Washington in Washington County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Rooted in History
Photographed by James Hulse, February 25, 2023
1. Rooted in History Marker
An original resident of Washington still survives.
This tree has seen the Texas Revolution, and the birth and decline of Washington. But the towering pecan tree isn't a native Texan. It's a product of the same forces that drove Washington's development: trade, travel, and settlement. Genetic testing shows its closest relatives are in Mexico over 900 miles from here!
This pecan tree took root shortly after Andrew Robinson and his family became the first permanent Anglo settlers in this area in 1821. Washington was on the La Bahia road that stretched from Mexico to Louisiana. Perhaps a pecan fell from a saddlebag or a wagon, or a snack fell from a traveler's hand.
The La Bahia Pecan is a living witness to Texas' entire history as an independent nation and ongoing history as a state. It stands as a reminder of the travelers and forces that created Texas, and the important role immigration has played in the story of Texas.
Captions
Upper Right: Pecans, a native nut and the state tree of Texas, have provided food to Texas residents for centuries.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic
this page online
Location. 30° 19.719′ N, 96° 9.289′ W. Marker is in Washington, Texas, in Washington County. It 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.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Roads of Water Meet Roads of Dirt (within shouting distance of this marker); Washington's Boom Time (about 700 feet away,
Photographed by James Hulse, February 25, 2023
2. The Rooted in History Marker in front of the Pecan tree
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 Bahνa Road 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.)
Photographed by James Hulse, February 25, 2023
3. The view of the Rooted in History Marker and the historic Pecan tree
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 456 times since then and 62 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 1, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
