|
 William W. Moon Posted by:  vhasler
N 29° 53.071 W 097° 56.263
14R E 602575 N 3306463
Marker for the first white settler in Hays County, Texas.
Waymark Code: WMK550
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 02/14/2014
Views: 6
The marker is located in a grassy area south of the intersection of Moon and Hutchison streets, just off Commander Allen parkway. Parking is available in the lot for the adjacent stores.
Marker Number: 10305
Marker Text:
(March 25, 1814 - Jan. 7, 1897)
Orphaned two days after his birth, William W. Moon grew up with two uncles in his native Alabama. He married Sophronia Elizabeth Sublett (1819-46) in 1834 and moved to Bastrop, Texas in 1838. Moon joined the Texas Rangers and first visited San Marcos Springs during a running Indian battle in 1843. Enchanted by the countryside, he brought his family here in 1845 and built a cabin at this site. The Moons were the first permanent Anglo-American settlers in what is now Hays County. Sophronia Moon died April 21, 1846, but her husband and four daughters were soon joined by other pioneers who decided to make their homes here.
William W. Moon made many contributions to the growing settlement. His cabin was the site of the first sermon preached and the first school held in Hays County. In 1846 he helped build the log church-schoolhouse which became a courthouse when Hays County was organized (1848). Moon and his family were charter members of the Presbyterian church formed in 1853. In addition to ranching, Moon operated a hotel and stage stop, blacksmith shop, and freight line. He was elected county sheriff and served, 1846-47, in the Mexican War, and 1862-63, in the Civil War. He died in 1897 and is buried in Wimberley Cemetery. (1975)
|
Visit Instructions:
Please include a picture in your log. You and your GPS receiver do not need to be in the picture. We encourage additional information about your visit (comments about the surrounding area, how you ended up near the marker, etc.) in the log.
|