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 52
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111. PANOLA .- Created in 1846; the name is Indian. Carthage is the county-seat, which was laid out in 1847 or 1848. Bounded north by Harri- son, east by Louisiana, south by Shelby, and west by Rusk. Population in 1870, 10,119; assessed value of property in 1876, $1,122,369. The surface is gently rolling and well watered by numerous springs and creeks, which flow into the Sabine in its course through the county. Inexhaustible quan- tities of pine are found in all sections; black walnut, oak of nearly all kinds, ash, hickory, and other varieties are also abundant. The soil is generally a sandy loam, its depth being from six to fifteen inches, with a foundation of red clay, or marl, which appears to be of nearly the same character as the red lands of Nacogdoches and San Augustine, and upon trial it has proved to be quite productive. The chief products are cotton and corn, though wheat and other grains flourish well. The average yield per acre is eight hundreds pounds of seed cotton, and twenty bushels of
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corn. Peaches are abundant, and flourish finely during favorable seasons; figs and plums are also cultivated and do well, and apples and pears could doubtless be raised.
112. PARKER .- Created in 1865; named for the Parker family, of Parker's Fort; Weatherford is the county-seat. Bounded north by Jack and Wise, east by Tarrant, south by Hood, and west by Palo Pinto. This is a well watered county, somewhat mountainous, and interspersed with rich and productive valley lands; remarkably healthy, and well adapted either to agriculture or stock-raising. Weatherford is about thirty miles west of Fort Worth. Population in 1870, 4,186 ; assessed value of property in 1876, $1,551,333. Corn, wheat, rye, barley and oats are the principal products of the county. Experiments have been made in regard to raising tobacco, which have resulted very favorably, the article produced being heavy, and resembling the weed raised in Virginia. Climate is mild. The soil is of two kinds-the sandy loam and black land. The first kind, well cultivated, produces the best crops of corn, while the latter produces more wheat. The wheat land produces generally twenty-five bushels per acre; the corn land about fifteen to eighteen bushels. Nearly one-half of the land is tim- bered, the timber being suitable for fencing and rough houses. Building material consists of brick and rock. This county ranks second to none in the State for water. The Brazos river runs through the county, and quite a number of the tributaries of the Trinity river head in this county; fine springs abound almost everywhere, and good wells can be had at about twenty-two feet deep, at which depth there is generally found a white sand- stone rock.
113. PECOS-Created in 1850; organized in 1875; named from the Pecos river. Fort Stockton is the county seat. Bounded north by Tom Green, east by Crockett, south by Mexico, southwest and west by Presidio and El Paso. This county has an area of 2,600 square miles ; watered by the Pecos river on the northwest and the Rio Grande on the south, both of which have numerous branches. The valleys of these rivers and of numerous creeks are capable of irrigation, and by irrigation they produce most luxu- riant crops. In 1877, there were about 8,000 acres so cultivated, and the quantity can be indefinitely increased. Fort Stockton is a military post in latitude 30 deg. 50 min. north; longitude 102 deg. 35 min. west from Greenwich. It is on Comanche creek, 374 miles southeast of San Antonio, with which it is connected by semi-weekly mail stages, and 147 miles north. west of Presidio Del Norte, on the Rio Grande, in Mexico. It is 4,952 feet above the sea level. A thousand or twelve hundred people live in the neighborhood, and, by means of irrigating ditches, abundant crops are produced for their support and to supply the soldiers of the post. It has been but recently settled. Value of property in 1876, $20,120.
114. POLK-Created from Liberty in 1846; named for J. K. Polk. Liv- ingston is the county-seat. Bounded north by Trinity, cast by Tyler, south by Hardin, and west by San Jacinto. The surface is undulating; watered
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by the Trinity and tributaries of the Neches; possesses an abundance of the best of pine timber, and is a good agricultural county Swartwout, on the Trinity, is the principal shipping point, and is about 125 miles, by water, from Galveston. Population in 1870, 8,707 ; assessed value of property in 1875, $533,706. This is one of the finest and most wealthy counties of the State. Its lands are of superior quality, and nearly all well adapted to farming. Cotton and corn are the leading products here, as in all the lower counties. Some wheat and other cereals are raised. Sugar is being profit- ably grown by many of late years ; also tobacco and all other usual products .. The wild grape grows abundantly in the wooded portion of the county.
