Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms

Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms. Austin Landmark 1994. , This historic site along Walnut Creek, at the edge of the famous backlands prairie, originally was home to native Tonkawa Indians. In the fall of 1844, Texas Ranger Lt. James O. Rice, an original Austin settler, laid claim to 1,280 acres at the northward crossing of the creek including the site of Pioneer Farms., Eight years later, Frederick and Harriet Bachman Jourdan settled on a portion of that acreage with eight children, eventually amassing a 2,000-acre farm. , Outlaws and marauders menaced the first settlers, many of whom, like the Jourdans, migrated from eastern states. Beginning in the 1850s, immigrants from Germany and other European countries settled in the area and founded Dessau, Pflugerville and other towns. After the Civil War, freedmen farmed around the Sprinkle community nearby. For a time in the 1870s, the Chisholm trail traversed the area., In 1956, the Jourdan grandchildren, Laura and Eugene Giles, donated the core of their ancestors' property to the Heritage Society of Austin for a park to honor early-day settlers. Dedicated in 1975, the museum now features an architecturally diverse collection of historic buildings, including some of the oldest extant in Texas. Most were moved here to prevent their demolition and ensure their preservation for future generations.