The county seat of Colorado County, Columbus is the oldest surveyed and platted Anglo American town in Texas. It was first platted in 1823 by Stephen F. Austin and Baron DeBastrop as a possible site for the Texas capital. It was platted again in 1837 by W.B. DeWees and J.W.E. Wallace.
Many of Austin’s “Old 300” settled in Columbus and the surrounding area including Alleyton and Glidden, which were founded as railroad towns. The area played an important role in the history of Texas including Santa Anna’s pursuit of Sam Houston’s Texas army that resulted in the burning of Columbus during the “Runaway Scrape.”
Columbus suffered other setbacks such as the long-running Stafford-Townsend feud and lawlessness resulting in disincorporation in the early 1900s, and enjoyed the good fortune of its reincorporation in the 1920s. However, today, it is a town of people who greatly value their heritage and seek to preserve it.
The authors are donating all royalties from the sale of Around Columbus to further historic preservation in the Columbus area.
Highlights of Around Columbus include:
• The majority of the images in the book are from the Nesbitt Memorial Library archives.
• The reader can trace the development of Columbus commerce since there are many photographs in the book of buildings that are still in existence.
Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or www.arcadiapublishing.com.
Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.