115. PRESIDIO-Created in 1850. Fort Davis is the county seat. Bounded on the northwest by Pecos, south and southwest by Mexico, and the north- west by El Paso. Fort Davis is a military post, 5,000 feet above the sea level, 76 miles west of Fort Stockton and 450 from San Antonio. It is a canon of the Limpia creek. The valley, though narrow, is cultivated by irrigation, and produces well. Spencer's Rancho, on the Rio Grande, opposite Presidio Del Norte, is 100 miles southwest of Fort Davis. It is reached through a mountainous region, with but two settlements on the route. Large bodies of rich land in the Rio Grande valley are capable of irriga- ยท tion, if protection could be afforded to life and property. Back from the river the mountains are precipitous, and incapable of cultivation, though the hills afford fine range for stock, especially sheep and goats. There are evidences that silver and lead ore exist in great abundance in the Chenati range of mountains. They were formerly worked by the Spaniards. Popu- lation of the county in 1870, 1,636; assessed value of property in 1876, $181,420. This county, even since Pecos was taken from it, is as large as three or four of the smaller States of the Union.
116. RAINS-Created in 1870; Emory the county seat; named for Emory Rains. Bounded north by Hopkins, east by Wood, south by Van Zandt. and Smith, and west by Hunt. It is watered by the head branches of the Sabine river, and is a fine agricultural county. Silver Lake is a station on the Texas and Pacific Railroad, near the southern line of the county, 118 miles west of Shreveport. Assessed value of property in 1876, $315,574.
117. RED RIVER-One of the original counties. It was formerly called Pecan Point. Bounded north by the Indian Territory, east by Bowie, south by Morriss, Titus and Franklin, and west by Lamar. There were set- tlements at Pecan Point, on Red river, as early as 1816-17. Among those settlers were the Wright family and a brother-in-law, Judge Martin, (killed by the Indians, and his son taken prisoner). A great many of Austin's colonists stopped on Red river and made a crop before entering the interior of the province. In 1831, B. R. Milam had a rancho on the river, near the residence of Richard Ellis. Clarksville, the county seat, was laid out in 1835, and named for James Clark, an old settler. 1836, Richard Ellis represented that district in the Convention that declared the independence of Texas, and was President of the body. A. H. Latimer was also a mem-
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ber of the Convention. At the same period Judge Ellis' son represented Miller county in the Legislature of Arkansas. Both lived in one house. So also, James Latimer represented the same constituency in the Arkansas Legislature. This produced no confusion; but when the Sheriff of Miller county, Arkansas, entered the county to collect taxes, in 1837, he was driven off by a mob. The citizens preferred to belong to Texas, as at that time no taxes were collected in the Republic. Red River is a fine agricultural county, about three-fourths timber and one-fourth prairie. Clarksville is 61 miles west of Texarkana, on the northern branch of the Texas and Pacific Railrood. Population of the county in 1870, 10.653; assessed value of property in 1875, $1,686,865.
118. REFUGIO-An original county. Refugio is the county seat. Bounded north by Goliad and Victoria, east by Calhoun, south by Aransas and San Patricio, west by San Patricio and Bee. The Mission of Our Lady of Refuge was founded in 1790, and four leagues of land given to the town. A portion of the adjacent country was afterward included in Powers' grant. In 1809, according to a report of a priest in charge of the Mission, the Caranchua Indians had in the neighborhood 5,000 head of cattle and considerable land in cultivation. The mission church was a fine building, with plate-glass, and a chime of bells dated 1751. It is a stock-raising county. Population in 1870, 2,320: assessed value of property in 1876, $872,872. The climate is both mild and healthy, this county being situ- ated on the Gulf shore, and embracing within herself Hyne's bay, San Antonio bay, Mesquite, St. Charles, Aransas, Copano, and Mission bays, and is daily visited during the summer months by the fresh sea-breeze. The soil is rich and fertile, consisting of Sea Island cotton land, black, stiff, hog- wallow, black sandy and black loamy land, and rich bottom land, upon which grow post-oak, live-oak, black-jack, mesquite, and on the bottom land pecan, ash, elm, anaqua, hackberry, box-elder and white oak. The rivers are the San Antonio, Aransas and Mission. The Blanco, Medio, Chocolate, Willow and Salt creeks furnish abundance of water to the large herds of cattle and horses that, graze on the extensive prairies, clothed with mesquite and other grasses.
