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.
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.
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TAKATCHUE POUETSU TRAIL #3
This third cache covers an area southeast of downtown. Total round-trip distance walked is approximately 0.6 miles. Plenty of parking is available at Myrtle St and 11th St, or at Church St and 10th St.
Stage 2
Go to 1004 Church Street, the home of Jessie Daniel Ames. This home marks two more milestones in the coming of civilization to an area – social awareness and communication. This was the home of Jessie Daniel Ames. (We also talked about Ms. Ames at the site of the old Telephone Exchange.) Ms. Ames was a strong supporter of many social projects and causes in this area and the state. She was a leader in Women’s Suffrage Movement statewide, and led a massive voter registration drive in Williamson County. She was also the first president of the Texas League of Women Voters. Among Ms. Ames’ other projects was membership in the Commission for Interracial Cooperation, a home for Negro orphans, a home for Delinquent girls and a national reputation in the anti-lynching movement. In the often rough and tumble frontier, there was often too little time and too few people to tackle the social problems addressed by Ms. Ames and the groups she led.
A = The last year that Ms. Ames served as the first president of the Texas League of Women Voters
Stage 3
Now continue south on Church to University Drive and turn left. (Do not cross University.) Continue east to 311 East University, St. John’s United Methodist Church.
Originally St. John’s Swedish Methodist Episcopal Church, this congregation started meeting in 1871 near Union Hill. This building was finished and the congregation has been meeting here since 1906. St. John’s Cemetery is located near the original church site about 4 miles south of Georgetown on FM 1460 (Rabbit Hill Road). Notice the cornerstone of this building. Inside the cornerstone are local newspapers, a Swedish newspaper, a Bible and other mementos from 1906. This building was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1986.
B = The year on the bottom right of the Texas Historical Marker
Stage 4
Continue east on University for one block to First United Methodist Church, 410 East University. (While this building is across University, it may be viewed just as well from this side. University can be a very busy street as it is also State Highway 29. You do not need to cross to collect the needed information.)
First United Methodist Church was created as a Methodist Mission in 1849. It was formally organized as a Methodist Church in 1874, but was served by the Methodist tradition of Circuit Riders. The first building was northeast of this site on the Southwestern University Campus, with this building being completed in 1893. (The native stone was hand cut at the site.) This building is a registered Texas Historic landmark.
If the traffic is light and you can safely cross, look for GC664AH.
C = the number “pie slices” in the circular window near the top of the masonry part of steeple
Stage 5
Continue east on University to the Georgetown ISD Administration Office and Professional Learning Center.
This was the original site of Southwestern University. This site was donated by J. J. Dimmit and George W. Glasscock, Jr. as a site for Georgetown Community College in 1870. Southwestern University, organized by five Texas Methodist Conferences, was located here in 1875 and occupied the site until 1916. Georgetown built its first high school here in 1923 and it has been in use by Georgetown School District since then. It most recently served as (and tends to be known locally as) Williams Elementary School. This site was listed in the National Registry of Historic Places in 1986. There are two Historical Markers at this site. The one on the building is for the current structure. The marker in the flowerbed to the right of the building entrance contains the history of Southwestern.
D = the number of decorative tiles on the front of the building that look like this (no need to count each one – the four sections are identical so use some simple math):
To find the final stage and physical cache, use the information collected on your walk to complete these coordinates:
N 30° 38.0xx W 097° 40.yyy
where xx = B – A – 3
and yyy = (D * 2) - C
Congrats for FTF go to: Carrot Killer and LadyBlackCat!!