Bay City history boosted by agriculture, oil, industry

   Bay City, the county seat of Matagorda County, is an incorporated city at the junction of Texas 35 and 60, in the north central portion of the county 90 miles southwest of Houston.

Aylett ‘Strap’ Buckner one of Texas’ most colorful characters

   Aylett C. “Strap” Buckner, the son of Judge Aylett and Elizabeth (Lewis) Buckner of Louisa County, Virginia, was one of the more colorful characters among the early settlers of Texas.   One of his ancestors, John Buckner, attempted to introduce the first printing press into Virginia in 1682.

History of Battle Island

   In the winter of 1826, the Flowers and Cavanah families who lived on Liveoak Bayou were massacred by the Karankawas.Charles Cavanah was one of the first immigrants to the first colony of Stephen F. Austin.    He was at work some distance from the house when the Indians made the attack.

Young Virginia bride lost in Matagorda Bay shipwreck

  The following comes from:RamblingRoots.comPioneer Families of Washington County, Virginia  Eliza Margaret "Pink" Dunn was born on 3 May 1834 in Washington County, Virginia.

Cafe owner Gillette a popular Bay City citizen

   Stanley James Gillette was a native of Matagorda County, and was undoubtedly one of the best known and most popular citizens of Bay City, where he was proprietor of the Green Cafe and Confectionery and had made a business of providing service to the many hundreds of hunters and other visitors...

Hamman Oil once boasted sizable operations in Bay City

   As the immediate photo below shows, the Hamman Oil Company had a sizable operation going south of Bay City beginning in 1933.  That year, Hamman Exploration Company, headed by John Hamman Jr. and George F.

"Art appraiser looks at 45 Forrest Bess works at museum appraisal" by: Mike Reddell

   A Houston art appraiser met with about 25 people who brought close to 45 known or suspected Forrest Bess paintings to Matagorda County Museum Thursday, March 27.

Rugeley founded when Hawkinsville Tap railroad was built though the area

   Rugeley, also known as Rugeley Switch, is on Farm Road 457 near one of its crossings over Caney Creek, nine miles east of Bay City in east central Matagorda County.   Rugeley was founded by 1902, when the Hawkinsville Tap branch of the New York, Texas and Mexican Railway built through the area.

Collinsworth fought in Battle of Velasco, raised troops for Goliad

   George Morse Collinsworth (Collingsworth), soldier, planter, and civil servant, was born in Mississippi in 1810.   He was living in Brazoria, Texas, in 1832, when he participated in the battle of Velasco.   In July of that year he was serving as secretary of the Brazoria Committee of Vigilance.