Springtime in Texas mixes beautiful sunny but cool weather together with a proliferation of wild flowers, the most famous of which is bluebonnets. Our travels brought us from Livingston to central Texas, right where the bluebonnets were in bloom. It was the kind of weather which made you want to get out to the countryside.
While visiting the tourist information center in College Station, we were told to go to Independence, TX to see beautiful wildflowers including bluebonnets. So off we went not knowing anything about Independence except wildflowers.
During the drive through the countryside Laurie was also doing research on Independence. For a small sleepy town, Independence is steeped in history. It began life as Coles Settlement in 1835, but the name was changed to Independence after Texas’ victory at the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836. The town became the center of Baptist religious and educational interest in the Republic of Texas. Baylor University, a private Baptist institute, was chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas and spent its first 41 years in Independence. During this time approximately twenty institutions of higher learning were chartered in Texas. Baylor is the only one to have survived in an unbroken line to the present and today is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas.
Independence was also home to many of the early leaders of Texas including Sam Houston. Many historic structures and ruins can be seen in the area.
The decline of the town began when Independence refused to grant Santa Fe Railroad a right-of-way. After that most railroads by-passed the town. Students found it difficult to find reliable transportation to Baylor and in 1885 Baylor was moved to Waco. The women’s college was moved to Belton.
What was once a thriving center for not only education but also commerce, today has less than 200 residents. The population may not be great, but history is everywhere. We went searching for wildflowers and found not only flowers but also rich Texas history.
Remains of Tyron Hall
Thinking of what was here
Baylor Ruins
Baylor Ruins
Typical Texas
Flower Field
Indian Paint Brush
Bluebonnets
Dog Trot
Early Texas Yard
Early Texas House
