Buda (summary)

The city of Buda (a growing suburb of Austin, the Texas state capital) has a disputed origin of its name. It had long been thought that “Buda” was a corruption of the Spanish word “viuda,” meaning “widow.” There is no contemporary evidence to support this and it is likely that the town was named after Buda, a famous city in Hungary (now called Budapest).
 
The Texas city was called Dupre (or Dupree) in the early 1880s and was officially renamed Buda in 1887, although the new name had been in use in 1884. There is no indication that any Spanish speakers lived in the city. “Viuda” is not the same as “Buda,” even for a person with a limited knowledge of Spanish. It is claimed by some that a widow ran the city’s Carrington Hotel, but “widow” seems an unusual choice for a city name.
 
There are several “Buda” city names in the United States; all are named after the city of Buda-Pesth in Hungary. In the July 3, 1886 Hays County Times and Farmers’ Journal, the Dupre Hotel (Mrs. Carrington, proprietress) advertised that it was located in “Budah.” This advertisement ran for many months. In the 1800s, “Buda-Pesth” was the usual spelling for the Hungarian city, but “Budah-Pesth” was not uncommon.
 
The “Budah” spelling makes the “Buda(h), Hungary” theory more likely and the “viuda” theory less likely. “Viuda” is almost never spelled “viudah.” 
 
 
Wikipedia: Buda, Texas
Buda (pronounced /ˈbjuːdə/) is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,404 at the 2000 census. City leaders estimated the population exceeded 5,000 in mid-2007.
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History
The town of Buda sprang up along the route of the International-Great Northern Railroad, which was extended from Austin to San Antonio in 1880. Buda bore the name of “Du Pre” from its birth in 1881 until the autumn of 1887, when postal officials became aware that another Texas town was also named Du Pre. According to town lore, the name Du Pre came from the postmaster of the nearby Mountain City, W. W. Haupt, who pleaded with railroad officials, “Do, pray, give us a depot.” Alternate unconfirmed legends suggest that Du Pre was the name of an Austin newspaper editor who may have been instrumental in bringing the depot to the future town site, or given local topography, could borrow from the French phrase “du pre,” meaning “of the meadow.” Various news sources of the time also spelled the name as Dupre or Dupree. Mrs. Cornelia A. Trimble platted the town of Du Pre on April 1, 1881, releasing streets and alleys and also establishing a 150-foot (46 m) wide “Reservation” between the lots and the railroad right of way. Though the reservation was the property of town citizens, the plat allowed the railroad to place buildings on the parkland, including the depot that would become the lifeblood of the town over the next few decades. The Du Pre plat followed the convention of the neighboring city of Austin, giving east-west streets the name of local trees: Ash, Elm, Live Oak and China Streets. The north-south streets were named after surrounding communities: Austin and San Marcos Streets. Trimble inherited the 550 acres (2.2 km2) nestled between Onion Creek and the International and Great Northern Railroad from her second husband, A. N. Hopkins, who according to local newspaper accounts was murdered by his friend, Theodore D. Ormsby, on July 9, 1863. On July 31, 1864 the widow married David Trimble, who at some point in the 1870s abandoned his wife. The 1881 plat includes the line, “The whereabouts of said D.A. Trimble being unknown.” The lots of Du Pre were auctioned off the day after Cornelia Trimble filed the plat. A notice appeared in the April 2, 1881 morning edition of the Austin Statesman: “Du Pre – Spend Saturday, April 2, at Du Pre, on International and Great Northern Railroad, fourteen and a half miles from Austin. Great sale of lots, for business or residence. Plenty of shade and water. Bring your families and don’t forget your lunch baskets. Round trip, morning train 9 A.M., back in the evening.” On April 7, 1881, the San Marcos Free Press noted that “The sale of lots at DuPre last week went off right brisk, 17 having been sold at prices ranging from $60 to $100. Some farm lots across the tracks were auctioned off also.” Several businesses quickly sprang up in the fledgling town, including the Carrington Hotel, which became known for serving good meals to hungry railroad travelers.
   
In 1883, the Chandler addition platted lots on the eastern side of the railroad tracks.
 
By the time Du Pre was forced to find a new name for itself, the Carrington hotel was already being referenced as “the Buda House.” In the “Dupre Notes” weekly column of the Sept. 25, 1886 edition of the Hays County Times and Farmer’s Journal, the author notes that “The Buda House is one of the best hotels in the state. The polite and entertaining hostess, Mrs. Carrington, meets all with a courteous welcome.” According to the town’s oral tradition, the name of Buda is a corruption of the Spanish word “viuda,” or “widow,” referencing the widows who supposedly worked as cooks at the Carrington Hotel. Others suggest that, like the town of Buda, Illinois, the name is a nod to the exiles of the failed Hungarian revolution who settled in the area.
 
