Caldwell County, Texas

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Texas
Surnames/tags: caldwell_county, Texas us_history

Welcome to Caldwell County, Texas Project!

w

• Texas Space Page
• Leader - Mary Richardson

Contents 1 History/Timeline 2 Government Offices 3 Geography 4 Demographics 5 Cities, Towns, and Populated Places 6 Land Grants 7 Notables 8 Schools 9 Cemeteries 9.1 Things to do/see 9.2 County Resources 10 Sources

History/Timeline

Caldwell County Courthouse, Lockhart, Texas

Formed

• March, 1848 {{Blue Caldwell County was formed from Bastrop and Gonzales counties in March of 1848.}}

Lockhart is the county seat. Named for frontiersman Mathew Caldwell. This county seat was located on a tract of land that had been part of Byrd Lockhart's Plum Creek grant.

Battle of Plum Creek

8000 b.c. Caldwell County is ,located between the Coastal Plains and Central Texas. Archeologists have found evidence showing this area had humans several thousand years ago, possibly 10,000 years ago. After this the Paleo-Indians Hunter-gathers were here, with later the Tonkawa, Karankawa, and lastly the Comanche Indians.^[1]

1825 -Caldwell county was part of Green DeWitt Empresario Colony. Dewitt's petition for colonization was approved to establish a colony in Texas, approved by the Mexican Gov.^[2][1]

The surveys of the Caldwell County area began in the late 1820s. Most of the early grants were made between 1831 and 1835 were near the San Marcos River and Plum Creek. Communities such as Prairie Lea, Plum Creek, and Atlanta, began near these rivers/creeks in the southwestern and central parts of the county. An exception was the McMahan area on Tinney Creek in eastern Caldwell County.^[1]

1836 Following the revolution Congress of the Republic of Texas made the Caldwell County area part of Gonzales County. ^[1]

1839 Edmund Bellinger becomes the first settler of Prairie Lea, the county’s oldest town. Sam Houston names the town for his future wife Margaret Lea Houston ^[2]

1840 Battle of Plum Creek, after this there were only minor skirmishes.^[1]

1847 the Gonzales population in the northern parts had grown so much the residents asked the Texas legislature to create a new county. They proposed the new county be named Plum Creek County and to make Lockhart Springs the county Seat. The legislature did this except for the name. ^[1]

March, 1848 Caldwell County was formed from Bastrop and Gonzales counties in March of 1848.

Lockhart is the county seat. Named for frontiersman Mathew Caldwell. This county seat was located on a tract of land that had been part of Byrd Lockhart's Plum Creek grant.^[1]

1860 There are 1,610 slaves. Community of Riverside is established, later was changed to Fentress to honor the town’s first physician James Fentress. ^[2][1]

1861 County votes 434-188 in favor of secession from the Union. Several hundred men from Caldwell County serve in the Confederate States Army. ^[2]

1870’s St. John Colony was established by former slaves.

1874 Town of Luling is established.[9] John and James Merriwether and Leonidas Hardeman build a gristmill and a sawmill, later to be known as Zedler’s Mills.

1887 The Missouri, Kansas and Texas completes its track between Lockhart and San Marcos.

1889 The San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway connects Lockhart and Luling to Shiner ^[2]

1892 The Missouri, Kansas and Texas lays track from Lockhart east to Smithville. ^[2]

1880-1900 Tenant farmingiss for nearly half of all the county's farming and as much as 75 percent of the 3,149 farms.^[2]

1902 A Texas Sacred Harp Singing Convention is established in McMahan.

1922, August 9 – Edgar B. Davis discovers the Luling Oilfield.^[2]

1927 The Luling Foundation is established by Edgar B. Davis . Purpose diversity in agriculture and improve the lives of farm and ranch families.^[2]

1948 Lockhart State Park opens to the public^[2]

1953 Lulingbegins its annual Watermelon Thump celebration.^[2]

Caldwell County courtesy Texas Almanac and Calwell.tx.us appraisal dist

Adjacent Counties

Northwest Travis County Hays County		North	Northeast Bastrop County
West		Caldwell County, Texas		East
Southwest "San Marcos River" Guadalupe County		South	Southeast Gonzales County

Government Offices

The courthouse was built in 1894 to replace the existing courthouse, which was too small for the growing county. The courthouse was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1976 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 3, 1978

