Site of the Town of Boonville
Bryan, Brazos County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Established in 1841 as the county seat of Navasota County by John Millican, John H. Jones, J. Ferguson, E. Seale, and Mordecai Boon whose name it bears. The name of the county was changed to Brazos in 1842. Boonville flourished until 1866 when Bryan was established on the railroad. Erected by the State of Texas 1936
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1841, a handful of Texas pioneers laid out Boonville on the Brazos frontier and made it the seat of what was first called Navasota County—renamed Brazos the following year. For a quarter century the little town served as the county's civic hub, taking its name from settler Mordecai Boon. Its fortunes collapsed in 1866 when the railroad arrived a few miles away and gave rise to Bryan, which drew away Boonville's people and purpose.
Why it matters
Boonville is a classic case of how the coming of the railroad reshaped the map of nineteenth-century Texas, elevating some towns and leaving others to fade into memory.
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Related people
- · Mordecai Boon
- · John Millican
- · John H. Jones
Related events
- · Founding of Brazos County
Themes & tags
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