USA > Texas > A pictorial history of Texas, from the earliest visits of European adventurers, to A.D. 1879. Embracing the periods of missions, colonization, the revolution the republic, and the state; also, a topographical description of the country together with its Indian tribes and their wars, and biographical sketches of hundreds of its leading historical characters. Also, a list of the countries, with historical and topical notes, and descriptions of the public institutions of the state > Part 49
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41. ELLIS-Created from Navarro in 1849; named for Richard Ellis; Waxahachie is the county seat. In 1843, Captain Thomas I. Smith, with a company of Rangers, established a post on Richland creek, and a settlement was formed around it. The land is undulating, mostly rich prairie, with skirts of timber on the Trinity river and its numerous tributaries. The Central Railroad passes through the county. Ennis and Palmer are railroad towns, and there is a branch road projected to the county seat. The county is bounded north by Dallas, east by Kaufman, south by Navarro, and west by Ilill and Johnson. Population in 1870, 7,914; assessed value of prop- erty in 1876, $3,662,356. Rich, black, stiff and loamy, undulating, rolling prairie, finely adapted to the culture of all kinds of small grain, as well as cotton and corn, and affording a superior range for stock, constitutes a large portion of the county ; the only timber found being on the river and creek bottoms, which is ample for ordinary farm purposes, and consists of oak, cedar, ash, pecan, cottonwood, bois d'arc, &c.
42. EL PASO (the Pass) .- Is next to Presidio, the largest county in Texas, having an area of between 9,000 and 10,000 square miles. It is nearly seven
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hundred miles northwest from San Antonio, and has an elevation of about 3,750 feet above the sea level. Bounded north by New Mexico, east by Pecos and Presidio, south and west by New Mexico. It is in the mountain- ous and mineral region, though the valley lands are irrigable, and exceed- ingly productive. Isleta is the county seat. It is supposed the Rio Grande valley was visited by Marcus De Niza in 1537, and Coronado in 1540 took possession of the Puebla village of Isleta. The same place was visited by Espejo in 1582, and permanently occupied by the Spaniards since 1595. In 1627, a Spaniard named DeLeon obtained a grant to settle the valley on the Texas side of the Rio Grande, and constructed ditches for irrigation, which are still in use. In 1870 the population of the county was 3,761; assessed value of property in 1876, $398,110. Late reports give the village of El Paso a population of 700; Isleta, fifteen miles south, 1,500; San Ilezario, 1,200, and Socorro 800. The population is principally Mexican. The county was organized in 1850 by Major R. S. Neighbors. Among its productions are the celebrated El Paso onions, and wine of a superior quality.
In the fall of 1877 a serious difficulty occurred, said to have been caused by the location and occupancy by private parties of salt lakes, which had been previously considered public property. Several parties lost their lives, and quiet was not fully restored until the arrival of United States troops under the command of General Hatch.
43. ERATH-Created from Bosque and Coryell in 1856 ; named for George B. Erath. Bounded north by Palo Pinto, east by Hood and Somervell, south by Bosque and Hamilton, and west by Comanche and Eastland. Stephensville is the county seat, and was named for John M. Stephens, on whose land it was located. The county has about equal quantities of prai- rie and timber; uplands thin, but good for pasturage; bottoms rich and pro- ductive; county has numerous creeks, flowing into the Bosque river. Ste- phensville is nearly 2,000 feet above the sea level, and is very healthy. The county seat was settled in 1855. It had been previously occupied by a friendly band of Caddo Indians. These became troublesome, and in 1860 were driven off. Population in 1870, 1,801; assessed value of property in 1877, $2,082,473.
