- Paul Roux
Paul Roux is a small
town in the flatlands ofFree State province ofSouth Africa that producespoplar wood for thesafety match industry. General farming however remains the main industry. It was established in 1909 by Dutch Reform Reverend Paul Roux on the farm Palmietfontein, and today has a population of 5,722. Initially there was dispute as to the name of the new town. The final name was decided, in a dice like fashion, by the roll of a boulder from the "koppie" (hill) above the town.Fact|date=November 2007 The boulder landed face up displaying the name of the town as we know it today.Former South African president
P. W. Botha was born in Paul Roux in 1916 on the farm "Telegraaf" (Telegram).A Boer monument is located close by next to the Sand River on the farm "Tevrede" (Content) for children that died from measels during the
Great Trek .During the
Second Boer War of 1899-1902, the farm Witnek was occupied by the British. The farm house was converted into a hospital and the mountain pass, bearing the same name of the farm, was guarded in an effort to block the path for the famous Boer general,Christiaan de Wet .Large, clear, dinosaur footprints left on sandstone rock can be found on the farm, Uniondale.Fact|date=November 2007
The farm, Zuringkranz, was a halfway house for refreshing the horses pulling the postal wagons and coaches.
In town boasts various examples of sandstone architecture. Excellent examples being the Dutch Reformed Church, local school and various other houses. Most streets remain unsurfaced and the town has a character of a time gone by.
The "lokasie" (township), Fateng-Tse-Ntso, a remnant of the
Apartheid system, is still fully occupied by the original inhabitants and growing quickly. It boasts a new high school and library. Water supply remains a problem in the area.Fact|date=November 2007The first Paul Roux in South Africa set foot in
Cape Town in 1688 as aHuguenot . There are many descendants of Paul Roux that still live inSouth Africa and have the family name.External links
* [http://vlottenburg.co.za/paul Paul Roux]
"Tevrede" means content, not contempt !
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