Bremond
Bremond, Robertson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Part of the 1841 Mary Peterson grant, the land on this site was sold to William Baker and a group of investors in 1869. The investors immediately granted right-of-way to the Houston and Texas Central Railway. The first train pulled into Bremond, named for railroad executive Paul Bremond, in 1870. It was met by a crowd of more than 1,000. The town was incorporated and a post office opened that year with Sam Morehead as postmaster. By 1871 Bremond had several merchants, churches, three doctors, a law firm, a school and a newspaper called The Central Texan. Joseph Bartula and his family were among the first of many Polish immigrants to arrive in the 1870s. The town continued to grow throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1999, Bremond had an estimated population of 1,300. (2000)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Once part of an 1841 land grant, this site was sold in 1869 to investors who promptly granted right-of-way to the Houston and Texas Central Railway. The first train arrived in 1870 to a crowd of more than a thousand, and the new town—named for railroad executive Paul Bremond—quickly gained merchants, churches, doctors, a school, and a newspaper. Joseph Bartula and his family were among the many Polish immigrants who began arriving in the 1870s.
Why it matters
Bremond illustrates how the railroad conjured entire towns overnight and drew waves of European immigrants, in this case a lasting Polish community, into rural Texas.
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Related people
- · Paul Bremond
- · Joseph Bartula
- · Sam Morehead
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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Paul Bremond, a New York-born financier who had apprenticed in the hat trade, came to Texas in 1839 and became one of the state's foremost railroad builders. As president of the Houston and Texas Central, he pushed a line from Houston through Dallas and beyond, and along the way new towns—including Bremond, incorporated in 1870—sprang up. He also helped develop the Houston, East and West Texas Railroad, earning a reputation as one of the state's leading businessmen.
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