§ Only in Texas...a ghost town that doesn't exist?

Founded in 1839, Lamar was a rival to the then thriving Aransas City, Texas which was just across Copano Bay at Lookout Point. Aransas City had the customhouse which guaranteed prosperity. Lamar became the first coastal town in (what was then) Refugio County.   The President of the Republic was petitioned by a group of settlers to move the customhouse from Aransas City. Their forceful argument that the new town was twice the population of Aransas City convinced the President - who just happened to share the same name of the town. The change was made and the worse fears of Aransas Citizens became a reality. Aransas City virtually disappeared.  Lamar's star rose and its prosperity surpassed that of its former rival - that is until the town was destroyed by Union forces during the Civil War. Only a few shellcrete foundations remained.  Lamar found itself in Aransas County when that county was established in 1871.

...in continuing the day trip, this post is all about the Lamar Cemetery on Goose Island.   As I stated in my post yesterday on our day trip saga, the town of Lamar Texas is proclaimed to be a 'ghost town'...no longer in existence by any Census taking, nor do they have any 'government-run facilities'. Yet, for a fact, there are more living in Lamar than in any time...only 'cause most homes are occupied by Winter Texans, and are not considered citizens as such, because their 'permanent' residence records are outside the state of Texas --most of them. The images I took of the cemetery [some catching my eye for the historical names I've read in previous readings and researching] will be shared, first, in a mosaic/collage formation---

The gate carving reads:  Est. in the year of our Lord 1854

The embedded Historical Marker Inscription reads: This burial ground originally served pioneer settlers of the Lamar community. Founded by James W. Byrne (d. 1865), a native of Ireland and a veteran of the Texas Revolution, it was named for his friend Mirabeau B. Lamar, former President of the Republic of Texas. The earliest grave is that of Patrick O’Connor (1822 – 54), a bookkeeper for Byrne’s business operations in New Orleans. The town of Lamar ceased to exist by 1915 and the cemetery was neglected until the 1940s when it was restored through efforts by the family of John Henry Kroeger, Jr. (d. 1944)

After returning home, I got online and did a little 'digging' myself. Seems the one image I took of the BYRNE headstone is related to the founder of the Stella Maris Chapel, James W. Byrne !! S [Samuel] Harold Byrne is kin of the 'founder'...family originally from Wicklow County Ireland ---few died in and around Lamar/Refugio Texas. And more digging resulted in my curiosity proving correct in assuming that the L.A. Wells [part of a duo headstone] is indeed Lydia Ann ---the woman for whom the Lydia Ann Lighthouse is named. The very lighthouse that I returned to, to better photograph, near the ferry at Port Aransas, posted about Link HERE.

...indiviual, larger images of cemetery---

_ _ _

Then, on a 'brighter note'...this photo, found below the text here, is of a coral bean bush in full bloom. Taken along the pathway of one of our inner-city birding trails! Notice the insect? I didn't 'til I uploaded the image off the camera photo card to add my watermark!! LOL










[I posted about the chapel yesterday on my Monday Morsels
-->Stella Maris Chapel <--link here].











CONNECTING TO:

ALSO: for this post, I'm linking to TAPHOPHILE TUESDAY
Picstory's next topic is *self portrait*