The next stop on our journey through southeast Texas was Crockett. Established in 1837, the town was named for Davy Crockett (of Alamo fame). The name was chosen by Andrews Edward Gossett, the man who donated the land for the town. He was a neighbor of Crockett's when they both lived in Tennessee.
It is said that Davy Crockett camped here on the way to the Alamo. Known as the "paradise in the pines" due to the beautiful pine forests that surround the area, it is also the county seat of Houston County.
Houston County established in 1837, the first county created under the Republic of Texas, was named for Sam Houston. It's considered the oldest county in Texas even though it's not one of the original 23 counties that were set up prior to Texas becoming a Republic.
As you drive into town from 287, you pass this crumbling but interesting building. It's the site of the Mary Allen Seminary which was a Black girl's school that was created back in 1886. It was founded by Richard Allen, a Presbyterian minister and named for his wife, Mary. In 1924, it was restructured and became a junior college with an all black faculty. They closed in 1943 and then reopened the following year. It operated until 1972. It was the only school that was open to freed Black women. I read that they were thinking of rehabbing the building and making it a museum but, clearly, that has gone by the wayside. Too bad. It's a cool looking building with a lot of history.
Further into town is the Downes-Aldrich House which was built in 1893 by J.E. Downes who was a local businessman. He lived here until about 1910 when he sold it to Armistead Albert Aldrich. Armistead was a civic leader and historian. The historical marker says that the Aldrich family still lives there but I don't think so. There's another sign out front that says this is the HQ of the House Historical and Cultural Activities Center of Houston County. Too bad they don't make it a museum. It's a nice house.
Crockett has a few historical homes. This one is a house that was built by A. T. Monroe, nephew of President James Monroe. It was built in 1894. In 1911 it was sold to George W Crook, a local prominent attorney, who lived there until his death in 1954. His daughter has preserved the house and, according to Facebook, you can tour the house by making an appointment.
This is the Houston County Courthouse. This is the fifth courthouse for Houston County. It was built in 1938 when the previous courthouse, which was built in 1883, was razed. I felt like there wasn't a lot of walking room around the courthouse, similar to Athens. It's like the parking was right by the door of the courthouse.
As part of the downtown area, I came across this place: Polk's. It was a women's department store back in the 1950s. It sold "Ladies fashions, shoes and hats." The business ceased in the 1970s.
The Ritz Theater began as an opera house back in 1894 and evolved into a movie palace. During the early part of the 20th century, they had vaudeville acts and showed silent movies. It was renamed the Ritz in the 1950s. It closed in 2018. The Ritz has since been restored and is now a live entertainment venue.
The building on the left is the Knights of Pythias Lodge. It's a fraternal organization founded in 1864 that supports charitable causes. This building was erected in the 1890s. The Knights would have met upstairs and the lower level would have been rented out for retail. Now, the whole building is rented out commercially. Next to it is the WV McConnell Building which was erected in 1891. McConnell ran a successful mercantile store here until 1973...well, the store was there until 1973. Mr. McConnell died in 1919.
In the parking lot next to the Moosehead Cafe (the yellow building) stood the Crockett Hotel. Built in 1890, it was originally the Pickwick Hotel. In 1927 it was reopened as the Davy Crockett Hotel. It was destroyed in 1972 by fire. Too bad. That would have been cool to stay there!
The coming of the railroad in 1872 gave the town a way to expand it's lumber industry. This is the train depot in Crockett. It was built in 1909, the third to have been built in town, for the Houston & Great Northern Railroad. Now it's the Houston County Visitor Center and Museum. I couldn't find when it was open. Bummer.
Across Goliad Avenue from the depot is this mural of Davy Crockett along with Strode-Pritchett Log Cabin. The cabin was believed to have been built by B.R. Wallace in the 1850s. He was Jeremiah Strode's son-in-law and a Texas legislator. It was discovered in 1973 as it was used for hay storage. The Houston County Historical Commission moved the cabin here and restored it.
Crockett was a cute little town. There are about 6,500 people that live there. Some of the bigger employers are Steel Fabrications, a manufacturer that employs about 250 people. Alloy Polymers and Elastotech are some others.
They have several grocery stores for a town their size. They have Dollar General, H-E-B and a Walmart Superstore. They have your standard fast food chains: McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut to name a few but I didn't see any chain restaurants.
Crockett was more than I expected. I just wish I'd been able to go into the county museum. Meanwhile, if you're in the area, check it out!
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