La Salle County: History, Architecture, and Trails

La Salle County offers different ways to plan a trip: Cotulla shapes its historic character with distinctive buildings and places of remembrance, while two nature trails in Chaparral WMA offer a different focus. You can center your visit on architecture and local history or plan time for hiking. The examples range from the county’s early development to buildings and trails that appeal to different interests.

Architecture and School History in Cotulla

La Salle County Courthouse stands in the center of Cotulla, at its highest point. It faces a city park or public square. The four-story building is made of concrete; its facade is designed with light brown brick and decorative terra-cotta elements. Stylistically, it marks the transition from the more ornate Art Deco style to Modernism, which was favored in the 1930s. Its architecture thus combines specific building materials with a period of stylistic change.

Another historic building is Welhausen School, a brick schoolhouse completed in 1926 and named after County Judge G. A. Welhausen. Its classically inspired floor plan places a central block between two lower side wings; decorative tile panels add to the design. Lyndon B. Johnson’s career is also connected to the schoolhouse: during the 1928–29 school year, he was a teacher and principal there. The building’s clearly described layout and a specific period in his biography thus come together at this site.

Church and Early Education

First United Methodist Church of Cotulla was founded in 1881 as the town’s first Protestant church. The present brick nave was built in 1906 during the tenure of Rev. Temple G. Woolls. An educational building was added in 1928.

The story of Cotulla’s First School also tells of changes at the same site. The first schoolhouse burned down after being struck by lightning. A former residence was then moved to the site, its porch removed, and the building fitted with a bell and used as the next schoolhouse. County teachers’ institutes and summer normal schools were also held at the site. Until 1908, it served as a school site for the town’s white students; that year, a new brick school was built on Tilden Street.

Traces of County History

Fort Ewell was built in 1852 at Huajuco Crossing, where it guarded the important road between San Antonio and Laredo. When La Salle County was established in 1880, Fort Ewell was its most important settlement. O. Henry also came there to collect his mail.

Cotulla Cemetery preserves other specific dates. It has marked graves dating to 1882; many graves bear the year 1886, when La Salle County was affected by a smallpox epidemic. Those buried there included community leader Joseph Cotulla and Rev. V. E. Covey, an early Texas educator. The dates and names give the cemetery a distinct historical dimension alongside the public and religious buildings.

Nature Trails and Agricultural History

Two trails in Chaparral WMA are options for a day of hiking. The Camino de Fiero Nature Trail is 2.5 miles long. The Arena Roja Nature Trail is fully accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act; check current trail conditions before your visit.

Another glimpse of the region comes through the history of the sweet onion. In 1898, two local men planted Bermuda onion seeds and began selling sweet onions. This ushered in a successful period of irrigated spring production in La Salle County and neighboring counties, associated with the Winter Garden Region. This development thus extends beyond a single county, connecting local agricultural history with a broader regional context.

When looking for a vacation rental, you can first decide whether historic buildings and local history or the nature trails will shape your stay more. This way, you can choose your base according to the experiences you actually plan to enjoy.

Discover more destinations: Crane County, Angelina County, Hill County, Brooks County, Ward County, Palo Pinto County, Polk.

Discover Cotulla, too, in the local history.

For the broader travel overview: Texas.