44. FALLS .-- Its name from a fall in the Brazos river ; created in 1850. Marlin, the county seat, named for a pioneer family. Bounded north by M'Lennan, east by Limestone, south by Robertson and Milam, and west by Bell. Set_ tled in 1838. (For account of Indian troubles, see Indian fights, 1839.) The river and creek bottoms are very rich, and well timbered; the uplands undulating prairies, arable and productive. Marlin is on the Waco Tap Railroad, 160 miles from Houston, and 17 miles from Waco. Population of county, in 1870, 9,871 ; assessed value of property in 1876, $2,224,635
45. FANNIN .- Created from Nacogdoches in 1837; named for James W. Fannin ; Bonham is the county seat, named for J. B. Bonham, one of the victims of the Alamo. It is one of the ricli Red river counties, bounded north by the Indian Territory, east by Lamar, south by Hunt and west by
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Collin and Grayson. About one-third of its area is timber, the rest undulat- ing but rich prairie. It was first occupied by Captain William Gilbert, and his camp was called English's Fort, now Bonham. This was in 1837. Bonham is on the Trans-Continental railroad, 128 miles west of Texarkana. Population of county, in 1870, 13,207 ; assessed value of property in 1876, $3,599,805. It is watered by a number of small creeks tributary to Red river. The surface is undulating, about one-third part supplied with walnut, post- oak, elm, ash, and many other varieties of timber, especially bois d'arc, which abounds. The soil is of the first quality, prairie and bottom being both of black loam, and well adapted to all small grains, as well as cotton. Most kinds of fruit abound, especially apples and peaches. Health and water are excellent.
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46. FAYETTE .- Created from Bastrop and Washington in 1837; named for General Lafayette; LaGrange the county seat. The Colorado river mean- ders through the county and it has numerous creeks, with rich bottoms. "The undulating prairies are also productive, and nearly every acre of land in the county is arable. In 1821, the Buckners, Aylot C. and Oliver, settled an the creek that bears their name. In 1823, the Castlemans settled on the west bank of the river, and S. F. Austin, for a time, made that his home. The Rabb family settled on Rabb's creek, and the Cummings family on Cummings creek, and the Rosses at Ross Prairie. In 1831, the half league of land upon which Lagrange now stands, was granted to John II. Moore. Ledbetter, on the western branch of the Texas Central railway, is in the eastern portion of this county, and Flatonia and Waelder, in the western portion, are on the Sunset Route. Population, in 1870, 16,863; assessed value of property in 1876, $4,705,213.
47. FORT BEND .- Created from Austin in 1837; named from an old fort in the bend of the Brazos river; bounded north by Harris and Austin, east by Harris and Brazoria, south by Brazoria and Wharton, west by Wharton and Austin. Richmond is the county seat. It is thirty miles from Houston, on the Sunset railroad, which crosses the Brazos at that point. The land on the river bottom, which, with Oyster creek, is six miles wide, is of in- exhaustible fortility. The prairies afford fine stock range. Wm. Little, who accompanied Austin in his first trip to Texas, selected the site of the town of Richmond. In 1822, four young men built a block-house there, in the bend of the river. William Morton settled on the east side of the river. During the same and following year, Randall and Henry Jones, William Styles, Jesse Thompson, Churchill Fulcher, Thomas Barnett, C. C. Dyer, Elijah Roarch, Thomas H. and Paschal Borden, William, Archibald and Robert Hodge, and James Frisbee, settled in the county. Randall Foster (died in 1878) obtained a league of land for supplying meat, as a hunter, to Austin and his party. Probably a larger number of the survivors of Austin's first three hundred colonists live in Fort Bend than in any other county in the State. Population, in 1870, 7,114; assessed value of property in 1876, $2,254,724.
