History

How did Texas get its name?

The McDougall Brothers originally settled on the land where Texas Station is now situated about 1840.

The property was abandoned in the 1850’s while the brothers tried their luck on the goldfields.  When they returned they found their land had been taken by another settler and it was some time before they were able to establish their prior claim.

In 1836 Texas U.S was at war with Mexico, fighting for their independence, so the McDougalls called their property Texas as their dispute was similar.

 

The primary objective of the first selectors in the Dumaresq Valley and surounding country was to use the land for cattle production.  The rich, alluvial river flats soon attrcated farmers to the area.  Corn was an early crop and by the late 1860’s Chinese were employed to grow tobacco. 

The tobacco industry expanded rapidly all along the river as water for the crop was drawn from it or from the rather shallow wells along its flats.

As the area under the crop increased European growers gradually took over from the Chinese.

During the 1880’s a small factory produced plug tobacco and in 1908 a stemmery was established.  Tobacco was one of the mainstays of the area for many years, even during the depression of the 1930’s.

Following WWII, migrants from Italy, Spain and other European countries, grew tobacco.

The crop is no longer grown in the region, although some tobacco barns may still be seen.

The Texas Heritage Centre has constructed a building to house an evergrowing display of tobacco memorabilia tracing the growing of the crop from its establishment to its demise in the Dumaresq Valley.