Yegua Creek
Somerville, Burleson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1690 the Spanish gave the name "San Francisco" to this 62-mile Brazos River tributary; but on an 1822 map, Stephen F. Austin, "Father of Texas", marked it "Yegua", Spanish for "mare". Mustang mares and foals then grazed among the Indians on the timbered creek. In 1826, colonist John P. Coles built a mill on the stream. A measure signed in 1837 by Texas President Sam Houston made the Yegua a county boundary. Floods often devastated the area until Lake Somerville harnessed Yegua's waters in 1967. Now a recreation area, the lake and creek benefit crops, wild life, and vacationers. (1976)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This 62-mile Brazos tributary was christened "San Francisco" by the Spanish in 1690, but Stephen F. Austin relabeled it "Yegua"—Spanish for "mare"—on his 1822 map, after the wild mustang mares and foals that grazed its timbered banks alongside Native people. Colonist John P. Coles built a mill here in 1826, and in 1837 a measure signed by Sam Houston made the creek a county boundary. Long prone to devastating floods, its waters were finally tamed by Lake Somerville in 1967.
Why it matters
The Yegua's layered names and uses trace Texas from Spanish exploration through Anglo colonization to the modern era of dam-building, all in one waterway.
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Related people
- · Stephen F. Austin
- · Sam Houston
- · John P. Coles
Themes & tags
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