The San Bernard river is the western boundary of the county, and is a
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small stream until it reaches tide-water in Brazoria county. Big creek, so called from its diminutive proportions, (lucus a non lucendo,) intervenes between the Brazos and San Bernard, and is tribulary to the Brazos. Jones' creek empties into the Brazos one mile above Richmond, on the east side. Oyster creek rises in the northeastern part of the county, and, pursu- ing a course parallel with the Brazos, empties into the west bay of Galveston, several miles northeast of the debouchure of the main river into the Gulf. Fort Bend county is at the head of the true delta of the Brazos, as its waters, when high, run into Oyster creek, and at such times, the two channels are connected by a net-work of bayous and small lakes from Richmond to the Gulf Both Oyster creek and Jones' creek are included in what is called the Brazos bottom on the east, and here are found our richest lands and largest plantations, the banks of both being lined continously with fields in their entire extent through the county. The Brazos bottom, including both sides of the river, is from six to twelve miles wide, most of the timber being on the east side, the prairie on the west bluffing on the river in many places. It is estimated that three-fourths of the county is prairie. The timber is confined to the bottom lands, with the exception of a narrow belt of post- oaks in the northeastern part of the county, and consists of elm, ash, pecan, hackberry, cottonwood, and several varieties of the oak. On the Bernard there is considerable cedar and cypress. The undergrowth is cane, wild peach, and black-haw. The soil of the bottoms is a rich alluvium, from 20 to 35 feet deep; that of the prairies varies with the locality; in some places it is composed of sand and vegetable matter, the result of the decay of successive crops of grass, while in others you will find the black tena- cious hog-wallow, without a trace of sand and with a substratum of clay and marl, the latter frequently cropping out on the surface.
48. FRANKLIN .- Created in 1875; named for B. C. Franklin; bounded north by Red River county, south by Camp and Wood, east by Titus and west by Hopkins. Mount Vernon is the county seat. Assessed value of property in 1876, $481,093.
49. FREESTONE .- Fairfield is the county seat; created in 1850; bounded north by Navarro, east by Anderson, south hy Robertson and west by M'Lellan; it is a heavily timbered county on the west side of the Trinity river. The International railroad passes along its southeastern boundary, and the Houston and Texas Central on the northwest corner of the county. Population, in 1870, 8,139; assessed value of property, in 1876, $1,870,007. A later census gives the population at 13,000, of whom 4,256 are colored.
50. FRIO .- Created in 1858; named for Frio (cold) river; Frio is the county seat. Bounded north by Medina, east by Atascosa, south by LaSalle and west by Zavalla. It is a sparsely populated, stock-raising county. It is watered by the Frio, Leona, Hondo, and San Miguel creeks and is tolerably well timbered. Assessed value of property, in 1876, $295,308.
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51. GALVESTON .- Created in 1838; named for the Count De Galvez; bounded north by Harris and Chambers, east by Chambers, south by the Gulf of Mexico. Galveston is the largest city in the State, and the center of the State's commerce. The island was occupied by Minister Herrera and Commodore Aury, in 1816; in 1817-19, it was the rendezvous of the pirate Lafitte. In 1830, it became a port of entry of the Mexican Republic ; but Colonel Bradburn, then in command, transferred the business to Anahuac. In 1831, Colonel Piedras, in command at Nacogdoches, located an eleven-league claim so as to cover the island; in 1834, it was located by Colonel John N. Seguin; at the second session of the First Texas Congress, M. Menard, and others, who had bought Seguin's claim, paid the Republic $50,000 for a clear title to the east end of the island, and at once organized the " Galveston Company " and surveyed and sold the lots. In 1837, a. wharf was built, and M'Kinney & Williams transferred their business from the mouth of the Brazos to the new city, which rapidly grew, concentrating the trade of all central Texas at that point. Population, in 1870, 15,290; assessed value of property, in 1876, $20,933,308.
52. GILLESPIE .- Named for R. A. Gillespie ; Fredericksburg is the county seat ; created in 1848. Bounded north by Mason and Llano, east by Blanco, south by Kendall and Kerr, and west by Kerr and Kimble. This county was settled by the Germans that came to Texas with Prince de Solms in 1846. As that was a dry year, the colonists suffered incredible hardships for want of food. At first the Comanches were friendly and brought into the settlements venison, etc. Herr Von Krewitz acted as Indian Agent, and pursued the policy adopted by Penn, and kept the Indians friendly until an unfortunate circumstance interrupted this state of peace. This is a prairie county, remarkable for health. Fredericksburg is 1,500 feet above the sea level. It is about 70 miles north-west of San Antonio. Population of the county in 1870, 3,566; assessed value of property in 1876, $901,222. About eighteen miles north of Fredericksburg there is a conspicuous object in the landscape, known as the Enchanted Rock. It covers about twelve hundred acres of ground. It is a huge granite and iron formation, about. 800 feet high, covering at its base several acres of space, its top being about 400 yards square. Its name was derived from its magnificent appearance, for when the sun shines upon it morning and evening, it resembles a huge mass of burnished gold. It is said to be particularly beautiful after a rain. Fully a half hour is required for the most expert climber to ascend to the summit of the Enchanted Rock. There the country for many miles around. is overlooked. Within the scope of the eye the landscape is perfectly grand, the blue tops of Bulls-Head, House Mountain and Mount Nebo appearing to the view. At the base of the Enchanted Rock a cool spring bursts out, furnishing the adventurer, the explorer, or the curious person who may come to this spot, refreshing water. The approaches to this place are exceedingly rough, and strong signs of various minerals exist on every hand. Some of the granite rocks in this region are really beautiful. About fourteen miles cast of here there is a very large cave, and within it names and paintings put there with pigment long ago.
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SCENE ON COMAL RIVER.
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53. GOLIAD .- One of the original counties of the Republic. The name is an anagram from Hidalgo. Goliad is one of the most famous places in the history of our State. It was first visited by De Leon in 1687. About 1715, a Mission was projected for the benefit of the Caranchua Indians. It was named La Bahia (the Bay) Mission. At a later period, a second Mission, probably for the Aranamas, a half-civilized tribe, who possessed consider- able property and lived in comfortable houses, was established, called Espiritu Santo. In 1812-13, the place was occupied by the Republican army under Magee, and some severe battles were fought in the neighborhood. In 1817, Colonel Perry and his party were killed near this place, by Mexican soldiers sent by Arredondo. In 1835, it was captured by the Texans under Collingsworth and Milam ; evacuated by Fannin March 17th, 1836 ; battle of Colita fought same day ; and Fannin and his brave men massacred March 27th, 1836. During the colonial period, Decree No. 73, (1829) constituted Goliad a town or municipality. Population in 1870, 3,628; assessed value of property in 1876, $1,204,221. The county has some.farms, but is mostly devoted to stock-raising.
54. GONZALES .- Named for Raphael Gonzales; bounded north by Gua- dalupe, Caldwell and Fayette, east by Lavaca, south by Dewitt and west by Karnes and Wilson. Gonzales, the county seat, is 65 miles from San Antonio. It has four leagues of land lying on the Guadalupe river, given to the corporation August 25th, 1832. In 1825, Green Dewitt, Francis Berry, James Kerr, Henry S. Brown and others, commenced a settlement near where the town now stands, but were driven off by the Indians. The town was laid out and a permanent settlement effected in 1832. At this point in 1835, occurred the first skirmish of the Texas Revolution. The Mexican authorities had given the citizens a cannon; Col. Ugartechea, in command; at San Antonio, sent to remove the piece to that city. The citizens resisted, and seizing the gun, advanced upon Castanado, the Mexican officer, and he hastily retreated to San Antonio. The county has a large quantity of good land, is well watered, and has plenty of timber for fenc- ing purposes. Harwood, a station on the Sunset Route, is in the northern portion of the county. Population in 1870, 8,951; assessed value of prop- erty in 1876, $2,792,929. This county has a large body of very rich bottom lands in the Guadalupe, San Marcos and Peach creek bottoms. These rivers afford an abundance of water and timber. There are some sulphur springs, and salt springs from which salt has been made. Cotton is the leading product, and a bale to the acre is a common product in good seasons. All the products of other counties are common to this, except that the cereals do not succeed as well as in the counties further north. Tobacco is raised for home use, and succeeds well.
