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History in
a Pecan Shell
The town sprang up on Perdido Creek, not far from the site where Fannin
and his command were captured by Mexican forces in 1836. The date
is uncertain, but the first post office opened in 1852 – closing four
short years later. The original name was Fanning’s Defeat,
although we’re sure no disrespect was meant.
Fannin was often misspelled as Fanning – and it continues to this
day – just not by Texans.
By 1873, a new post office opened under the name Perdido -
named after the creek. The town was well on its way by 1884 with daily
stage service to Victoria
and 50 residents.
When the railroad came through in 1889 the railroad’s designation
for the stop was Fannin. A new post office opened under that
name and the town doubled its population in short order. By 1914 there
were 200 people in Fannin and it was known as a cattle-shipping point
with permanent shipping pens built alongside the rails.
A stray bullet from a shootout in a saloon in 1911started a fire.
As a result, the town went up in flames. Rebuilding wasn’t a priority
and with fewer buildings, the townfolk moved to where there were more.
The population fell back to 100 people and it hovered there for the
next 70 years.
Today, the town sits between Perdido Creek and the Fannin
Battleground State Historic Site.
The Battle of Perdido occurred
in 1817 between Spanish forces and a Mexican Republican army. |
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A Visit to
Fannin
Photographer's
Note
A new 4 lane bypass now makes the old Hwy 59 through Fannin a dead
end street. The lone business in town, a famous BBQ stop, now rely's
on it's catering business. The El
Perdido Battlefield marker is located about 1 mile north of town
on FM 2987 & the Fannin cemetery is about 2 miles NW of town. - William
Beauchamp, May 2009 |
Fannin Battleground
State Historic Site
FM 2508, one mile
South of Fannin |
In Memory of
James W. Fannin Jr and Fellow Patriots
Photo courtesy William
Beauchamp, May 2009 |
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Battle of Coleto
and Goliad
Massacre Historical Marker:
After the fall
of the Alamo, March 6, 1836, Colonel James Walker Fannin, with
about 400 soldiers, mostly volunteers from the United States in the
Texas War for Independence, was ordered by Texas General Sam Houston
to retreat from Goliad to
Victoria.
March 19, the heavy Mexican force of General Urrea surrounded the
withdrawing Texas contingent near Coleto Creek, and bitter fighting
ensued. Fannin's volunteers hurled back the assaults of the Mexican
force. On the following day, faced with several times their number,
the Texans surrendered in the belief they would be treated as prisoners
of war of a civilized nation. After removal to Goliad,
the Fannin men were marched out and massacred on Palm Sunday under
orders of Santa Anna, the general of the Mexican armies. Thus dictator
Santa Anna added another infamy to that of the
Alamo and gave to the men who saved Texas at San
Jacinto their battle cry, "Remember the Alamo,
Remember Goliad".
The memorial to Fannin and his men is near Goliad.
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Battle of El
Perdido historical marker 1 mile north of town on FM 2987.
Photo courtesy William
Beauchamp, May 2009
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Site of Battle
of El Perdido Historical Marker:
During 1810 - 1819
efforts to expel Spain from Texas, a
bloody clash occurred here on June 19, 1817, between the forces of
Col. Antonio Martinez, last Spanish governor of Texas, and a Mexican
Republican Army of invasion that was on its way to attack and capture
La Bahia.
Republicans had 42 men under Col. Henry Perry and Maj. James H. Gordon,
former U.S. officers, veterans of the 1815 Battle of New Orleans.
Outnumbered 3-to-1, Perry and Gordon refused offer of safe surrender,
saying they would die first. Along with 24 of their men, both were
killed. |
A sign not to
forget
TE photo, 2003 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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