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Join Us In the Celebration!
On September 4, 2019, the Driftwood/Onion Creek Valley community celebrated the designation of the Section of RM 150 W between the intersections of RR 12 and RR 3237, the William B. Travis Heritage Trail at the Hays City Store and Icehouse in Hays City Texas. The jamboree celebrated the road’s designation and our community’s successful efforts to manifest our dream into a beautiful reality.
This section of road includes an association with one of Texas’s heroes, William Barret Travis, whose land grant straddles Onion Creek. The Driftwood Historical Conservation Society (DHCS) petitioned the Texas Legislature to designate part of Ranch-to-Market Road 150, which runs through the William B. Travis Survey, as the William B. Travis Heritage Trail.
Residents, politicians, and the Hays County Commissioners Court and the Historical Commission were among those who enthusiastically lent their support. By May 23, 2019, Senate Bill 1221 had passed both houses of the Texas Legislature with more than a two-thirds majority and was enrolled, guaranteeing passage into law.
DHCS’s proactive leadership joins with the community to preserve and enhance Driftwood and the Onion Creek Valley’s rural beauty, heritage, sense of community and belonging. One of our goals is “preserving/restoring historical and heritage sites.”
Manifesting the Travis Trail into reality fulfills this vision.
September 4, 2019,
Hays City Store
FM 150 Designated Wm B Travis Trail
AN OPEN LETTER OF APPRECIATION TO ONION CREEK VALLEY (OCV) RESIDENTS AND THE DHCS MEMBERS AND LEADERS
As of May 23, 2019, both the Texas House of Representatives and Texas Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 1221 designating FM 150 West between the intersections of RR 12 and RR 3237 as the William B. Travis Heritage Trail.
ALL Y’ALL DID IT! And I cannot thank y’all enough for the support you gave, including but not limited to:
- The DHCS board for funding the signs along FM 150;
- All y’all (250+/-) OCV residents and tourists that signed the petitions for the Travis Heritage Trail;
- Valerie Anderson for all the web assistance with petitions, etc., and putting up with all of my antics;
- To all the OCV residents and small businesses that came to the State Capitol to show and voice your support to our state representatives;
- To Senator Campbell and Representative Cyrier and their teams who fought for and protected the William B. Travis through its travels at the state capitol;
- The local businesses that represented strong support behind the Travis Trail including but not limited to the Hays City Café, Discovery, Vista Brewery, Dan Winters;
- Gary Keller’s and Kasey Mock’s unflinching support;
- And all of y’all that always showed the moral support for a hair-brained scheme that some might have initially thought should not be pursued;
- And thousands of other things that don’t readily come to mind.
To ALL Y’ALL, I state a heart-felt thank y’all!
When 2 old men got together 4-5 years ago and created what would now be known as the DHCS, in the back of our minds was a dream of being a part of a Proactive Driftwood Community-based organization that would preserve the Driftwood Quality of Life for future generations to soak up. It would b a group of people that recognized that they would only be victims if they used life as a spectator’s sport, rather than a participatory sport. Stop right here and go back up and re-read the list of DHCS achievements listed above… Ain’t no victims on that list.
I congratulate y’all for a job very well done! Thank all y’all for everything you did to help manifest the William B. Travis Heritage Trail as the law of the land.
Casey Cutler, DHCS Board 2nd Vice President
DHCS Members Testify Before Senate Transportation Committee
Kate Johnson Remarks to Senate Transportation Committee supporting SB 1221, March 27, 2019.
Good Morning, Chairman Nichols and Honorable Senators.
My name is Kate Johnson and I am the Chairwoman of the Hays County Historical Commission.
I am in support of Senate Bill 1221.
In fact, all of the members of the Hays County Historical Commission are in support of this bill. And the Hays County Commissioners Court unanimously passed a Resolution in support of the bill last December.
This bill simply honors William B. Travis in Hays County by naming a portion of FM 150 as “the William B. Travis Heritage Trail.”
I know its not necessary for me to give any of you a history lesson on this legendary historical figure in Texas History. But, this is important to us locally because William Barret Travis purchased a league of land in Hays County from Ben Milam in 1835. Following his death at the Alamo, Travis left this land to his two children: his seven year old son, Charles Edward Travis, and his five year old daughter, Susan Isabella Travis.
FM 150 runs through the center of this league, just south of the community of Driftwood.
In addition to honoring the important legacy of this Texan, the William B. Travis Heritage Trail would benefit small businesses in the area and promote tourism along FM 150 in the Hill Country. It would also promote the preservation of the cultural and historical resources of the area.
It simply honors a great defender of the Alamo on the local level in Hays County and promotes heritage tourism through our beautiful Hill Country.
I respectfully urge you to support SB 1221.
Designate FM 150 West as The William B. Travis Trail
In 1835 William B. Travis purchased a league of land from the Mexican Government. Travis was granted this purchase under Empresario Benjamin Rush “Ben” Milam’s effort to colonize central Texas land which included that which is now identified as being in Hays County. FM 150 West dissects this (4,428 acres) league of land approximately one mile south of Driftwood.
Travis died as a hero in 1836 in the battle of the Alamo. The property was left to his 7 year old son, Charles Edward and 5 year old daughter, Susan Isabella. Ben Milam was killed in the siege of Bexar in 1835, also as an “indomitable” Texas hero.
A local effort successfully designated FM 150 West as The William B. Travis Trail to honor this great hero who died in the battle of the Alamo.