Kreische Brewery & Monument Hill State Historic Sites

There's a bend in the Colorado River just outside of La Grange where you can find two state historic sites, Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery. I've driven past this area dozens of times on the way to Houston, but never stopped by. We decided to make a little day trip out of it on a Saturday in late April.

Monument Hill State Historic Site

Texas won its independence from Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836, but disputes and armed skirmishes over who owned the land between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande continued for many years after.

The Dawson Massacre

On September 17, 1842, Texan and Mexican forces engaged in a skirmish east of San Antonio in what would be known as the Battle of Salado Creek. In the course of this battle, a company of 54 Texas militia under the command of Nicholas Dawson began advancing on the rear of the Mexican Army. General Adrián Woll, the Mexican commander, sent 500 cavalrymen and two cannons to attack the group. The battle lasted just over an hour, resulting in 36 Texans dead and 15 captured. This episode would come to be known as the Dawson Massacre.

Somervell and Mier Expeditions

On November 25, 1842, Alexander Somervell, a Texan officer, left San Antonio with 700 troops, looking to retaliate against the Mexican army for the Dawson Massacre. The Somervell Expedition captured Laredo on December 7, 1842, and then the Mexican town of Guerrero. In spite of these victories, the diminished campaign lacked the resources necessary to carry out a longer excursion along the Rio Grande. On December 19, 1842, Somervell ordered his troops to return home by way of Gonzales.

However, many of the men were dissatisfied with this order and disobeyed. They wanted to cross the Rio Grande, attack Mexican settlements, and secure cattle and horses. This privateer campaign would come to be known as the Mier Expedition. Some 308 Texans began by heading toward Ciudad Mier, unaware that 3,000 Mexican troops were stationed in the area. The Battle of Mier ensued, and in spite of being outnumbered ten to one, the Texans inflicted heavy casualties on the Mexicans, but were forced to surrender on December 26.

243 Texans from the Battler of Mier were taken prisoner and marched toward Ciudad de México. On February 11, 1843, 181 of the Texan prisoners escaped but, lacking food and water in the Mexican desert, 176 wound up surrendering or being recaptured by the end of the month.

Black Bean Lottery

Angered by the escape attempt, Mexican ruler Santa Anna ordered all escapees, now held at El Rancho Salado, be executed. General and Governor Francisco Mejia of the state of Coahuila refused this order, and a diplomatic effort on behalf of Texas by the United States resulted in a compromise: one in ten prisoners would be executed.

To determine who would die, Colonel Domingo Huerta had 159 white beans and 17 black beans placed in a pot. The Texans were blindfolded and ordered to draw beans. The seventeen men who drew black beans were executed by firing squad on the evening of March 25, 1843, an event that would come to be known as the Black Bean Lottery.

In the years that followed, during the Mexican-American War, the remains of those who died at the Dawson Massacre and the Black Bean Lottery would be retrieved and on September 18, 1848 they were interred in a tomb in La Grange at a location now known as Monument Hill.

Kreische Home and Brewery

A few months after the reinterment ceremony, in January 17, 1849, Heinrich Kreische, a German immigrant, purchased 172 acres of land in the La Grange area, which included the tomb. He began building what would become his three-story home out of local materials. In 1860, he also began construction on a brewery just down the hill from his house. At the time of his death in 1882, the Kreische Brewery was quite successful, the third largest brewing operation in Texas, but quickly declined after his passing. The brewery closed in 1884 and fell into ruin, as did the tomb on Monument Hill.

Starting in 1907, the State of Texas began purchasing land around the tomb. In the 1930's, the large, art deco monument at the top of the hill overlooking the Colorado River was built to honor the buried men. More land was acquired in the 1950's and 1970's, including the Kreische property. After a period of archaeological study, the historic sites opened to the public in 1983. Today, visitors can tour the brewery and Kreische home (which is furnished with period furniture), view the latest iteration of the memorial tomb, and take in nature from the top of the hill overlooking the Colorado River and various nature trails throughout the property. For history buffs, placards and murals throughout the park provide details about the Dawson Massacre and Mier Expedition.

Lunch at Honey's in Smithville

After checking out Monument Hill, the Kreische home, and walking the trails to the ruins of the Kreische Brewery (which were really, really cool!) we had worked up an appetite. We drove into Smithville for lunch at Honey's. This is a little pizza spot opened by the same folks who started Amy's Ice Cream in Austin. We got a couple of tasty Neapolitan-style pies, then walked through the historic downtown Smithville area for a little bit before heading back home to Austin. All in all it was a lovely little day trip — we got a history lesson, enjoyed walking around nature, and had some delicious food.