Aunt De's Pralines in Sinton (population 5,665), Texas, is known around the world for their chocolate coated creamy pralines. In 1987 Eleanor Harren started making her Aunt Aggie De's creamy pralines in her kitchen and the company now sells over 2 million pralines each year. Stop in for a sample!
The San Patracio County Courthouse is located diagonally across the street from Aunt De's. This is the 8th San Patracio County Courthouse and was constructed in 1927. The first "Log Courthouse" was constructed in the early 1830s, even though San Patricio County was not created until 1837. There is a nice war memorial located in front of the building.
It was really raining by the time I arrived at the Refugio County Courthouse in Refugio (population 2,890). The courthouse was built in 1917, but has been remodeled and expanded several times.
Across the street from the courthouse is the King and His Mem Memorial, to remember Captain Amon B. King and his group of young men that made the ultimate sacrifice to help Texans win their freedom. The sculpture features "A Young Man, on one knee weary from battle; in a struggle swinging a Broken Sword, losing his fight but battling to the end; holding tightly to a Laurel Leaf, the idea of FREEDOM."
Helena (now a "ghost town") was an important stage stop between San Antonio and Goliad and was selected as the first county seat. However, the citizens of Helena refused to donate land or raise cash for a rail line, so the railroad bypassed Helena moved the line south to Karnes City where where land was available. The population of Karnes City grew quickly, while the population of Helena declined, so the county seat was moved to Karnes City in 1893. A new courthouse was built in Karnes City in 1894 and has been expanded and remodeled several times. The population of Karnes City is now 3,111.
The Karnes County Museum is still located in Helena, which is now considered to be a "ghost town." Unfortunately, the museum was closed on the day I stopped for a visit.
Black Diamond, the largest Indian elephant in captivity in the 1920s, went on a rampage in Corsicana, Texas on October 12, 1929, killing several people, including his trainer. The elephant had a history of violence, so the decision was made to "put-down" the animal. One of Black Diamond's legs was reported to be on display in the Karnes County Museum.
As I was driving through Yorktown (population 1,810), I noticed a nice Veteran's memorial adjacent to the highway. At night the lights say "Freedom Isn't Free."
The three-story courthouse in Cuero (population 1,810) is unique in that the six-story clock tower is twice as tall as the courthouse building.
There are a number of statues and memorials located around town, including a number of turkeys statues. Cuero claims to be the "Turkey Capital of the World" and is home of the annual "Turkey Trot" that begun in 1912. Worthington, Minnesota, also claims to be the "Turkey Capital of the World," so each year the cities participate in the "Great Gobbler Gallup" to take home the Traveling Turkey Trophy of Tumultuous Triumph for the year.
Easter Island is not the only place that large Moai statues are found that were carved by unknown people. The 10-foot-high Moai in Victoria (population 65,534) is believed to have been carved by someone named Dincans in 1997, but nothing else is known about the artist or the statue.
The historic Victoria City Pumping Station that was located not too far from the Moai has been converted into a nice restaurant. Unfortunately, I did not have time to stop for lunch.
The Victoria County Courthouse is a a beautiful historic building that was constructed in 1892 in Romanesque architecture style. The building is made of Texas granite and Indiana limestone.
A plaque in front of the Jackson Count Courthouse in Edna (population 5,499) stated that the average elevation in Edna was 75-feet, which accounts for why one can see for a long distance on a clear day. (This claim could not be verified because as noted in the picture, it was not a clear day!) For Texas, the courthouse is a very plain building.
I always like to stop at dinosaur exhibits, so when I saw a sign for Dinosaur Park in Wharton (population 8,627) I had to stop. All I can say is that their brontosaurus did not look too healthy. They had better start feeding him better or he may become extinct.
A historic marker in front of the Wharton County Courthouse explained that the building was constructed in 1889 using salmon-colored brick made from Colorado River clay deposits. Inside of the building there was a display of replica craft items that came to Texas from Spain.
Teepee motels were popular in western United States after WW II when people started traveling more and wanted to have an "old west experience." However, the "experience" was short lived and travelers soon wanted modern conveniences -- air conditioning and black-and-white televisions. Some of the teepee motels like Teepee Motel & RV Park in Wharton are now seeing a revival as travelers want to have a "1940s experience." I think I will just stick with Marriott.
Eagle Lake (population 3,442) borders a wildlife preserve and has a number of rice fields in the area. A large variety of migratory birds are attracted to the area, so the city claims that it is the "Goose Hunting Capital of the World." There may be some other places in the United States that would challenge that claim.
Located on the Colorado County Courthouse lawn in Columbus (population 3,699) is a museum that is located in the old 1883 city water tower. The museum was originally founded by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, but it is now a museum for all wars. Located a short distance away is the Mary Elizabeth Hopkins Santa Clause Museum and the Dilue Rose Harris house. Harris is known for her writings about the Texas Revolution.
Bellville's (population 4,206) motto is: "A quaint little Texas town with a big Texas hart!" I do not know about the heart size, but there is a really large bust of Stephen Austin in Bellville. Austin is known as the "Father of Texas," so there are statues of him throughout all of Texas.
Also located in Bellville are the historic County Jail, which is now a museum, and the Trump Burger Restaurant where the hamburger buns are branded with Trump's name. The largest burger is called the "Trump Tower."
When I told my GPS unit to take me to the historic Fort Bend County Courthouse in Richmond (population 11,627), it took me to the Fort Bend County Justice Center. I tried several different word combinations, but it kept taking me to the Justice Center. Finally, I just drove down the main highway through town, and there was the historic courthouse.
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