Historic Interest in Jackson County, TX

Jackson County is one of the original 23 counties created in the State of Texas on March 17, 1836, and is named for Andrew Jackson, then President of the United States. Below are some points of historic interest in Jackson County:

Historic Texana Church

Jackson County's oldest church was built in 1859. It is has recently been restored and moved to the Brackenridge Park Campground on Hwy. 111, 6 1/2 mi. east of Edna. Tours for viewing are available.

La Salle Odyssey

An eight-museum tour with exhibits that depict the epic story of La Salle's expedition. Each exhibit tells a portion of the larger story and each displays artifacts from La Salle's ship, La Belle, which was recently recovered from Matagorda Bay. The museums are located in six counties, all of which are members of the Texas Settlement Region. The saga begins at Texana Museum located in Edna. (See below and visit www.texas-settlement.org/odyssey/.)

Texana Museum & Library Association

403 N. Wells, Edna, TX 77957

361/782-5431

One of the most interesting places to visit in Jackson County is the Texana Museum. A wealth of information on early Jackson County is housed in the museum library, including an exhibit on the Karankawa Indians and their role in the La Salle Expedition. This exhibit is one of eight in the La Salle Odyssey (see above). Also featured are a rare violin dated at more than 300 years old, a rosewood Chickering Piano over 135 years old, a cowboy display, old country store, turn of the century dentist's office and much more. Open Thursday and Friday, 1-5 p.m. or by appointment for groups.

Otto Lawrence Children's Museum

(Behind the Texana Museum)

A hands-on experience for children of all ages, the children's museum has doors to the past opening into an old country schoolroom, old country store and post office. Vintage dress-up clothes and accessories are available to spark young imaginations and homemade games add to the fun. Located in the historic old Jackson County jail at the corner of Cypress and Ed Linn Streets, the museum may be toured by appointment only. Call 361-782-5431.

Brackenridge Plantation Home Site and Cemetery

The Brackenridge Plantation Home Site and Cemetery is located in the Brackenridge Park Campground on Hwy. 111, 6 1/2 mi. east of Edna. The cemetery dates back to 1856.

Historical Markers

Jackson County also has an interesting driving tour of historic homes and a large number of official Texas Historical Markers, including one for the site of the Famous Lavaca-Navidad Meeting. This gathering held in 1835 saw the signing of a resolution urging Texas independence. It was recognized by the Texas Centennial Commission as the forerunner of the Texas Declaration of Independence adopted in 1836. Information on these markers may be found at http://www.tsir.org/markers/jackson/ or from the Chamber publication "Guide to Historical Markers in Jackson County, Texas". This booklet includes photographs of all the county's historical markers, plus a detailed driving tour to see them.

The site of Jackson County was the early hunting grounds of the cannibalistic Karankawa Indians. This region was crossed in 1528 by shipwrecked Spaniard Cabeza de Vaca and later by French explorer La Salle, also shipwrecked, who founded the first settlement, the ill-fated Fort St. Louis in 1685. The site of the fort, just three miles down river from Bennett Park, was recently excavated by the Texas Historical Commission. A visit to the park enables visitors to experience very much the same conditions that this first colony found, as described in a journal by Henri Joutel in 1685. The park also contains the northernmost stands of Sabal Palm trees in Texas. Ultimately the colony was destroyed by Indians and burned by the Spanish.

To get the full experience of this region’s history, visitors are invited on the “LaSalle Odyssey,” a seven-museum tour which begins in Jackson County at the Texana Museum. By visiting each museum in the odyssey, (Edna, Bay City, Corpus Christi, Palacios, Port Lavaca, Rockport and Victoria), visitors may travel through time with the early explorer.

Additional information on the history of this region may be obtained through two organizations, of which Jackson County is a part: the Texas Settlement Region and the Texas Independence Trail Region.