Old Sweet Home

The Sweet Home community was originally settled during the mid-1800s. In 1852, a post office was established with Captain J.A. York as postmaster. York also laid out the town (1860) and partnered with the West family, early area settlers, in business ventures. During the Civil War, the town was used as a winter camp for the Confederacy, and as a camp for freight and cotton wagons which carried supplies from Alleyton (Colorado Co.) to Brownsville (Cameron Co.). A stagecoach provided regular service through Sweet Home, which was on the old Spanish trail between Houston and San Antonio, establishing the settlement as a thriving trading community. Residents also farmed, with cotton and corn becoming staple crops of the area. After the Civil War, Sweet Home became a thriving ranching community. George West, a noted rancher, became known for driving a herd of 14,000 cattle from Lavaca County to an Indian reservation in Montana. He also built a store, hotel and stables. During the late 1860s, Czech and German immigrants began to settle in Sweet Home and by the early 1870s, the two groups had a major presence in the community. In 1887, the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad built tracks five miles south of the town. George West and others moved their businesses near the railroad, establishing the current town of Sweet Home. Soon, Old Sweet Home ceased to exist. Today, only a cemetery and a few other vestiges remain of the former settlement. However, Old Sweet Home remains a significant part of Lavaca County history. (2009)

Old Sweet Home is a historical marker in Sweet Home, Lavaca County, dedicated in 2009. It is one of 95 historical markers documented in Lavaca County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 129 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.3928, -97.0659 near Sweet Home. The nearest cataloged historic site is West-Wagner Homestead (historical marker), about 0.5 miles away. Others within a short drive include Mount Olive, Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, and Bennett Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507015827. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.