Old Dime Box
Dime Box, Lee County, Texas
Marker Inscription
County's second oldest community. Located in Texas founder Stephen F. Austin's "Old Three Hundred" colony. First known as Browne's Mills. Present name derived from practice of leaving dimes in box at Joseph S. Browne's mill so that postman John W. Ratliff would bring items from Giddings to community members. (1968)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The county's second-oldest community, Dime Box lay within Stephen F. Austin's "Old Three Hundred" colony and began as Browne's Mills. Its curious name came from the practice of leaving dimes in a box at Joseph S. Browne's mill so the postman could fetch goods from Giddings for local families.
Why it matters
Rooted in Austin's founding colony, the settlement preserves a homespun glimpse of how mail and goods moved between isolated communities on the early Texas frontier.
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Related people
- · Stephen F. Austin
- · Joseph S. Browne
Themes & tags
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