55. GRAYSON .- Named for Peter W. Grayson; created from Fannin, in 1846; Sherman is the county seat; named for Sidney Sherman. Bounded north by the Indian Territory, east by Fannin, south by Collin and west by Cooke. Sherman is on the Texas Central railroad, 329 miles north of Hous ton, and on the northern branch of the Texas Pacific railroad, 155 miles west
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of Texarkana. Population of county in 1870, 14,327; assessed value of property in 1876, $6,019,837. Later estimates give Sherman a population of about 8,000, and Denison, nine miles north, about 4,000. A large number of small streams rise in it, flow northward and empty into the Red river. The surface is undulating, about one-fourth covered with elm, ash and post oak. The soil is of a dark chocolate loam, and is nearly all good. Peaches, apples, and almost every kind of fruit abounds. Health and water, with some exceptions, good, and these two things always go together.
56. GREGG .- Created in 1875; named for John Gregg; Longview is the county seat. It is on the Texas Pacific Railroad, 66 miles west of Shreve- port. This is a small, agricultural county. Assessed value of property in 1876, $1,029,828. No census has been taken of the county. Longview is estimated to have 500 inhabitants. It has a cotton compress, and does a large trade.
57. GRIMES-Created from Montgomery in 1846 ; named for Jesse Grimes. Anderson is the county seat; named for Kenneth L. Anderson. Bounded north by Madison, east by Walker and Mongomery, south by Harris, and west by Washington. It lies on the east side of the Brazos river, and the Navasot meanders through the county. Colonel J. E. Groce settled in the county in 1822. He was soon followed by the Whitesides, Grimes, Walker and other families. The Central Railroad passes through the center of the county. Navasota is seventy miles north of Houston. Population of the county in 1870, 13,218; assessed value of property in 1876, $2,498,907. It is well watered by numcrous creeks, which empty into the Navasota, which unites with the Brazos river, near its southwestern corner. The surface of the county is rolling, a large portion of it being prairie, much of the soil being rich black loam. An abundance of timber, consist- ing of pine, oak. cedar, ash, and other varieties, for ordinary purposes, are found. The principal productions are cotton and corn, wheat and other small grain having been introduced only to a limited extent, notwithstand- ing the soil appears finely adapted to their culture. Springs are numerous, many of them being strongly impregnated with sulphur ; Kellum's spring, about ten miles north of Anderson, being one of the finest sulphur springs in the State.
58. GUADALUPE-Created from Gonzales and Bexar in 1846; named for the river which passes through the county. Seguin is the county seat; named for Erasmo Seguin. Bounded north by Comal and Caldwell, east by Caldwell and Gonzales, south by Gonzales and Bexar, west by Bexar and Comal. Besides the Guadalupe river, it has the San Marcos on the east and the Cibolo on the west, with their numerous tributaries. It is well watered, has a tolerable supply of timber, and the soil is very rich and pro- ductive. In 1839, a company of soldiers had their encampment at the Wil- low Springs (Seguin) and a settlement was formed under the protection of the soldiers. Population in 1870, 7,282. The "Sunset Road " passes
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through the county. Seguin is 172 miles west of Houston, and is 35 east of San Antonio.
59. HAMILTON-Created in 1858; named for James Hamilton, of South Carolina. Hamilton is the county seat. Though this is what is called the wheat region, it produces excellent cotton ; is well watered, having the Leon, Cowhouse, and Bennet creeks and their tributaries ; has enough tim- ber for firewood, and excellent building-stone. Hamilton is about fifty miles from Waco and one hundred miles from Austin. It is bounded on the north by Comanche and Erath, east by Bosque, south by Coryelle and Lam- pasas, and west by Brown. Population in 1870, 733; assessed value of property in 1876, $577,536.
