Williamson County Historical Commission
contact Wayne Ware (512)
863-2202
South Gabriel was
first named Lewiston
South Gabriel, also known as Lewiston was a small
town on the south fork of the San Gabriel River on the boarder of
Williamson County and Burnet County at the very
western edge of the county line. When the railroad by-passed it in 1882,
most of the businesses moving to the new town of Bertram just north in
Burnet. Both towns were in Burnet County after that county was formed in
1852. Early records listed South Gabriel in Williamson County, including
the post office granted that town September 29, 1871, with Thomas
Lewiston, postmaster. Postal records show transferral to Burnet County
soon afterwards. In 1888 Williamson County School Superintendent D. H.
LeSueur had South Gabriel School on his itinerary of visits and the
school remained on the Williamson County lists through 1892. It then
disappeared briefly. In 1916 a school at the same location reappeared in
the county records under the name Wil-Bur School, combining a portion of
both county names.
also View the write up in the The Handbook of Texas Online