Oakland

Originally known as Prairie Point, a town was platted at this site in 1856 by A. C. Hereford. A native of Virginia, Hereford was a veteran of the Mexican War who had arrived in this area in the early 1850s. Located on part of the original James Bowie Survey, the community is the second oldest in Colorado County. When Hereford applied for a post office for Prairie Point in 1861, his request was denied because of the settlement's close proximity to an existing post office on the plantation of Amasa Turner (1800-1877). Turner agreed to relocate his post office to Prairie Point upon the condition that its name, Oakland, be retained. The town was thereafter known as Oakland. Oakland was a stop on the Old Gonzales Road, an important early route form San Felipe to Gonzales. As settlement in the town increased, a school was established in 1859. Soon churches, stores, business, and fraternal organizations were also in operation. The town became a major trading and social center for the farm families of western Colorado County. The population of Oakland began to decline in the 1870s when the railroad bypassed the community in favor of Weimar.

Oakland is a historical marker in Oakland, Colorado County, dedicated in 1988. It is one of 110 historical markers documented in Colorado County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 129 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.6014, -96.8308 near Oakland. The nearest cataloged historic site is Oakland Normal School (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Strunk-Woolsey House, Clear Creek Cemetery, and Independent Methodist.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5089003651. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.