Hide Article Text (OCR)
Thomas and Elizabeth arrived in Texas some where between 1852 and 1853. A copy of an old abstract confirms that Thomas Applewhite bought property in LaVernia at the present site of the Finch Funeral Home, from Joseph G. Brown on January 2, 1854. This same tract was conveyed to Joseph G. Brown by John James on January 5, 1853. No records have been found to prove there was a house on the property at the time the Applewhite's bought the property, but the late Gail Shriber, former historian for Wil son County, writes in her Brief History of LaVernia : Probably the oldest building here about would be the Tho mas Applewhite house. Abstracts of early land sales spoke of ‘and im provements’ as early as 1833. The old rock house could have been built before the Battle of San Jacinto. It had two rooms, and, according to some old timers in LaVernia, it had a basement. Shriber also wrote: The last Indian raid was in 1855 when the young community sent hur riedly to Seguin for help where a political picnic was being held at Wal nut Springs. At this time, Pendleton Rector and the minister McGee's young son,Jewett, were out hunting for strayed horses; they were chased by the savages, Rector on a fast horse, got away, but the lad riding on a mule was roped, scalped, and left for dead. He was prepared for burial in the basement of the Thomas Applewhite rock house, the ruins of which still stand at the west end of town on highway 87. Perhaps the old house could have served as one of the first funeral homes in the area. The Finch family gra ciously left the old home site for possible future restoration for historical purposes. They have al ready restored the old water well on the prop erty. The well looks to be about 50 feet deep and still has visible water in it. That was good, cold, sweet water in its time, and may still be today. The story that has circu lated down through the years is that the old rock house served as a stage stop during the 1800s. The existence of a good water well and the fact that the old house was located on the Old Chihauhau Road that ran through LaVernia into San Antonio, lends cred ibility to the stories that the house was indeed a “stage stop at one time. The house was de stroyed, except for the portion of wall that is still standing, in the 1950s, for the construc tion of US Highway 87, which is only a few yards from the rock wall. There is a sign in from of the rock wall that reads The Applewhite's lived Here and the sign is oc casionally checked on by a family of African- Americans to see if it is still there. Thomas and Eliza beth Applewhite are bur ied in the Concrete Cem etery, approximately two miles North of LaVernia on FM 775. The grave headstone is approxi mately 50 yards inside the cemetery gate, and 20 yards to the left. The gravestone is a white marble stone, about 5 to 6 feet tall and their names are inscribed on either side of the same grave stone. The only information available regarding LaVemia as a stage stop was found in a small book on old stage lines in the San Antonio area. The book was from the Sam Fore Jr. Wilson Memo rial Library. It says: Stage Coach Lines, San Antonio Stage Lines 1847-1881, by Robert H. Thonhoff. This book indicated that San Anto nio was a hub for stage coach lines running in every direction and com petition was the name of the game. Seems every one was in the stage coach business. None of the references in this book indicate where stage stops were in the various towns they served, with the excep tion of San Antonio and some towns that had Inns, where passengers stayed overnight. We have found nothing to indicate the Thomas Applewhite House served as a stage stop, and we have found nothing to indicate that it didn't. The location on the road from San Anto nio would be ideal and the presence, of what appears even to this day, of a good water well in the yard. Water is still visible in the well today. These are signs to bear out the old remem berances that the site was a Stagecoach stop. The advertisements are as follows: 1. Rishy Hall's Lines of Passenger Coaches Carrying the United States Mails. Page 27, figure 32, Texas Almanac, 1871. From San Antonio to Victoria, via Clinton and **LaVernia, etc., three times a week; leaves Vic toria Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, 6 a.m. Ar rives San Antonio next day at 4 p.m. Leaves San Antonio Tuesday, Thurs day, and Saturday at 6 a.m., arrives at Victoria next day at 5 p.m. 2. C. Bain and Co's. Elegant Line of Four and Six Horse Coaches. Fig ure 51, last line of the ad. To**LaVernia and Suth erland Springs. From ad in San Antonio Daily Herald, dated March 15, 1878. 3. Railroad Line, C. Bain and Co's, figure 47, San Antonio Daily Ex press, dated March 31, 1877. To **LaVernia and Sutherland Springs, Good Hacks Monday, Wednesdays and Fri days, at 7:30 a.m. There is also a refer ence to LaVernia on page 30 for hack service leav ing the Menger Hotel for LaVernia and Sutherland Springs, and again on page 31. The ads in this book are for a later period of time than Thomas Applewhite lived, as he died in 1864, but stage coach travel took place long before the time of the advertisements, and the method of travel was continued until the late 1890s. Those having further in formation concerning the Thomas Applewhite House, or about an old stage coach stop in LaVernia may con tact the Wilson County His torical Society. P. O. Box 101, Floresville 78114 This column, sponsored by the Texas Through Time Living History Foundation, is part of a continuing effort to preserve the heritage of South Texas. Contributions from readers are a valuable part of this effort. Send letters to Texas Through Time, do Wilson County News, P.O. Box 115, Floresville, Tx 78114. Or call Teresa Benns if you have oral information you wish to share. STevas SThrough Time
Newspaper Details
Wilson County News
Floresville, Texas, US
Wed, Nov 17, 1993
Page 11
Full Page
Clipped by
Guest G.
USA 02 May 2026
Other Publications Near Floresville, Texas
Floresville Chronicle Journal
Wilson County News
