgotten Patriot Of The Republic Of Texas, Colonel Eleazar Louis Ripley Wheelock.  This new book by Mary Foster Hutchison explores the life of one of Robertson County's most colorful figures.

Lone Star Stalag:  The Story Of The World War II German Prisoner Of War Camp Of Hearne, Texas.  This book by Texas A&M Professor Dr. Michael Waters is slated for release by the Texas A&M Press in the Fall of 2003.

Robertson County Court House & Prison

Efforts are underway to preserve and restore the historic Robertson County Court House and Prison in Franklin.  Originally designed by Frederick Ernst Ruffini and built in the early 1880s, these 120+ year-old structures are some of the last remaining examples of this renowned architect's work in Texas.  The original architectural drawings and floor plans of these two buildings have been located at the Texas State Library & Archives Commission and are being photographed for online display.  ArchiTexas, an architecture, planning, and historic preservation firm in Austin, is drawing up a master plan to restore the court house.  Additional information is online at Robertson County Courthouse & Prison Collection.

Camp Hearne

Dr. Waters' new book is not the only exciting news coming out of Camp Hearne these days.  Roll Call:  Friends Of Camp Hearne, the camp's five-member board of directors, is actively working to preserve this World War II Prisoner Of War Camp that housed up to 5,000 prisoners, many of them from German General Rommel's elite Afrika Korps.  Operated just outside of Hearne from 1942 - 1946, this historic treasure has remained virtually untouched over the past 60 years.  A Texas Historic Marker is currently at the foundry and will be installed in the Fall of 2003.  A roadside park, visitors center, and walking paths among the ruins are also being planned for the site.  Roll Call's periodic newsletter, The Bugler, and the Camp's website at www.camphearne.info help keep folks informed on Camp Hearne's progress.

Hearne Depot

On January 18, 2001, the historic Hearne Train Depot was moved 660 feet across Texas Highway 6 from where it had been for the past 100 years.  Efforts are underway to transform this 1901 depot into a museum featuring exhibits about Hearne and the local area during the World War II period as well as railroad and train memorabilia.  Spearheaded by the Hearne Depot Board of Directors, restoration work began in 1999 with the hiring of an architect to coordinate the rehabilitation of the century-old, arrow-shaped depot.  This structure served as the connection point for passengers on the east-west International & Great Northern and north-south Houston & Texas Central Railroads.  In later years, this terminal welcomed passengers traveling on the east-west Missouri Pacific and north-south Southern Pacific Railroads.  The Hearne Depot building was given to the City Of Hearne by the Union Pacific Railroad.  Additional information is at Historic Hearne Depot.

Calvert's Main Street

The Calvert Historical Foundation is actively working to preserve Calvert's historic Victorian Main Street.

Texas Brazos Trail

Robertson and seventeen other central Texas counties are part of the Texas Brazos Trail (under development).  Explore the Texas State Historical Commission's Texas Heritage Trails Program which offers self-guided driving trails that give visitors an opportunity to experience the sights, sounds, and
tastes of Robertson County and surrounding areas.

Historic Pictorial Tours

Travel around Robertson County without leaving your computer.  Take the Historic Bremond Tour, Historic Calvert Tour, Historic Franklin Tour, Historic Hearne Tour, Historic Mumford Tour, Historic New Baden Tour, & Historic Wheelock Tour to view places, buildings, & homes with architectural and historical significance.  Many of the county's historic homes have been restored to their original grandeur.  Others are in need of some tender loving care.