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Manchaca Onion Creek Historical Association
"MOCHA"
"Local History Buffs Race Against Time
to Preserve Local History."
P O Box 58 Manchaca, TX 78652
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Welcome to our Website!
We are adding new content all the time, so bookmark us and visit often!
Phone: 512 282-1984
email: mochaonline.org
Post Box: "MOCHA" Box 58, Manchaca, Texas 78752
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The Next Meeting:
June 2, 2012
"Texas Military History"
Gordon Kelso will review the Texas naval history.
Map to the Community Center
We are creating a pictorial history book of the early Manchaca Community(to be published in 2013). We need your help!!
If you would like to contribute any pictures or other items of historical value from the 'old days'
Contact Ann or Barry Trask at 512.282.3315.
99mocha@gmail.com
These will be great gifts and keepsakes for your family and friends who are interested in the history and preservation of our area.
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You are visitor number
since October 16, 2010. The website was created in 2009.
MOCHA
Manchaca Onion Creek Historical Association
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Our Officers - 2012
Linda Barrett - President
Marilyn McLeod- Vice President
Betty Korts - Secretary
Barry Trask - Treasurer
Pat Tarpy -Genealogist
Winnie Spitz--Co-Founder, Vice President, Emeritus
PURPOSE
TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY AND HERITAGE OF THE EARLY DAYS OF THE AREA.
1. Record interviews with descendents and publish most of the articles in Slaughter Creek Reporter, those not published will be available on our web site. * Ken Vargas has graciously published most of the articles written and we have many of them on this website.
2. Record historical data including photos by creating hard copy or electronic data and send copies to the Austin History Center for permanent storage. * Continual
3. Identify and help preserve historical buildings and locations. * Ongoing activity for all members.
4. Identify Indian Tribes that lived or visited the area. * Ongoing activity for all members.
5. Secure Historical Marker for Manchaca Schools to be placed at the present Menchaca Elementary School. * Done! April 30, 2010
6. Secure Historical Marker for Manchaca Springs and possible preservation of this historical site. * We are hopeful this site will be preserved. With all the rain, the springs are flowing again.
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OUR ORGANIZATION'S HISTORY
The history of the Manchaca Onion Creek Area is interesting, romantic and exhilarating, but is really a tribute to the courage, optimism and tenacity of those pioneers who came to this country when it was wild, rough and with no civilized amenities starting in the 1700’s. Many Indian Tribes have called this area home. There are many sites showing signs of occupation by Indians and other civilizations many thousands of years ago.
Unfortunately, this history is being written too late. Much of the early history and folklore of this area can no longer be documented. The records have been lost, destroyed or just not ever recorded. We do not realize that the time in which we are living will some day be history, so we just fail to make a record of events when they occur. People living in the year 2309 will be just as interested in what happened today as we are in what happened in 1709.
MOCHA was formed by two History Buffs, Joellen Simmons and Winnie M. Spitz, both live in the Onion Creek Meadows subdivision, and are members of the local homeowners association, Onion Creek Meadows Property Owners (OCMPOA) in Manchaca, Texas. Both ladies are gathering information on the history and genealogy of their own families. In 2006 Joellen discussed with Winnie that there was only one book on record devoted to this area – Tales from the Manchaca Hills – The unvarnished Memoir of Mrs. Edna Turley Carpenter -recorded and edited by Jane and Bill Hogan. This book presents the memoir of Mrs. Carpenter between 1875 and 1940. The history of the area contained in the book, inspired Joellen to begin writing a Novel about the area, as well as digging for more information about local spots such as Manchaca Springs. Joellen begin painting historical art through collaboration with Winnie, who had additional contacts and who knew of other resources. People and Places In and Around Historic Buda by Mary Giberson and Barbara Younts, 2003, is a collection of articles originally published in the Hays County Free Press about early pioneers in the area. These two books became the main inspiration for Joellen and Winnie to form MOCHA.
Lill Moreland and JoAnne Deane, who were both born in Manchaca and have ancestors who were early settlers in the area, soon joined Joellen and Winnie. Lill and JoAnne have collected a lot of historical documents and pictures of the Manchaca area. Their collections have been a treasure trove of information for MOCHA. Barry and Ann Trask, two more history buffs, joined early and have been foremost in interviewing early settlers’ descendents.
Others who were also interested in preserving the heritage of the area gradually joined and the first area wide meeting was in 2006. MOCHA was officially formed March 15, 2008 and has received 501C3 status as an Exempt Organization with IRS. This means that contributions to the organization are tax deductible.
In March 2008, Joellen got an e-mail from Ken Vargas, Owner and Editor of “The Slaughter Creek Reporter”. He had talked with Deb Tompkins and Chip Kidd, two Manchaca residents who had previously done a lot of research on the Manchaca Schools. Deb and Chip had told him about MOCHA. Ken asked to get together with the MOCHA group and plan out a history project for his paper. A wonderful partnership between Ken and MOCHA was established. “The Slaughter Creek Reporter” published the first MOCHA article on May 10, 2008.
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DISCLAIMER
We are doing a tremendous amount of research. In spite of all our efforts, I am sure there is a lot of the history of the area that cannot be documented. We are certainly open to any corrections or suggestions.
We are trying to verify all published information, but this is not always possible.
A good example is the Carpenter House at 911 FM 1626 Rd. Tales from the Manchaca Hills memoirs of Edna Turley Carpenter – states that her husband Tommy built her a new house in 1908. Early maps show Miller Hotel at this location and Walter Hector, whose ancestors settled in early Manchaca, says this was true. The Hotel was built to house the railroad workers. Texas Historical Commission records show Construction Date as 1883. The first occupant as Dr. Ellison and it was used as his residence and office. In 1899 Dr. B. D. Alexander bought the house and lived there until 1908 when Tommy and Edna Carpenter bought the house (Carpenters were both educators). Travis County Appraisal District’s property tax list shows dwelling built in 1970. If anyone has other information on the Carpenter House, please contact MOCHA at
99Mocha@gmail.com
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Contact our webmistress, Linda Barrett at 512-282-1984 or e-mail: mlinbarrett@yahoo.com
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