Nashville, Texas facts for kids

Nashville (sometimes called Nashville-on-the-Brazos) was once a small community located on the southeastern side of the Brazos River in what is now Milam County, Texas, United States. Today, it is known as a ghost town, meaning it's a place where people used to live but is now empty or abandoned.

The Beginning of Nashville

Nashville was officially planned out in the fall of 1835. Its founder was a man named Sterling C. Robertson. He named the new town after Nashville, Tennessee, which was the place he was born. This new Nashville became the main office, or "headquarters," for a large land area called Robertson's Colony.

In January 1836, the settlement faced a challenge when it was attacked by Native Americans living in the area. Two people lost their lives during this attack. Because of this event, a group called Robertson's Ranger Company was formed to help protect the settlers. These rangers built two forts: one called Fort Milam near the Brazos River and another where the Little River split into three branches. Also in 1836, Nashville was chosen to be the main legal center, or "seat of justice," for the Milam area.

A Capital Idea and County Seat

After the Texas Revolution, a big event where Texas fought for its independence, the leaders of Texas thought about making Nashville the capital city for the new Republic of Texas. This shows how important Nashville was at the time!

From 1837 to 1846, Nashville served as the "county seat" for Milam County. A county seat is like the main town in a county, where the government offices are located.

The Town's Decline

Nashville began to slowly lose its importance after 1846. That year, the state government decided to move the county seat from Nashville to another town called Cameron. This was a big reason why people started to leave Nashville.

By 1868, a new train line, the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, was built nearby in a town called Hearne. This made it easier for people to move and get goods, so many of the remaining residents of Nashville decided to move to Hearne or other growing towns. The post office in Nashville closed that same year, which was another sign that the town was fading away.

Remembering Nashville

Even though Nashville became a ghost town, its history was not forgotten. In 1927, a group called the Daughters of the American Revolution, along with money from Milam County, bought seven acres of the old Nashville site. They gave this land to the state of Texas to preserve its history.

During the Texas Centennial celebration, which marked 100 years since Texas's independence, Nashville was remembered with special historical markers. These markers were placed along U.S. Highway 79, about five miles northeast of Gause and five miles west of Hearne, so people can still learn about this important historical place.