Indian Camp Branch
Lexington, Lee County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Located along an old buffalo trail, this creek was once fed by a spring and was a favorite camping place for Indian hunting parties. It was named Indian Camp Branch by James Shaw (1808-1879), a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto (April 21, 1836), to honor the hospitality of a band of friendly Tonkawa Indians he encountered near this site in 1837. Shaw built a cabin in this area and was soon joined by other Anglo-American settlers. A teacher, surveyor, and postmaster, Shaw also served as a senator and representative in Congresses of the Republic and state of Texas.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Fed by a spring along an old buffalo trail, this creek was a favored camp for Indian hunting parties long before Anglo settlement. In 1837 James Shaw, a veteran of the decisive Battle of San Jacinto, named it Indian Camp Branch to honor a band of friendly Tonkawa he met nearby, then built a cabin that drew other settlers. Shaw went on to serve as teacher, surveyor, postmaster, and lawmaker in both the Republic and state of Texas.
Why it matters
It marks a peaceful moment of Tonkawa hospitality on the early Republic-of-Texas frontier, when the map of Anglo settlement was still being drawn along Indigenous trails.
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Related people
- · James Shaw
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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