1848 Courthouse for Caldwell County was built on this site. The Republic of Texas named it for Matthew Caldwell, a Gonzales Ranger and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. The first Caldwell County Courthouse was erected on this site in 1848, when the county was organized. ^[3]

1858 - #2 Courthouse the 1st courthouse was replaced early, with a magnificent two (2)-story limestone building. Size was 65 feet x 40 feet, with 6 offices, and 2 rooms for record storage. Soon this was too small.^[3]

April 1893 -#3 Courthouse- Judge and commissioners approved plans for a new courthouse. Lockhart Lodge No. 690, A. F. & A. M. placed the corner stone. The courthouse was completed March 19, 1894.^[3]

Caldwell County Courthouse, Lockhart, Texas

This courthouse was a 3-story building composed of sandstone, with outstanding red sandstone trim. It is second empire with elaborate detail. A mansard roof was used (sometimes leaks). For detail they mounted a central clock tower and flanking towers. It was completed with "up to date electricity". This building was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark. ^[3][4]

Geography

Caldwell County courtesy Texas Almanac and Calwell.tx.us appraisal dist

Demographics

In 2010 United States Census, there were 38,066 people residing in the county. Racial make up was 75.8% were White, 6.8% Black or African, 0.9% Asian, 0.8% Native American, 13.1% of some other race with 47.1% were Hispanic. ^[2] Census had shown in 2000, there were 32,194 people giving density of 59 people/sq mi. Racial break that year was 70.13% White, 8.50% Black or African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 17.66% from other races.40.44% of the population were Hispanic .^[2]

The median income for a household in the county was $36,573, and the median income for a family was $41,300. 13.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.40% of those age 65 or over.^[2]

Highways

• I-10 Interstate 10
• U.S. Highway 90

U.S. Highway 183

• Texas 80.svg State Highway 80
• Toll Texas State Highway 130

Cities, Towns, and Populated Places

City	Town(s)	Unincorporated communities	Other
Lockhart	Niederwald	Dale	Clear Fork
Luling - county seat		Fentress	Delhi
Martindale		Lytton Springs	Elm Grove
Mustang Ridge		Maxwell	Mackiesville
Uhland		Prairie Lea	Polonia
		Pettytown	Ragtown
		Saint Johns Colony	Reedville
		Stairtown
			Seawillow
			Vicksburg
			Wattsville

Caldwell County courtesy Texas Almanac and Calwell.tx.us appraisal dist

CLEAR FORK, TEXAS - located between the junction of Plum Creek and the Clear Fork of Plum Creek. Settlers started arriving as early as 1837. A Baptist Church was organized in 1848 and is still active today. This is the oldest church in Caldwell County. A stage coach from Gonzales passed by Clear Fork to the Micenheimer farm and delivered mail to the residents. As a result of this stop, a post office was opened in 1855 with Thomas Burkhead as postmaster; however, it lasted only a year. The residents continued receiving mail until the 1870s. A school was established and originally met in the church; later a log cabin was constructed using split logs for the seats and desks. By 1879 there were 51 pupils in attendance. Mr. Wm. Mooney established a grist mill on the Clear Fork; two Brown brothers started a grocery store, and a blacksmith shop began operating. A cotton gin was erected close to Robert Brown's farm, and a Dr. John Dickerson established a medical practice. By general acceptance the name Clear Fork was changed and became Brownsboro Many of the descendants of the original settlers still reside in the community.^[5][6]

Plum Creek Almanac courtesy rootsweb.ancestry,com.

DELHI - Located on Farm Road 304 in eastern Caldwell County in the area known as String of Prairies, the first settlers began arriving as early as 1848. Delhi was named for a traveling medicine man named Delhi who lived in the area. In 1877 a school was organized and met in the Primitive Baptist Church. A post office was established in 1904. By 1890 the population had risen to 200 and there were several gins and stores. The school house that had been erected in 1925 now serves as a community center. Population slowly declined and today Delhi no longer appears on official county or state maps.^[5]

ELANDEL - lay about six miles north of Luling, where the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad crosses the West Fork of Plum Creek. Exactly when Elandel was founded is uncertain. It seems to be scarcely a mile from the old community of Union Center, founded about the time of the Civil War. In 1875 on the Hoy (sic) Houston's place at Elandel, Gus Birkner erected a brick kiln that manufactured red brick labeled L&L. A post office was established in 1902 with Charles Lee Bonney as its first and only postmaster. The post office was discontinued in 1906. The 1994 Texas Almanac still mentions Elandel; but with the SAAP railroad declining and the L&L brick industry disappearing, so too did Elandel.^[5][6]

