OWENSVILLE, TEXAS

Third county seat of Robertson County

Texas Ghost Town
Robertson County, Central Texas S

Junction of FM 46 and FM 979
5 Miles NW of Franklin the county seat
Population: 0

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Owensviille Tx No Thru Traffic Fine Sign

Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, December 2008

History in a Pecan Shell

In 1855, Owensville became the third county seat of Robertson County. The contract for the construction of the courthouse was made that year and the name was chosen to honor the Robertson County Clerk, Harrison Owen.

The following year the county records were moved from Wheellock. A post office was granted in 1856 and Owensville remained the county seat until the end of the Civil War. In 1868, unpopular Reconstructionist County Judge I. B. Ellison ordered records to be moved to Calvert. Calvert was declared Robertson County’s 4th seat of government in Mid 1870.

Owensville’s post office stayed open until 1872 and except for a short-lived reopening in the late 1890s, it closed its doors for good.

Today all that’s left of Owensville is the cemetery.

Owensville Historical Marker ›

Owensville Cemetery

Owensville Cemetery
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, December 2008

Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, December 2008

Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, December 2008
More Texas Cemeteries | Texas Ghost Towns

Owensville Historical Marker
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, December 2008
See Texas History | Texas Towns

Site of Owensville

Robertson County's third county seat was located here, 1855-69, on land given by D. H. Love (1816-66). The town was Owensville, named for Harrison Owen (1803-96), who was the first county clerk, 1838-47. Public officials, doctors, lawyers, businesses moved here and town thrived. It was on Houston-Waco mail, stage, and freighting road.

As Civil War (1861-65) county seat, this place armed and dispatched soldiers, and cared for civilians.

After Houston & Texas Central Railway bypassed Owensville in 1868, county records were moved to Calvert. Owensville Cemetery, oldest in county, marks townsite.

Take a road trip

Owensville, Texas Nearby Towns:
Franklin the county seat
Calvert | Wheellock
See Robertson County, Central Texas S

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