McGehee Crossing

Duane's take

The marker's the word on this one, folks — here's how Duane tells it. Now, before we talk about the McGehees, we need to talk about the road. Because there was a road here long before any of them arrived, and that road was no ordinary stretch of dirt.

The Camino Real — the King's Highway, the Old San Antonio Road, call it what you like — ran all the way from Nacogdoches down to the Rio Grande, and for a long time it was the spine of this part of the continent. Back in 1714, a man named Louis Juchereau de St. Denis made his way along that route.

Born in 1676, this was a fellow with ambitions that stretched across colonial borders — he was working to establish trade between the French in Louisiana and the Spanish of Coahuila province down on the Rio Grande. Picture that journey. No towns to speak of, no bridges, just the road and whatever the road asked of you.

Now the San Marcos River crossed that road, and that crossing mattered. In 1808, the Spanish established the first settlement right there — Villa San Marcos de Neve, they called it. Didn't last long.

By 1812, it was abandoned, the brewing Mexican revolution making permanence a difficult proposition out on a road like that. Then, in 1820 and 1821, two men came through during their colonization efforts — Moses Austin, born 1761, died 1821, and his son Stephen F. Austin, born 1793, died 1836.

The marker says they very likely crossed the San Marcos River near this very point. That's a careful word, very likely. History's got plenty of those moments where the footprints are almost visible.

Now here come the McGehees. Thomas Gilmer McGehee — born 1810, died 1890 — settled on the east side of that river around 1846, on a Mexican land grant. The man planted himself right where the road and the river met, and in a place like that, you don't stay anonymous for long.

Then in 1859, Thomas's nephew, Charles L. McGehee Jr. — born 1837, died 1929 — acquired twelve hundred acres of land. Not just any twelve hundred acres, mind you, but land bordered by the Camino Real and the river.

The road on one side, the water on the other. Ten years later, he sold that land to his cousin, George T. McGehee, born 1836, died 1926.

Three McGehees. One crossing. A road that Louis Juchereau de St.

Denis walked in 1714, that the Austins traveled in 1820 and 1821, that a Spanish settlement rose along and fell away from before the family ever arrived. And that, as the marker will tell you plainly, is how it became known as McGehee Crossing. The family's association with this historic site — that's the exact phrase — left their name on a place that was already old when they got here.

Out here on the King's Highway, that's about as permanent as a name gets.

What the marker says

The Camino Real, also known as the Old San Antonio Road and the King's Highway, followed a route from Nacogdoches to the Rio Grande. Louis Juchereau de St. Denis (1676-1744) traveled the route to establish trade between the French in Louisiana and the Spanish of Coahuila province on the Rio Grande in 1714. The first settlement at the San Marcos River crossing of the road was Villa San Marcos de Neve, established by the Spanish in 1808. It was abandoned by 1812 due to the brewing Mexican revolution. During their colonization efforts in 1820 and 1821, Moses Austin (1761-1821) and his son, Stephen F. Austin (1793-1836), very likely crossed the San Marcos River near this point. Thomas Gilmer McGehee (1810-1890) settled on the east side of the river on a Mexican land grant about 1846. In 1859 his nephew, Charles L. McGehee, Jr. (1837-1929), acquired 1200 acres of land bordered by the Camino Real and the river. Ten years later he sold the land to his cousin, George T. McGehee (1836-1926). Due to the McGehee family's association with this historic site, it became known as McGehee Crossing. (1987)