Giddings is a small town in Texas with an interesting history. One of the first settlers was Texas founding father Stephen F. Austin, who was given a land grant in 1821 when Texas was still a Spanish colony. That same year, Mexico gained its independence from Spain and Texas became a Mexican colony.
Texas became its own republic in 1836, a status it held until 1845 when it was admitted into the United States and became a state. After the Civil War, Giddings was founded. The year was 1871.
Like a lot of towns of that era, the railroad led to the community of Giddings' early growth. The Houston and Texas Central Railway ran through the area that is now Giddings and people began flocking to Lee County. No one is sure how Giddings got its name, but the speculation is that it was named for one of the Giddings brothers, who were prominent citizens of the time. Jabez Giddings came to Texas in 1838 from Pennsylvania and helped establish the railroad that ran through Giddings. His brother Giles died in the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836. Another brother, Dewitt, was a Texas state representative for several years.
Most of the early settlers in Giddings came from surrounding areas. They were descendants of the British Isles. A few were Wendish.
The city at the time featured wide streets, a unique feature for sure. Some were as wide as 100 feet.
After the Civil War, freed slaves settled in Giddings, which contributed to the town's early growth. In 1874, Giddings became the Lee County seat.
Gidding grew to a population of 5,105 by the year 2000. The town's population was 4,969 in 2020. The largest ethnic demographic is Hispanic/Latino.
Learn more about Giddings as Theresa and I walk through.
