Currently operating
cotton gin
Victorian house
on Jack Street
Former Joe Kotch's Grocery
St. Mary's
Catholic Church


Bremond is the northern most town in Robertson
County. If you're looking for Bremond, look for the
center of the imaginary triangle formed by Houston, San
Antonio and Dallas/Ft. Worth. It's almost right in the
middle.

Named after Paul Bremond, who was killed in the Texas
Revolution, the land went to his widow and then
changed hands several times before William Marsh Rice
(yes, that one) had the town surveyed. Rice was one of
the investors who immediately granted a right-of-way to
the railroad. In this case it was the Texas Central
Railway. The time was August 1869 and by June the
next year, the first train pulled in.

The town was incorporated in 1870.  In 1878, Francis
Marion Wootan dug a well three miles west of Bremond
and noticed that the water turned his dishes yellow. He
had it analyzed and when he found it's high mineral
content he started bottling it. Other wells were dug and
Wooten Wells fast became a resort.

A mule-drawn narrow-gage railway brought clients from
Bremond and during its heyday, Wootan Wells had four
hotels, a resident population of hundreds and numerous
businesses catering to the thousands of summer
visitors. Francis Wootan became the postmaster for
what used to be his farm. Celebrated guests included
Governor Hogg and his wife and daughter Ima. (There
never was a Ura).

But nothing lasts forever and a quadruple-whammy hit
Wootan Wells. First Marlin started drawing off
customers, and then there was a succession of drought,
flood and fire.  The town was nearly gone after a 1916
fire (the same year as the huge Paris fire) but the water
was still bottled as late as 1926 when another fire totally
obliterated the little that was left.

Bremond's population waxed and waned, and the
fluctuations of Wooten Wells' population must certainly
have had some effect on Bremonds.

In the 1870s, just before the guests started coming to
"take the waters" in Wootan Wells, hundreds of Poles
immigrated to Bremond to grow cotton.

Today Bremond's 876 people equal that of the
population during the 20s and 30s. The lowest figures
were for the 1890 census when it dipped to 387.

This article is compliments of www.texasescapes.com.
Photos by John Troesser, 2002
Home of the
Bremond Tigers
Bremond, Texas