Texas State Travel Guide: 1988 Page: 179
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Texas Community College; features a 570-seat instructional theater.
Performances and art exhibits vary through year. On campus in southeast
part of city on F.M. 1735. Call for schedule, 903/572-1911.MOUNT VERNON
Pop. 2,321Alt. 418
Map H-21
General-Joshua T. Johnson founded settle-
ment in 1830. In 1848, Stephen and Rebecca
Keith donated land for a townsite to be
named Lone Star. Franklin County was
formed from part of Red River County in
1875, and Lone Star became county seat. The town's name was changed to
Mount Vernon, honoring George Washington's home place. Cotton and farm-
ing were important crops at that time. Today the econotny is more diversified
through oil, dairies, farming, and light industry. Several historical markers are
located in town and the outlying area. Mount Vernon is a Main Street City.
The downtown area still reflects a small-town atmosphere. The central
plaza has a picturesque gazebo and park benches. On the north side of the
square is a Grecian-style 1912 grey limestone courthouse with a chiming
clock tower.
Mapped and marked for year-round use are trails for bicycling, hiking, as
well as a Bluebird Trail, Indian Heritage Trail, and equestrian trail. Check
with the chamber of commerce at 109 S. Kaufman St. for trail maps.
Franklin County Museum--Housed in old city hall, museum features dis-
plays of butterflies, bird eggs, violins, wood carvings, and arrowheads. Many
exhibits rotated throughout year. Open Sat. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. At I IlS.
Kaufman St. Admission.
Franklin County School Heritage Center-Operates as a genealogical
research center. Features 1908 - 1978 newspaper annuals and census records.
Open Tues. and Thurs. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 704 S. Holbrook.
Lakes-Cypress Springs, Bob Sandlin, Monticello, and Welsh. See LAKES
listing.
Parks-Little Creek Park features volleyball courts and has facilities for ten-
nis, baseball, soccer, basketballand picnicking. In addition to playground
equipment, there's a swimming pool open Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Dogwood Park, Walleye Park, Overlook Park, Mary King Parkand
W.D.Guthrie Park comprise 850 acres of public parks around Lake Cypress
Springs. RV hookups and picnic facilities allow visitors to enjoy fishing, boat-
ing, water skiing, and hiking at the popular lake. For information, contact the
Franklin County Water District, P.O. Box 559, Mt. Vernon 75457, or call
903/588-2352.National
monument
to mules at (natu-
rally) MuleshoeMUENSTER,
Pop. 1,422Alt. 970,
Map G-17
General-Founded in 1889 by Emil and Carl
Flusche on the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas
Railroad. The German brothers wanted to
call their settlement Westphalia, but after
discovering a town of that named had
already been established, they called their colony Muenster. for the capital of
their native Westphalia. Germany. Oil was discovered in the 1930s with
pump jacks plottingg pastures and fields in every direction. Until then, the
economy was dairy farming and agriculture. Today, the rural community's
economy is rich with agricultural products, as well as diversified manufactur-
ing. Muenster's traditional German customs and Texas hospitality blend well
and visitors are always "willkommen.'
Lakes-Moss, Ray Roberts, Texoma. See LAKES listing.
Muenster Museun-Established in the home of Ben Hellman, first
"BUrgermeister" and elected mayor of the city. Among prized collections
are 1890 Edison Victrola, 1876 Mason Hamlin pump organ used in city's
first school, and an 1890 Blickensderfer typewriter Other exhibits include
memorabilia of Muenster and Cooke County. Open Thurs - Sat. 1 - 5 p.m.
203 E. 3rd St.MULESHOE
Pop. 4,551Alt. 3,889
Map F-8
General-Seat of Bailey County, long a
sparsely settled area of huge cattle ranches.
Early in 20th Century the immense ranches
began to break up, and farming was intro-
duced to this area of the High Plains. Townorganized in 1926, named for muleshoe brand of famous early ranch. Today
a center for marketing and shipping of High Plains agricultural products.
Muleshoe Heritage Center, off U.S. 84, is in restored Santa Fe depot-
offers museum and meeting place.
Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge-Founded 1935, oldest national
wildlife refuge in Texas. Established principally for migratory waterfowl, also
home of native wildlife. Three small rainwater lakes, unusual features on the
plains, attract the birds, Hunting is prohibited, but photography permitted.
Among species wintering here is nation's largest concentration of sandhill
cranes. Greatest numbers of waterfowl may usually be seen between late
Aug. and Mar. colony of prairie (logs is along entrance road. Open daylight
hours. About 20 miles south on Texas 214.
National Mule Memorial-What better place for a monument to mules
than this uniquely named town? Mules pulled the covered wagons west,
plowed the first sod for pioneers, hauled freight, built the first railroads and
highways. With disappearance of mules from the American scene in recent
decades, a group of Texas citizens determined to erect a memorial to those
unsung beasts. Donations for the monument were received from throughout
nation; in fact, a gift of 21 cents was sent by a mule driver from Samarkand,
Uzbekistan, U.S.S.R. The memorial, unveiled on July 4, 1965, is near intersec-
tion of U.S. 70/84 in downtown and is a popular picture-taking site.
Today wagons and mule teams still can be seen on Muleshoe's main
streets and Mule Day is celebrated the second Sat. in Aug., hosting mule
rodeo, mule races, other activities.NACOGDOCHES
Pop. 31,202Alt. 283
Map M-22
General-Site of Indian settlement for cen-
turies before first European arrived; named
* for the Nacogdoche Indians. Area visited by
La Salle expedition in 1687. Spanish mission
founded in 1716. For more than a hundred
years town was major eastern gateway to Texas. Some of state's most historic
landmarks are here. Texas' first newspaper, Gaceta de Tejas, was published
in Nacogdoches. Home of Stephen F. Austin State Univ.
El Camino Real-'le King's Highway"; first blazed in 1691 by Domingo
Teran de los Rios, first provincial governor of Texas. Often called "Old San
Antonio Road" (OSR), route is virtually that of today's Texas 21.179
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Texas. Department of Transportation. Texas State Travel Guide: 1988, book, 1988; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1203617/m1/181/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.