119. ROBERTSON .- Created from Milam in 1837; named for Sterling C. Robertson, Empresario. Bounded north by Falls and Limestone, cast by Leon, south by Brazos and west by Milam; Calvert is the county seat. This county was on one of the old routes of travel; and during the Colonial period, there was a Mexican garrison and a few stores at Tenoxticlan, just below the present line of the county. The Strouds lived near Calvert, and in the neighborhood, the Wheelock family, the Armstrongs, Cavitts, S. W. Hill, and others. John R. IIenry had a store at Franklin. Ephraim Milton lived near Dresden. The bottom lands on the Brazos, Little Brazos and Navasota are very rich; uplands undulating, and pretty well supplied with timber. Calvert is 128 miles north of Houston, on the Houston and Texas Central Railroad. Population of the county in 1870, 9,990; assessed value of property in 1876, $3,276,169. The International Railroad passes diago- nally through this county, crossing the Texas Central at Ilearne.
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
120. ROCKWALL .- A small, agricultural county, created in 1873: named for an underground wall found in sinking a well. Rockwall is the county seat. Bounded north by Collin, east by Hunt, south by Kaufman and west by Dallas. Assessed value of property in 1876, $454,814.
121. RUSK .- Created in 1843 from Nacogdoches ; named for Thomas J. Rusk. Bounded north by Gregg and Harrison, east by Panola, south by Nacogdoches and west by Cherokee and Smith. Henderson is the county seat, and occupies the site of an old Shawnee village. Overton, on the International Railroad, is twenty two miles south-east of Longview. The county has the greatest abundance of timber, and is watered by the tributa- ries of the Sabine and Angelina rivers. It is a fine agricultural county. Population in 1870, 16,916; assessed value of property in 1876, $2,005,640. The county has an inexhaustible supply of iron ore. A branch railroad, sixteen miles long, connects Henderson with Overton. There is an abund- ance of iron ore all over the county, and some specimens of coal or lignite, but no other minerals. There are some mineral springs, one near Mount Enterprise, which is considered very valuable, and is much resorted to by invalids for its healing qualities ; there is another south-east of Mount Enter- prise, some four or five miles distant, which is considered good in cases of dropsy and other diseases. The agricultural products are cotton, corn, wheat, rye, oats, barley, potatoes and tobacco. These are raised in large quantities, and for market. The Chinese and African sugar-cane grow well, and most of the farmers make their own syrup. Rice is grown only by a few of the farmers. Buckwheat grows finely, and yields well, but very few persons raise it. The winters are variable; there is sometimes snow and sleet, which generally melts in a day or two. The average of summer heat is about 80 degrees of Fahrenheit. The rains are generally seasona- ble, and crops never suffer much either from drought or excess of rain. The soil is generally sandy, but there are some gravelly red lands with clayey soil. The creeks and rivers are bounded by narrow bottom-lands of alluvial soil. The county is covered over with all varieties of timber, such as different oaks, hickory, walnut, cypress, cane, pine and twenty other kinds.
122. SABINE .- The municipality of Sabine was created by the Executive Council December 15th, 1835 ; Milam is the county seat. Bounded north by Shelby, east by Louisiana, south by Newton, and west by San Augustine. This is a heavily-timbered, agricultural county. Population in 1870, 3,256; assessed value of property in 1876, $326,061.
123. SAN AUGUSTINE .- San Augustine is the county seat. Bounded north by Shelby, east by Sabine, south by Jasper and Angelina, and west by Nacogdoches. As early as 1826, there was an Alcalde's District on Ayish bayou. San Augustine was laid out by T. S. M'Farland in 1833. Decree No. 265, March 6th, 1834, created the municipality. The Aes, or Ayish Mission Dolores, was founded in 1717. The surface of the county is undu- lating ; well watered and timbered; and the land is productive. Population
COURT HOUSE AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.
