Site of Groce's Ferry - Texas Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

"Groce's Ferry, also known as Groce's Landing, was at the site of Jared E. Groce's Bernardo Plantation, at the Madelina or Coushatta (Coushatti, Coshate) crossing of the Brazos River in what is now Waller County. Immigrants to Texas who used the crossing were entertained at Bernardo's Bachelor Hall. In 1829 the "ayuntamiento" [Spanish for "municipality'] of San Felipe de Austin provided for the Groce slaves to work the road from the landing to the intersection of the road running to Gustavus E. Edwards's place. Leonard Waller Groce, Groce's eldest son, was operating this plantation at the time the Texas army camped on the west side of the river a half mile from the ferry from March 31 until April 14, 1836, and established a hospital on the east side of the river near the plantation house. Houston's army crossed the swollen waters of the river at Groce's Ferry on the steamboat Yellow Stone en route to the battle of San Jacinto. By 1948 the Brazos had so changed its course that the army campsite was on the east side of the river in a shallow gully overgrown with cottonwood trees."

Source: Texas State Historical Association's "Handbook of Texas Online".


This 1936 marker, the actual site of Groce's Ferry, alludes to two other nearby historical markers worthy of mention:

The first, Camp Site Of the Texas Army, is located in Hempstead itself and reads:

"Five miles to the southeast to the camp site of the Texas Army March 31 to April 13, 1836 when it crossed the Brazos on the steamboat Yellow Stone and began its march toward Harrisburg."

The second, #4505 "Sam Houston's Camp West of the Brazos" is ~2 miles west of here, near the current Brazos riverbed's west bank, and -- per the Early Texas History website -- "[...] on private property. Archeological work has confirmed this site". It reads:

"(March 31-April 13, 1836) At the end of March 1836, following the defeat of Texan forces at the Alamo and at Goliad, the retreating Texas army led by Gen. Sam Houston encamped at this site. While in camp here Houston's forces were reorganized and received much needed reinforcements and supplies, including the "Twin Sisters," a pair of cannon. After training his soldiers here for two weeks, Houston led them across the river in pursuit of the Mexican army, which they engaged and defeated on April 21 in the Battle of San Jacinto, the final battle of the Texas Revolution."

Marker Number: 9387 Marker Text: Established across the Brazos in 1822 (the river has since changed its course) by Jared E. Groce (1782-1836). Near here the Texas Army camped from March 30 to April 12, 1836. Erected by the State of Texas 1936

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Date Logged Log   02/14/2015 Raven visited it