ELM GROVE - As early as 1839 settlers began arriving at a settlement called Elm Grove. As in almost all little communities, farming was the main occupation. A general store, several churches and saloons, were established. Prior to 1920 R. W. Riddle built a gin, and in the early 1900s a saw mill was operating. A post office was begun in 1874 with John Peacock as postmaster. Mr. Peacock was also a Justice of the Peace. The post office was discontinued in 1890. In 1875 a log cabin schoolhouse was built and by 1879, 39 children were in attendance. The school in 1900 became well known throughout the county, and children boarded with Elm Grove families to attend. By 1940 the schools at Elm Grove closed and consolidated with Lockhart, McMahan, and Dale. The post office was changed to Taylorsville in 1890. Today Elm Grove is an active community, and the "old" schoolhouse is being used as a community center and polling place.^[5][6]

FENTRESS - is located on State Highway 80 on the San Marcos River. The town was first settled in 1831 by Michael Gillian, an immigrant in the Green DeWitt Colony. Originally the town was named Riverside but around 1889 changed to Fentress in honor of Dr. Fentress]] who practiced medicine there for many years and subsequently became a large landowner. A school was established in the 1870s and a post office in 1893. The area changed from ranching to cotton production, with a horse drawn gin as one of the first in the area. Eventually three large gins were built near the river. Mr. A. R. Harwood]], a local dairy man, laid water lines for domestic use, and in 1902 an electric system was developed. Fentress became well known as a resort for camping and swimming. A maple floored skating rink was constructed in 1917. This old rink was moved to Lockhart and is in use today. By 1929, Fentress had a population of 500 that has declined considerably and today only a few businesses remain. However, crumbling brick walls along main street are a reminder of early days.^[5][6][7]

William Johnson cabin.

LULING -situated in southern Caldwell County on U.S. Highways 183 and 90, originally was called Plum Creek. A post office was established in 1848. The name Luling was decided upon whose source one may choose: one, a Chinese laundry man, Lu Ling; two, a Judge named Luling; or three, the maiden name of the wife of the president of the Galveston, Harrisburg, and San Antonio Railroad, the GH&SA line.Thomas Wilson, an English immigration agent for the GH&SA railroad, is credited with bringing hundreds of English and Scotch immigrants to the area around 1878. In 1889 the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad] came through Luling and in a span of ten years Luling grew rapidly, shipping agricultural products. The San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad line was partially discontinued in 1933. Edgar B. Davis, an oil man from New York, developed the Luling oil field and during his lifetime here became a major benefactor to the city. He gave a large acreage of land to develop the Luling Agricultural Foundation, a new and modern hospital, and built a club house with golf course open to all. Luling became well known for its excellent watermelon production and every year a festival called the Watermelon Thump has become nationally famous and draws thousands of people. ^[5][6]

LYTTON SPRINGS -lies northeast of Lockhart on FM 1185 on the site of early camps of Spanish explorers in the 1700s. Originally the springs were called Litton from a local farmer but the name later was changed to Lytton. A post office and Baptist Church were established in 1876, and a Methodist in 1887. A two-room school was constructed in 1883. By the mid-1880s there was a gin, a general store, and a drug store. In 1899 the county established a justice court at Lytton Springs. Oil discovery in 1925 brought some prosperity and the population increased to over 300. The wells dwindled in the 1940s and the population fell to less than one hundred. In the past decade an influx of people from Austin, and retirees looking for a place in the county, have markedly increased the population.^[5][6]

MACKIESVILLE -was a village operating in the 1880s situated about five miles southeast of Lytton Springs and almost on the border of Bastrop County. Kattie Mackey owned over 700 acres and it was on that property a store and post office were established in 1890. Louis Mackey was the first postmaster, and over the three and half years during its operation, Kattie Mackey also served as postmaster. The post office closed in 1904, and mail service was transferred to Coxville in Bastrop County. The Mackiesville town site disappeared and became a part of St. Johns Colony. School records show that Louis Mackey was a teacher in the St. Johns Colony #2 in Post Oak Prairie. ^[5][6]

