Buchel County, Texas

Buchel County was a former Texas county. Its area is now completely contained in the present Brewster County.HistoryOn March 15, 1887 the Texas legislature passed legislation that divided Presidio County into four counties: Presidio, Jeff Davis, Foley and Buchel. Named after German soldier and war hero Augustus Buchel, the county occupied the northeast corner of what is now Brewster County including the town of Marathon which was to serve as the county seat. The 1890 Census reported 298 residents in Buchel County, the majority of whom lived in Marathon. In 1889, it and neighboring Foley County were attached to the original Brewster County for surveying purposes, and in 1897 both counties were abolished and absorbed by Brewster County.Attempts to ReestablishDuring the first decades of the twentieth century, some Texans tried to reorganize the county. As early as 1909, one newspaper reported that "A movement is on foot to re-establish Buchel county and make Marathon the county seat."In 1915, a bill submitted to the 34th Texas Legislature (SB 187) sought to establish Buchel County from territory in Brewster County. Reports suggested that the bill was supported by representatives and there was little expected opposition, however no final version of the text was published as law, suggesting that the bill was never passed.