Madisonville Branch

September 9, 2022

A KML file of this adventure is available here. Download and import it into your favorite mapping software.

Today would have been Patrick’s birthday.

His birthdays, and the days leading up to them, are tough. When we should be planning a celebration of his life and his turning another year older, we instead can only reminisce. He would have turned 12 today, but he is forever seven years old in our minds and memories.

We try to do something special on his birthday every year–not a party, but a remembrance or other activity in his honor. This year, we decided to go on a drive and do some exploring. If Patrick was still alive, he would be exploring the countryside with us as we did when his older brother, Bryan, was this age.

For quite a long time–decades, in fact–I have been planning to explore the route of a railroad that used to run between Navasota, Texas and Madisonville. This adventure had been moved to the “short list” and I was planning on doing it this fall, but Patrick’s birthday seemed an appropriate time for such an adventure, so we decided to make that our activity for the day. If nothing else, it would help keep us distracted.

The I-GN Madisonville Branch

The International-Great Northern Railroad (I-GN) was created out of the merger of the International Railroad and the Houston & Great Northern Railroad in 1873. At its peak, the I-GN had over 1,100 miles of track that stretched from the Rio Grande and the Texas Gulf Coast to St. Louis, Missouri. The line was sold to the Missouri Pacific Railroad in the 1920s, which was acquired by the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) in the 1980s. Most of the original I-GN routes are still in operation today.

The I-GN built the 45-mile Madisonville Branch in 1903 to service communities in Grimes and Madison counties. Its decline was brought about by the construction of State Highway 21 in 1929 and U.S. Highway 75 in the 1930s, which shifted the passenger and freight traffic to automobiles. The line was abandoned in 1944 and the rails were removed.

But, for over 40 years this little railroad line had a significant impact on the communities along its route. Passengers, cattle, cotton, and other freight moved from the rural settlements to the coast and big cities. Whether people loved or hated the railroads, the economic prosperity of the people in remote Texas communities relied on them, and they helped make Texas a leading agricultural producer.

Small railroads like the Madisonville Branch once crisscrossed the countryside. Their remains are not always visible, but they show up in some surprising places. The roadbeds sometimes made good foundations for city streets, public and private roads, and driveways. Often, ranchers and farmers have used the roadbeds as dams, and the drainage ditches for water tanks. If you are exploring the woods and see a long, raised section where such a structure doesn’t seem natural, then you might have stumbled on an abandoned railroad!

Disclaimer and Warning: Railroads are private property. It is considered trespassing to walk on railroad tracks or the adjacent property. Most of the remains of the Madisonville Branch are located on private property. Do not cross fence lines! Exercise caution when viewing this or any attraction from a public road, especially along busy roads.

Navasota

European Americans settled in the area of present-day Navasota in the early 1820s. Originally called Hollandale, the community was situated along La Bahía Road between Washington-on-the-Brazos and Anderson, near the Navasota River. This made it an ideal location as a stagecoach stop. It quickly grew into an important center for farming and trade. It was probably natural that Navasota became a regional railroad hub.

The first railroad to reach Navasota was the Houston & Texas Central in 1859, followed by the Gulf Coast & Santa Fe in 1882. The I-GN came to town in 1902.

This adventure starts in Navasota at the beginning of the branch line. The original I-GN track is long gone, but there are a few physical remains that mark where it ran. Johnson Street crosses over the Union Pacific tracks in front of The Feed Barn, an ag products store. Looking across the street from the store, set between two separate train tracks, is an unassuming little signal equipment shed. This shed is at the approximate location of Tower 41, a former interlocking tower on the I-GN. The Madisonville Branch began near that location.

Railroad Street parallels the UP tracks through most of town. Railroad Street, itself, was built on the roadbed of the Madisonville Branch!

Continuing down Railroad Street and across Washington Avenue (TX-105), the branch line ran through what is now a public parking lot located between the UP tracks and an antique store. Visible at the back of the parking lot, under a jumble of vegetation, are the remains of the nearly intact Madisonville Branch bridge over Cedar Creek.

