Three Rivers

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Three Rivers, Texas. Now, some towns ease into existence gradual and quiet, but Three Rivers had a schedule to keep. Charles R.

Tips founded the place in March of 1913, and from that moment on, things moved fast. By June 12th of that same year, an investor had the town chartered, and they gave it a name: Hamiltonburg, honoring a local family. You got to respect a town that knows its people.

But nobody let the grass grow under their feet, because by July 4th, 1913, they were already selling town lots. Independence Day. Now that's a way to open for business.

So the town had a founder, a charter, a name, and land changing hands, all in the span of one good Texas summer. Then along comes the United States Postal Department, and on May 1st, 1914, they stepped in with an opinion of their own. They renamed the townsite.

Hamiltonburg became Three Rivers, a name marking the fork where three rivers meet: the Nueces, the Atascosa, and the Frio. Three rivers, one town. The marker doesn't dress it up any more complicated than that.

Today, Three Rivers carries on with ranching, farming, gas, oil, and recreation. A town that was chartered, named, renamed, and put to work before it was even a year old. Some places take generations to figure out what they are.

Three Rivers had it sorted before the ink dried on the deed.

What the marker says

Founded March 1913 by Charles R. Tips. An investor chartered June 12, 1913, as Hamiltonburg--named for local family. Town lot sale began July 4, 1913. Townsite renamed by U.S. Postal Department May 1, 1914, to mark fork of three rivers--Nueces, Atascosa and Frio. Present interests are ranching, farming, gas, oil and recreation.