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Green
Lake road sign near Junction of State Hwy 185
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, February 2009 |
Historical Marker:
GREEN LAKE
Named for the nearby
tidal lake of the same name, the community of Green Lake began to
develop in the late 1840s, although records indicate there were some
settlers in the area before that time. A group of wealthy planters
from Kentucky migrated to the area about 1849, along with their families
and many slaves. They established extensive cotton
plantations and built large and impressive homes.
Early in its history, in 1851, a tornado struck the settlement, but
miraculously caused little property damage and no injuries. A private
school was established in 1852 and served children of the Green Lake
and surrounding communities.
The outbreak of the Civil War caused many changes in Green Lake. Following
the U.S. surrender by General David Twiggs in 1861, Federal troops
camped near here awaiting transport ships. With its agricultural economy
based largely upon slave labor, Green Lake declined following the
war when landowners, facing a labor shortage, began to leave the area.
By 1875 most of the original settlers were gone.
Although in existence a relatively short period of time, Green Lake
contributed to the history of Calhoun
County.
(1988) |
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| Texas
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