Galveston, C. S. A.

Most important Texas seaport during the Civil War. Had consulates of England, France and Spain and worldwide recognition as a cotton exporter. Set up defenses including 10 mud forts and gun batteries on beaches, at railroad depot and on Pelican ...

Civil War Hero

Colonel Philo Hersey, born in Canton, Maine, came to Belfast in 1861. He entered Civil War service as a captain in the 26th Maine Regiment. Severely wounded at the battle of Irish Bend, Louisiana, he returned to Belfast and in ...

City Park

The Belfast Ladies Improvement Society lobbied the city council in April of 1904 to establish a seaside park for the benefit of the public. The purchase price of the 15 acre lot was $3,000 and, once secured, prominent Boston landscape ...

Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railway Company

In 1874 Galveston County voters narrowly approved $500,000 in bonds to finance construction of a railroad line from the city of Galveston that would bypass Houston, its business rival, and reach across Texas and beyond to Santa Fe, New Mexico. ...

The Circus Comes to Town

Circuses and Caravans of wild animals appeared in Belfast as early as 1816. In 1885, Barnum's "Greatest Show on Earth," featuring 16 elephants including Jumbo, pitched its tent on Congress Street where over 8,000 people enjoyed the spectacle, despite ankle-deep ...

Van Buren County / Van Buren County Courthouse

Van Buren County

Settlers attracted by lumbering came to this area in the 1830s. By the 1860s a mild climate, rich soil and easy access to the Chicago markets created a thriving fruit industry in Van Buren County. The county was ...

Frederich-Erhard House

Galveston native and banker William John Frederich, Sr. (1852-1898), had this house built for his family in 1894. After his death, his widow Jeanne sold the home to his nephew, Frederich William Erhard, in 1909. The home remained in the ...

Colonel John Donelson

In appreciation of

the services of

Colonel John Donelson

Born in Delaware, 1718.

Died in Kentucky 1786.

Distinguished in early life in Virginia as a civil, industrial and military leader.

Member of the House of Burgesses, iron manufacturer, Lieutenant Colonel of Pittsylvania County and devoted vestryman ...

John Campbell Memorial Home

John Campbell (1818-1891), founder of Ironton, was an ironmaster and president of the Ohio Iron & Coal Company, a Presbyterian, and an abolitionist. This house and barn, which he built in 1850, became a stop on the Underground Railroad for ...

The Town Named After a Buggy Incident

Buggies, such as the one before you, were an important part of early America. As the name implies, Doctors' Buggies were used by physicians but they were also a popular choice for many others as well. Buggies were dearly prized ...