Texas Highways, Volume 70, Number 2, February 2023 Page: 11
80 p. : col. ill., mapsView a full description of this periodical.
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aufman was among the earliest American settlements in the North Texas region
known as the Three Forks, named for the convergence of the Trinity River's West,
Elm, and East forks. Mississippian William King arrived in 1840-a year before
settlers showed up in the Dallas area-and built a stockade called King's Fort for
protection from Comanche and other tribes that had long inhabited the fertile prairielands.
Over the last century, Kaufman has become known as the original home of Tex-Mex chain
El Chico, which has locations in six states and the United Arab Emirates. It's also the home
of Kaufman County Veterans Memorial Park, which includes a four-fifths size replica of the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Hector Torres immigrated to Kaufman from
Mexico when he was 17. He has thrived in the community as an entrepreneur and volunteer,
including previously serving two terms on the Kaufman City Council. Torres, whose wife,
Monica, is a third-generation Kaufmanite, describes his hometown as "one big family."TOWN
TRIVIAFinding Home
"My parents came from Piedras Negras,
Coahuila, Mexico, to visit my older brother,
who already lived in Kaufman, and decided
to establish our home here. I arrived in
Kaufman in June 1978, when I was 17. Even
now, on Thursdays we go to my mother's
and have dinner with her. She cooks mostly
traditional dishes, such as enchiladas with
rice and beans, mole, Mexican beef stew,
Mexican chicken stew, and tamales."
Self-Taught
"Years ago, I taught myself how to read and
write in English after I purchased a Spanish-
English dictionary at the local Ben Franklin
store. Also, I read the Dallas Times Herald
newspaper aloud. There were many words
I didn't know, but learning pronunciation
gave me the confidence to speak to others."
Maps and More
"My business, Kaufman County Title &
Abstract, closes real estate transactions.
Buyers and sellers come to our office to
sign their paperwork, and we also perform
title searches to determine who owns a
property. This office has Kaufman County
maps dating back to 1888."
El Chico
"Kaufman is the home of the El Chico
restaurant chain, although back then in the
1920s and '30s it was called Cuellar's Cafe.
The Cuellar family lived at the Star Brand
Ranch. I met some of the family at an event
the Kaufman Chamber of Commerce hosted
in the late '80s. I have always admired their
efforts to better themselves and teach their
families the results of hard work."Prairie Provisions
"We have many good Mexican restaurants,
but La Pradera is my favorite. My favorite
dish is the Ruby's Special, which you can
get with either beef or chicken fajita meat.
It's served in a chunky salsa with rice
and beans. Every time I recommend it to
someone, they always comment on how
much they liked it."
Historic Poor Farm
"Kaufman County received a historical
marker in 1997 for the 'poor farm' in
Kaufman. Back in 1883, the poor farm
was created to care for the indigent. It's no
longer operational, but Pam Corder with
the Kaufman County Historical Commission
oversees self-guided group tours. This site
has a lot of history."
Houston Street
"Whenever an out-of-town visitor comes
to Kaufman, I like to take them down our
historic Houston Street. During Halloween,
most homeowners open their doors and
have candy, food, and music. The city closes
the street to traffic to allow people to walk."
Home Sweet Home
"It wasn't what brought me to Kaufman as
much as what made me stay here. There are
many reasons, but some of the biggest ones
would have to be my family, the opportu-
nities given to me that helped me succeed,
and the way our local leaders and every-
one work together for the betterment of our
community. It seems like one big family
where everyone helps each other with one
common goal-to make Kaufman a great
place to live." L7,3
79
NUMBER OF
STOPLIGCHTS:
10
p S.
Y EA RFOD D
1840
NEAREST CITY
Dallas, 35 miles
northwest
MARQUEE EVENT:
Memorial Day Service,
May 29 at the Kaufman
County Veterans
Memorial Park
':AP IT:
Kaufman County
Veterans Memorial
Park, 3800 S.
Houston St.FEBRUARY 2023 11
_3
Photo: Melanie Grizzel
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Texas. Department of Transportation. Texas Highways, Volume 70, Number 2, February 2023, periodical, February 2023; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1623752/m1/13/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.