DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the San Marcos Mill Tract, out there in Hays County. Now, before we get to the mill, we've got to talk about the land — because this particular piece of ground has a history that starts long before Edward Burleson ever laid eyes on it. It was granted to Juan M. de Veramendi back in 1831.
That name alone carries weight in old Texas. But in 1844, Burleson purchased this tract, and that's where our story really picks up steam. Edward Burleson — born 1793, died 1851 — was not a man who sat still.
A native of North Carolina, he moved to Texas in 1830, settling first in Bastrop County. From there, well, the man's resume starts to read like a highlights reel of the Republic of Texas itself. He commanded forces at the Battle of San Jacinto.
He rode into the Cherokee War in East Texas. And then he stepped into the halls of government — congressman, senator, and vice-president of the Republic of Texas. He even made a run for the presidency.
Lost that one to Anson Jones, which I reckon stung some. But when Texas came into the Union as a state, Burleson wasn't done — he served in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Now here's a man who has fought battles, shaped a republic, and brushed up against the presidency — and what does he do in the late 1840s?
He moves his family to the valley of the San Marcos River. And then he gets to work. He built the first dam on the river.
First one. Built it to generate power for a grist mill and a sawmill sitting right there on that tract. Maybe that sounds modest after San Jacinto and the halls of Congress, but sometimes the thing that outlasts the glory is the thing you build with your hands and your vision for a place.
Because what happened next is something. That tract — which started showing up in later land transactions simply as the Mill Tract — grew into the commercial heart of the town of San Marcos. After Burleson's early operation got things going, a cotton gin followed.
Then three ice factories. A water works. An electric plant.
One after another, drawn to that same bend in the river where a North Carolinian decided to put a dam. San Marcos's early industrial park, as it came to be, kept a steady economic impact on the town for over a century. Over a century.
That's the long shadow of one good decision made on a piece of land that was already more than a decade old when Burleson bought it. It's no longer an industrial site today. But the Mill Tract is still there — a reminder, as the marker puts it, of the area's rich history.
From a Spanish land grant to a republic's vice-president to a century of commerce humming along the San Marcos River. Some land just knows how to carry its story.
What the marker says
Located on land that was granted to Juan M. de Veramendi in 1831, this tract was purchased by edward Burleson (1793-1851) in 1844. A native of North Carolina, burleson moved to Texas in 1830, settling first in Bastrop county. He commanded forces at the battle of San Jacinto and later participated in the Cherokee War in East Texas. He served as congressman, senator, and vice-president of the Republic of Texas, but was defeated by Anson Jones in a bid for presidency. Later, when Texas became a state, he served in both the House of Representatives and Senate. Burleson moved his family to the valley of the San Marcos River in the late 1840s. Here he built the first dam on the river to provide power for a grist mill and sawmill. What became known in later land transactions as the "Mill Tract" evolved into the center of commercial enterprise for the town of San Marcos. following Burleson's early operation, a cotton gin, three ice factories, a water works, and an electric plant were built in the area. San Marcos early industrial park continued to have a steady economic impact on the town for over a century. Although no longer an industrial site, the Mill Tract is a reminder of the area's rich history. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986