Buchel County, Texas

Buchel County was a former Texas county. Its area is now completely contained in the present Brewster County.

Buchel County
U.S. county
Map depicting Buchel County's location in 1888
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°12′N 103°12′W
Country United States
State Texas
Existed1887–1897
Named forAugustus Buchel
SeatMarathon
Largest TownMarathon
Population
 (1890)
 • Total298

History

On March 15, 1887 the Texas legislature passed legislation that divided Presidio County into four counties: Presidio, Jeff Davis, Foley and Buchel.[1]:824–825 Named after German soldier and war hero Augustus Buchel, the county occupied the northeast corner of what is now Brewster County including the town of Marathon which was to serve as the county seat. The 1890 Census reported 298 residents in Buchel County, the majority of whom lived in Marathon. In 1889, it and neighboring Foley County were attached to the original Brewster County for surveying purposes,[2] and in 1897 both counties were abolished and absorbed by Brewster County.[3]

Attempts to Reestablish

During the first decades of the twentieth century, some Texans tried to reorganize the county. As early as 1909, one newspaper reported that "A movement is on foot to re-establish Buchel county and make Marathon the county seat."[4]

In 1915, a bill submitted to the 34th Texas Legislature (SB 187) sought to establish Buchel County from territory in Brewster County.[5] Reports suggested that the bill was supported by representatives and there was little expected opposition,[6] however no final version of the text was published as law, suggesting that the bill was never passed.

Geography

The Texas state law that created the new county laid out the following boundaries:

Buchel County is bounded as follows, to-wit: Beginning at the northeast corner of Brewster County on the Presidio and Pecos County line; thence south with the east line of Brewster County sixty miles; thence east to the Rio Grande River; thence down said river with its meanders to the Pecos County line; thence in a northwesterly direction among said Pecos County line to the place of the beginning.[1]:824

Adjacent Counties

References
  1. Texas Legislature (1887). "An Act to create the counties of Buchel, Foley and Jeff Davis out of the county of Presidio". The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Vol. 9.
  2. Texas Legislature (1889). "An Act to attach Buchel and Foley counties to the county of Brewster for surveying purposes". The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Vol. 9: 1111–1112.
  3. Texas Legislature (1897). "An Act to abolish the unorganized counties of Buchel and Foley, an incorporate their territory in the county of Brewster; to provide for the payment of certain bonds held by the State against said unorganized counties out of funds now on hand to their credit, and for the transfer and payment of the balance of said funds to the proper officers of said Brewster county". The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Vol. 10: 1169–1170.
  4. "Notice". The Fort Stockton Pioneer. (Fort Stockton, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 4, 1909. Fort Stockton, Texas: The Pioneer Publishing Company. February 4, 1909. p. 2.
  5. "SB 187, 34th Regular Session". Legislative Reference Library of Texas Legislative Archive System. Legislative Reference Library of Texas. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  6. "Big Bills Will Come to Fore in the Current Week; Tenant Farmer Bill". San Antonio Express. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 32, Ed. 1 Monday, February 1, 1915. San Antonio, Texas. February 1, 1915. p. 3. Retrieved June 8, 2017.

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