Wikipedia: Budapest
Budapest (pronounced /ˈb(j)u:dəˌpɛʃt/, also /ˈbʊ-/; Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈbudɒpɛʃt] ) is the capital city of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it serves as the country’s principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation center and is considered an important hub in Central Europe. In 2008, Budapest had 1,702,297 inhabitants with an official agglomeration of 2,451,418, down from a mid-1980s peak of 2.1 million. The city covers an area of 525 square kilometres (202.7 sq mi) within the city limits. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with the unification on 17 November 1873, of right-bank (west) Buda and Óbuda (Old Buda) together with Pest on the left (east) bank.
 
Aquincum, originally a Celtic settlement, was the direct ancestor of Budapest, becoming the Roman capital of Lower Pannonia. Magyars arrived in the territory in the 9th century. Their first settlement was pillaged by the Mongols in 1241-42. The re-established town became one of the centers of Renaissance humanist culture in the 15th century. Following nearly 150 years of Ottoman rule, development of the region entered a new age of prosperity in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Budapest became a global city after the 1873 unification. It also became the second capital of Austria-Hungary, a great power that dissolved in 1918. Budapest was the focal point of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, the Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919, Operation Panzerfaust in 1944, the Battle of Budapest of 1945, and the Revolution of 1956.
 
Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, its World Heritage Sites include the banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter, Andrássy Avenue, and the Millennium Underground Railway, the first on the European continent. Budapest attracts over 20 million visitors a year. The city ranks 52nd on MasterCard’s ‘World’s Top 75 Financial Centers’ list and 74th on Mercer Consulting’s ‘World’s Top 100 Most Livable Cities’ list. The headquarters of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) will be in Budapest.
     
Texas Post Offices
POSTMASTERS & POST OFFICES OF
HAYS COUNTY, TEXAS
1853 - 1930
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ONION CREEK (Travis, Hays)
Cg’d to DUPREE, and into Hays County, 21 Mar 1881
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DUPREE (Hays) (see also ONION CREEK)
Chandler, Jas. A., 21 Mar 1881
Carrington, Leonidas D., 8 Sep 1884
Schmidt, Julius H., 18 Feb 1886
Carrington, Leonidas D., 17 Mar 1886
Cg’d to BUDA, 25 Aug 1887
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BUDA (Hays) (see also DUPREE)
Carrington, Leonidas D., 25 Aug 1887
Trigg, Mary A., 23 Nov 1889
Harrison, Nannie H., 2 Jan 1894
McElroy, Thos. E., 12 Jan 1898
McElroy, Mrs. Ada L., 1 Jun 1898
McElroy, Will A., 10? Mar 1904
Hessler, Benj. A., 11 May 1907
McElroy, Will A., 3 Jun 1910
Puckett, W. W., 19 Feb 1915
Wilson Jr., David M., 15 Jun 1916
Puckett, W. W., 26 Aug 1916
Wayland, G. Carroll W., 18 Nov 1921
Cox, Mrs. Leo Wayland, 20 Feb 1922 (Acting postmaster)
   
Newspapers.com
17 May 1884, Austin (TX) Daily Statesman, pg. 1, col. 7:
FROM KYLE.
A Bushel of Breezy Buds from Kyle’s Town.
Special Telegram to The Statesman.
KYLE, May 16.—Everybody and her cousin will attend the pic-nic at Dupre to-morrow.
 
The Knights and Ladies of Honor initiated several new members last night.
 
Newspapers.com
21 September 1884, Austin (TX) Daily Statesman, “Dupree: Organization of a New Lodge of Knights and Ladies of Honor,” pg. 1, col. 6:
DUPREE, September 20.—Buda lodge Knights and Ladies of Honor, at Dupree, Hays county, Texas, was organized September 15, by Deputy Protector D. C. B. Connerly, of Austin, with 23 charter members.
   
Newspapers.com
The Portal to Texas History
5 February 1885, Austin (TX) Weekly Statesman, “Kyle,” pg. 1, col. 3:
Mrs. Fuller resided at Buda.
 
Newspapers.com
5 April 1885, Austin (TX) Daily Statesman, “Minor Matters,” pg. 4, col. 3:
A wreck of a freight train on San Antonio end of International a few miles beyond Buda, prevented the prompt arrival of the 11:50 North bound express,
     
22 September 1885, Austin (TX) Daily Statesman, “Kyle: The Dengue Strikes the Town,” pg. 1, col. 5:
KYLE, September 21.—The dengue fever has reached this placed, in a very mild form. Also Buda has two or three cases.
   
The Portal to Texas History
9 April 1885, Austin (TX) Weekly Statesman, pg. 3, col. 2:
A wreck of a freight train on San Antonio end of the International a few miles beyond Buda, prevented the prompt arrival of the 11:50 North bound express.
 
The Portal to Texas History
Morrison & Fourmy’s General Directory of the City of Austin, 1885-86
Galveston, TX: Morrison & Fourmy Directory Company
1885
Pg. 40
PACIFIC EXPRESS COMPANY
OFFICES IN TEXAS
(...)
Buda or Dupree
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Dupree or Buda
Pg. 57:
RAILROADS.
International and Great Northern Div. Mo. P. Ry.
DISTANCES TO STATIONS SOUTH OF AUSTIN ON I. & G. N. R. R.
(...)
Buda…15
     
13 May 1886, Dallas (TX) Morning News, “Change in Express Service,” pg. 8:
After the 20th instant the Pacific Express Company will be the only company having express service on the International and Great Northern Railway. embracing the following offices and points tributary thereto: Austin, Buda,...
 
8 June 1886, Galveston (TX) Daily News, pg. 5, col. 6:
Exclusive Offices of Pacific Express Company in Texas.
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Buda
 
3 July 1886, Hays County Times and Farmers’ Journal (San Marcos, TX), pg. 2, col. 5 ad:
Dupre Hotel.
BUDAH (on I. & G. N. R. R.) Texas [International-Great Northern Rail Road—ed.]
This is the best house in Hays county.
Elegant table, comfortable bed rooms, attentive waiters, and
Prices Very Moderate
Rare and pleasant resort for visitors.
The cars stop at this hotel to allow passengers ample time for breakfast, etc.
MRS. CARRINGTON, proprietress.
 
Newspapers.com
4 April 1887, Austin (TX) Daily Statesman, “Personal Points,” pg. 4, col. 2:
Mr. L. D. Carrington, of Buda, was in this city yesterday on business.
 
9 July 1887, Hays County Times and Farmers’ Journal (San Marcos, TX), pg. 2, col. 6:
An influential petition, requesting the Post-office department to change the name of our beautiful city from Dupre to Buda, has been forwarded to Washington by post master Capt. L. D. Carrington; and we trust the prayer of the petition will be granted, as much confusion is frequently caused under the present state of matters.
 
The Portal to Texas History
15 July 1887, Fort Worth Daily Gazette (Fort Worth, TX), “Corpus Christi,” pg. 3, col. 2:
...but he is soon hurring across the Colorado river and gets an excellent home-like breakfast at Buda.
   
Newspapers.com
13 September 1887, Galveston (TX) Daily News, “National Capital Cullings,” pg. 1, col. 3:
Postoffice Name Changed— Depress, Hayes county, to Buda.
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Postmasters Commissioned—(...) Leonidas D. Carrington, Buda, late Dupree; ...
   
Newspapers.com
18 September 1887, Galveston (TX) Daily News, “Postal Orders Affecting Texas,” pg. 3, col. 3:
Postoffice Name Changed—Dupree, Hays county, to Buda; to correct error of printer in Bulletin 2291, the county name being incorrectly spelled.
 
Chronicling America
13 October 1887, San Marcos (TX) Free Press, pg. 3, col. 4:
A motion was carried to select place for next meeting, and by unanimous voice Buda (DuPre) was chosen.
 
Chronicling America
27 October 1887, San Marcos (TX) Free Press, pg. 3, col. 3:
DuPre Dottings.
Horse stealing week before last, and a shooting affray last week. Buda has got her name up.
 
The Portal to Texas History
8 December 1887, San Marcos (TX) Free Press, pg. 3, col. 5:
DuPre Dottings.
We were informed that for some time past the name of the post office has been changed to Buda, the name of the depot, thus changing the whole town to Buda, in consequence of which it might, perhaps be more suitable to change the name of our headings to Buda Blotches, but will leave it to the managers.
 
Chronicling America
29 December 1887, San Marcos (TX) Free Press, pg. 3, col. 2:
The Hays Co. F. A. will assemble at Buda on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 1888 for its regular quarterly meeting.
 
23 August 1933, Bryan (TX) Daily Eagle, pg. 1, col. 6:
BUDA NAMED BECAUSE ONCE HOME OF WIDOWS
BUDA, Aug. 23.—(AP)—Buda got its name from the fact that it once was a community composed largely of widows.
 
An old-time Mexican resident said that the Spanish word for widow is “viuda” and that this was Anglicized into “Buda.” He did not advance any reasons for the wholesale widowing of women in the community in its early days.
 
16 August 1936, Dallas (TX) Morning News, “Texas Towns’ Names Theme of New Book” by Robert M Hayes, sec. 1, pg. 10:
Buda, Hays County, was named because of the preponderance of widows there at the time the place was settled. Buda is a corruption of the Spanish word viuda, meaning widow.
(From the book “Texas Towns” by Fred Massengill—ed.)
 
