New Wehdem NEW WEHDEM is just off Hwy 36 eight miles northwest of Bellville in northern Austin County. New Wehdem was first established on a stage route connecting Nelsonville & Bleiblerville to Brenham. In 1883 the place was named New since many in the community came from Wehdem Germany. By the early 1930’s a number of residents from nearby Wehdem had moved into the vicinity. After World War II the locale began to be described on maps as New Wehdem. A Lutheran Church, St. Jacobi later named St. James, was organized in 1869 with a sanctuary dedicated in 1871. The current structure dates to 1928. The 1925 school building became the church education building in 1965.
San Felipe SAN FELIPE de Austin, laid out in July 1823 as the Colonial Headquarters of Stephen F. Austin’s Colony, is one of the oldest towns in Texas. Located on a bluff near the west bank of the Brazos River, San Felipe is two miles north of Interstate 10 on FM 1458. The site served Native Americans and early travelers as a Brazos River crossing point. Eventually eight roads converged in San Felipe and a 1969 Texas State Historical Marker shares this history. San Felipe was known as the “Colonial Capital of Texas” and served as the political center of colonial Texas until razed March 29, 1836 during the Texas Revolution. The State of Texas recognized San Felipe in 2005 as both the Official Colonial Capital of Texas and Official Birthplace of the Texas Rangers. S a n
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Felipe de Austin State Historic site is located off FM 1458 at the Brazos River – the newly opened museum, on the east side of FM 1458, has an entrance off of 2nd Street just across from the Methodist Church. It is a state-of-the-art museum commemorating the location where, in 1823, Stephen F. Austin established a headquarters for his colony in Mex-
Visitor’s Guide
ican Texas. San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site and the new museum share the stories of early settlers in this region. The original historic site, on the west side of FM 1458, contains seven blocks of the original capital with an 1830s hand-dug well, remaining as the only original architectural feature of the historic town. THistoric locations in San Felipe include: Old San Felipe Church (ca. 1824), San Felipe de Austin Cemetery (ca. 1824), San Felipe Town Hall (ca. 1842), and Stephen F. Austin State Park. The Stephen F. Austin State Park is a beautiful Recreational Park which occupies 600 plus acres of moss draped pecan bottoms along the Brazos River. It occupies part of the land granted to Stephen F. Austin, “Father of Texas”, for the first Anglo-American colony in Texas. Near the park is an 18-hole golf course. The state park offers camping, hiking trails, birding, wildlife viewing, fishing, and group facilities. The Texas State resource just a few miles west of Houston offers a diverse opportunity for families.
