Baursville, or Baurs Texas, Lavaca County ghost town. (original) (raw)

School historical marker:
(From Moulton - FM 532 about 5 miles E to CR 261, then N on CR 261 about .9 mile)

Site of Baursville School

Early settlers August Baur (1841-1902) and his wife Emilie (1848-1901) donated five acres about 1.5 miles north of this site for a community school in 1881. A one-room school building was erected shortly thereafter. Because many students who first attended the school were members of German and Czech families who settled this area, instruction initially was offered in both the German and English languages. Tuition charges and private donations supported the school for about five months of the year.

The school building was also the site of religious services held by the Rev. Wilhelm Westerhoff of Moulton's Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church. In 1892 severe storm damage to the school building prompted local citizens to erect a new three-room structure here which they named Concordia School No. 33.

After becoming a public school in 1895, its name was changed to Baursville for August Baur who was also recognized as the founder of the community. The Baursville School building was renovated in 1927. At its height the school offered instruction in ten grades for about 95 students. The school continued to serve students in the rural Baursville area until 1951 when it was annexed to the Moulton Independent School District. The school building was later razed.

1994

Baursville Cemetery

County Road 261, Moulton, TX
(W of FM 261 Between FM 256 & 260)

Baursville town founder August & Emilie Baur tombstone
Photo courtesy John J. Germann, May 2016

August & Emilie Baur tombstone close-up
Photo courtesy John J. Germann, May 2016

Baurs / Baursville

Editor's Note:
Although we are listing Baurs / Baursville as a town page, our coverage is slightly less than most towns. Yet it is also considerably more than many of the towns and places we have covered. The community, perhaps to the lack of ruins or an exact pin-pointed location, has been left out of the illustrious Handbook of Texas. Through the personal visit of John Germann, we are pleased to be able to include a photo of the Baursville Cemetery as well as the image of tangible proof of the community's existence (the postmark). Baur is an example of perhaps hundreds of towns across Texas. Towns that missed inclusion merely because they lacked a business district or even a single store. Mr. Germann, through his impressive collection of forgotten postmarks, has once again rescued another community from oblivion from a simple stamped envelope. - Editor

A. Baur Building in downtown Moulton
TE photo, 2003

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