McMullen County

Duane's take

The way I tell it, I'm going on what the official marker says; so here's the story of McMullen County, straight from the historical record. Now, McMullen County was created in 1858. That's the beginning.

But don't let the clean date fool you; this place had a rough road ahead of it. It organized in 1862, right in the middle of the Civil War, and then well, then things got complicated. Bandit activities in the thicket area forced the county to be abandoned entirely.

Abandoned. Not reorganized, not restructured; abandoned. That's the kind of detail that ought to slow you down a little when you're drivin' through this quiet stretch of South Texas.

It wasn't until 1877 that McMullen County got back on its feet, reorganizing with Tilden as the county seat. Fifteen years of waiting. The county is named for John McMullen, who lived from 1785 to 1853.

And McMullen was no small figure. He co-founded (alongside James McGloin) the Irish Colony at San Patricio. And if that weren't enough, he served as President Pro Tempore of the General Council that governed Texas in 1836, right on the eve of the Republic itself.

Right on the edge of something enormous. Now, McMullen is one of ten Texas counties that commemorate colonizers; men like McMullen and Stephen F. Austin, whom the marker calls, plain and simple, the Father of Texas.

And here's where the story opens up, because this marker doesn't just tell you about one county. It tells you something about all 254 of them. Forty-two bear Indian, French, or Spanish names; the oldest layers of this land.

Twelve honor Washington and other American patriots. Ninety-six were named for men who fought in the Texas war for independence; fifteen of them dying at the Alamo; or who signed the Declaration of Independence from Mexico, or served as statesmen in the Republic. Twenty-three carry the names of frontiersmen and pioneers.

Eleven honor American statesmen who worked for the annexation of Texas. Ten remember leaders in Texas since statehood; jurists, ministers, educators, historians, statesmen. And thirty-six bear the names of men prominent in the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Then there are the ones that don't honor any person at all. Rockwall and eight others take their names from geography. San Jacinto and Val Verde were named for battles.

Live Oak and Orange were named for trees. And Mason; Mason was named for a fort. Two hundred and fifty-four counties.

Every one of them a chapter. McMullen County (created, abandoned, and rebuilt) is just the one the marker's standin' in front of. But somehow, hearin' how this place fits into all 254 of those stories, you start to feel the full weight of what it took to make this state.

What the marker says

Created 1858. Organized 1862. Abandoned because of bandit activities in thicket area during the Civil War. Reorganized 1877, with Tilden as county seat. Named for John McMullen (1785-1853), founded with James McGloin of the Irish Colony at San Patricio; President Pro Tempore of the General Council which governed Texas in 1836, on the eve of the Republic. Of the 254 Texas counties, 42 bear Indian, French or Spanish names. 10 commemorate such colonizers as McMullen and Stephen F. Austin, "Father of Texas". 12 honor Washington and other American patriots. 96 were named for men who fought in the Texas war for independence (15 dying at the Alamo), signed the Declaration of Independence from Mexico, or served as statesmen in the Republic of Texas. 23 have the names of frontiersmen and pioneers. 11 honor American statesmen who worked for the annexation of Texas; 10, leaders in Texas since statehood, including jurists, ministers, educators, historians, statesmen; and 36, men prominent in the Confederacy during the Civil War. Rockwall and 8 others have geographical names. San Jacinto and Val Verde were named for battles; Live Oak and Orange, for trees; and Mason for a fort. 1964