Bee County

Duane's take

Here's my take on what the official marker has to say about Bee County, and friend, there's more to this stretch of South Texas than meets the eye. Pull over if you need to, because we're going back a ways. By legislative act on December 8, 1857, Bee County was carved out of land that had belonged to Goliad, Karnes, Live Oak, Refugio, and San Patricio counties.

Just over a month later, on January 25, 1858, it was organized. Now that is a county that hit the ground runnin'. They named it for Colonel Barnard E.

Bee, born in 1787, died in 1853, a man who wore some serious hats for the Republic of Texas. Secretary of War, Secretary of State, and Minister to the United States. One man, three titles, one republic.

Not bad for a fellow the county hadn't even gotten around to naming yet when he passed. The county seat in 1858 was set on Medio Creek, a place called Marysville. But by 1860 the seat had moved to where Beeville stands today, and it hasn't budged since.

Now here's the thing about Bee County. It had been cattle country since Spanish times, and come 1865 it stepped up as a serious beef producer. That identity ran deep.

It ran for decades before the next big turn. The San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad rolled through in 1886, bringing the first modern transportation this county had ever seen. Tracks where there had only been trails.

Then the ground itself spoke up. In 1929, oil was discovered here. Cattle, railroad, oil.

Bee County didn't just grow, it kept reinventing what it was sitting on top of.

What the marker says

1936 plate: Created a county largely from San Patricio in 1857 Organized in 1858. Named for General Barnard E. Bee, 1787-1853 Secretary of War and Secretary of State of the Republic of Texas. Texas Minister to the United States. First railroad in 1886. Oil discovered, 1929. County seat, Marysville, 1858. Beeville, since 1860. 1971 plate: Named for Col. Barnard E. Bee (1787-1853), who served Republic of Texas as Secretary of War, Secretary of State, and Minister to the United States. County was created by legislative act on Dec. 8, 1857; organized Jan. 25, 1858, from land earlier in Goliad, Karnes, Live Oak, Refugio, and San Patricio counties. County seat in 1858 was on Medio Creek; since 1860 at present Beeville. A cattle region since Spanish times, Bee County became important beef producer in 1865. San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad provided first modern transportation in 1886. Oil was discovered here in 1929.