Grass Pond Colony, Texas
Encyclopedia
Grass Pond Colony was located at the site of several large natural ponds which remain filled by water year-round due to natural springs, it is located in the northern part of Wilson County
, Texas
, U.S.A. about five miles south of Sutherland Springs
.
Spanish
"Rancho" during the Spanish Colonial period. After the American Civil War
several "Colonies" of freed slaves were established in the area, one of these was Grass Pond Colony. Grass Pond Colony was named for the large lilly pad filled ponds, located in the large natural grassy meadows nearby. In 1875 the community had a church and school built of hand-split logs and filled with handmade furniture made from logs. The first teacher at the school was August Harrison who was paid $40 a month. With the growth of nearby Floresville
, La Vernia
and Sutherland Springs, and after being bypassed by the railroad and major roads, the community declined until all that remains at the site today are the large lilly-pad filled ponds it was named for.
Wilson County, Texas
Wilson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 32,408. Its county seat is Floresville. The county is named after James Charles Wilson....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, U.S.A. about five miles south of Sutherland Springs
Sutherland Springs, Texas
Sutherland Springs is an unincorporated community located on the old Spanish land grant of Manuel Tarin in northern Wilson County, Texas, United States. It is on U.S. Highway 87 at the intersection with Farm Road 539, about twenty-one miles east of San Antonio...
.
History
Due to the reliable source of water the site was occupied early on by Native Americans. The Grass Ponds were later part of a ColonialColonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
"Rancho" during the Spanish Colonial period. After the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
several "Colonies" of freed slaves were established in the area, one of these was Grass Pond Colony. Grass Pond Colony was named for the large lilly pad filled ponds, located in the large natural grassy meadows nearby. In 1875 the community had a church and school built of hand-split logs and filled with handmade furniture made from logs. The first teacher at the school was August Harrison who was paid $40 a month. With the growth of nearby Floresville
Floresville, Texas
Floresville is a city in Wilson County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,868 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wilson County. The city is also part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, La Vernia
La Vernia, Texas
La Vernia is a city in Wilson County, Texas, United States. The population was 931 at the 2000 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
and Sutherland Springs, and after being bypassed by the railroad and major roads, the community declined until all that remains at the site today are the large lilly-pad filled ponds it was named for.
Sources
- "The Good Old Days: a history of LaVernia" by the Civic Government class of LaVernia High School, 1936-1937 school year."
- "Wilson County Centennial 1860-1960" By the Wilson county library, Centennial program handed out at The 100yr centennial celebration."
- "Segregated schools of Wilson County" Floresville Chronicle Journal May 20, 1971.
- "African Americans in Wilson County Texas", Jamie L. Harris, Lynbrook Books, 2006.
- "Wilson County History", Diane Jimenez, Taylor Publishing Co. 1990