Johnson County, Texas
Rio Vista has 8 official Texas Historical Commission markers in Johnson County. The marker list includes records dating to 1965. Common marker themes include courthouse and civic history, churches, cemeteries, and community institutions, railroad, trail, and transportation history. Use this page to preview the markers, then open RoadHistorical on your drive to see nearby stops on the map, listen to narration, and save the places you want to visit.
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Famed for its beef since era of the Republic, Texas fed a great part of the Confederacy-- both civilians and army-- in the Civil War years, 1861-1865. Routes for beef supplying were many: Shreveport Trail to Vicksburg,…
View on map ↗Of pine and poplar lumber and other materials from an 1850 house acquired by John Wesley Smith, Civil War veteran and banker who came to Johnson County in 1868. Built this home 1887. Used square iron nails. Recorded…
View on map ↗Built 1856 by Indian fighter, cattleman, Texas Ranger, patriot. Early Texas colonial. Built by slaves. Hand-hewn and pegged foundation. No nails in framing. Timbers carted from Louisiana by oxen.
View on map ↗Yearly gathering of heirs of colonists entering America 1623. Wm. L. Menefee, ancestor of this branch of the family, migrated to Texas 1830; signed Declaration of Independence 1836; was on the commission selecting…
View on map ↗Henry Briden (1825-1908) came to Texas from his native Germany in 1845 and served for two years as a Texas Ranger. In 1849, he and his wife, Lucinda Sevier (1831-75), became first permanent white settlers in what is now…
View on map ↗Located in an area of Johnson County's earliest settlement, Rio Vista was founded on the railroad in 1885. The townsite, which affords views of both Nolan River and Mustang Creek, was given the spanish name for "River…
View on map ↗Nolands River was an early Johnson County community, established in the late 1850s. A local club of the Grange, a farmers' fraternal organization, organized her in 1874, and built a two-story meeting hall called "Grange…
View on map ↗Thomas Haley came to Johnson County by 1852. After purchasing land from Henry Briden, he built a race track along the Nolands River and began breeding fine horses. Haley was a captain in Parson's mounted volunteers (4th…
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