To the Pioneers of Bell County - Citizen Memorials on Waymarking.com

Great oaks from little acorns grow
Big vistas from small ideas, so
Though the tree this plaque points out
Is some years from big and stout
Still we'll give it time to spread
In memory of those who lead.

Why isn't this in 'Dedicated Trees'? Because the tree is dedicated to a GROUP, not a specific person. SO! Plaque and tree are a 'Citizen Memorial.'

The plaque -- set in the ground in the shade of a young oak -- reads:
THIS TREE HONORS
THE PIONEERS WHO
VOTED TO CREATE
BELL COUNTY AT THE
CHARTER OAK APRIL 1850
APRIL 22, 2000

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Official History of Bell County (http://www.bellcountytx.com/history.htm)
COUNTY HISTORY

Bell County was created from Milam County just five years after Texas entered the Union. County Commissioners chose a county seat on the banks of Nolan Creek and named it Nolandsville. Two years later, January 12, 1852, the town's name became Belton and it was incorporated.

Belton's first settlers built houses, stores, saloons, and a hotel and prospered until the Civil War when they lined up behind the South. When things went bad for the South, Belton also experienced tough times. By the 1880s, Belton had recovered from the war and began to flourish once again. It was the largest town in Bell County and had a brisk economy. Belton would have become a boom town if it had a railroad, but it only reached its doorstep as the Santa Fe Railroad crossed the county line on the eastern edge near Rogers.
During the mid to late 1860s, the Chisholm Trail cut through central Bell County along a route between the present day cities of Belton and Salado. The 1860's also saw the establishment of the female religious commune known as the True Church Colony which flourished until about 1900.

Between 1877 and 1915, ten railroads considered placing tracks through Bell County, but only two companies actually came to the area. At a time when railroads made and broke rural communities, the acquisition of a railroad was important. The Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railroad, known as the Katy, went through Belton, while the Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railroad, known as the Santa Fe, established a new town just north of Belton, known as Temple.

To provide the railroad employees with health care, Santa Fe hospital became the city's first hospital in 1891. Then in 1896, King's Daughters Hospital was established. Temple Sanitarium began in 1897 and later evolved into Scott & White. In 1983, Santa Fe combined with Scott & White.

The first woman elected as governor in the United States was Miriam Amanda Wallace Ferguson. Ms. Ferguson was born near Little River and she served from 1925-1927 and 1933-1935. Her husband, James Edward Ferguson was born near Salado and elected as governor from 1915-1917.


from TexasEscapes.com (http://www.texasescapes.com/TOWNS/Belton_Texas/Bell-County-Courthouse-Belton-Texas.htm)
The Naming of Belton and Bell County
Both Belton and Bell County were named after Peter (I-might-just-be-a-Colonel-but-I've-got-a-Texas-County-named-after-me) Bell. Bell was a mere Colonel in the Civil War, but he was a Mexican War Veteran, and before that, a San Jacinto Veteran. In his spare time he was a Texas Ranger, a Congressional Representative and a Governor.

Belton is a little different from other County Seats, in that it hasn't the dominant population in the County. Belton's 14,500 are quite happy where they are and with Temple's 50,000 being where they are.

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Be sure to check the other nearby waymarks for more local history, including a number of historical monuments within strolling distance!
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Website with more information on either the memorial or the person(s) it is dedicated to: [Web Link] Location: Public Square -- West Side of Courthouse, just a few yards from Peter Bell Statue

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/15/2010 Tygress visited it