December 16, 2023
There comes a time when persons must make a quick trip to purchase expensive, delicious, candied pecans from their favorite purveyor of expensive, delicious, candied pecans.
Today was such a day.
After purchasing said expensive, delicious, candied pecans, we drove back home via the scenic route (of which there are many in the area) through the former community of Vistula.
Vistula was one of the Freedom Colonies located in Houston County. There isn’t much left now except a couple of houses, a few dilapidated buildings, and a cemetery. I haven’t been able to find a lot of information on the community, though, but every now and then I find a little piece to the puzzle of the area’s history.
It’s a pretty area, though, and Kristi and I enjoy driving through it. The roads nearby have some of the best views of the Trinity River valley.
One particular point of interest that has intrigued us is an old church that is located at the intersection of County Roads 3470 and 3480. It was the site of Union Grove Baptist Church. Today we were able to get a few pictures of the building. We didn’t want to risk trespassing on private property, so these images are from the roadside. The building sits uphill from the roadway.
From what I have been able to gather online, there were two churches in Vistula. The other was the Vistula Church of God in Christ.
While digging around for details on Union Grove Church, though, I came upon the obituary for Mrs. Mary Louis Howard. She was born in the nearby town of Weldon, and accepted Christ at Union Grove Church in Vistula. She later earned her master’s degree from Texas A&M Prairie View. Mrs. Howard retired from Fort Worth ISD as an assistant principal. Despite coming from such a small and remote community, she seemed to have had a prosperous and impactful life. She is but one example of why these little communities should never be forgotten.
I also found photos someone took of the church while exploring the area back in 2009. The building was not in good shape at the time. Sadly, no effort has been made to preserve it and, as you can see in the photos above, the building is on the verge of collapse.
But not all is bad news. As I hinted at above, there are wonderful things to see in the area. Kristi and I were treated to a beautiful sunset on nearby CR 3475.
While snacking on expensive, delicious, candied pecans, we drove through Weldon and down CR 3575 in the dark. Driving down these little dirt roads through the forest in the middle of the night (it was nearly 6:00 PM) is a mixture of spooky, fun, and beautiful. Along the way we saw deer, bunnies, and two dogs that were out exploring. I played a little game I like to call, “Are those animal eyes in my headlights, or a beer can?” I was surprised by the number of people who put up Christmas decorations in their yards this far away from the main roads.
There’s not much else to report on this trip, but it was fun getting out and seeing some of our favorite places. Kristi suggested going to the grocery store–a suggestion I balked at considering the late hour (it was 6:30 PM and pitch-black outside by the time we got home). So, we settled into the living room, stuffed ourselves full of expensive, delicious, candied pecans, and called it a night.
Sounds like the perfect ending of a perfect trip. Thanks for the history and the photos. It always saddens me to see things decay, but it is nice that there also memories of places and times gone by.
As a man drove down a country highway with his family one night, a small reflection of the car headlights appeared on the side of the road. The father asks, “Look, children. Is that one of God’s creatures on the side of the road?” The one boy replies, “No, dad. That’s just an old beer can.”
I created that joke and used to tell it much to the chagrin of everyone who had heard it many, many times. Apparently, it still impresses you.
It’s funny because it’s true!