Hazel and Charles R. Tips - Three Rivers, TX - Citizen Memorials on Waymarking.com

Three Rivers was founded on July 4, 1913 by Charles R. Tips seeking his own dream of becoming a “colonizer like the empresarios who settled at least one hundred families on contracted grants of land in Texas during Spanish and Mexican rule." (source: “The History of the Founding of Three Rivers, Texas”, an unpublished 1963 personal paper by none other than Charles R. Tips himself). The town drew 1st-generation immigrants from European countries such as Germany, Ireland, France, and England, as well as Mexico. 2nd and 3rd generation Americans looking for a new beginning also eventually made it their home.

Per the Texas Historical Commission's "Handbook of Texas Online" website:

"Three Rivers is at the intersection of State Highway 72 and U.S. Highway 281, just south of the junction of the Atascosa and Frio rivers and just north of the junction of the Frio and Nueces rivers, halfway between San Antonio and Corpus Christi in north central Live Oak County. The community was first named Hamiltonburg when Annie T. Hamilton paid the San Antonio, Uvalde and Gulf Railroad to build a depot on her land in 1913. Charles R. Tips organized a townsite company and sold land for the town. Since mail for Hamiltonburg was often mistakenly sent to the Texas community of Hamilton, local residents asked for a name change. Tips suggested the town be named for its location near the rivers, and Three Rivers was approved as the new name by the post office department on May 1, 1914.

In 1920 natural gas was discovered near Three Rivers and was piped into town. A small refinery was built, and in 1990 it was a major Diamond Shamrock refinery, where many local residents were employed. The first glass factory in Texas was built at Three Rivers in 1922 as the gas fuel and local sand was plentiful. The Great Depression forced the sale of the factory to the Ball Glass Company in 1937, and the factory was permanently closed in 1938. Three Rivers was incorporated in 1926 and operates under the general-law aldermanic form of government. In 1925 its population was estimated at 1,000, in 1931 at 1,275, and in 1965 at 1,932, with seventy businesses. By 1988 Three Rivers reported 2,177 residents. The Choke Canyon Dam produced a local lake with good fishing, and two nearby state parks provide abundant campgrounds. Hunters can find deer, quail, dove, and javelina. In 1990 an estimated 1,889 residents lived in Three Rivers. The population was 1,878 in 2000."

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The granite citizen memorial monument -- located on the grounds of the City Hall in the center of town -- is a simple rectangular block engraved with the state's "Lone Star" on all four sides. An engraving on the eastern facade reads:

"In honor ot Hazel and Charles R. Tips - Founders of Three Rivers, Texas - 1913"

while an egraving on the western facade reads:

"Given by their children Mary Louise Bagby, Hazel Watkins, Eugena Cross, Charles David Tips and the City of Three Rivers - 1987".

A 1967 Texas Historical Marker -- also located on the grounds of the City Hall about 200' of this location -- reads:

"Three Rivers

Founded March 1913 by Charles R. Tips, an investor. Chartered June 12, 1913, as Hamiltonburg -- named for local family. Town lot sale began July 4, 1913.

Townsite renamed by U.S. Postal Department May 1, 1914, to mark fork of three rivers -- Nueces, Atascosa and Frio."

Website with more information on either the memorial or the person(s) it is dedicated to: [Web Link] Location: On the grounds of Three Rivers' City Hall, east side.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/29/2018 Raven visited it