Historical Markers in
Fayette County, Texas

Asa Hill of Rutersville Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church Beer Office and Bottling Company Bermuda Valley Farm Bernard Scherrer Bethlehem Lutheran Church Birthplace of the SPJST Black Jack Springs Cemetery Boehnke Cemetery Bradshaw-Killough House Brandt Cemetery Breeding Family Cemetery / First School in Fayette County Brethren Church Brookfield-Evans-Cremer House Burnam's Ferry Carl T. Morene: A Shorthorn Forever Casino Hall Cedar Cemetery Cedar Creek Cemetery Cesko Narodni Hrbitov Christian G. Wertzner City Library Building Col. William F. Upton Colonel John H. Moore House Colony Cemetery Compton-Zapp House Connersville Primitive Baptist Church African American Cemetery Cotton Oil Mill, First Creuzbaur's Battery, C.S.A. - "The Big Guns of Fayette" Czech Catholic Union of Texas Dawson Oak, The Dr. William P. Smith Dubina Early Texas Hotels & Inns Earthman Farm F.W. Flato Fayette County Fayette County Courthouse Fayette County Jail Fayette County Precinct No. 2 Courthouse Fayette County, C.S.A Fayetteville Fayetteville Brethren Church Cemetery Fayetteville City Cemetery Fayetteville SPJST First Roadside Park in Texas Flatonia Flatonia Baptist Church Flatonia City Hospital and Opera House Flatonia Methodist Church Freyburg Methodist Church Freyburg United Methodist Church Cemetery Gotcher Trace Gresser Family Cemetery Gus Cranz Mansion Halamicek Cemetery Hamilton Ledbetter House Hermes House High Hill Cemetery Historic Oak Isaac Lafayette Hill Jacob Castleman James Carrel Bell James J. Ross James Seaton Lester John Henry Moore John Rice Jones John Vogt Homestead Joseph C. Robinson Kallus House Kaulbach Home Konrad Joh Log Cabin Kreische Complex La Fayette Masonic Lodge No. 34 A.F. & A.M. Lenert House Ludwig and Caroline Giese House Lyons Family Cemetery Lyons Lodge No. 195, A.F. & A.M. Lyons Lodge No.195, A. F.& A. M. Meerscheidt House Monument Hill Tomb Mulberry Creek Bridge Muldoon Community Nassau Plantation Navidad Baptist Cemetery Old Anderson Place Old City Cemetery Old Plum Grove Cemetery Oldenburg Olle Hotel Original Site of First Oil Mill in Texas Pagel Cemetery Philadelphia Evangelical Lutheran Chuch Phillip James Shaver Pin Oak Cemetery Pitman Cemetery Plum Grove Baptist Church and Cemetery Pochmann House Rabb's Prairie Robert Hancock Hunter Rocky Creek Farm Round Top Round Top Community Rutersville Rutersville College S.P.J.S.T. Lodge No. 1 Saints Peter and Paul Old Catholic Cemetery Salem Memorial Cemetery Samuel Knight Lewis Sarrazin Store Schiege Cigar Factory Schiege Cigar Factory Manager's House Schiege House Schueddemagen Home Schulenburg Schulenburg Baptist Church Schulenburg City Cemetery Schulenburg Community Cemetery Shiloh Cemetery Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church Simon Peter Ford Site of a Twin Blockhouse Site of First Methodist Annual Conference in Texas Site of Former Town of Lyons Site of Svrcek Building Site of Svrcek Garage Site of Wood's Fort Spacek House St. James Episcopal Church St. James Missionary Baptist Church St. John The Baptist Catholic church St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery St. Mary's Catholic Church St. Paul Lutheran Church St. Peter Lutheran Church and Prairie Valley Cemetery Stephen Williams Stephen's Chapel Methodist Cemetery Texas Hotels & Inns, Early The Dawson Expedition / Historic Oak The Faison House The First U. S. Postal Rural Mail Route in Texas The Menn House The Old Masonic Building The Oldest Czech Settlement The Rev. Jindrich Juren The Reverend Joseph Chromcik The Sladek-Hillman House Townsend-Bremer House Turner Hall United Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery US Rural Mail Route in Texas, First W. S. Robson Waldeck Cemetery Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church Wandke House Webb-Schneider House Wheeler Building William B. Bridgers William Gorham Winchester Cemetery Winedale Stagecoach Inn Woods Prairie Cemetery Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1867 Zapp Building
The state flower of Texas is the bluebonnet. The flower blooms in the spring and is a common sight along the highways and in fields throughout the state.
Fayette County, Texas, located in the southeastern part of the state, has a rich and diverse history. The area was first settled by indigenous Native American tribes, such as the Lipan Apache and Karankawa, who thrived off the bountiful natural resources of the region. European exploration and colonization began in the late 17th century when Spanish explorers arrived, followed by French adventurers and American frontiersmen.

The establishment of Anglo-American settlements in Fayette County started in the 1820s under Stephen F. Austin's colony. The town of La Grange, which would become the county seat, was founded in 1826 and named after the ancestral home of General Lafayette. Over the next few decades, more pioneers arrived, attracted by the fertile soil and opportunities for farming and ranching. German immigrants, in particular, played a significant role in the county's development, establishing thriving communities and introducing their agricultural practices.

During the mid-19th century, Fayette County became embroiled in the turmoil of the Texas Revolution and the Civil War. The Battle of Fayetteville, fought in 1836, marked a significant event in the struggle for Texas independence. Confederate soldiers from Fayette County fought in various battles during the Civil War, including the Battle of Galveston and the Battle of Sabine Pass.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Fayette County experienced economic growth and cultural diversification. Railroads connected the county to larger markets, stimulating trade and commerce. The discovery of oil and gas reserves further bolstered the local economy. Today, Fayette County is known for its agricultural industry, with crops like cotton and corn, as well as cattle ranching. It also attracts tourists with its historical sites, including the Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites, which commemorate important moments in the county's history.

This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Fayette County, Texas.

  • 1837 – Fayette County is established as one of the original counties of the Republic of Texas.
  • 1838 – The permanent county seat is established in La Grange.
  • 1861-1865 – Fayette County residents actively participate in the Civil War.
  • 1873 – The railroad reaches Fayette County, spurring economic growth.
  • 1901 – The first oil well is drilled in the county, leading to the discovery of the West Point Oil Field.
  • 1905 – The monumental Fayette County Courthouse is built.
  • 1950s-1970s – Fayette County experiences an agricultural boom due to the construction of the Fayette Power Project and Fayette Nuclear Plant.
  • 1998 – Fayette County celebrates its 150th anniversary.
  • 2011 – The historic town square in La Grange is added to the National Register of Historic Places.