Bigfoot Wallace started the last stampede of wild buffalo to thunder down Austin's Congress Avenue. In the early days of the Texas Republic, the capital city had no Capitol. At the time, only wooden stakes with red flags designated where the Main Street of Texas would one day stretch down the hill to river.

Wallace was hunting just north of the present downtown when he came upon a group of bison. The animals caught his scent and ran toward the future business district with the pioneer in hot pursuit. In their panic, the buffalo were over the hill and between the flags before they knew it. Blocked by the fluttering red flags from turning, the herd ran off a cliff, swam the river and disappeared into South Austin.

William Alexander Anderson "Bigfoot" Wallace was 20 years old when he arrived in Galveston in 1837, set on exacting revenge for the death of a brother and cousin killed in the Texas Revolution. For the next 79 years, he experienced an exciting frontier life and lived to tell the tale. He was a Texas Ranger, Indian fighter, scout, prisoner of war in Mexico, stagecoach driver and farmer rolled into one folk hero.

In 1954, the citizens of Bigfoot built a replica of the pioneer's log cabin that once stood on the banks of the Medina River downstream from Castroville. The museum houses some of Wallace's personal belongings, but his story has become a legend unconstrained by walls.

Originally called Connally's Store, Bigfoot is about nine miles off I-35, east of Devine. Wallace lived the last years of his life on a ranch outside of town.

It was here that biographer A.J. Sowell interviewed an 81-year-old Wallace. The former frontiersman said the nickname originated from an American Indian who once made daring and regular late-night raids on the citizens of Austin. Because of an injury, the Indian Bigfoot left a distinctive large footprint. Wallace trailed him for years, but someone else finally stopped Bigfoot's depredations on the settlers.

One night, the notorious Indian was seen prowling around Austin. The next morning, a shopkeeper followed the oversized moccasin trail to Wallace's front door. The irate merchant accused Wallace of pulling off a ruse until he put his much smaller foot in the Indian's footprint. From then on there were two Bigfoots in Texas. Wallace said he preferred the nickname to being called "Lying" Wallace or "Thieving" Wallace.

The Bigfoot Wallace Museum is operated by volunteers who raise funds for maintenance and repairs with bake sales and barbecues, said Linda Miller, vice president of the local historical society. The museum opens the second Tuesday and Saturday of each month. On the last Saturday of April, the museum celebrates Bigfoot Wallace's birthday. For more information, call 830-665-9706 or 830-663-2296 or go to www.bigfoottx.com.

* Gerald E. McLeod's Day Trips, Vol. 2 is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, P.O. Box 33284, Austin, Texas 78704.