A College Town

A College Town. "Family Associations". , On March 18, 1846, twenty-four students began their studies at Baylor University on Academy Hill, just west of here. That site remained the sole campus until 1851, when the men were moved to Windmill Hill. Although students attended classes on their respective campus, there was a lively exchange between the campuses and the town. , Baylor students patronized the stores and businesses on the Town Square and attended Independence Baptist Church. When the University first opened, out-of-town students boarded with local families for $10 to $12 a month. Eventually, dormitories were built on both campuses but some students continued to stay in private homes., In September 1879, Baylor President William Carey Crane reported an enrollment of 70 male students of which, "seventeen ... board with the president; twelve board elsewhere; sixteen are pupils whose parents are temporarily residing at Independence for educational purposes; ten ride horseback 2 to 6 miles; fifteen are children of old citizens." The 80 students enrolled the same semester in Baylor Female College included 28 boarders., Sidebar , "The Robertson Place". Like many residents, the family of Kentucky-born physician Jerome Bonaparte Robertson boarded Baylor students. The 1850 census listed the Robertsons, their two children, six students, and an elderly man all in one household. Robertson's slaves also probably lived on this property but in a separate structure., In the mid-1850s, the Robertson family moved to a nearby plantation and most likely rented this house, which was typical of property owners in the area. "The Robertson Place," as it was known locally, was bought and sold several times during the last quarter of the 19th century. In 1904, Jessie and Sophie Colbert, an African American family, purchased the property. Their descendants sold it in 1998. The house was renovated in 2003-2004 and repositioned on the lot., Jerome B. Robertson migrated to Texas from Kentucky in 1836, and took an active political and military role in the Texas Independence movement. He served in both houses of the Texas legislature in the late 1840s. During the Civil War, he became a Brigadier General in the Confederate Army, serving eighteen months as commander of the famous Hood's Texas Brigade. He fought with his brigade in the battles at Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and Chickamauga. Robertson and his son, Felix (1839-1928), are frequently cited as one of two father-son generals in the Civil War, the other is General Robert E. Lee and sons., Photo , General Jerome B. Robertson (1815-1890) , Captions , Octagonal House, built 1856-59 on Windmill Hill, was the President's house and dormitory for male students. , Welcome to Independence, Texas. Founded in 1835, this town is rich in history. Walk the one-mile loop and drive a short distance to learn about early Texas history, Sam Houston, pioneer homes, historic churches, old plantations, and more!, "The Robertson Place" appears in the foreground of this 1880 photograph taken from the approximate location of the reconstructed bell tower on Windmill Hill.