Webberville
Webberville, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This community was named for John F. Webber (1793-1882) who received a land grant in 1827 and settled in this area with his African American wife and children. A post office was established in 1846 for Webber's Prairie, and by 1853 the name was changed to Webberville. Based on a cotton farming economy, the town later included grist mills, cotton mills, general stores, schools, churches, and a cemetery. The post office was discontinued in 1903. A ferry crossing on the Colorado River ceased operation in the 1920s. (1997)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This Colorado River community grew from a land grant received in 1827 by John F. Webber, who settled here with his African American wife and children at a time when such a family faced deep hostility in the region. A post office opened for 'Webber's Prairie' in 1846, and by 1853 the town had taken the name Webberville. Built on cotton farming, it grew to include grist and cotton mills, stores, schools, churches, and a ferry crossing that operated into the 1920s.
Why it matters
Webberville preserves the story of an interracial family on the Texas frontier and of a river-town economy that flourished and faded with cotton and the ferry.
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Related people
- · John F. Webber
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Joseph J. Manor Cemetery
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Joseph J. Manor came to Texas from Tennessee at twenty and settled at Webberville, where he built a store and cotton gin and gathered land along the Colorado River. He and his wife Caroline lie here among other early pioneers, in a burial ground that honors veterans of nearly every American conflict from the War of 1812 through Vietnam. A descendants' association formed in 1982 now cares for the site.
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