PREFACE
In the early 2000’s, local Boy Scout Troop 151 created a walking trail and self-guided interpretation pamphlet of downtown Georgetown and historical landmarks. This series of caches is designed to mimic the trail (though not exactly). Each cache is 5-7 stages, roughly grouped geographically. All stages except the last are given, and you must pick up clues along the way in order to decode the coordinates of the final stage and find the physical cache. With nice weather and good walking shoes, you could definitely do caches #1 through #3 on foot. I’m told back in the day if you completed the trail you could earn a patch at the Visitor’s Center. I myself am a volunteer with this troop but the individuals who created the trail were well before my time. Thankfully my records contain their names and I humbly credit them below with the creation of the Takatchue Pouetsu Trail. The vast majority of the text below is taken straight from their guide.
(Note: only the first cache is being released at this time. The others will follow eventually.)
As with all caches, please Be Prepared by bringing water and appropriate sun protection, especially in the summer. And since there is a lot of reading to be done for each stage, please be careful if walking and reading at the same time!
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Takatchue Pouetsu Trail! And WHAT does takatchue pouetsu (ta-cot'-chu poo-et'-su) mean, and why pick this difficult phrase to name a trail? The Tonkawa Indians are accepted by most authorities to be the first human inhabitants of this area. The Tonkawa called this area, including what is now Williamson County, 'Takatchue Pouetsu', which translates to 'The Land of Good Water'. Since this description of the area is still in use, we thought it a good name for a trail that explores the 'civilization' of the area. You will explore the settlement of this community from the time it was called Takatchue Pouetsu to the present Georgetown. We also wanted to go beyond the settlement of just this area, because what happened here was similar to what happened in other Texas cities and towns, as well as other parts of the American frontier. The process of 'civilizing' Georgetown, from the time of the Tonkawa Indians to the current modern city, is a good example of how frontier areas were settled. And we feel this is really the process of 'how the West was won.'
The patch was designed to reflect what happened in this area. Besides the trail name of 'Takatchue Pouetsu' we have the buffalo which were here before any humans, and were one of the reasons the Tonkawa settled in the area. The teepees represent the Tonkawa, Apaches, Karankawa, Comanches, Huacos and other Indian tribes who lived and hunted in this area. We included the name Rio de San Xavier in honor of the first non-native inhabitants of the area, the Spanish Missionaries. The building is the old Williamson County Jail, the oldest public building still in use, and represents the arrival of local government. The San Gabriel River is in the center of the patch as it was instrumental in the settlement of this area. The rising sun and 1848 represent the dawning of Williamson County and Georgetown (in 1848), with the Red Poppy to represent the wild flowers of this area.
This trail is designed to be enjoyed - not endured. Many of the areas you will explore are only sites where some piece of history took place. While you read the descriptions of these areas, use your imagination to picture what they were like hundreds of years ago before all the 'advantages' of civilization were added – such as buildings, roads and power lines. Spend as much or as little time at each point as your group desires. If you or your group finds something interesting that is not listed, investigate it! The biggest problem we encountered was what items to omit because of space and time.
The Trail Crew, Boy Scout Troop 151
First United Methodist Church, Georgetown, Texas
The 'Trail Crew' of Troop 151 would like to express our appreciation to Mr. J. C. Johnson at the Georgetown Historical Society. Mr. Johnson provided us with a wealth of interesting information as well as allowing the use of the Historical Society's library of information.
We would also like to thank the following:
Tracy Billingsley, Les Clary, Crichton and Associates, Georgetown Fire Department, Georgetown Parks and Recreation Department, Georgetown Police Department, Georgetown Public Library, Williamson County Sheriff's Department, and our parents for all their assistance.
Troop 151 Trail Crew
Contributing Scouts
Jeff Bush, Jon Compton, Chris Crichton, Jody Hoover, Greg Leinweber, David Martindale, Chris O'Neil, Daniel Powell, Corey Rogers, Jared Schampers, William Schwerdtfeger, Brian Seemann, Craig Seemann, Matt Stanley, Stuart Walden, Matt Wright, Thomas Wright
Adult Advisers
Elizabeth Billingsley, Ron Billingsley, Herman Crichton, Ed Powell, Millie Powell, Bill Rogers, Dick Seemann, Rick Schampers, Phil Walden.
TAKATCHUE POUETSU TRAIL #1
This first cache covers the area in northwestern downtown and Blue Hole Park. Total round-trip distance walked is approximately 1.0 miles.
Stage 1
Free and ample parking is available at the parking garage on the southwest corner of Rock Street and 3rd Street. Park here, at the surface lot across the street, or along the side of the Rock Street.
Now, walk north on Rock St. and follow it down to the end, just past 2nd St. Here is where the park road begins. Follow the park road to the left, along the river. On your right is the “Blue Hole”.
Stage 2
The Blue Hole was the swimming facility in Georgetown until well into the 20th century. While in recent years silt had almost filled it in, it was one of the early community centers for recreation, with swimming and picnicking. In addition, some early churches also performed baptisms here. In earlier years it was quite deep and wide. One of the tests of endurance for the boys of Georgetown was to swim across and back (without drowning!). We are told that most made it. The last alligator caught in Georgetown was caught here in the Blue Hole in 1897. (Swimming with alligators HAD to be exciting!)
The Blue Hole is an example of what early communities used instead of our modern parks systems. Most communities had a “Blue Hole” type area used by the residents. This type of area was the ONLY “park” around and recreation was as important in the early years as it is now. As is the case here, many of these areas probably became city parks in later years.
