Mullins Heritage Park

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Mullins Heritage Park, out in Brown County. Back in 1894, the Brown County commissioners had a job to do. They needed a public road cut through the western part of the county, running from Bangs all the way to Cross Cut.

Now, any road worth building has to cross whatever the land puts in front of it, and out here that meant Jim Ned Creek. The chief crossing of that creek came right at Mullins Ranch. So the county did what counties do, they bought eleven acres on the spot and got to work.

Before any of that, though, you have to know who put their name on this land. Brothers John Charles and William Haven Mullins, along with their families, had settled in Brown County way back in 1857. They didn't just move in and keep to themselves, either.

They helped establish the nearby towns of Mullin and Thrifty. Two towns. From one family's roots.

Mullins Ranch became something more than a working spread over the years. It was a regular stop for Methodist circuit preachers making their rounds. Camp meetings drew folks out here.

So did the simple pull of a good watering hole, because this was an unfenced site where cattlemen and area residents could bring their herds and themselves and find some relief. Recreation, community, a place to gather and breathe. Some places have a way of holding on to their purpose across the generations.

The marker tells us that many of those traditional activities continue today at this historic gathering place. The road from Bangs to Cross Cut may be well-worn by now, but the ground at Mullins Heritage Park, it's still doing what it always did.

What the marker says

In 1894, Brown County commissioners built a public road from Bangs to Cross Cut in the western part of the county. The chief crossing of Jim Ned Creek came at Mullins Ranch, so the county bought eleven acres here for the project. Brothers John Charles and William Haven Mullins and their families settled in Brown County in 1857, helping establish nearby towns of Mullin and Thrifty. Mullins Ranch was a regular stop for Methodist circuit preachers, and remained popular for camp meetings and recreation. The unfenced site was also a favored watering hole for cattlemen and area residents. Many of the traditional activities continue today at this historic gathering place. (2007)