TOWASH

NAME: Towash
COUNTY: Hill
ROADS: 4WD
GRID: 3
CLIMATE: hot summer, mild springs and winters
BEST TIME TO VISIT: any time
COMMENTS: Towash is located at the mouth of Towash creek. This location requires some hiking to get to. The town still exists however, it is about a mile underwater as The Corps of Engineers built Lake Whitney over the town site. It's a perfect site to visit if you scuba diva. All that remains ABOVE water is an old grain mill. Perfect for the antique hunters as there are plenty of antique bottles and coins buried in shores at the mouth of Towash creek and Lake Whitney.
REMAINS: town site *underwater* & old grain mill

Not much is known about this site. However, it is known that John Wesley Harding frequented this site and even wrote about this township in his letters back to his family. He stayed here when traveling through Hillsboro & Whitney, Texas Submitted by: James L. Walden II

Location of the City of Towash is at the following. 31.922234,-97.343275
Lake is low enough at this time that the old foundations can be seen. See Google maps..
The town is on the North/ North East side of the lake as opposed the the south side by the dam where the old concrete grain silo is located.
The location of the old mill is accurate, at the mouh of Towash creek.
I'm a scuba diver and have dived this location. It's about 110 feet under water.
THere is nothing left of the old mill, not even foundation work.
This is where Towash creek dumps in to the Brazos river.
Map cords for Towash.
31.922234,-97.343275
If you zoom in real close on this coordinate using google maps, you can see the foundations.
There is a great picture of the old mill back in the city of Hillsboro,,,25 miles to the east.
It is located in the old Cell Block museum. Note: Only open on Saturdays in the warmer months.

There were seven cemteries that were escavated and moved in to the city of Whitney cemetery during the building of the dam.
The mill was owned and operated by the Dyer brothers. They are located in the Whitney cemetery.

The city of Towash pretty much dried up when the railroad came through.
All of the businesses in Towash moved into the new city of Whitney that the railraod built...1870's
All that was left out there was the baptist church but it had to move also when they started bulding the dam. 1940's
The pulpit and some of the pews were moved from the old site into the new church in the city of Whitney.
This church still exists...

Note: I recieved much of this information from the Army Corp of Engineeers office on the West site of the Lake Whitney dam.
Another source was the old man that owned the local newspaper. His father and granfather owned it before him.
I don't remember his name.. He was in the local nursing home but he has passed on now.

John Wesley Harding
On January 5, 1870, Hardin was playing cards with Benjamin Bradley in Towash, Hill County, Texas. Hardin was winning almost every hand, which angered Bradley, who then threatened to "cut out his liver" if he won again. Bradley drew a knife and a six-shooter. Hardin claimed he was unarmed and excused himself, but claims that later that night, Bradley came looking for him. Bradley allegedly fired a shot at Hardin, which missed. Hardin drew both his pistols and returned fireā€”one shot striking Bradley's head and the other his chest. Dozens of people saw this fight, and from them there is a good record of how Hardin had used his guns. His holsters were sewn into his vest, so that the butts of his pistols pointed inward across his chest. He crossed his arms to draw. Hardin claimed this was the fastest way to draw, and he practiced every day. A man called "Judge Moore", who held Hardin's stakes of money and a pistol, but refused to give them up without Bradley's consent, "vanished. Later Hardin admitted killing two men in Hill County Texas - Donald Long


Dyer Mill
Courtesy Don Long

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