|
 |
History
in a Pecan Shell
Although the popular poem "Casey at the Bat" mentions a town of Mudville
- the name was not borrowed from the one in Texas.
This Mudville was settled as early as the 1860s and was named for
it's most abundant natural resource. In 1878 a post office was opened
in Henry Steele's store and the names Steele's Store and Mudville
have been used interchangeably from the beginning.
In 1884 Steele's Store/ Mudville had an estimated population of 150
with another store beside Steele's and several other business. The
population was mostly Black, but Italian immigrants also contributed
to the population. In 1891 the Hearne and Brazos Valley Railway
came through and by 1896 the population had swelled to 350.
The post office closed in 1950, and the school consolidated with Bryan
ISD in the 1960s. The community is still included on TxDoT's county
maps in 1998 although there is no visible town center.
The town received a historical marker in 1992. |
 |
Historical Marker
Steele's Store
Community
Anglo settlement
in this area can be traced to 1851. Henry B. Steele built a general
merchandise store in 1855 to serve residents of the rural community,
originally called Mudville because of frequent Brazos River floods.
The store became the center of the community, and when a post office
was established there in 1878 the settlement was renamed Steele's
Store.
Italian immigrants, primarily from the provinces of Trapani and Palermo,
began settling here in the 1870s. Many of the families established
large farms, and by the early 20th Century the Italian community here
was one of the largest in the United States. A one-room schoolhouse
built in 1889 was later replaced with larger structures as the population
grew. The school eventually was consolidated with the Brazos County
Independent School District. Predominantly Roman Catholic, the settlement
was served by priests from St. Anthony's Church in Bryan
until 1903, when San Salvador Catholic Church was built. The church
became the focal point of the community, with traditional Sicilian
celebrations held each March to honor St. Joseph. Many descendants
of the area's pioneer Italian families still reside in the vicinity.
1992 |
 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. |
|
|
HOME
