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Burton, Texas: Errant Block of Granite

It fell off of railway car, and now it has a plaque as a memorial to itself.

Address:
Washington St., Burton, TX
Directions:
Downtown, at the intersection of Hwy 1697/Main St. and Hwy 390/Washington St.
RA Rates:
Worth a Detour
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Visitor Tips and News About Errant Block of Granite

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Errant granite block fallen from train.

Errant Block of Granite

There is a block of granite sitting in the center of this small town that has always intrigued me. When driving through the town I would notice the block and a plaque and always assumed it was a memorial to fallen war heroes or the like. One day I had time to stop and was pleasantly surprised when I read the plaque. The block was not a memorial but a mistake.

"This Texas pink granite rock was one of many such rocks that shook off the flat cars of the HT&C Railroad when they were being transported form Granite Mountain in Burnet County through Burton enroute to be used in the building of the Galveston sea wall which was started in 1902 and finished in 1904...."

Moved here as a memorial to itself in 1987.

[Chris, 11/11/2001]

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