MARTINDALE -situated along the banks of the San Marcos River, is located ten miles west of Lockhart at the junction of State Highways 20 and 142. The town is named for George and Nancy Martindale early immigrants from Mississippi who donated land for a townsite. Mrs. Martindale, a devout Baptist, helped organize the first Baptist Church in 1848 and a private school in 1862. By 1904 there were four different religious denominations established. As the population grew, more and larger public schools were built. Today Martindale is consolidated with the Hays County School District and the children attend classes in San Marcos. With its prosperity in the early 1900s, an electric system, water distribution, and telephone service were instituted. Large cotton production in the surrounding farm area and a seed production in the surrounding farm area, and a seed hybridization developed by W.W. Bagley of San Marcos and A.D. Mebane of Lockhart, made the town well known throughout Texas. At one time four large gins were in constant operation. By 1900 the town had exceeded 600 population. Today cotton is no longer the major agricultural crop, having been replaced by feed grain production and ranching. Along its shady streets still reside beautiful old homes, and the little town has become a mecca for artists, crafters, and antique dealers.^{[5] [8][6]}

MAXWELL -is located eight miles northwest of Lockhart on State Highway 142. The town was named for Thomas Maxwell upon whose league Maxwell is situated. Maxwell's early settlers came from Alabama but with the arrival of German families and Mexican farm workers, the town assumed a diverse social culture. In 1887, the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad was built through the community and as a result, growth was immediate. A common school district was formed in 1892. Later a disastrous fire nearly destroyed the business area on two occasions, resulting in the commercial area being built of brick. By 1929 the population had grown to about 400, there were numerous retail stores, three gins, a restaurant, a drug store, and a physician established practice. Slowly the population declined and by 1990 there were 185 residents. However, today there is a manufacturer of wooden coat hangers. ^{[5][6] [9] [10]}

POLONIA -community, situated off U.S. Highway 183 and FM 2001, lies just south of Rogers Ranch. The area was settled by Polish immigrants. The settlers were good farmers, raised children whose descendants today are educators, engineers and other professional workers. Polonia had a cotton gin, blacksmith shop, and a general merchandise store that not only provided needed supplies but a gathering place for the local people. Today only the cemetery marks the site of the community. ^[6]

PRAIRIE LEA -located in southwestern Caldwell County, was settled in 1820 on the land grant of Joe Martin and is the oldest town in the county. The town was established by wealthy slave owners and as early as 1848 Prairie Lea had a saw mill, grist mill, and gin built by Thomas Mooney, who also. made furniture from the large black walnut trees growing along the San Marcos River. A post office was established and is still operating. In the 1850s a two story structure was built by the Masonic Order; a school occupied the first floor and a meeting room for the Masons on the second. In 1853 the entire building was given over to a school called the Female Institute. Both boys and girls attended classes. In the 1850s there were businesses, a post office, and a hotel. Prairie Lea played an active role during the Civil War. Troops recruited here served with Hood's Brigade and supplies gathered by the citizens were sent to the struggling men from Sibley's Campaign in New Mexico. A major fire in 1877 destroyed much of the town as did post-war violence. Prairie Lea rebuilt and by 1890 had restored much of its businesses. The oil boom of the 1920s brought more prosperity to the town. Slowly the town declined, but Prairie Lea kept its schools and enlarged the system. The Prairie Lea School District is now the major focus of the community. ^{[6] [11] [12]}

RAGTOWN -was simply a line of shacks, tents, and brush arbors that lined the road from Joliet (FM 671) to Stairtown. The inhabitants were oil field workers and their families, hoping to make a better income. Rag town received its name by the way women hung their wash, on bushes, fence lines, and mesquite trees. ^{[5][6] [13][5] [14]}

Reedville, Texas Reedville was named for Major A. Reed over whose land the Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad to San Marcos was built in 1887. The farms around [[:Category:Reedville were large cotton producers and as a result became a focal point for cotton bale shipping. In 1890 John C. Reed, Major Reed's son, established a post office and became postmaster. In 1918 the office closed and was transferred to Maxwell. The 1896 census indicated a population of 100. By 1905 a gin and corn grist mill were operating, plus a general store. In 1905 there were two schools established showing an enrollment of 102. Later the schools were consolidated with San Marcos Independent Schools. Today Reedville is a small community of a few homes, mobile home parks and a cemetery. ^{[15] [16][6] [17]}