Railroad Street picks up again on the north side of Cedar Creek. There was another interlocking tower, Tower 9, located in that area long ago. The road ends behind some houses, where the old roadbed turns to the northeast beyond a barricade.

The roadbed runs behind several more houses, then crosses North Lasalle Street next to Jarvis Tire Pros. (If you’re into greasy burger joints, we highly recommend Carroll’s Giant Burger, just south of this location on Lasalle.)

North Lasalle leads to Highway 6. Along the southbound feeder, shortly before the exit ramp that leads to the Piedmont Road/FM 3090 overpass, is a private driveway to the right. This is the branch line!

The line continues on the north side of the highway along another private driveway, but we did not feel that it was either safe or convenient to venture to that side.

Southern Grimes County

We took FM 3090 north from Navasota and made a short detour down County Road 403. (There are many of these “short detours” on this trip.) The roadbed crosses CR 403 at the private driveway, below. Whoever built the driveway put the curve at the end, though, as the satellite views indicate that the roadbed continues straight across the road. Sadly, the view of the far side of the road was obstructed by cane, so it was not possible to see whether the roadbed was still visible there.

We turned around and headed back to FM 3090, which turns north and runs parallel to CR 403 for a time before crossing Spring Creek. The railroad crosses the road a short distance south of the creek. I got out and looked for it, but it was difficult to tell exactly where it ran.

Continuing north on FM 3090 we stopped briefly at Green Valley Baptist Church, located off of County Road 404. Kristi said she thought that the church looked so cute that she wanted to move out to the area just so she could attend here!

The area was so pretty that we decided to explore down CR 404 a little. This road eventually joins with CR 403 to the west.

What a beautiful area! I want to come back and dedicate an adventure just to exploring this part of Grimes County.

The branch line runs across Chuck Norris’ Lone Wolf Ranch, then crosses TX-90 on the north side of the Holland Creek bridge. We visited this spot on the way to Navasota (not in the order in which the railroad ran). This particular crossing surprised me during my research. I don’t know how many times I had driven by it before making the connection that it was the Madisonville Branch. In hindsight it seems obvious to me now, given that railroads are a hobby of mine. But, even so, I suppose it is easy to miss.

Holland Creek was named for Francis Holland, one of Stephen F. Austin‘s Old Three Hundred colonists. Hollandale, mentioned above, was also named for him.

Anderson

Our next stop after driving down CR 404 was in Anderson, the seat of Grimes County. Anderson, despite its small size, has an interesting history. In fact, its small size is the result of some of that interesting history.

Anderson, sometimes called the “Little Rome of Texas” because it, too, was built on seven hills, was first settled by members of Austin’s Colony. Francis Holland and Henry Fanthorp were prominent early members of the community. Fanthorp owned a grain market and built Fanthorp Inn to serve the stagecoaches that passed through town. The inn, now preserved as a museum, provides an interesting glimpse into 19th-century life. The Notorious John Hamilton “Dick” Lindsay once lived near Anderson. You can read more about him and his outlaw past in Good Times: Clay Lindsay, A Good Man from Mason, Texas, by Deloris Haley Lindsay.

For a long time, though, Anderson has shied away from growth. At its peak it had about 3,000 residents and was the fourth largest city in Texas. According to the 2020 census, however, its population was listed as 235. The town has not always maintained a city government. It resisted a proposal by the Houston & Texas Central to build a line through it (which was built through Navasota) but did relent to allow the Madisonville Branch to pass through. It wasn’t until the 1930s that the first paved road, TX-90, reached Anderson. I suppose that it might be argued that Anderson is a place to go when one wants to take a step away from the rest of civilization, without committing to living too rustically. As I have stated before, I want to come back here and explore some more.

The Madisonville Branch passed through town on the east side along what is now Cedar Lane. The roadbed is clearly visible at the southern end of Cedar Lane running parallel to Schroeder Street.

The Middle of Grimes County

Leaving Anderson, the branch line passes through pastureland on its way north. It crosses County Road 219 near the geographic center of the county. CR 219 is a short, but pretty drive that connects TX-90 with FM 2562 near TX-30.

Roans Prairie

The line passes through more pastures (it’s mostly pastures from here until the end) before crossing TX-30 in Roans Prairie.