60. HARDIN-Created from Liberty in 1858, and is named for William Hardin. Hardin is the county seat. It is bounded north by Polk and Tyler, east by Liberty, south by Jefferson, and west by Chambers. Population in 1870, 1,460. Assessed value of property in 1876, $84,380. It is densely timbered. Soue Lake is becoming a favorite resort for invalids.
61. HARRIS-Named for John R. Harris, an early settler. The first name proposed for the municipality was Magnolia. Houston is the county seat, named for Sam Houston. It is bounded north by Grimes and Montgomery, east by Liberty, south by Galveston, and west by Fort Bend and Waller. This county was settled in 1822. The first steam saw-mills erected in Aus- tin's colony were in this county, one by Judge Burnet and the other by Mr. Harris. In 1832, Mr. Lynch opened a store at Lynchburg. The municipal- ity of Harrisburg was created by the Executive Council, January 1st, 1836. At the organization of the government ad interim, this municipality fur- nished both the President, Judge Burnet, and the Vice-President, Don Lo- renzo de Zavalla. For a time Harrisburg was the seat of government, but was burned by Santa Anna, as was also New Washington on the bay. It was in this county that the decisive battle of San Jacinto was fought. In 1836, after the battle, Messrs. A. C. and J. K. Allen bought the league of land above the Harris league, which was held at too high a price, and laid out the town of Houston. Four thousand dollars were paid for the league. During the fall the " Old Capitol" was built, and the seat of government transferred to the new town. In 1840, Austin became the seat of govern- ment, but in 1842 it returned for a short time to Houston. The first railroad started in Texas was the one from Harrisburg toward the Brazos, in 1856. Houston is now the principal railroad center in Southwestern Texas. Pop- ulation of the county in 1870, 17,375; assessed value of property in 1876, $12,355,925.
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62. HARRISON-Created from Shelby in 1839 ; named for a pioneer settler. Marshall is the county seat. Bounded north by Marion, east by Louisiana, south by Panola, and west by Rusk and Panola. Marshall is on the Texas Pacific Railroad, forty-two miles west of Shreveport. Population of county in 1870, 13,241; assessed value of property in 1876, $3,969,363. Before the
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civil war, this was one of the leading counties of the State in point of popu- lation and wealth. Since the war other counties have increased more rap- idly. It is well watered by the Sabine and numerous creeks, which flow into it on the south, and Big Cypress and other creeks, which flow into the lakes upon its northern borders. The surface is rolling, with some portions broken and hilly. There is a variety of soil, a sandy loam predominating. An abundance of timber is found in every section, consisting of post, red, white, and other species of oak, pine, cypress, ash, gum, sassafras, mulberry, and other varieties. Cotton and corn are the staple products, though wheat and other small grains are raised to a considerable extent. Water freestone, and quite pure. Health generally good. Peaches, apples, plums, pears, and other kinds of fruits are raised. Game abundant, consisting of deer, wild turkeys and ducks, which frequent the lakes during the winter in vast numbers, while catfish, trout, bass, white, black and yellow perch are ob- tained from the lakes.
63. HAYS-Created from Travis in 1848; named for John. C. Hays. San Marcos is the county seat. It is bounded north by Travis, east and south- east by Travis and Caldwell, south west by Comal, and northwest by Blanco. The San Marcos Spring, just above the town, is one of the finest in the State. It was selected by the fathers of the College of Santa Cruz for a mission, in 1729, but as the adjacent ground was too high for irrigation, the location was changed to the San Antonio river. This county was included in Milam's grant, and was settled in 1844-5, by General Ed. Burleson and others. The scenery in this county is most picturesque ; the undulating prairies are very rich ; and there is a supply of mountain cedar for fencing. San Mar- cos is thirty miles south-west of Austin, on the line of the projected Inter- national Railroad, towards San Antonio. Stages connect also with Luling, on the Sunset Route. Population of county in 1870, 4,088 ; assessed value of property in 1876, $1,304,445.
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