Historic Nacogdoches, Texas: Lone Star hospitality

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This was published 7 years ago

Historic Nacogdoches, Texas: Lone Star hospitality

By Elspeth Callender
Roland Jones House, in the Downtown Historic District of Nacogdoches.

Roland Jones House, in the Downtown Historic District of Nacogdoches.

Behind the pine curtain, beneath the Southern hospitality blanket and a stone's throw from the Louisiana border is, arguably, the oldest town in Texas. Brick streets and historic architecture survive from a time when criminals could evade the eyes of the law just by slipping into the shadows of the Big Thicket of East Texas. While six flags have flown over the rebellious Lone Star State, the town of Nacogdoches has seen nine.

In the oldest brick building, Anne Norton, decked out in a festive green velour jumpsuit and glittery earring, serves breakfast. She's tall and beehived, and a photograph at the top of the narrow staircase up to my New Orleans-style room confirms Southern belle status. As Norton places polenta on the table, prepared by her kitchen-bound husband, she bares teeth and exaggerates her accent for my amusement to render grits a word of uncountable syllables.

And she pronounces her hometown NAK-er-DOH-chiss.

Nacogdoches poet Karle Wilson Baker.

Nacogdoches poet Karle Wilson Baker.

By the time European explorers arrived here in the 1500s, Caddo tribes were settled along local waterways in small agricultural and trading communities. In 1716, a Spanish mission – one of six established within East Texas as a political claim against France – became the first European construction. After that came the flags of Mexico, the Gutierrez-Magee Expedition, the Fredonia Rebellion, the Dr James Long Expedition, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America and finally the United States of America.

Although technically founded in 1779 by pioneer Gil Y'Barbo and officially incorporated in 1837, tercentennial celebrations throughout this year aim to cement Nacogdoches' oldest town in Texas claim.

"History is our main drawcard," says local tourism officer Jannette Sparks as we pull up at Oak Grove graveyard where she points to the name of the road. "And we have the only cemetery in the US where Hospital Street dead-ends."

A house in the Millard's Crossing Historic Village displays an antique doll in a sitting room.

A house in the Millard's Crossing Historic Village displays an antique doll in a sitting room.

A self-guided walking tour of this town of 33,000 takes in 26 historic sites including a Caddo mound from 1250. The old stone fort, a remnant from the town's Spanish era, was the first two-storey building in Texas. Early last century it was reconstructed on the grounds of Stephen F Austin State University. "It was torn down by men and rebuilt by women," says Sparks, figuratively.

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The fort's red iron rock walls are almost a metre thick. The headquarters for various rebellions and governments, this building has also been a residence, trading post, warehouse, prison, gambling hall and newspaper publishing house. A judge called Three-Legged Willie presided over the first district court of Texas there; his third leg was a gun.

American Queen Anne and Stick style homes stand on Washington Square, formerly a significant Caddo ceremonial space. Zion Hill Cemetery bears the remains of those whose race denied them a place in Oak Grove. The Nacogdoches opera house was where the Marx Brothers first developed their improvisational comedy. OUB (old university building) was the Republic of Texas' first university, chartered in 1845. The old time string shop – where I fluster the owner, Steve Hartz, by hitting him up for a banjo tune – was once a cafe; according to local legend, Bonnie Parker waited tables there for a time while she and Clyde were on the run.

Lone Star history.

Lone Star history.

The name Davy Crockett also crops up a lot along the way.

Other walking routes around town include the Lanana Creek trail. This five-and-a-half kilometre track starts on Main Street and goes against the flow, skirts Oak Grove Cemetery then crosses university playing fields to the arboretum.

Three azalea trail routes, all between 12 and 14 kilometres long, take in heritage buildings as well as local gardens like Pineywoods and Durst-Taylor. Ruby M Mize is the largest azalea garden in Texas and all 7000 plants bloom throughout March. They don't call Nacogdoches the garden capital of Texas for nothing, and the town also lies within the state's forest trail region.

Don Antonio Gil Y'Barbo was the founder of present day City of Nacogdoches.

Don Antonio Gil Y'Barbo was the founder of present day City of Nacogdoches.

Sparks tells me there are Wednesday and Saturday farmers' markets and "you can buy everything you need locally as long as it's in season". While we're on the subject of food I discover Sparks is a keen hunter. Taught by her father, she uses firearms passed down from her grandfather and hunts strictly for consumption.

"Do you eat everything?" I ask.

"Everything."

First Methodist Church.

First Methodist Church.Credit: iStock

Although Nac to the locals is affectionately called Naco-nowhere by neighbours, it's a vibrant town with plenty of music, film, food and art with both Dallas and Houston only two-and-a-bit hours away by car.

Texan actor and musician Brad Maule, who played the character of Dr Tony Jones on daytime soapie General Hospital for 22 years, now calls Nac home. Sick of Hospital work and Hollywood, he came back to his home state "looking for peace, a place to heal. When I rolled into Nacogdoches, I started to feel better". He loves the downtown area as well as the tall pines, rivers, lakes and surrounding national forests. And doesn't miss the LA traffic.

That evening, straight after dinner, Sparks and I zip-line on stomachs full of crawfish chowder and gumbo. Flying through the darkness, high over the fairy-lit Christmas scenes, I realise it was for the best that the local wine was no sweet milk. The air is warm and the young guides are full of beans even though they've been working all day and it's past closing time.

Back at the Brickhouse, hot coffee materialises outside my room at daybreak and the aromas of another lavish breakfast waft up the stairs. Twist my arm, old town. I decide to stay another day.

TRIP NOTES

MORE INFORMATION

visitnacogdoches.com; traveltex.com; discoveramerica.com

GETTING THERE

United Airlines flies daily from Sydney and Melbourne to George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston (via Los Angeles or San Francisco). See united.com.

STAYING THERE

The Brickhouse Inn, 522 Virginia Avenue, is a family owned and operated B&B in a 19th century building. Rooms from $US100 (+ tax) a night including breakfast. See thebrickhouseinn.biz.

DINING THERE

Clear Springs Restaurant, 211 Old Tyler Rd; see clearspringsrestaurant.com.

Elspeth Callender travelled as a guest of Texas Tourism and Discover America.

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