Stringtown

John Drayton Pitts (1798-1861) was born, according to family lore, on a ship as his parents sailed to America. A civil engineer by profession, Pitts became interested in politics and in 1841 became a member of the Georgia House of Representatives. The next year, Pitts and his brother-in-law, James Vickers, took a trip to Texas and encouraged family and friends to follow.

Eleven families, including those of John’s brothers, William and Edward, settled in Grimes County. John D. Pitts became an influential politician, living in Austin while serving as adjutant general. In 1847, Pitts and his friend, General Edward Burleson, visited the land Burleson acquired after the Battle of San Jacinto, located six miles southwest of San Marcos Springs.

Impressed by the idyllic setting, Pitts purchased the 640 acres from Burleson. This early organized colony in Hays County consisted of family and friends of John D. Pitts. Their farmhouses, strung out at half-mile intervals along the Austin-San Antonio Road, led to the name Stringtown. The farms, often referred to as model farms, survived early hardships and the 1857 drought.

Although not a town, Stringtown soon rivaled San Marcos in population. Pitts donated land near his home for a church and school. Following the Civil War and emancipation, crops were divided evenly with former slaves, and many were given land. The labor void was filled by Mexican farmers who brought their vibrant culture to the area.

Pitts Cemetery, located nearby, was established in 1851. It serves as a reminder of the determined pioneers who settled the area and braved the hardships of early Texas. (2017)