Roans Prairie lies at the intersection of TX-30 and TX-90. It was named for Willis Roan, who settled in the area with several slaves. Roan opened a general merchandise store, and in 1859 became the town’s first postmaster. Roans Prairie was a stage stop on the road between Huntsville and San Antonio. Now, there are two gas stations and a Family Dollar. Other than replacing the stagecoaches with automobiles, not a lot has changed there in the past 160 years.

Railroad Avenue is located across TX-30 from the Family Dollar. The Madisonville Branch either ran along or next to this road. A short distance from the highway is the historic Oakland Baptist Church, which was founded in 1854. Its first pastor was George W. Baines, the great grandfather of President Lyndon Baines Johnson. The current building was constructed in 1872.

Somewhere north of town the I-GN installed a spur from the branch line to a quarry. I do not know where either the spur or quarry was located. Rock from the quarry was used to build the Galveston Seawall.

Buzzards!

We continued north on County Road 179 from TX-30. The branch line runs up the middle between CR 179 and TX-90 from Roans Prairie to Singleton.

One of our habits on dirt roads such as this is to stop on the bridges and look down into the creeks. Sometimes they are quite beautiful. At one stop, though, while I was admiring a piece of corrugated metal lying in the creek bed, Kristi exclaimed, “Oh my goodness! Buzzards!” Sure enough, on her side of the road, there were at least a dozen very fat buzzards flying up from a tree below us. I don’t know whether we disturbed their meal or their rest, but it was a bit disconcerting to be that close to them while they were flying around. It all happened so fast that neither of us had time to get a picture.

After our buzzard encounter, the road came out from the trees into open pasture. A tree line runs along the far side of the pasture on the west side of the road. These trees are growing along the branch line roadbed.

In the middle of one of the pastures is a lone tree and sitting beneath that tree was an enormous buzzard! I don’t know if he was friends with the gang that we had encountered earlier, but if so, he was probably their king!

A little further along, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) met up with the county road and continued parallel to it. This railroad, informally called the Boll Weevil for its role in transporting cotton long ago, came through the area in 1907.

Singleton

CR 179 ends at TX-90 in Singleton. A little before the end of the road, though, it crosses over the branch line, which runs along Hortense Avenue.

Singleton was founded around 1900. It was named for railroad surveyor E. P. Singleton. The Madisonville Branch came through in 1903, followed by the Trinity & Brazos Valley (now the BNSF) in 1907. The discovery of oil nearby would seem to have guaranteed Singleton a prosperous future, but after the branch line left and the oil wells played out, the community declined. There are probably 40 or so people living in Singleton today.

The Madisonville Branch parallels Hortense Avenue, then turns east and crosses the BNSF line. It joins up with TX-90 to the north of Singleton and parallels the highway for a short time before moving off to the east again.

Once upon a time the traffic on TX-90 was pretty light. It seems to have gotten considerably busier in the past 20 years or so. I don’t recommend stopping to see the railroad unless there is a lull in the traffic.

Bedias and Vicinity

The branch continues north on the east side of TX-90 toward the town of Bedias. It is usually far from the highway, so the best way to see it is to take side trips down County Roads 150 and 145. It comes very close to TX-90 just north of the junction with CR 144.

The next major stop along the route is Bedias, located at the intersection of TX-90 and FM 1696. The town is named for the original inhabitants of the area, the Bidai Indians, a tribe of the Atakapa people who had been in the region since at least the 17th century. A plantation was established in the area around 1835. Sarah Dodson, who is credited with having created the first Lone Star Texas flag, moved to the area with her husband in 1844.

The Madisonville Branch reached Bedias a little east of town in 1902. A fire in 1927 destroyed the business district, which was then rebuilt at its present location near the branch line. At its peak in the early 20th century Bedias had a population of about 500 people. Its population started to decline as people sought opportunities in the big cities during and after World War II, but the town has been rebounding slightly in recent years as people move in seeking cheap property and a place to retire.

My Home Town: The Bedias Story, by Wallace Davis, is an interesting account of the town’s history and people. The book is difficult to find, though.

