Hallettsville, Lavaca County
Washington West and his wife Mary Willauer West moved their family from Tennessee in 1854 and settled in Lavaca County, Texas. Their home became a stagecoach stop which developed into the community of Old Sweet Home. The Wests' sons George, Ike and Sol drove longhorn cattle to markets in Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Montana and Wyoming from 1867-85. George married Catherine (Kittie) Searcy in 1874, and in 1875 built this Greek revival style home on family land. George West's ranching interests expanded to several south Texas counties. They moved to Live Oak County in 1880 and later established the town of George West on a portion of their 200,000 acre ranch. In 1883 George and Kittie West sold the Lavaca County homestead to Ike and Emma West, who sold it in 1891 to Frank and Anna Wagner. Natives of Czechoslovakia, the Wagners had lived at the West homestead doing ranch and farm work. Here they reared their six children, Frank Jr., Jim, John, Anton, Joe and Mary. In 1918 Frank and Anna Wagner deeded the homestead to their youngest son, Anton Wagner. His brother and sister, Joe and Mary, lived in the house until the 1950s. The West-Wagner homestead remains in the Wagner Family. (1997)