Locations in Waylon County

In my fiction set in Texas I like to create credible names for places. An example would be the Roemer Escarpment. Although Texas does not have a Roemer Escarpment, it could and perhaps should. Ferdinand von Roemer was a German geologist who visited Texas between 1845 and 1847 and is perhaps better known for his general work entitled Texas than for his work as a geologist. Texas is a fascinating account of his time in the German settlements of Galveston, Houston, New Braunfels, and Fredericksburg, and his discussion of the Llano Basin, where he had contact with the Comanche, is also quite interesting. Although Texas does not have a place named after the Father of Texas Geology, Roemer has more than that in Waylon County. He has his own geological feature.

https://ftp.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fro55

Much of the action in Waylon County happens in the town of Warnell. This little town is named after Henry Warnell, who either died in the Alamo or escaped from the Alamo and died of his wounds in Port Lavaca a few weeks later. In nineteenth century documents, his physical description is so vivid that I can almost see him in front of me. Warnell was about five foot four, red headed, freckled, and weighing about 118 lbs. He was a constant talker, "an incessant tobacco chewer," and a good jockey and hunter. What I like about Henry Warnell is that there is no conclusive evidence supporting his escape from the Alamo and that his entire legend is based on a possibly fraudulent land claim by his only heir. So much for civic pride.

https://medium.com/save-texas-history/alamo-legend-the-death-of-henry-warnell-e119e52164e9

Here is a German map of Texas from Roemer's time: