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Jose De La Baume LbNA #68915

Owner:Baby Bear
Plant date:Jul 29, 2015
Location: Capote Cemetery
City:Seguin
County:Guadalupe
State:Texas
Boxes:1
Found by: Boots Tex
Last found:Aug 17, 2015
Status:FFaa
Last edited:Jul 29, 2015
Difficulty: Easy
Distance to Letterbox: 100 yards

See below for the history behind this box. It is located near the actual Ranch, next to the old historic Capote Church, in the Cemetery. Clean cut cemetery, with many old graves.

Here is the interesting history of Jose De La Baume and El Capote Ranch from the Historical Marker:

The founder of El Capote Ranch was Jose De La Baume (1731-1834), a French army officer who came to North America with the Marquis De Lafayette and fought in the American Revolution. He later joined the Spanish Army and for his services received title in 1806 to 27,000 acres of Texas land - the original El Capote Ranch. De La Baume's grant was reaffirmed after Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821. Virginia-born Michael Erskine (1794-1862) acquired the property in 1840. He raised cattle here and drove his herds to California and New Orleans. Since the San Antonio to Gonzales Road forded the Guadalupe River on El Capote land, many travelers passed this way.

The Erskine family hosted several eminent visitors, including William Bollaert (1840), Ferdinand Roemer (1845-1847), and Frederick Law Olmstead (1857). After the Erskine family sold the ranch in the 1870s, part of the land was deeded to Edith Kermit Carow, the second wife of Theodore Roosevelt. During the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt rode an El Capote horse, "Seguin", at the Battle of San Juan Hill (1898). The ranch was acquired in 1897 by Judge Leroy Gilbert Denman (1855-1916), a Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, and is owned by his descendants.

Directions:
From Seguin, go east on FM 466 about 5 to 10 miles. Look for historical marker sign for church, and cemetery will come before it on the left. Park by entry arch.

To the Letterbox:
Enter on sidewalk next to gate. Once in, walk straight through middle of cemetery to the far side. Go right and find headstone for "Collins". Now go right along 3 "Collins" stones to the crepe myrtle tree. Box is on your side of the tree, but in middle of the closest limbs, under bark and sticks.