Okay, here’s a rewritten version of the article, aiming for a more casual and engaging style.
Navasota, Texas – Train Town USA
Alright, folks, let’s talk about Navasota, Texas. This little gem, nestled on a bend of the Navasota River in Grimes County, has a history as colorful as a Texas sunset. It all started way back in 1822 when a fella named Francis Holland bought some land and called the place Hollandale.
Before Navasota, There Was… La Salle?
But hold on, the story goes back even further! Picture this: it’s 1687, and the French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (try saying that five times fast!) is traipsing through the area, trying to find the Mississippi River and get back to French territory. Things didn’t go so well for him, though. After a whole lot of exploring, trading, and dealing with mutinies, La Salle met a rather untimely end – he was murdered by one of his own men. Legend has it that his remains are somewhere in the Navasota Valley. Talk about a dramatic entrance!
From Hollandale to Navasota: A Town is Born
Anyway, back to Francis Holland. More settlers started trickling in, and in 1831, a Georgia planter named Daniel Arnold snagged a land grant along the river. Soon after, Daniel Tyler got in on the action, too. Navasota was eventually built on pieces of these two land grants. Fast forward to 1846, the county lines were redrawn, and Navasota became part of Grimes County.
In 1848, James Nolan pitched some tents nearby, and by 1852, he’d built a log cabin that became a stagecoach stop. It was perfectly situated where the La Bahía Road crossed the Navasota River, smack-dab between Anderson and Washington-on-the-Brazos. Naturally, it became a happening crossroads. Back then, they called the place Nolensville.
By the mid-1850s, a whole bunch of stage lines had stops nearby. The name was officially changed to Navasota in 1854 when they finally got a post office. The Navasota River, by the way, is thought to be named after the Native American word "nabatoto," which basically means "muddy water." Apt, right?
All Aboard! The Railroad Changes Everything
Then came the game-changer: the railroad. In September 1859, the Houston and Texas Central Railway chugged its way into town, and Navasota’s star started to rise. It became a major shipping and marketing hub. Meanwhile, the nearby town of Washington-on-the-Brazos turned its nose up at the railroad, and that was their downfall. Businesses and folks packed up and headed to Navasota, seven miles northeast, to take advantage of the new railhead.
The Shadow of Slavery
Now, let’s not sugarcoat things. Slavery was a big part of the local economy back then. Plantation owners relied on enslaved African Americans to work their vast fields. These folks were bought and sold in Navasota and primarily toiled in the cotton fields, which were a major cash crop.
In 1860, a secret group called the Knights of the Golden Circle wanted to create a slave empire across the Southern US, Mexico, and parts of Central America. The founder, George Bickley, showed up in Hollandale in November to set up a "castle" and recruit locals. He said these guys were "citizens on whom the public can rely in any emergency." He gave a lot of speeches trying to convince people to join his new country.
The Civil War Years
When the Civil War broke out, the Grimes County Greys regiment was formed in Anderson in July 1861. These guys marched to Houston, hopped on a train to New Orleans, and eventually ended up in Richmond, Virginia. They became part of Hood’s Brigade and fought in some of the war’s biggest battles.
During the war, Anderson became a manufacturing hub, producing cotton, guns, gunpowder, and shoes for the Confederacy. All the goods from the region were brought to Navasota, the furthest inland railhead. From there, they were shipped south to Galveston, then by steamboat to support the war effort or exported to Mexico and Europe.
Believe it or not, Navasota even had a penitentiary during the Civil War. It housed 170 convicts who made cloth and shoes in large workshops.
Disaster Strikes
The mid-1860s were tough on Navasota. On June 29, 1865, a warehouse packed with cotton and gunpowder blew up after Confederate soldiers torched it. About 6,100 pounds of gunpowder destroyed 20 buildings in downtown Navasota. Eight people died, and several went missing. Businesses were wiped out, including the local newspaper. The total damage was over $100,000 – a fortune back then.
In August 1865, Hollandale’s post office officially became Navasota. Mail was delivered three times a week by a four-horse coach on the Hempstead to Waco route. The population was around 2,700.
