Harrison and McCulloch Stage Stop -- Selma TX - Wagon Roads and Trails on Waymarking.com

This reconstructed stage stop building, originally built in the 1850s stands along the historic Evans Road, part of the Harrison and McCulloch stage route that passed through this area.

The stage stop also served as a US Post Office. It was reconstructed by the Texas historical commission using period-appropriate materials and techniques in 2006.

The state historical marker reads as follows:

"HARRISON AND McCULLOCH STAGE STOP

The Harrison and McCulloch Stage Line began running stagecoaches from the Texas coast to Central Texas as early as 1848. The line was a partnership between brothers-in-law, John S. Harrison (1818-1864) and William McCulloch (1819-c. 1854), after dissolving their partnership with Dr. Caleb S. Brown of Gonzales (Harrison & Brown Stage Line) in 1850. Their stage line was part of a network of competing stage lines and "star routes" that contracted with the United States Post Office delivering travelers and mail throughout central Texas. Star routes 6285, 6154 and 6155 ran from Indianola, Port Lavaca and Galveston to New Braunfels and Austin and back. John S. Harrison also owned the Victoria Hotel in Victoria where he housed his stage passengers overnight on their way inland. In 1852, Harrison moved to Selma, making it his home. His house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 and declared a State Archeological Landmark in 2009. Harrison was the first postmaster of Selma and held that position for two years.

The Selma Stage Stop, as it is known today, was one of the stops on Harrison & McCulloch's Star Route 6285 that ran from Austin to San Antonio. In 1852, the route took 18 hours to complete, leaving Austin at 3 AM traveling the Old Post Road and sections of El Camino Real de los Tejas through the open prairie to Manchac Spring, San Marcos, Bonito, New Braunfels and Selma, arriving in San Antonio at 9 PM that night. The Selma, Stage Stop is a prime example of "limecrete construction," a process using wooden forms and "slip," a mixture made from sand and pebbles found in the nearby Rio Cibolo. Shards of wood and corncobs were forced into the drying slip for added strength. (2012)"

Nearby, another sign shares more information about this line and building:

"SELMA STAGE STOP & POST OFFICE/JOHN S. HARRISON HISTORIC SITE & HOME

The Selma stage stop and post office building was constructed around 1850 and became part of the Harrison and McCulloch stage line in 1851. It was last used by the stage line in 1906. The building went through an extensive restoration from 2004 through 2008 and was reconstructed using materials and methods for the time period of the original construction. This photo was taken in 2000, prior to the beginning of restoration.

John Harrison and his wife Jane owned three tracts of land totaling 127 acres where the historic Harrison house is located (see map). The house and property (restored in 2016) were connected to the Stage Stop area by historic Evans Road. Evans Road, which now terminates at the Selma visitor center originally continued south along Cibolo Creek to the Harrison property and on into what is now the towns of Universal City and Schertz. This would’ve been the route traveled by John Harrison to commute from his home on the Stage Stop as he conducted business there is the stage line owner and first Post Master of Selma.

The remnants of the section of Evans Road are now incorporated as part of the historic Evans Road Hike and Bike Trail running from Stage Stop Park to the Harrison home and property. The Harrison historic site can be accessed by foot along the Evans Hike and Bike Trail or through the Forest Creek Subdivision at the intersection of Winged Foot and Pinseeker streets."

On the other side of the Visitor Center, we found a map of the stage line and some more history of specific routes as follows:

"HARRISON AND MCCULLOUCH STAGE LINES
Circa 1850s-1860s

During the days of the Republic, John S. Harrison and William H. McCulloch ran their stage lines from the Gulf Coast to Central Texas as far back as the mid-1840s, transporting immigrants who were arriving on steamers from New Orleans and other major ports of entry.

In October 2000 the Harrison & McCulloch Stage Stop was declared a state archaeological landmark by the Texas historical Commission, and was reconstructed using the original formula of limecrete. In 2009 the visitor center opened its doors, so step inside and discover the rich history of the Selma Stage Stop.

[Map of Texas with H&M Stage Line Routes from Mount Pleasant to Eagle Pass and San Antonio to Indianola, plus other routes]

H&M
Stage Line Routes

Route 6285
Austin (leaving at 3 am) to
Manchaca Springs (sic) to
San Marcos to New Braunfels
To Cibolo (now Selma) to
San Antonio (arriving at 9 pm)

Route 6154
Gonzales to
Bellville (now Belmont)
To Seguin to New Braunfels

Route 6155
Indianola to Victoria
To Cuero to Gonzales"

Road of Trail Name: Harrison & McCulloch Stage Route State: Texas County: Comal Historical Significance: A prime example of limecrete construction, a rare remnant of an early Central Texas stagecoach stop, and part of a sprawling early transportation network in the 1850s-1860s Years in use: mid-1840s-1860s How you discovered it: We visited the Selma TX visitor center Book on Wagon Road or Trial: I have not found a book on this Stage road, but I have found a couple of websites and historical sketches Website Explination: https://losttexasroads.com/history/events/stage-travel-in-the-san-antonio-area/ Why?: This Stage Road carried passengers US mail and some small commercial packages over a large swath of East, Central, and South Texas, Texas, but most routes served cities in Central Texas, such as Austin, San Marcos, New Braunfels, San Antonio, Waco, Lampasas, and La Grange. Directions: The Selma stage stop is located at the Selma Visitor Center on Evans Road at the NB I-35 access road

Visit Instructions:
To post a log for this Waymark the poster must have a picture of either themselves, GPSr, or mascot. People in the picture with information about the waymark are preferred. If the waymarker can not be in the picture a picture of their GPSr or mascot will qualify. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   03/22/2023 Benchmark Blasterz visited it