The branch line ran through what is now the Bedias Civic Center, located on FM 1696 near the center of town. Gin Tank Street, across the road from the civic center, is located on the old roadbed.

Bedias is pretty special to Kristi and me. She and I met and married there. We even lived in town for a time.

The branch line continues north from Bedias on the east side of TX-90 for several miles. It crosses over a few more county roads, but we couldn’t find traces of the roadbed in those places. We did, however, find a good spot along CR 132/Cotton Road.

We chronicled an adventure along Cotton Road a while back, and I mentioned that the branch line ran across the road at a location near TX-90. I was able to pinpoint the exact spot while preparing for this trip.

Madison County

Madison County was formed from parts of Grimes, Leon, and Walker Counties in 1853. It was named in honor of James Madison, the “Father of the Constitution” and fourth President of the United States. Prior to its formation, area residents were forced to travel 40 to 50 miles to get to their respective county seats. Dr. Pleasant Kittrell, for whom Kittrell’s Cut-Off is named, lead the effort to petition for the new county. Kristi’s ancestor, Hillary Mercer Crabb, who was serving as a representative from Walker County, introduced the bill in the Texas legislature.

The Madison County line is a short distance north of Cotton Road. The branch line crosses to the west side of TX-90 near the community of Jozye, passing through Mark’s Collision Repair and what appears to be an RV park. It crosses over FM 1452 and continues along a private driveway.

There isn’t much to see in Jozye, but that belies a somewhat interesting history. The area was settled in 1887 by a man named Joe Shannon, who raised cotton and cattle. In 1900, a group of Mormons arrived and established a community. Shannon donated some land to them to establish a chapel. The Mormon community went by several names but settled on Jozye in honor of Shannon. (I’ve tried to find the actual source and meaning of the name “Jozye,” but all I can find is that it is Haitian Creole for “Joshua.” Whether that was the intent, or the name was just made up, I cannot say.)

By 1914 the community had a couple of stores, a post office, and a population of 25. When the railroad was closed, though, the community began to decline. The Mormon congregation dispersed to Bryan and Huntsville by the end of the 1950s. All that is left now is the Jozye Cemetery.

Continuing north parallel to TX-90, the Madisonville Branch crosses Caney Creek and then enters the outskirts of Madisonville.

Madisonville and the End of the Line

Madisonville was created in 1853 to serve as the seat of the newly formed Madison County. Job Starks Collard, a member of the Austin colony, donated the initial 200 acres for the townsite. Agriculture has always been the town’s primary business, but petroleum production, oil and gas field services, and manufacturing are also important industries.

Nothing remains of the original railroad structures in town. The depot was located in what is now the parking lot of Prosperity Bank, next to North Randolph Street. TexasEscapes.com has some fantastic photos of Madisonville from the late 1800s to early 1900s, including one of the depot during what I presume was its grand opening in 1903.

A wye that was used for turning locomotives was located a little south of the depot across the drainage ditch from what is now the First Baptist Church parking lot.

And thus ended our journey along the Madisonville Branch of the I-GN. I must confess that the end of the trip was a bit anti-climactic. It would have been nice if the old depot could have been preserved as a reminder of Madisonville’s railroad days. Perhaps it wasn’t possible or practical to keep it.

If you ever decide to explore this route, or Madisonville in general, there is a Dairy Queen at the corner of U.S. 190 and South Randolph Street, between the sites of the wye and the depot. What better way to end a journey than with ice cream?

But, now that you have made it to the end of this rather long post, I will admit to you that one of the reasons we chose this adventure today was because it would put us in Madisonville. You see, Patrick is buried near here, and visiting his gravesite was our ultimate goal.

We know that he is not actually there–only his body. I really can’t explain why we are drawn to it, but it’s a fixed, physical point that represents the end of his own journey. Maybe that is it–it’s our last earthly connection to his wonderful life.

Patrick loved Legos. And those of you who know us also know that sometimes Legos–particularly yellow Legos–seem to randomly show up in various places. On today’s visit, we left a yellow Duplo block for him at his grave site.

Legos, rainbows, and old railroads. Keep your eyes open for them.