Incorporation and Epidemics
Navasota officially became a town in October 1866. But things didn’t get easier. A few months later, a cholera epidemic hit in December, killing about 30 people, mostly black citizens.
Then, in August 1867, a yellow fever epidemic struck, claiming the lives of 178 people, mostly white. The mayor and many residents fled. The population plummeted from 3,000 to 400. The epidemic finally ended with the first frost.
Tough Times Continue
In the late 1860s, the Klu Klux Klan moved into Navasota, leading to tensions with federal soldiers. Fires continued to plague the town. In December 1870, another fire destroyed 16 buildings. In June 1873, a fire in the business district caused an estimated $200,000 in damage.
A Glimmer of Hope
In 1877, the Schumacher Oil Mill was thriving, shipping tons of cottonseed oil and cake.
The Exodusters
In 1879, many African Americans from nearby counties left for Kansas, seeking a better life away from the harsh realities of sharecropping and discrimination. They were known as Exodusters, and about 12,000 people left this part of Texas.
Growth and Progress
By 1884, Navasota had about 2,500 residents. The town had churches, flour mills, cotton gins, a bank, an opera house, and a newspaper. A telephone company started in 1885, and the town got another railroad connection. In the late 1880s, they built the first water system and installed electric lights. By 1896, four weekly newspapers were being published, and the population was around 3,500.
Wild West Days
Navasota had a reputation as a "wild and woolly" place. It was considered too dangerous for women and children to go downtown. The streets were full of outlaws, gamblers, prostitutes, and drunks. Lawmen were afraid to patrol at night. Saloons and gaming halls were popular with cowboys and railroad workers. Every Sunday morning, the undertaker would collect the bodies from the latest Saturday night brawl.
The 20th Century
In April 1895, the first telephone office opened. The International-Great Northern became the town’s third railroad in 1900, when the population was 3,857. Navasota continued to grow as a shipping and marketing center for cotton, livestock, lumber, and produce.
Frank Hamer Cleans Up the Town
In 1908, Navasota was still a Wild West town. Shootouts were so common that at least 100 men had died in two years. The famed lawman Frank Hamer, then 24, was hired to become the City Marshal. He brought law and order to Navasota, prosecuting criminals and making the town safe again. He served as marshal until 1911. Hamer later became famous for hunting down Bonnie and Clyde in 1934.
The Great Depression and Beyond
In 1930, Navasota had 5,128 residents and 175 businesses. The number of businesses declined during the Great Depression, but by 1940, the population had grown to 6,138. During the 1940s, the town declined as farms were mechanized. By 1950, only 4,976 residents remained. The Navasota Industrial Foundation was formed in 1952 to attract new industries to the area.
The population stabilized and grew from 4,937 in 1960 to 5,026 by 1970. By the mid-1970s, Navasota had 18 manufacturers producing mobile homes, furniture, cheese, steel tubing, and oilfield machinery.
The population was 5,971 by 1980. The downtown area was revitalized. In 1980, Navasota was selected for the National Main Street program. During the mid-1980s, the Wallace Pack Prison was built outside town, creating hundreds of new jobs. Many businesses suffered during the late 1980s when the oil industry collapsed.
In 1990, there were 6,296 people in Navasota. The population grew to 6,789 in 2000.
Modern Navasota
In 2005, the Texas Legislature designated Navasota as the "Blues Capital of Texas" in honor of Mance Lipscomb, a local blues musician.
In 2009, Navasota was selected as a "Visionaries in Preservation" city by the Texas Historical Commission. A new municipal building was completed in 2011, and downtown improvements continue.
In 2012, Navasota Municipal Airport expanded its runway and Union Pacific Railroad named Navasota "Train Town USA."
In 2020, Navasota’s population was 7,643. The industrial sector has 23 companies and over 1,200 jobs.
Today, Navasota boasts a charming downtown with antique shops, boutiques, art galleries, and live theater at the Sunny Furman Theatre. There are also golf courses, parks, and wineries. The city retains many historic Victorian homes. Each spring, Navasota is a popular destination for its bluebonnet fields.
Navasota is located 71 miles northwest of Houston.
So, there you have it – the story of Navasota, Texas: a town with a rich history, a resilient spirit, and a whole lot of character. It’s definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in the area!