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in 1870, 4,196 ; assessed value of property in 1876, $978,384. The county of San Augustine is situated between the bayou Apolygotch on the east and the Altoyac river on the west. In the central part of this county is a ridge of red lands, extending the entire length of the county ; the nature of this Soil is very excellent for farming, as it constitutes what geologists term a table-land of the richest upland in the State. A great portion of this red land has been cultivated for thirty years, and still yields an abundant har- vest of produce to the industrious laborer. The remaining lands are gray and very fertile. The county is intersected by never-failing streams, every three or four miles, running from the north to the south. The lands immediately on these streams are bottom, and are similar to the delta lands of Louisi- ana, being of the most fertile character, and containing the same growth, namely, cypress, magnolia, oak, hickory, walnut, wild cherry, sumac and cane-brakes, which were originally almost impenetrable, but are now much thinned by the cattle. The bottoms vary in width from 100 yards to 1,000 yards; adjacent to the bottoms are generally to be found hummocks, with timber of a smaller character to the bottoms, with the exception of the ever- greens, cypress, canes and white oaks. These hummocks constitute the finest upland farms in the State, when the locality is free from liability to wash. Between the bottom hummocks and the next bottom and hummock are found the finest pineries in the world, both the long and short leaf; occasionally may be found flats in these pineries, where may be seen fine post-oaks. The geological period is part of the limestone and the sand- stone; in the latter are to be found large deposits of shells, denoting the previous existence of a vast amount of animalcula. The products are corn, cotton, wheat, rye, oats, potatoes, pumpkins and peanuts.
124. SAN JACINTO .- Created in 1870; Cold Springs the county seat. Bounded north by Trinity, east by Polk, south by Liberty, and west by Montgomery and Walker. This is a fine agricultural county, lying on the Trinity river. The Houston and Great Northern Railroad passes along near the western line of the county. Assessed value of property in 1875, $479,921.
125. SAN PATRICIO .- San Patricio the county seat. This was settled by Irish colonists introduced by M'Mullen & M'Gloin. Four leagues of land were given to the town. Decree No. 283, April, 1834, created the munic- ipality. The settlement was broken up during the Revolutionary period of 1835-36, but was re-established during the Republic. County bounded north by Live Oak and Bee, east by Refugio and Aransas, south-east by the Gulf of Mexico, and south-west by Nueces. Population in 1870, 625; assessed value of property in 1876, $745,774. This is a coast and stock- raising county, between the Nueces river on the west and the Aransas on the east. It has considerable very good land, but like Nueces county, the droughts of summer are too frequent to make agriculture a reliable or a profitable pursuit. There is but little cotton raised, and yet it has good lands for upland and sea-island cotton. The few inhabitants are all engaged in stock-raising, and in this pursuit they make large profits, and soon 38
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become independent with very little labor. They easily raise all they require of the necessaries of life; such as corn, potatoes, vegetables, etc., while the proceeds of the annual increase of their stock is nearly all clear profit. Nearly half the county is covered with timber, such as live-oak and various other growths, but mesquite is the principal. The only building lumber is imported through Corpus Christi, which is the place of trade. There is a peculiar feature in this county, called the " Brasada," being an area of upland of about thirty-one square miles. It is covered with a thick growth of mesquite, interspersed with chaparral and the prickly pear. The land is a rich, dark loam, and would undoubtedly produce well; but scarcely any of it is cultivated, owing to the labor of clearing and preparing the ground. The Nueces is a small but navigable stream up to San Patricio town, the only obstruction being the reef between Nueces and Corpus Christi bays. No county can surpass this in health.
126. SAN SABA .- Created from Bexar in 1856; San Saba, on the river of the same name, is the county seat. Bounded north by Brown, east by Lampasas, south by Llano and Mason, and west by M'Culloch .* This is a hilly county, with some extensive cedar brakes. It is well adapted to wheat, etc. Population in 1870, 1,425; assessed value of property in 1876, $710,065. This county is situated about 100 miles north-west from the capital of the State, and bounded on the east by the Colorado river. The surface has the usual inequalities of the north-western counties; consisting of hills and valleys, the soil of the valleys being very productive. The county is well supplied with water by the Colorado and San Saba rivers, and their small tributaries, and by numerous fine springs. Some of the springs are of white sulphur water, and one of them is considered fully equal in its heal- ing properties to any in the United States. Considerable of the valley land may be easily irrigated, and this circumstance gives such lands great. value. No more beautiful and productive farms can be found in the world than can be made in the San Saba valley, and from other irrigable lands in the county. The county is well supplied with all kinds of oak timber, elm, hickory, pecan, black cedar, etc.
127. SHACKLEFORD .- Created in 1858; organized in 1875; Fort Griffin is the county seat; named for Dr. Shackleford, Captain in Fannin's command. Bounded north by Haskell and Throckmorton, east by Stephens, south by Callahan, and west by Jones. For ten years there has been a military post. at Fort Griffin ; but it is only recently that this county has begun to fill up with permanent settlers. The lands are very rich. Population in 1870, 456; assessed value of property in 1876, $108,472. It is situated upon the Clear Fork of Brazos and Hubbard's creek, and includes a large portion of the very fertile valley of this stream. The Clear Fork enters the county from the west; and taking up the Elm Fork, flows out into the north. The abandoned Fort " Phantomhill," lies between these two streams, near
* The old Mission and Fort of San Saba is in Menard county.
