Estate of John Hallett
Hallettsville, Lavaca County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Member of Stephen F. Austin's colony, and an old sea captain. His log cabin was the first home in the area, 1833. Hallettsville is named for his widow, Margaret, who gave land for the town in 1852, when it became the county seat. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1967
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
John Hallett, a member of Stephen F. Austin's colony and a former sea captain, built the area's first home — a log cabin — in 1833. After his death, his widow Margaret gave land for the town in 1852, when it became the county seat and took her family's name. The state recognized the site as a Historic Landmark in 1967.
Why it matters
Hallettsville is one of many Texas towns that owe their existence to a founding widow's land gift, a reminder of the frontier women whose names — and decisions — are stamped on the map.
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Related people
- · John Hallett
- · Margaret Hallett
- · Stephen F. Austin
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Hallettsville
Hallettsville, TX
Hallettsville traces its founding to 1833, when John Hallett built a log cabin near the Lavaca River in what was then Mexican Texas. After his death the town took the name of his widow, Margaret Hallett, who donated the land when it became the county seat in 1852. It grew into a center of farming, livestock, and cotton marketing that still hosts a state high-school rodeo championship each June.
Hallettsville
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Hallettsville takes its name from Margaret Hallett, who donated the town site after the death of her husband John, a member of Stephen F. Austin's colony and a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto. Her gift established the community during the early years of the Republic and state of Texas. The marker was placed in 1936, the Texas Centennial year.
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