Grandpa Haupt and Ali LbNA #77362
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Add Location| Owner: | Ob1kababy
 |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | May 7, 2025 |
| Location: | Kyle Cemetery |
| City: | Kyle |
| County: | Hays |
| State: | Texas |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | Trixy Hobbits's |
|---|---|
| Last found: | May 17, 2025 |
| Status: | F |
| Last edited: | May 8, 2025 |
HAUPT, WILLIAM WALTON
(1828–1907). farmer, rancher, and civil engineer. 1849 he moved to Texas and
in 1855 he married Sarah Ann Rugeley. He bought land in Hays County in 1857 and moved there two years later, settling in Mountain City. By 1861 he had moved all his holdings there and owned 3,000 acres.
He served as a captain in the Texas Militia, trained men for service, and was charged with keeping civil order in Hays County. He was a versatile man.
He ran a store in Mountain City, served as local postmaster, and worked as county surveyor. He is given credit for naming Mountain City and in 1876 deeded land for the building of a Methodist church there.
He was also a scientist, engineer, inventor, and agriculturist. He terraced his farm and built lakes in the pastures with interconnecting canals. He patented a hay frame and a seed planter, and built the first steam cotton gin in the area and equipped it with original safety devices.
Between 1869 and 1872 Haupt held at least three patents. He reported unusual weather temperatures to the United States Army Corps of Engineers before the United States Weather Bureau was established. In 1893 the Monthly Weather Review praised Haupt's "important work on tree ring growth as indicators of past weather conditions."
Haupt also continued his work with livestock. He bred horses for handling range cattle, a type later registered as quarter horses, progeny of his stallion, Bell Punch. He imported Essex hogs, Merino sheep, and Angora goats. Haupt planted 500 acres into wheat, barley, cotton, and corn. He developed and marketed a popular variety of Yellow Dent Corn, and published articles on his experiments in farm journals. In the 1890s Haupt sold his goats, made a son the farm manager, and turned his attention to his Mustang Valley Garden, also known as the Haupt Garden. This was a fifty-acre tract with a lake for irrigation. In the garden grew several thousand fruit trees, grapevines, berry vines, and other fruit-bearing plants, with which he experimented. He kept meticulous records and developed the Haupt Berry, a cross between the blackberry and dewberry; the "Alice" peach or "Alice Haupt"; and a hybrid plum. William Walton Haupt died on August 26, 1907. He was survived by his wife and six children.
He is the 3rd great grandfather of my husband and an amazing contributor to Texas history
To find the letterbox enter the cemetery and go to the right. Pass the Pioneer Cemetery and Hanging tree on your right and park in the shade of the tree next to the Moore grave, which is covered with rocks to make a dome shape over the top of grave. Once out of your vehicle, look to your left across the road for the tallest obelisk and only one that has an urn draped in a veil. Go toward marker and find Ezekiel Nance. Continue to your right you will pass baby Stella, Jeremiah “Jerry”, and Sabastiana “Bassie” Nance Haupt. Next to them is another tall obelisk for William Walton and his wife Sarah Ann Rugeley. On the right corner of their curbing entrance is a small tree on Sarah’s side. Under the tree you will find several rocks that conceal Alice.
Don’t forget to check out if there’s any other letterboxes in the area!!
Atlasquest Box #378360
(1828–1907). farmer, rancher, and civil engineer. 1849 he moved to Texas and
in 1855 he married Sarah Ann Rugeley. He bought land in Hays County in 1857 and moved there two years later, settling in Mountain City. By 1861 he had moved all his holdings there and owned 3,000 acres.
He served as a captain in the Texas Militia, trained men for service, and was charged with keeping civil order in Hays County. He was a versatile man.
He ran a store in Mountain City, served as local postmaster, and worked as county surveyor. He is given credit for naming Mountain City and in 1876 deeded land for the building of a Methodist church there.
He was also a scientist, engineer, inventor, and agriculturist. He terraced his farm and built lakes in the pastures with interconnecting canals. He patented a hay frame and a seed planter, and built the first steam cotton gin in the area and equipped it with original safety devices.
Between 1869 and 1872 Haupt held at least three patents. He reported unusual weather temperatures to the United States Army Corps of Engineers before the United States Weather Bureau was established. In 1893 the Monthly Weather Review praised Haupt's "important work on tree ring growth as indicators of past weather conditions."
Haupt also continued his work with livestock. He bred horses for handling range cattle, a type later registered as quarter horses, progeny of his stallion, Bell Punch. He imported Essex hogs, Merino sheep, and Angora goats. Haupt planted 500 acres into wheat, barley, cotton, and corn. He developed and marketed a popular variety of Yellow Dent Corn, and published articles on his experiments in farm journals. In the 1890s Haupt sold his goats, made a son the farm manager, and turned his attention to his Mustang Valley Garden, also known as the Haupt Garden. This was a fifty-acre tract with a lake for irrigation. In the garden grew several thousand fruit trees, grapevines, berry vines, and other fruit-bearing plants, with which he experimented. He kept meticulous records and developed the Haupt Berry, a cross between the blackberry and dewberry; the "Alice" peach or "Alice Haupt"; and a hybrid plum. William Walton Haupt died on August 26, 1907. He was survived by his wife and six children.
He is the 3rd great grandfather of my husband and an amazing contributor to Texas history
To find the letterbox enter the cemetery and go to the right. Pass the Pioneer Cemetery and Hanging tree on your right and park in the shade of the tree next to the Moore grave, which is covered with rocks to make a dome shape over the top of grave. Once out of your vehicle, look to your left across the road for the tallest obelisk and only one that has an urn draped in a veil. Go toward marker and find Ezekiel Nance. Continue to your right you will pass baby Stella, Jeremiah “Jerry”, and Sabastiana “Bassie” Nance Haupt. Next to them is another tall obelisk for William Walton and his wife Sarah Ann Rugeley. On the right corner of their curbing entrance is a small tree on Sarah’s side. Under the tree you will find several rocks that conceal Alice.
Don’t forget to check out if there’s any other letterboxes in the area!!
Atlasquest Box #378360