ROGERS RANCH -In 1884 M.A. Rogers and Martha Rogers bought over 3000 acres of land northwest of Lockhart at the confluence of Elm and Plum creeks. The Rogers subdivided the land into 100-200 acre tracts and shortly young German immigrants began settling the area. In 1893 Bodeman Hall was constructed, which served as a church, school, and community center. Around 1910 a bowling alley and shooting hall were built. It later burned. Most of the family descendants no longer remain in Rogers Ranch. Several cemeteries are all that mark the site today.^[6]

Seawillow -today lies about seven miles southeast of Lockhart at the crossroads of County Roads 205 and 197. Settlers began arriving in the area around 1853 and early maps record Cibalo or Cibolo (buffalo) as the name of the community. Francis Branyon owned and operated a general store in the 1880s. L. Berry Wells migrated to the Cibolo area in 1880 L.Berry Wells met and married a young school teacher, Seawillow Pipkins , from Beaumont in 1882 or 1883. They settled in Cibolo where Mr. Wells established a post office, most likely in the Branyon store. When he made application for the post office the name Cibolo was rejected by the Federal Postal Authority because there was already a Cibolo in Guadalupe County. Mr. Wells had put Seawillow's name on the list for consideration, it was accepted and Seawillow became the new name in 1899. Unfortunately Mr. Well's tenure as postmaster was short lived because he died in 1900. Willis Branyon , Francis Branyon's son, was postmaster for a short while before moving to Joliet to establish a store and post office in 1901. The post office closed in 1903. In the late 1800s a school was established.^{[6] [18] [19] [20]}

UHLAND -was named for a German poet (Johann Ludwig Uhland - 26 April 1787 – 13 November 1862. Col. R.J. Sledge acquired 5000 acres in Plum Creek Valley with the intent to colonize the area with German settlers. The colonel set aside acreage for two schools and a cemetery. It should be noted that a small community was located in the approximate area of Uhland. The little village was Live Oak. As soon as settlers from the Midwest and Germany started arriving, the town Live Oak was absorbed by Uhland. Louis Schek was selected to be postmaster; yet records show no post office was officially designated. However, in 1900 an office was officially established, and Herman Seeliger became postmaster, followed by Ewald Seeliger in 1901. Service was discontinued in 1902, and the post office at Kyle delivered the mail. Col. Sledge was a Baptist, and his plans for the town were to have a large Baptist Colony for Germans. The church, Emanuel Baptist, was built near Kyle. By 1890 many Germans had moved to Uhland and established a Lutheran Church in the city. In 1990 Uhland had a population of 390; but the years have seen it slowly decline and today a lovely old Lutheran Church still stands beside a little cemetery. The school was consolidated with Hays County. Gottleid Schwitz established a store in 1884 in Uhland, and in 1986 it was still in business. Uhland and Neiderwald are so closely aligned in their people, culture and commerce, that to determine the history of one must include the other.^{[6] [21]} Texas Historical Markers in Caldwell County

VICKSBURG -Located a short distance from the old SAAP rail line on Clear Fork of Plum Creek, it appears to be about three miles south of Lockhart west of U.S. Highway 183. A post office was established in 1886 with James Vick designated as postmaster. The office closed in 1887 and mail was delivered from Lockhart. No records have been located as to the origin or history of this town, i.e. - churches, schools, or commercial operations. ^{[22] [23][6]}

WATTSVILLE -While this little town did not have a post office, it was designated as a townsite on the 1925 USGS map. The founder, John Watts , moved to Caldwell County in 1846 with a family of 20 children. Mr. Watts built one of the first gins in the county, and it became very successful over the years. A son, Henry Watts, established a general store followed by Bud Watts who operated a blacksmith shop. Allie Watts later became the gin manager. The Cage Holmes family moved in the area with 13 or more children, and the population grew to almost 40. The Holmes were excellent fruit growers. Mr. Holmes also built a syrup mill that did quite well . The younger children attended the Hall school, while the older group went to McNeil or Harwood. This was a happy and hospitable townsite. There are Watts descendants who still reside in the area.^[6]

Caldwell County, courtesy Texas escapes

Land Grants

Green DeWitt's plan for colonization was approved in 1825. DeWitt's Colony]] included parts of present day Caldwell County

Byrd Lockhart's's (1782-1839) Plum Creek grant - In 1830 he received four leagues of land on Plum Creek as payment for his services. In April 1831 he was appointed surveyor to DeWitt's colony by José Antonio Navarro, and in September he became municipal surveyor of District No. 3. Byrd Lockhart led the Immortal 32 to the aid of the Alamo Defenders. He left the Alamo following this to request more aid for the Alamo^[24]

Notables

• Matthew Caldwell
• Byrd Lockhart
• Texans participants in Battle of Plum Creek

Schools

Cemeteries

There are 111 listings of cemeteries in Caldwell County, according to Find A Grave's web site.

