Town of Whitsett
Whitsett, Live Oak County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Situated on 1835 land grant of Mexico to John Houlihan. At this site in 1800's was water and a camp for cross-country drives of cattle, hogs. Town arose in 1913 when San Antonio, Uvalde & Gulf railroad was built here and post office opened. Named for ranch family donating right of way and townsite. Soon shipped steers by thousands to northern markets. International fame began 1924 when H.A. Coffey acquired 125 bee colonies, bred and sold queens. Besides beekeeping, area has oil and uranium production; farming; horse and cattle ranching; rock-gems and game hunting; fishing.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Whitsett sits on an 1835 Mexican land grant that once served as a watering stop and camp for cross-country cattle and hog drives. The town proper sprang up in 1913 when the San Antonio, Uvalde & Gulf railroad arrived and a post office opened, and it was soon shipping thousands of steers to northern markets. The area later gained wide renown for the beekeeping enterprise H.A. Coffey launched in 1924, alongside oil, uranium, ranching, and farming.
Why it matters
Whitsett's rise traces the classic South Texas pattern in which a railroad turned an open-range crossing into a shipping town, binding local ranching to distant national markets.
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Related people
- · John Houlihan
- · H.A. Coffey
Themes & tags
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