Texas is a state of great stories, and this one began just an hour’s drive northwest of San Antonio. The year was 1858, and an Army scout named José Policarpio Rodriguez was assigned an unusual mission: tracking down escaped camels in the Texas Hill Country after a failed U.S. Army cavalry experiment. Those strange circumstances, combined with the vision of one determined man, helped lead to the founding of Polly, Texas.
Although the town has been abandoned for nearly a century, its brief life was prosperous and full of color. Located along Privilege Creek, the area is a serene oasis filled with cypress, oak, and cedar trees. Named for the founder’s nickname, Polly — and officially known as the J.P. Rodriguez Settlement — this beautiful slice of the country attracted settlers who transformed it into a thriving community of ranchers and farmers under the watchful eye of the retired Army scout.
Today, the town no longer appears on most maps, but its legacy remains alive. Descendants of the original settlers continue to preserve the community’s history through the Polly Texas Pioneer Association. The site still includes a restored chapel, a schoolhouse, and a cemetery. Urbanization may have emptied many of Texas’ small pioneer settlements, but Texans have made a point of remembering their roots.
Polly’s great legacy
Born in Zaragoza, Mexico, in 1829, José Policarpio “Polly” Rodriguez was a frontiersman. As a Tejano, he belonged to the Spanish-speaking community that had helped shape Texas since the 18th century. Raised on the outskirts of San Antonio, Rodriguez lived a remarkable life as a gunsmith, expedition surveyor, and scout before setting his sights on the Privilege Creek valley. If you’re setting out from San Antonio to visit this treasured former hamlet, consider stopping in Monte Vista, the city’s beautiful historic district with walkable streets…