Historical Sites
Beeville and Bee County

00 - BRIEF HISTORY OF BEE COUNTY  << Full List >> 2 - COOK HOME  

1 - BEEVILLE ON THE POESTA

Marker on Courthouse Lawn, Beeville

Long before Mexico granted land (1834) on Poesta Creek to the first settlers, Anne Burke and James Hefferman, savage Indians roamed this valley at will. Their colony, although successful at first, soon met disaster. In 1836, James Hefferman, his brother John, and John Ryan, who had planned to join Texas patriots at Goliad, were planting a crop in a field at this site when they were massacred by Comanches. Also killed was James’ family in his picket house upcreek. Bee County was organized in 1858 and named for Col. Barnard E. Bee, a Republic of Texas statesman. Soon after, choice of a county seat came into hot dispute. A site seven miles east on Medio Creek was chosen for “Beeville.” But 10 months later, voters made the 150-acre donation of Anne Burke O’Carroll permanent county seat, on the banks of the Poesta. The new town, first called "MaryviIIe” for Mary Hefferman (relative of those killed in 1836) was soon renamed Beeville. In its first decade, It had two stores, one saloon and a blacksmith shop. First Courthouse was built for $750 on west side of present square, 1860. First railroad came though, 1886, and a larger Court-house was soon built. After it burned, the present one was erected In 1913.

(Inscribed on back of marker: “Gift of Mrs. William Heuermann, a great-granddaughter of Samuel Reed Miller, a member of Austin’s old three hundred colonists and physician to Gen. Sam Houston after the battle of San Jacinto. Miller later had a ferry on the Nueces River. Has many descendants in South Texas.)
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