Tilden, Texas. Formerly Colfax, Dog Town & Rio Frio, TX. (original) (raw)
History in a Pecan Shell
The town was named to honor Samuel J. Tilden, the runner-up in the 1876 Presidential election.
In 1858, there were two communities in the area. Thirty people who had congregated near the mouth of Leoncita Creek on the Frio River looked around for something to name their town after. They came up with Rio Frio.
In 1862 when Rio Frio was the home post for the 29th Brigade of the Confederate Militia, the town�s first store was built.
Rio Frio was once called Dog Town for a mass execution of the towns canine population by drunken cowboys. Dog Town had 190 people by 1870 and the town got its own post office the following year. The name of the town was changed to Colfax (not to be confused with Colfax in Van Zandt County) in 1871. In 1877 it was chosen as the county seat when McMullen County was organized, and the name was change to Tilden. (See 1874 and 1882 McCullen County maps below showing the name changes.)
In 1878 a Union church was shared by Baptists and Methodists and in 1879 a ferry across the Frio was established near town to service the stagecoaches traveling the San Antonio-Laredo road. In 1884 the settlement got their own weekly newspaper, the Tilden Ledger.
In 1896 Tilden's population was 450 and it increased to just over 500 by 1900. In the thities it dropped by half and then rebounded back to 500 with the discovery of oil In 1949 it had 380 people and now it�s back to an estimated 500.
Today, the generous courthouse square of Tilden would allow the playing of softball games or the landings of small planes (in theory).
Historical Marker ( in front of McMullen County Courthouse, Tilden):
Tilden
Settled 1858 as Rio Frio. Later called "Dog Town" because ranchers used many dogs to round up cattle. 1871 townsite was laid out as Colfax. Made county seat 1877. Renamed for S.J. Tilden, who won popular vote for U.S. President, 1876. Ranching and petroleum center. Noted for fine rural high school, annual rodeo, historic sites.
1966
Tilden, Texas Landmarks
Photographer's Note:
"The first time I went to Tilden, I literally stood in the middle of Highway 16 for ten to fifteen minutes to take pictures of the courthouse and not one car came by. Can't do that anymore. The Eagle Ford Shale has turned Tilden into a boom town." - Terry Jeanson, December 05, 2014
Historical Marker (On Route 16 facing McMullen County Courthouse)
Old Rock Store
Built about 1865 by Pat Cavanaugh, Irish stonemason, assisted by Dick Barker. Site of gun battles in Dog Town (now Tilden), "wide open" during lawless era of the 1860's and 1870's. Preserved since 1929 by Clifton Wheeler, owner.
Recorded Texas Historic Lankmark, 1966.
The Court House Cafe.
TE photo
1882 McMullen County map showing name changed to Tilden
Texas General Land Office
Texas Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact us.