Townsite of Dickinson
Dickinson, Galveston County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Oldest mainland settlement in Galveston County, named for John Dickinson, one of "Old 300" settlers in original colony (opened in 1821) of Stephen F. Austin. Townsite is on Dickinson Bayou land grant of James F. and Emily Austin Perry (brother-in-law and sister of Austin), surveyed in April 1830 by Austin and his friend Seth Ingram. Early settlers here included Alexander Farmer, who in 1831 obtained a lang grant where he built home after Texas War for Independence ended in 1836; and Herman Benson, whose mid-1840s dog trot cabin still stands. Gen. E. B. Nichols, merchant, statesman, and leader in Houston-Galveston area in 1857 built summer home still standing in Dickinson. Colonial era economy was based on agriculture and cattle raising. Toward end of 19th century, produce was shipped by eight trains a day; for a time area was known as "Strawberry Capital of the World." The Coast County Fair was held here 1895-96. Picnic and fairgrounds with exhibit building stood alongside Galveston, Houston & Henderson Railway tracks. Community's first church (Methodist) was organized in 1876 and served by circuit riders. Dickinson Post Office was opened in March 1890; first tax-funded school, in 1892. Town remains a coastal beauty spot.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Dickinson is the oldest mainland settlement in Galveston County, named for John Dickinson, one of Stephen F. Austin's Old 300 colonists. Laid out on a bayou land grant surveyed in 1830 by Austin himself, the community grew through early homesteads whose cabins still stand and, later, a booming produce trade that earned it fame as a Strawberry Capital of the World. Rail lines, a Methodist church, a post office, and a public school followed as the town matured.
Why it matters
Dickinson carries the story of Austin's foundational Texas colony into a thriving farm-and-rail community, one of the seedbeds of Anglo-American settlement on the Gulf Coast.
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Related people
- · John Dickinson
- · Stephen F. Austin
- · James F. Perry
Themes & tags
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