Muldoon, Texas
| Muldoon, Texas | |
|---|---|
 Muldoon
Muldoon
|
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| Coordinates: 29°48′57″N 97°04′16″W / 29.81583°N 97.07111°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Fayette |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.7 sq mi (1.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 266 ft (81 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 114 |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 78949 |
| Area code(s) | 361 |
| FIPS code | 48-40276 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1360798 |
Muldoon is a town in southwestern Fayette County, Texas, United States, located 10 miles north of Flatonia and 16 miles southwest of La Grange. Its population, according to the 2010 census, is 114 and is growing very slowly. It is on the junction of FM 154 and FM 2237.
The town of Muldoon was named after Father Michael Muldoon, a clergyman who briefly served Stephen F. Austin's first colonists. He was the only non-Hispanic member of the Monterrey, Mexico Diocese and was probably assigned his duties because he spoke English. He was born in County Cavan in Ireland and later ordained in Spain.
In 1834, Muldoon travelled to Mexico to visit Stephen F. Austin during Austin's confinement there. Later, he assisted William Wharton in his escape from a Matamoros prison in 1837, after which the town of Wharton, Texas was founded. Muldoon was openly pro-Texan, which led to his own brief imprisonment by the Mexican government. However, he was eventually released, and even travelled back to Texas following the revolution, making an appearance in 1842 during which he was given a letter of appreciation from Texas President Anson Jones. Afterward, Father Muldoon disappeared from history and his final resting place is unknown.
The Union Pacific Railroad tracks, laid in the early 1900s and travelling parallel to FM 154, once carried a high volume of passenger traffic to and from Muldoon on a regular basis. During this period, the railroad formed a large portion of Muldoon's economy; however, ridership eventually dwindled and Muldoon's prominence as a rail depot faded. Additionally, the advent of diesel-powered locomotives meant that trains no longer needed to stop as frequently to refill their water tanks, which further reduced the need for trains to stop in Muldoon. The old train station was abandoned in the 1950s and the Dinky (a small passenger train) which ran a route from Flatonia, Texas to Muldoon was moved away. In the 1960s, Hurricane Carla severely damaged the old water tower which had served the steam locomotives, and this structure was subsequently removed.
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Wikipedia