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their junction, and near the west line of Shackleford county. Willow, Cor- nelius, Baker's, Bonito, Jews, Parody, Lind, Cruizbaur, Crosby's, Hanover and Panther creeks drain the western portion of this county, and are tribu- taries of the Clear Fork. The east is watered by Asylum, or West Fork of Hubbard's creek, by James, Mills, Panther, Mckinney, Foyles, Trout and many other creeks, all furnishing clear and cool water. The " divide " between the waters of Clear Fork and those of Hubbard's creek is an ele- vated range of hills, densely timbered, and affording plenty of limestone and sandstone rock for all building purposes.
128. SHELBY .- One of the original counties; name changed from Teneha to Shelby by Executive Council in January, 1835 ; named for General Shelby of Kentucky; Center is the county seat. When the name was changed, Emory Rains and James English were appointed Judges, and George O. Lusk, Chief Justice of the county. , Bounded north by Panola, east by Louisiana, south by Sabine and San Augustine, and west by Nacogdoches. This is in what was formerly called the Red Lands, and the soil is very productive; undulating surface, well timbered. In 1842-45, this county was very much disturbed by the conflicts between the " Regulators," who took the punishment of criminals into their own hands, and the " Modera- tors," who attempted to counteract the opposite party. A good many lives were sacrificed before the supremacy of civil law was restored. Trade is carried on by water down the Sabine river, by steamboats. Population in 1870, 5,732 ; assessed value of property in 1876, $823,546. There is some iron ore in this county, but it has not yet been tested as to its quality. There is also lignite coal. The agricultural products are corn, cotton, rye, oats, barley, Irish and sweet potatoes, tobacco, peas and all kinds of vege- tables in abundance. Rice is also raised on the low, marshy lands; also the ribbon and Chinese sugar-cane, from which an abundance of fine syrup is made; but no sugar as yet, though this might easily be done. The products raised for market are chicfly cotton and tobacco. The climate is nearly the same as the other coast counties of Eastern Texas, mild and healthful, with snow and ice very rarely in winter. The seasons are generally favorable for crops ; droughts sometimes, but not often, cut short the crops.
129. SMITH .- Created from Nacogdoches in 1846 ; named for General James Smith; Tyler, for John Tyler, is the county seat. Bounded north by Wood and Upshur, east by Gregg and Rusk, south by Cherokee, and west by IIenderson and Van Zandt. This is a wealthy and populous agricultural county, with an abundance of timber, good water and a rich soil. The sessions of the Supreme Court of the State for East Texas meet at Tyler, and also the United States District Court. Zavalla, on the International Railroad, is 35 miles southwest of Longview, and a branch road runs through the county via Tyler, from Zavalla to Mineola, on the Texas and Pacific Railroad, near the northwest line of the county. Population in 1870, 16,532; assessed value of property in 1876, $2,452,283.
130. SOMERVELL .- A small agricultural and stock-raisng county, created
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in 1875; named for Alexander Somervell. Bounded north by Hood, east by Johnson, south by Bosque, and west by Erath. Glenrose is the county seat. It is on the Paluxy creek, two miles from the Brazos river. The county has an abundance of timber, and the best of soil and water. Assessed Value of property in 1876, $182,313.
131. STARR .- Created from Nueces in 1848; named for James H. Starr, a pioneer settler; Rio Grande City is the county seat. Bounded north by Duval and Nueces, east by Hidalgo, southwest by Mexico, and west by Zapata. This is a stock-raising county of the southwest, though farming is carried on to a limited extent. It is a large county, having an arca of over 2,000 square miles. There is a military post at Ringgold Barracks, on the river, 130 miles from Corpus Christi. Rio Grande City is 100 miles from Brownsville. The river is navigable during most of the year to Roma in this county. Population, mostly Mexican, in 1870, 4,154; assessed value of property in 1876, $981,666.
132. STEPHENS .- Created in 1858; named for A. H. Stephens, (formerly called Buchanan) ; Breckenridge is the county seat. Bounded north by Throckmorton and Young, east by Palo Pinto, southi by Eastland, and west by Shackleford. It is a well-watered stock-raising county. Population in 1870, 330; assessed value of property in 1876, $3, 390.
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