Olivia Colony, Texas: Landscape

This photograph taken sometime between 1893 and 1910 looks remarkably similar to a recent transportation enhancement picture taken at the Olivia Haterius park in Olivia and published at the Texas Escapes web site. As  I have never been  to Olivia, perhaps the landscape is remarkably similar all along Keller and Carancahua Bays.  In general the photographs from Olivia Colony in this collection show an open landscape with areas of cactus, yucca, sparse grass and scrubby trees.

In 1892, the new Olivia Colony was located on a peninsula  along the coast of Texas between Lavaca, Keller and Carancahua Bays in Calhoun County Texas.  These bays are extensions of the larger Matagorda Bay to their south. Olivia lays about 10 miles as the crow flies from the Calhoun County seat of Port Lavaca.  In the late 1800s it was much farther on horse or foot because one had to go around Lavaca Bay.

The town of Olivia, itself was located on the northeastern edge of Keller Bay, while the original Lind’s store, the cotton gin which was purchased in 1894 and at least some of the Swedish families were slightly further to the East along the shore of Carancahua Bay.  The historic cemetery is located to the north of Olivia and east of Carancahua Bay. The historic marker notes that “The earliest marked grave is of Christina B. Cavallin who died in 1897."  The wooden marker seen on Lillie’s grave (and the one in the background in that picture) would not have survived to the present century.

Various historians note that Rev. C. J. E. Haterius “purchased 13565  acres of land” that formerly had been cattle grazing land from the rancher  J.D. Mitchell  to set up the Swedish American Lutheran colony. However, a paper authorizing Anders and Bengta Swenson’s son to sell the property in 1907 states that the 78 acres property had been purchased directly from J. Dan Mitchell (Lot 5, Section 15). Perhaps Haterius made the arrangements to survey and plat the land and acted as a broker between Mitchell and the Swedes. (Some further "on site" research appears to be called for!)   

One further note – while several current sources spell "Haterius" as “Haterious,” “Haterius” is the way the name is spelled in all documents during his lifetime.

Negative #: Paulson063

Information for this post was gathered from:

Texas State Historical Association / Handbook of Texas online, "Olivia, TX"

and

“Calhoun County Texas History” by Diana J. Kleiner accessed August 17, 2012.