Steele's Store Community

Anglo settlement in this area can be traced to 1851. Henry B. Steele built a general merchandise store in 1855 to serve residents of the rural community, originally called Mudville because of frequent Brazos River floods. The store became the center of the community, and when a post office was established there in 1878 the settlement was renamed Steele's Store. Italian immigrants, primarily from the provinces of Trapani and Palermo, began settling here in the 1870s. Many of the families established large farms, and by the early 20th Century the Italian community here was one of the largest in the United States. A one-room schoolhouse built in 1889 was later replaced with larger structures as the population grew. The school eventually was consolidated with the Brazos County Independent School District. Predominantly Roman Catholic, the settlement was served by priests from St. Anthony's Church in Bryan until 1903, when San Salvador Catholic Church was built. The church became the focal point of the community, with traditional Sicilian celebrations held each March to honor St. Joseph. Many descendants of the area's pioneer Italian families still reside in the vicinity. (1992)

Steele's Store Community is a historical marker in Mooring, Brazos County, dedicated in 1992. It is one of 54 historical markers documented in Brazos County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 172 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 30.6717, -96.5487 near Mooring. The nearest cataloged historic site is El Camino Real (historical marker), about 3.0 miles away. Others within a short drive include Smith Family Cemetery, Blume Cemetery, and Canaan Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5041008697. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.