Cemetery Name,	Photo Requests	Interments	Percent Photographed
Alexander Cemetery, Lockhart[1]	-	7	-
Allen Family, Caldwell County [2]	-	1	-
Atlanta Cemetery [3]	-	194	68%
Blackwell Cemetery [4]	-	46	98%
Blewett Cemetery [5]	-	8	75%
Bouldin Cemetery, Luling [6]	-	19	5%
Branyon Cemetery [7]	-	-	-
Brite Cemetery [8]	-	79	73%
Bunton Cemetery [9]	-	986	67%
Cardwell Cemetery, Lockhart [10]	-	45	93%
Cementerio Bautista [11]	-	2	-
Cementerio Navarro Historico, Lockhart [12]	-	254	95%
Cherokee Hills (Tilman) [13]	-	1	-
Clark Cemetery [14]	-	20	75%
Clark Chapel Cemetery [15]	-	115	88%
Clearfork Cemetery [16]	-	377	94%
Cliett Cemetery [17]	-	3	100%
Community Cemetery, Luling [18]	-	44	14%
Copeland Family Cemetery, Lockhart [19]	-	4	-
Crayton-Spruill Cemetery (See: John Crayton Cemetery), Martindale [20]	-	12	100%

Things to do/see

Watermelon Thump in Luling

June - the Chisholm Trail Roundup and a rodeo in Lockhart

The Texas Independence Trail runs through Caldwell County.

County Resources

• Texas State University University in San Marcos, Texas

Texas Historical Markers in Caldwell County

• Caldwell County Govt. Web Site

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7} https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcc01
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caldwell_County,_Texas
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} http://www.texasescapes.com/TOWNS/LOCKHART/Caldwell-County-Courthouse-Lockhart-Texas.htm#1848
4. ↑ http://www.texasescapes.com/TOWNS/LOCKHART/Caldwell-County-Courthouse-Lockhart-Texas.htm
5. ↑ ^{5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11} http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txcaldwe/almanac/plum_creek_almanac_index_to_cont.htm
6. ↑ ^{6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17} Caldwell County Kin: The First 150 Years. Contributors: Genealogical and Historical Society of Caldwell County (Tex). Luling, Texas. Published by The Society, 2000. Unpaginated.
7. ↑ http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txcaldwe/fentress/fentressTE.pdf
8. ↑ http://www.caldwellcountyhistoricalcommission.org/statehistoricalmarkersincaldwellcounty.html
9. ↑ Caldwell County Genealogy on Family Search
10. ↑ Texas Historical Markers in Caldwell County
11. ↑ Caldwell County Genealogy on Family Search
12. ↑ Caldwell County on rootsweb
13. ↑ Caldwell County Genealogy on Family Search
14. ↑ Caldwell County on rootsweb
15. ↑ Caldwell County Genealogy on Family Search
16. ↑ Caldwell County on rootsweb
17. ↑ Texas Historical Markers in Caldwell County
18. ↑ Caldwell County Genealogy on Family Search
19. ↑ Caldwell County on rootsweb
20. ↑ Texas Historical Markers in Caldwell County
21. ↑ Caldwell County on rootsweb
22. ↑ Caldwell County Genealogy on Family Search
23. ↑ Caldwell County on rootsweb
24. ↑ Byrd Lockhart in Handbook of Texas Online

• Caldwell County Kin: The First 150 Years. Contributors: Genealogical and Historical Society of Caldwell County (Tex). Luling, Texas. Published by The Society, 2000. Unpaginated.
• Handbook of Texas Online by Texas State Historical Society
• Caldwell County, Texas on Wikipedia
• Caldwell County Genealogy on Family Search
• Caldwell County Courthouse on Wikipedia
• Caldwell County on rootsweb
• Texas Historical Markers in Caldwell County
• Caldwell County Govt. Web Site