Hallettsville, Texas, Lavaca County seat. (original) (raw)

Opera House, Hallettsville, Texas. Built 1896
Courtesy Friench Simpson Memorial Library, Hallettsville, Texas

You'll find the tranquil and tidy town of Hallettsville just south of I-10 and halfway between Houston and San Antonio.

Hallettsville TX City Hall

Hallettsville City Hall
TE photo, 2001

History in a Pecan ShellThe town was named after Margaret Hallett, wife of John Hallett, who bequeathed the land for the townsite. This woman's life reads better than a novel.

Married to a seafaring man against her family's wishes, the newlywed Halletts traveled west with a wagon whose tongue was cut from a ships mast and the sails serving as the wagon cover. He even brought his anchor.

A Veteran of San Jacinto along with one of his three sons, Mr. Hallett died, as did all the males in the family, leaving Mrs. Hallett alone with her only daughter. Fluent in Spanish and able to defend herself in two Indian dialects, she left Goliad where they had been living and returned to the original grant in Lavaca, opening a trading post and making friends with nearly everyone. She once cudgeled an Indian who was making a nuisance of himself. The Chief paid her a visit and she explained the injury should be regarded as "a knowledge knot". The Chief laughed. Upon her death in 1863, local Indians decorated her grave. Her grave is in the Founder's cemetery, a short distance from the Town Square.
Lavaca County is also the home of "The Archives War" in which the citizens of Hallettsville rode into Petersburg to liberate the county records, which had been removed in a disputed election over the official county seat. The Hallettsville "committee" rode into Petersburg where the Petersburgans were celebrating their "victory" with a barbecue. They not only reclaimed the records, but also ate the barbecue for their trouble. Petersburg never recovered from this, the greatest Texan humiliation, and faded into oblivion.
See How Hallettsville Became Seat of Lavaca County - Eyewitness Account by Murray Montgomery

Hallettsville, Texas

Attractions/Landmarks

Several other noteworthy buildings on the square includes the one now occupied by the Hallettsville Florist. This was the photography studio of H. J. Braunig and offers the absolute best view of a courthouse anywhere in the state.

Hallettsville is the home of the Lavaca Historical Museum (open weekends 2-5) at 413 N. Main.

The Texas Championship Domino Hall of Fame (tournament held every January) shares space with The Texas Fiddler's Hall of Fame (Fiddler�s Frolic held fourth week of April) at the Knights of Columbus Hall, Hwy 77 South. Both are open Mon - Fri 9am to 11am.

Hallettsville also is home to the Alton C. Allen Historical Conference, sponsored by the LaVaca County Historical Commission and the Raymond Dickson Foundation. Contact the Chamber.

One of the few remaining downtown single screen movie theaters in Texas, The Cole shows first run movies, just off the north side of the square.

The 1897 Lavaca County Courthouse

Town Square has a beautiful 1897 Courthouse designed by Eugene Heiner, famed Architect and would-be rival to J. Reily Gordon if he hadn't died at age 42. Although several of his courthouses are standing, they�ve been altered over the years. Today only Hallettsville and Columbus have representative Heiner structures. The closest example of Heiner's other work is the Old Jail Museum in Gonzales.

	Courthouse detail TE Photo

Hallettsville TX - The hanging tree

The Old Hanging Tree in Hallettsville
In city park - west side of US 77, north city limits
TE photo, 2001

Historical Marker:

Old Hanging Tree

Gallows used Sept. 12, 1879, at public hanging of "Pocket", an Indian, killer of Englishman Leonard Hyde.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1967

More Texas Historic Trees

Hallettsville TX - Lavaca County Jail

Photo courtesy Debra Fawcett, 8-9-2015

Lavaca County TX - St. Mary's Catholic Church