Center and San Augustine

Here is a little adventure that we’ve had tucked away for a little while. I’ve been really busy lately and haven’t had time or energy to write much. But as I write this nothing pressing needs to be done and Kristi is taking a nap, so…

Route: Center and San Augustine

In our continuing quest to visit the courthouses of Texas, we took a short trip out to Center in Shelby County, and then to San Augustine in neighboring San Augustine County. Along the way to Center along State Highway 7, we stopped at the Carl Monk, Sr. Scenic Overlook, a somewhat rare sort of spot on East Texas roads that offers a view over the countryside.

I had a great deal of trouble finding information on Carl Monk, Sr., but from the little tidbits I was able to gather, he was a prominent citizen of Nacogdoches County who was active in various infrastructure projects. A plaque at the entrance to the park reads:

Carl Monk Sr. Scenic Overlook
This scenic overlook is dedicated to the memory of Carl Edwin Monk Sr. Merchant, civic leader, citizen, and “Mr. Highway” of Nacogdoches County.

The name of the county judge who “signed” the plaque had been scratched out, so I guess someone had a beef with him.

Moving on to Center…

Center is the seat of Shelby County. The county was named after Isaac Shelby, a soldier of the American Revolution who became the first governor of Kentucky.

The architect of the current Shelby County Courthouse was a man named John Joseph Emmett Gibson. He was born in Dublin, Ireland. After studying architecture there, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri at the age of 16. Eventually making his way to Texas, he got married and settled in Shelby County, where he opened a brick factory.

Gibson was selected to build a new courthouse after the previous one burned down. “The Irish Castle on the Square” and the neighboring jail were completed in 1885 and officially accepted the following February.

Gibson is buried in nearby Teneha.

After exploring the courthouse grounds a bit and eating an excellent lunch at TCS Bistro, we drove to nearby Shelbyville.

Shelbyville has a very interesting history. Founded in the 1820s by a group from Tennessee and named Nashville, it was renamed Shelbyville after Isaac Shelby in 1837. It served as the county seat until 1866 after a contested election selected Center as the new seat. The county records were secretly moved to Center in the middle of the night.

Shelbyville was at the center of the Regulator-Moderator War. I encourage you to follow the link. It’s a fascinating look into the chaotic feuds of early Texas. If such things interest you, then I also recommend that you pick up a copy of Good Times: Clay Lindsay. A Good Man from Mason, Texas (Second Edition), which contains an excellent account of the Mason County Hoodoo War.

From Shelbyville, we traveled down FM 417 toward U.S. Highway 96. This is an idyllic drive, in our opinion, through beautiful pastureland. I wish we had taken more pictures.

The Timber Rock Railroad, a class III railroad line owned by BNSF and operated by Watco, parallels much of the route. Shortly after crossing the railroad and making a sharp turn to the west, we came across the magnificent ruins of the Neuville Public School.

This building was constructed out of native stone by the Works Progress Administration in 1940 after the previous building burned down. The school was later consolidated with Center Public Schools. It is located next to the Neuville Cemetery and was being used to store equipment when we visited.

The history of San Augustine County goes way back to Spanish rule. Mission Neustra Senora de los Delores de los Ais was established in the area in 1716. The site was later moved to a location that is now within the city limits of the city of San Augustine but was abandoned in 1773.

The area was at the center of conflict between Mexican and rebel forces in the late 1820s and early 1830s. Many local residents apparently refused to take sides, and in an attempt to organize the region the municipality of San Augustine was established in 1833.

San Augustine County was formed out of part of Nacogdoches County in 1834.

The present courthouse was constructed in 1927.

James Pinckney Henderson, a resident of San Augustine, was a prominent figure in the Texas revolution. Appointed the position of brigadier general by David G. Burnet, he enlisted and sent troops from his home state of North Carolina to fight in the war. He served as Attorney General, Secretary of State, and minister to England and France for the Republic of Texas. He helped negotiate a treaty of annexation with the United States and then served as the first Governor of the State of Texas. He led troops in the Battle of Monterey during the Mexican War. He later served as a U.S. Senator. As depicted in his bronze statue in front of the San Augustine Court House, they finally let him sit down and have a rest when he passed away in 1858.

Standing on one corner of the square in San Augustine is a massive four-story deck over a modest 1930s-style house. Built by local carpenter and artist Gary Brewer, the project has been a matter of some controversy in town. Ultimately, its construction was approved by the city and now stands as a tourist attraction. A sign on the side reads, “Custom Decks, 936 596-8805.” So, I suppose if you want one of these bad boys for yourself, then Gary’s your man!

Texas Monthly published an article on the Deck House back in 2020.

I love a good Dad Joke, and one running gag that Kristi and I have is that when I see a church with “First” in its name, I will often say, “Hey! That’s the very first (whatever) church! That’s where it all began!”

Google Maps routed us down Spur 85 outside of San Augustine on the way home. It’s a short, but pretty little drive through the woods. Along the way was a historical marker. It never ceases to amaze us when we find these things seemingly out in the middle of nowhere.

The marker is located a little distance away from the road in a clearing in the trees. It reads, “Location of the First Presbyterian Church in Texas, organized June 2, 1838 by Rev. Hugh Wilson, D.D.” followed by a list of the charter members and, “This memorial erected by Synod of Texas, 1936.”

We found it! The REAL first church! Well, the first Presbyterian church in Texas, anyway.

So, that was it for that little adventure. We want to go back and explore some more when we have more time.

Below are a couple of bonus images from another short trip we took recently. We drove down Groveton Flat Prairie and Westville Roads near Groveton. It was a pretty drive, but there are several homes there and quite a bit more traffic than we were expecting.

Route: Groveton Flat Prairie Road/Westville Road