The Church Oak in New Braunfels, Texas

A tree that is shrouded in mystery is the Church Oak, located in New Braunfels, Texas. What little is known about this live oak tree is inscribed on a marker underneath the tree:

Folklore says that here, in the dawn of Texas history, stood an Indian village in which one of the early missionaries lingered many days; that here a vision of the chief’s daughter freed the first German in Texas. Tradition says that under this tree Mass was offered by the Abbe Em Domenech in 1849.

This memorial was placed at the tree, which is on the east side of Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, in 1917, by the president of the Texas Historic Landmarks Association, Miss Adina de Zavala, who was the daughter of the provisional vice president of the Republic of Texas. This tree is one of the Famous Trees of Texas.

The Auction Oak

The Texas Congress, on January 14, 1839, directed Mirabeau B. Lamar to select a new site as the location for the capitol of the Texas Republic, which should be north of the San Antonio Road, and between the Colorado and Trinidad rivers.

The new capitol was to be named in honour of Stephen F. Austin, and Judge Edwin Waller, who was a veteran of the Texas War for Independence, was chosen as the Republic’s agent. Waller and a surveyor, William H. Sandusky, arrived in what is now the city of Austin in May, 1839, and along with 200 construction workers, laid out the future capitol of the Texas Republic, including streets, a university, a hospital, government buildings, and home sites. Under these oak trees, the Sheriff of Bastrop, Charles King, auctioned off 301 lots of land, for the combined total of $182,585, almost the sum needed to construct the government buildings necessary for the new capitol. These trees are listed in Famous Trees of Texas.

Not only can you buy fabric, but you can buy everything and anything associated with sewing, upholstery, garments and crafts–notions, patterns, trim, buttons, foam for cushions, pillow forms, and more. These are not the “discount” fabric stores like you may have seen, but the true bargains.

For example, pintucked silk is not available at all in the “consumer stores”–the ones you get coupons for. In the so-called “discount” retailers that I shopped (where most interior decorators get their fabrics), I compared the price of pintucked silk. It averaged about $70 per yard–very pricey! At these stores that I shopped on this tiny street off of Harry Hines Boulevard, the exact same silk was $28 per yard, with a faux pearl added at each corner. And if I wanted certain colours, I could get it on clearance at the same stores for $4.99 a yard!

So don’t miss out on the fabric and trim bargains of your life–if you’re in Dallas, plan a day trip to stop by and save. You’ll need a van to carry all your finds home!

The property is also the location of the famous Sam Houston or Runaway Scrape Oak, the live oak tree under which Sam Houston gave the order to the Texas army to retreat from the Mexican forces after the fall of the Alamo.

The Braches house is open for tours from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on the last Saturday of April, May and July; the first Saturday and Sunday of October (“Come and Take It” Day); the first Saturday and Sunday of December; or by appointment, which can be made by calling (800) 892-0214, or visiting the Gonzales Chamber of Commerce, located inside the Gonzales Jail Museum.) Admission is $3 adults; $1 for children under 12.

The Latino Cultural Center is open from Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission to the facility is free, although fees may be charged for classes and special events. Tours of the facility are available on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., by scheduling in advance, or by appointment. The tours are also free of charge, and run from thirty to forty-five minutes.

The museum is also the only surviving electric substation on the InterUrban line. Today it houses numerous artifacts from the historic transportation system.

The InterUrban Museum is open Mondays through Fridays, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. They have a preschool story time on Fridays at 10:30 a.m. (let them know you’re coming by calling (972) 941-2117. Admission to the museum is free.

• The 1856 Gilbert House, a limestone dogtrot-style house
• The 1877 Farmers Branch Railroad Depot, built by the Dallas and Wichita railroad, and features an 1890s all-wooden caboose
• The 1885 Queen Anne Victorian Cottage, restored 1996, with an antique rose garden
• The 1890s church
• The 1900s Farmers Branch School, the first organized school in Dallas County, restored in 1991
• The 1930s Texaco service station
• The 1840s log cabin

The park also hosts two historical baseball teams, where you can see the game as it was originally played in the nineteenth century. The Farmers Branch Historical Park is open Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6:00 p.m. Admission is free; donations are encouraged.

• The Faires House, the oldest still-standing structure in McKinney, built in 1854, Greek Revival style
• The Taylor house, built in 1854, which served as an inn for stagecoach passengers
• The John H. Johnson house, built in 1870, folk Victorian style
• The Dulaney cottage, built in 1875, Victorian style
• Dixie’s store, built in 1918, famed for giving free sodas to children who brought home good report cards
• The Dulaney house, built in 1916, prairie style, is a two-story house with a number of period artifacts
• The Bevel reception house, built in 1920, Arts and Crafts style, renovated 2007

The Chestnut Square Historic village also features a number of free and paid events throughout the year.

The White Rock Lake Museum, inside the Bath House Cultural Center, is charged with preserving the history of natural life and human history in the area.

The Bath House Cultural Center is open on Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m., and there is no charge for admission to the center, although some special events do require admission. As access from East Lawther Drive is currently blocked, you should enter from Northcliff Drive.