Belle Plain, Texas
Belle Plain (also referred to as Belle Plaine), is located six miles southeast of Baird off of Hwy 283. The townsite was laid out in 1875 and it was intended that Belle Plaine would become a commercial center for the county. The town was established in 1876 and soon a saloon and other businesses opened up in the new town. Callahan County was established in 1877, and soon after an election was held to choose the county seat of the new county. Belle Plain won out over Callahan City, the temporary county seat. A courthouse and a jail were built, businesses opened, and residents moved to Belle Plain from Callahan City and other communities. Soon, Belle Plain had several stores, saloons, two fraternal lodges, eleven lawyers and four physicians. The Callahan County Clarendon, a newspaper, began in 1879. The population grew to 400 in 1884.
In 1880, the Texas and Pacific Railroad came through Callahan County and bypassed Belle Plain, making its tracks about 5 miles to the north of Belle Plain and going through Baird. Belle Plains' economy remained stable for a while. And, soon in 1881 the Belle Plain College, Methodist institution, was the pride of the community. Enrollment swelled to 300 students. But, even the college couldn't save Belle Plain. Businesses and residents moved toward the railroad. Baird became the larger commerce area. Soon, the college closed and Baird won out over Belle Plain as the county seat. The jail was disassembled and moved to Baird. By 1897, only four families and one store remained in Belle Plain. The post office closed in 1909. Source: Source: Handbook of Texas Online.
Belle Plaine Cemetery. Residents of the short-lived community of Belle Plaine were burying their dead at this site as early as 1878. Although the presence of unmarked graves suggests earlier possible usage, the oldest marked grave, that of sixteen-year-old Virgil Hill, dates to that year. Belle Plaine residents informally established a community cemetery here on vacant land. The graveyard was located within a larger tract of land that was owned by the state until 1861 and later by several railroad companies. Its last private owner, the Texas & Pacific Railway Company, purchased the tract that included this graveyard in 1879 when it anticipated routing its railroad through Belle Plaine. However, in 1883 the route was changed to pass through nearby Baird. In response, the railway company deeded the cemetery property to Callahan County the following year. Though the community of Belle Plaine had declined by 1909, burials have continued to take place. Those interred here include area pioneers, their descendants, and veterans. The historic burial ground remains an important cultural resource in this area. - Historical Marker Text. Marker erected 1992. Directions: from Baird, take US 283 South about 8 miles, then go East on county road about 1.5 miles.