This old historic marker on the origination of Bastrop County says a lot in a few lines of text. To appreciate the history involved in the years covered in the text, from 1821 to 1837 and onward, encompasses a tremendous amount of pioneer history and political transitions. It is not surprising that this marker is next to SH 21, also known as the Kings Highway or El Camino Real de los Tejas. This road acted as one of the boundaries of Austin's original colony that is mentioned in the plaque's text. This was a multinational crossroads during the ferment that occurred in the early part of the 1800s. Out of it all came this county of Bastrop. It was later redivided and reshaped into the county it now is in order to create its surrounding counties.
The historical marker is made of a large cube of Texas pink granite with a bronze plaque fixed on the top plain of the stone block. On the front side of the granite is a large bronze medallion with a large star in the center of a circular band. On the band is the text "Texas Highway Department" and in the center of the large star is the date "1936. This is one of the styles of markers placed across Texas in 1936 to celebrate the centennial of the Republic of Texas, later to become the US State of Texas. The marker is encased in a very large circular cement base with extensions going beyond the circle. From the aerial view, it looks as if it was intended to be a compass rose, but there is no markings for the directions on the extended part of the concrete. A very large ancient oak tree shades the marker and its strangely shaped base.
The marker is in a traffic triangle created by SH 21 and the turn lanes of Look 150. It is several hundreds of yards west of an entrance into the Bastrop State Park. At least three other waymarks of historical markers are dotted around the area between this marker and the park entrance.
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