Booker T. Washington Park is closely connected to Juneteenth: a deed designated it in 1898 as a permanent site for celebrations on June 19, the anniversary of the emancipation of enslaved people in Texas in 1865. The park serves as a festival site for annual June 19 celebrations; dates and programs may change. Historical celebrations there often drew up to 20,000 people. In this way, the site connects a specific history with a celebration that continues to be observed today. If you would like to experience a celebration, check the event dates and the program in advance.

History in Buildings and Collections

Another story is preserved at the Confederate Reunion Grounds State Historic Site. From 1889 to 1946, Confederate Civil War veterans and their families gathered there for reunions. The site features a 1902 dance pavilion, a cannon from the American Civil War era, and ruins of structures from the Mexia Oil Boom. The Confederate Reunion Grounds are also stop 23 on the Prairies and Pineywood Wildlife Trail West. The State Historic Site is also an access point for the Limestone Bluffs Paddling Trail.

The Limestone County Historical Museum offers a broad view of the region’s history. Its photographs and artifacts cover Indigenous peoples, early settlers, Fort Parker, communities and schools, the railroad, agriculture, the military, the Mexia Oil Boom, and notable figures. It also has a small collection of fossils found in Limestone County. The museum presents many different chapters side by side, while the Limestone County Courthouse focuses on a single building. Built in 1924, it is designed in the Classical style with Beaux-Arts influences.

Lakes, River, and Paddling Route

The history of Fort Parker State Park is also connected to a named place: the historic town of Springfield, founded in 1838, is part of the park. The park also offers anglers several different bodies of water. Fishing is possible at 750-acre Fort Parker Lake, three-acre Lake Springfield, and the Navasota River. The two lakes differ considerably in size, and the river adds another option.

At Lake Limestone, fishing opportunities go hand in hand with facilities in parks open to the public. These include boat ramps, campgrounds, picnic tables, and fishing piers; their condition may change. Fish species anglers can catch in the lake include largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, and channel, blue, and flathead catfish. Those interested in fishing will find both several named species and a variety of facilities by the water.

The Limestone Bluffs Paddling Trail offers another perspective on the river landscape. The route follows about 5.3 miles of calm water on the Navasota River between the Confederate Reunion Grounds and Fort Parker State Park. Hardwood bottomlands and limestone cliffs characterize the route. While the information about Fort Parker distinguishes between several fishing waters, the paddling trail describes a specific connection between two named points. Lake Mexia is also in Limestone County, on the Navasota River, which is a tributary of the Brazos River. This means you’ll encounter the Navasota in different contexts: as the river along the paddling trail, as a fishing spot in Fort Parker State Park, and as the setting for Lake Mexia.

Discover more destinations: Kosse, Mexia, Groesbeck, Hockley County, Colorado County, Hidalgo, Crosby County, Hopkins.

For the broader travel overview: Texas.