Nashville, Texas
Encyclopedia
Nashville was a community on the southeast bank of the Brazos River
in present-day Milam County, Texas
, United States
.
The town was surveyed in the fall of 1835 with Sterling C. Robertson
as its founder. It was named in honor of Nashville
, Tennessee
, Robertson's birthplace. The town served as the headquarters for Robertson's Colony
. In January 1836, the settlement was attacked by Indians in the area. Two people were killed. This led to the formation of Sterling C. Robertson's Ranger Company. The rangers constructed Fort Milam at the falls of the Brazos and a second at the three forks of the Little River.. Nashville was also designated the seat of justice for Milam municipality in 1836.
Following the Texas Revolution
, Nashville was considered by the Texas Congress as a possible site for the capital of the Republic of Texas
. From 1837 to 1846, the town served as the Milam County seat. It began to slowly decline after 1846, when the state legislature moved the county seat to Cameron
. In 1868, the arrival of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad at nearby Hearne
provided the remaining residents with the incentive to move. The town's post office closed that same year.
A chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution
, with additional funds from Milam County, bought seven acres of the former Nashville site and deeded it to the state of Texas in 1927. Nashville was remembered during the Texas Centennial with the addition of several historic markers along U.S. Highway 79
, approximately five miles northeast of Gause
and five miles west of Hearne.
Brazos River
The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers , is the longest river in Texas and the 11th longest river in the United States at from its source at the head of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a drainage...
in present-day Milam County, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The town was surveyed in the fall of 1835 with Sterling C. Robertson
Sterling C. Robertson
Sterling Clack Robertson was an empresario from Tennessee, during Mexican Texas. He introduced 600 families into Robertson's Colony. Robertson was also an elected delegate to the Washington-on-the-Brazos convention, signing both the Texas Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the...
as its founder. It was named in honor of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Robertson's birthplace. The town served as the headquarters for Robertson's Colony
Robertson's Colony
Robertson's Colony was an empresario colonization effort during the Mexican Texas period. It is named after Sterling C. Robertson, but had previously been known by other names...
. In January 1836, the settlement was attacked by Indians in the area. Two people were killed. This led to the formation of Sterling C. Robertson's Ranger Company. The rangers constructed Fort Milam at the falls of the Brazos and a second at the three forks of the Little River.. Nashville was also designated the seat of justice for Milam municipality in 1836.
Following the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
, Nashville was considered by the Texas Congress as a possible site for the capital of the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
. From 1837 to 1846, the town served as the Milam County seat. It began to slowly decline after 1846, when the state legislature moved the county seat to Cameron
Cameron, Texas
Cameron is a city in Milam County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,634 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Milam County.-Geography:Cameron is located at . It is situated at the junction of U.S...
. In 1868, the arrival of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad at nearby Hearne
Hearne, Texas
Hearne is a city in Robertson County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,690 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bryan-College Station metropolitan area...
provided the remaining residents with the incentive to move. The town's post office closed that same year.
A chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
, with additional funds from Milam County, bought seven acres of the former Nashville site and deeded it to the state of Texas in 1927. Nashville was remembered during the Texas Centennial with the addition of several historic markers along U.S. Highway 79
U.S. Route 79
U.S. Route 79 is a north–south United States highway. The route is a northeast-southwest diagonal, with both east–west segments and north–south segments equally mixed. The highway's northern terminus is in Russellville, Kentucky, at an intersection with U.S. Highway 68 and KY 80...
, approximately five miles northeast of Gause
Gause, Texas
Gause is an unincorporated community in Milam County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 400 in 2000.-Geography:Gause is located at . It is situated along U.S...
and five miles west of Hearne.