Smithville

Duane's take

The official marker for Smithville, Bastrop County, is the one I'm about to tell you — so let's let the record speak. Now this story starts a long way back. Way back in 1691, when missionaries riding with the expedition of Don Domingo Teran de Los Rios came across a lagoon out here in what would one day be Bastrop County.

The Indians called that lagoon Nenocadda. Today it goes by Shipp's Lake, sitting right on the southern edge of present Smithville. Same water.

Different world. Fast forward a century and a half, and a man named Frederick W. Grasmeyer is running a ferry across the Colorado River here — that was 1836.

Then, starting in 1845, steamboats came up the river and kept coming until about 1865. For two decades, that river was a working highway. Meanwhile, a village took shape.

They called it Old Smithville, laid out on 640 acres of land granted to Thomas J. Gazley and Lewis Lomas. It sat along the Colorado River in the northeast section of what is now Smithville.

Mercantile stores, dry goods shops, a Masonic lodge. A proper little town finding its footing. Then 1876 brought the first post office, with John Pride Jones serving as postmaster.

Things were moving. And then came the railroad. The Taylor, Bastrop and Houston Railroad — later folded into the Missouri, Kansas and Texas system — arrived in 1887.

Railroads didn't just visit a town back then; they repositioned it. And sure enough, Smithville picked itself up and relocated along the tracks. Now here is where it gets good.

With that new railroad came a question: should the town change its name? A man named Murray Burleson had given land for the railroad depot, and there was talk of honoring him by renaming the place Burlesonville. The legend — and I do love a good legend — is that a coin was tossed to settle it.

One flip. Heads or tails, one name or another. The coin came down for Smithville.

The name was retained, apparently in honor of a pioneer settler by the name of William Smith. Murray Burleson gave land, and got a coin toss. William Smith gave a name, and got to keep it.

By 1895 the town was incorporated, and T. C. Collins stepped in as the first mayor.

From a lagoon the Indians called Nenocadda, to a ferry crossing, to steamboats, to a railroad, to a coin spinning in the air — that is Smithville, and every bit of it is on the record.

What the marker says

In 1691 missionaries on the expedition of Don Domingo Teran de Los Rios sighted a lagoon which the Indians called Nenocadda. The lagoon, known today as Shipp's Lake, is on the southern edge of present Smithville. Frederick W. Grasmeyer operated a ferry here on the Colorado River in 1836. Steamboats plied the river from 1845 to about 1865. The village of "Old Smithville" was laid out on 640 acres of land granted to Thomas J. Gazley and Lewis Lomas. The town was located along the Colorado River in the northeast section of present Smithville. There were mercantile stores, dry good shops, and a Masonic lodge. In 1876 the first post office was established with John Pride Jones as postmaster. The Taylor, Bastrop & Houston Railroad, later a part of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas system, arrived in 1887, and the town relocated along the tracks. The legend is that a coin was tossed to decide if the name would be changed to Burlesonville for Murray Burleson, who gave land for the railroad depot. The coin toss resulted in "Smithville" being retained as the name, apparently in honor of pioneer settler William Smith. The town was incorporated in 1895 and T. C. Collins served as the first mayor. (1979) Incise in base: Marker Sponsor: Smithville Chamber of Commerce 1977-78