As you continue along the park road you will see Imhoff Dam (the second and larger of the two concrete structures). Imhoff Dam was built in 1937 as a recreational area due to the silting problem at the Blue Hole. The project was headed by, and named for Mr. Imhoff, a Georgetown merchant. The area was abandoned for recreational reasons due to pollution of the area. With modern sewage systems, this area has come back into use for swimming and picnicking.
Before the road turns up the hill there is a public restroom. Behind the building is some chain link fence – take note of the metal sign on the gate.
A = First digit of the three-digit number before the phrase “Blue Hole Park”
[For an optional detour (and the opportunity to get a traditional cache), take the Pickett Trail. The entrance to the Pickett Trail is just behind the restrooms. The wooden marker is sometimes difficult to see as the trail starts just inside the taller grass, to the left of the area where the grass is kept cut by Parks & Rec.
The Pickett Trail, built in the 1970’s as a summer youth project, follows the San Gabriel River to Chautauqua Campgrounds Park. Except for the inevitable trash and power lines, views along this trail are the same as those that helped the Tonkawa Indians name this Takatchue Pouetsu. The Pickett Trail was named for William Pickett, a Georgetown native that invented the rodeo sport of bull dogging. He was also the first Black member of the Cowboy Hall of Fame. (He used this method originally in his normal work as a cowboy, not as a sport. This first time he used it was to stop a steer from injuring his horse.) Mr. Pickett was killed by a horse he was breaking, and is buried in Oklahoma, at the last ranch he worked on.
Follow the Pickett trail for one tenth of a mile to overlook. (The overlook is just before the trail turns left away from the river. (Pick up any trash you see along the way.) Take a moment to take in the view up and down the river. You can almost forget that you are in the center of a small city (Pretend you don’t see the apartments across the river). With a little imagination, you can almost see Tonkawa Indians coming around the bend of the river in their canoes. This is also the same view enjoyed by the Spanish Missionaries as they explored the Valle de Rio de San Xavier. The mere few hundred years since their arrival has not changed the work of thousands of years of the South San Gabriel River!
From the overlook, continue up the trail to the point where the power lines cross the trail (Do not follow the trail down the rough steps to the river.) Turn left off the main trail and follow the rough path under the power lines for 100 feet. You will come out on Scenic Drive. The rest of the trail, while offering equally scenic views, also has some difficult and slightly hazardous areas. You might consider hiking it at another time. The total trail is just over one and one-half miles long.]
Stage 3
Continue along the park road as it turns left up the hill. You will find yourself in the midst of the Old Georgetown Cemetery. The park road ends at Scenic Drive and The Historical Marker will be on your right facing Scenic Drive, mounted on a large stone.
B = The tens place of the year restoration of the cemetery began, according to the historical marker
This cemetery was the city’s second cemetery, founded in 1848 and used until 1902. George W. Glasscock, Sr. donated this land as part of the original grant of land for Georgetown. It was used because of the difficulty of digging graves as well as the distance to the other cemetery used by area residents. Many graves here are unmarked. On the west side of the park road is the section of the cemetery used by the black community of Georgetown. See if you can find the marker for ‘Marshall Carver’ and also for ‘Robert Jones Rivers’. Judge Rivers was the great grandfather of Admiral Byrd the famous explorer. You will also run across another marker to Judge Rivers later on.
Stage 4
Turn right on Scenic Dr. and go to 4th St. (the next street). Turn left on 4th St. and go one block to Wesley Chapel AME Church at 508 W. 4th. [Note: no sidewalk for one block.]
The Wesley Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church congregation was the first black congregation in this area. Originally founded in 1869, the first church at this site was built in 1881. This building was constructed in 1904 by the church members and their pastor. Take note of the two historical markers mounted to the side of the building.
C = The ones place of the year the church was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark
Stage 5
Continue east on 4th to MLK and turn right. (There are sidewalks on the east side of MLK.) Continue south on MLK to the Williamson County Criminal Justice Center. (This part of the Justice Center is the Williamson County Courthouse Annex. The building behind this one is the Williamson County Jail.)
This is one of the newest and finest courts and jail centers in the area. Completed in 1990 at a cost of almost $15 million, it contains both modern courts and a state of the art jail facility. You might also consider that it replaced the old jail that cost less than $21,000 when built in 1888. (About what is cost to build one jail cell in this facility!) The original jail in Georgetown was to turn a wagon box over with the prisoner under it. The marshal would then sleep on the box! The court system might not approve of that now…
Continue south on MLK to 6th St., turn left and go one half block to the Railroad Produce Warehouse.
The Produce Warehouse was used as a green market type wholesale house in days before refrigeration. It was added to the list of Historic Sites by the Texas Department of Antiquities. The building is presently being used as a Criminal Law Specialty Center. When an area was first settled, the first ‘merchants’ into an area were usually peddlers or traders on horseback. They were followed by more elaborate merchants in wagons. These early merchants usually traded finished goods and supplies for furs or other raw materials from the area. Permanent stores were the next to arrive, getting their goods from outside the area. (They both traded and sold for cash.) The last to arrive were wholesalers, supplying goods to all of the above.
Take note of the historical marker. Read the very bottom sentence on the marker outline (“Preserved for the…”). If the fourth word is:
“World” then D = 2; “Future” then D = 8; “City” then D = 0
Stage 6
Turn left and head north on Forest Street, passing between the two largest buildings of the Criminal Justice Center. As you come to the intersection with 4th Street, there will be a statue – the SFC Nathan Ross Chapman Memorial.
E = the number of years after 9/11/01 that this statue was dedicated, plus 2
To find the final stage and physical cache, use the information collected on your walk to complete these coordinates:
N 30° 38.CAB W 097° 40.EAD
Congrats to FTF: DrPflug and Clubmud!