12 March 1969, Dallas (TX) Morning News, pg. A19:
Buda Town Not Titled
For Chili-Cooking Widow?
By Frank X. Tolbert
“BUDA WASN’T named for no widow who ran a chili joint,” said Edwin Nivins, firmly. “That was a story started by some New Braunfels Dutchmen. When I was born here 88 years ago this was Do Pray, Texas, because we were praying for a new railroad depot. That was changed to Dupre and later about 1889, to Buda.”
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“I don’t know how that Buda tag got stuck on us but it wasn’t because of a chili-cooking widow,” he repeated. “The old Carrington Hotel, which you may have noticed still standing over on the front street, was famous for its food in the 1880’s, but not for chili. And it wasn’t run by no viuda. Trains would stop here for dinner or supper at the old Carrington back when I was a good-sized chunk of a boy. And it was called the best food on the IGN Railroad.”
 
MR. NIVINS, whose late wife was a step-daughter of Captain McCulloch, couldn’t offer any real explanation about the Buda label, yet he said he was vexed by the way Austin and Dallas radio announcers and other strangers pronounce the village’s title.
 
“Should be BOO-duh, same as that heathen religion,” he said.
 
“BUDAH” cites
(GOOGLE BOOKS)
London Encyclopaedia; Or, Universal Dictionary of Science, Art, Literature ... - Page 289
by Thomas Tegg, Thomas Curtis - Encyclopedias and dictionaries - 1829
... the only natural magnets in Hungary. The bread is also celebrated. ... The town
has about 2000 inhabitants, and is ninety-two miles NNE of Budah.
 
18 June 1868, Weekly Patriot (PA), pg. 2:
...in Hungary, these water mills, cheaply worked, have kept their ground, and above and below Budah Pesht you see them as of old.
 
9 July 1875, Wheeling (WV) Register, pg. 1 headline:
Destructive Storm in Budah, Pesth.
 
7 December 1885, New Haven (CT) Register, pg. 2:
...a wild story that the Prince of Wales amused himself when he was in Hungary, and brought home with him “heavy winnings” from the tables in the Casino at Budah Pesth.
 
(GOOGLE BOOKS)
Geography by the Brace System - Page 153
by John M. Boyer, John F. Wicks - Geography - 1891
... 40 Black Sea 126 Blarney Stone 39 Bloody Fields 40 Bogs 38 Bordeaux 97 Bremen 62 Breslau 61 British Museum 24 Bucharest 140 Budah Pesth 78 Bulgaria 139, ...
 
(GOOGLE BOOKS)
Book Chat - Page 7
edited by William George Jordan, Adr Schade van Westrum - Bibliography, National - 1891
In Hungary three women have made an attempt to obtain admission to the universities of Budah-Pesth and Klausenburg. The university authorities were inclined ...
 
(GOOGLE BOOKS)
The Annals of Hygiene - Page 40
by Pennsylvania State Board of Health, Pennsylvania State Board of Health and Vital Statistics, Pennsylvania - Hygiene - 1891
... of Budah-Pesth, published a paper some years ago recommending lye as a microbe
destroyer for faecal matters; and recently Schimmelbusch and Behring have ...
 
(GOOGLE BOOKS)
Bulletin de la Société d’Anthropologie de Lyon - Page 156
by Société d’anthropologie et de biologie de Lyon, Société d’anthropologie de Lyon - Anthropology - 1892
... miklos, Budah-Pest, 1886. ...
 
(GOOGLE BOOKS)
Cyclopedic Review of Current History - Page 686
by Alfred Sidney Johnson, Clarence A. Bickford, William W. Hudson, Nathan Haskell Dole - History - 1897
and Servia, and finally confined to the .statesmen of Budah-Pesth the task of
opening the river. After nearly twenty years of study, negotiation,
 
(NEWSPAPERARCHIVE)
Daily Gazette, The
Budah Pest Sept explosion in the Frisch mine at Dux Bohemia yester day killed thirty-five and injured teen BELGIAN FOR does bred to Lord Imported full sou of champion of the world Docs duo to have young soon Greatest makers goods box H feet you can raise of little prices rea Dr F T Richards Wis SALE homestead on street A M MISCELLANEOUS castings nickel cutlery inn w i V Works 102 N S20CHIMNEYS Prices 50 1 cents Leave orders nt the Highland House P e orders nt the Cluis Thompso
Thursday, September 20, 1900 Janesville, Wisconsin
 
(GOOGLE BOOKS)
Magyar=2 0Történeti életrajzok - Page 127
by Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, Magyar Történelmi Társulat - Hungary - 1906
BUDAH ...