Washington in Washington County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Roads of Water Meet Roads of Dirt

Photographed By James Hulse, February 25, 2023

1. Roads of Water Meet Roads of Dirt Marker

Inscription.
Sticking with ferries meant Washington missed the boat.

The Brazos River was Washington's lifeline during the 1840s and 1850s. The town was as far up the river as boats could reliably travel. Riverboats brought goods from Galveston, New Orleans and New York, and took cotton to market. On the well-traveled La Bahia Road between Mexico and Louisiana, this was the natural spot for a ferry. The place where these two routes met fueled the growing town of Washington, a place where cargo and people could exchange between the roads and the river.

In 1858, the citizens of Washington refused to take part in a railroad project, thinking they were doing just fine with the river. They chose wrong. By the 1860s, railroads had taken over the river's role. Since Washington didn't have a rail line, it gradually disappeared over the next several decades.

Captions
Upper Right: This crop of Stephen F. Austin's 1836 map shows the intersection of land and water at Washington.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1858.

Location. 30° 19.751′ N, 96° 9.296′ W.

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Marker is in Washington, Texas, in Washington County. Marker can be reached from Park Road 12, half a mile east of Farm to Market Road 1155. The marker is located in the northwest section of the Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historical Park near the Brazos River. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 23400 Park Road 12, Washington TX 77880, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Rooted in History (within shouting distance of this marker); Washington's Boom Time (approx. 0.2 miles away); Washington-on-the-Brazos (approx. 0.2 miles away); Little Town on the River (approx. ¼ mile away); Birth of a Republic (approx. ¼ mile away); Washington County (approx. ¼ mile away); Here a Nation was Born (approx. ¼ mile away); George Campbell Childress (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Washington.

Also see . . . Washington-on-the-Brazos, TX. Texas State Historical Association

Washington-on-the-Brazos, officially named Washington, in the upper northeastern corner of what is now Washington County, was a major political and commercial center in early Texas. The town was originally named Washington and began to be called Washington-on-the-Brazos or Old Washington only after the Civil War. Washington was one mile southwest of the junction of the Brazos and Navasota rivers, where the La Bahía Road
Photographed By James Hulse, February 25, 2023

2. Roads of Water Meet Roads of Dirt Marker
crossed the Brazos River, seventy miles northwest of Houston and nearly 200 miles up the Brazos from the coast.

(Submitted on March 1, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

The view of the Roads of Water Meet Roads of Dirt Marker next to the Brazos River image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, February 25, 2023

3. The view of the Roads of Water Meet Roads of Dirt Marker next to the Brazos River

Credits. This page was last revised on March 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 1, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 94 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 1, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.