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 53
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This county contains some of the finest lands in Northwestern Texas. The valleys on Hubbard's creek are never forgotten by one who sees them. Level almost as a billiard-table, and covered with the finest of mesquite grass, which remains green nearly all winter, it would be difficult to find anything more beautiful and picturesque. East Hubbard's creek and its tributaries water the western and middle portions of the county. The east portion of the county is diversified with hills and valleys, with some fine running branches. The greater portion of the land was located and sur- veyed by the Texan Emigration and Land Company, or for the State Uni- versity and Asylum lands.
133. TARRANT .- Created in 1849; named for E. H. Tarrant; Fort Worth is the county seat. Bounded north by Wise and Denton, east by Dallas, south by Johnson, and west by Parker. It was taken from Navarro. Bird's Fort was settled about the time of annexation. It is a well-watered county, the Trinity river meandering through it; and well adapted to stock- raising or agriculture. Fort Worth, 32 miles west of Dallas, is the present western terminus of the Texas Pacific Railroad. Population of county, in 1870, 5,788; assessed value of property in 1876, $3,454,603.
134. TITUS-Created from Red River, in 1846; named for an old settler ; Mount Pleasant is the county seat. Bounded north by Red River, cist by Morriss, south by Camp, and west by Franklin. It is a well-timbered, well-watered agricultural county. Population in 1870, 11,339; assessed value of property in 1876, $672,158.
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135. TOM GREEN .- Created in 1874; Ben Ficklin is the county seat. This is an immense county in size, laid out in the mineral region of Western Texas. Ben Ficklin, (Fort Coucho) is 215 miles northwest of San Antonio. It is a military post connected with San Antonio by regular mail stages. Colonel Shafter represents that there are in this county numerous springs of water, and that besides its undeveloped mineral wealth, it will become a good stock county. Assessed value of property in 1876, $95,700.
Mrs. Taukersley's commodious stone residence is situated on the bank of the main Concho river, surrounded by extensive fields, which have been cultivated, though not very successfully, irrigation being required in this elevated latitude to make farming a success. A windmill which works a pump serves to irrigate sufficient land to supply the family with vegetables of a superior quality. The military post Fort Concho is now occupied as Gen- eral Grierson's headquarters. The post is situated in the forks of North Concho and Middle Concho, which, after uniting, form the main Coucho. There are about 500 negro soldiers at the post at this time, officered with whites. The post is beautifully situated on an alevated plain. The officers' quarters, hospital, and other buildings are of stone. A number of the officers have their families with them, and well-dressed ladies and beautiful and well-trained children are often seen in groups listening to the music of the band during dress parade.
136. TRAVIS .- Created from Bastrop, in 1840; named for William B. Travis; Austin, for Stephen F. Austin, is the county seat. Bounded north by Williamson, southeast by Bastrop, southwest by Hays, and northwest by Blanco and Burnet. In 1836, William Barton settled at Barton Springs, on the west side of the Colorado river, where he died in 1840. In the same year that Barton settled on the west side of the river, the Hornsbys settled on the prairie which bears their name. Two years later a village called Waterloo was laid out on the river. In 1839, Austin was selected as the capital by a commission appointed by the Texan Congress. On the very night in which the Commisioners visited Austin to locate the new capital, Mrs. Coleman and her son were killed by the Indians, near Hornsby's prairie. In 1840, the government was transferred to Austin from Houston; but in 1842, President Houston returned with his Cabinet to Houston, where Congress soon afterward assembled. The citizens opposed the removal of the government archives from their city, and in 1844, the Land Office was reopened in that city. On the first of July, 1845, the officers of the government returned to Austin, where they have remained ever since. Travis county is a rolling prairie county, well adapted to agriculture or stock-raising. The buildings belonging to the different departments of the government occupy a commanding position on Capitol Hill. In the neigh- borhood of the city are located the asylums for lunatics, the blind and the deaf and dumb. Population of the county in 1870, 13,153; assessed value of property in 1876, $11,677,943. Austin is 165 miles from Houston, on the Western Branch of the Texas Central Raiiroad, and is the present south- western terminus of the International Railroad, 260 miles from Longview.
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Travis county contains a great variety of soil, surface and timber. Some sections are rocky and mountainous, with here and there clusters of the various species of oak and cedar; while others are slightly rolling, and heavily timbered with live, post-oak and cedar. The bottoms are generally timbered with hickory, hackberry, elm, cypress, etc., but there is a large surface of prairie, dotted with farms in a high state of cultivation, and with extensive and expensive improvements. This county is well watered; the streams Bee, Boggy, Bear, Barton, Bull, Shoal, Cow, Cross, Dry, Gille- land, Onion, Big and Little Walnut, Williamson, Wilbarger and Waller, all run through parts of it, all emptying into the Colorado.
137. TRINITY .- Created from Houston, in 1850. Pennington is the county seat. Bounded north by Houston, east by Angelina, south by Tyler and Polk, and west by San Jacinto and Walker. The surface is undulating and covered with a dense growth of pine and other timber; well-watered by the Trinty and Neches rivers and their tributaries. Trinity station on the International & Great Northern Railroad, is 87 miles from Houston. Pop- ulation in 1870, 4,141; assessed value of property in 1876, $654,044.
138. TYLER .- Created from Liberty in 1846; named for John Tyler. Woodville is the county-seat. It is one of the heavily-timbered, and well- watered counties of East Texas. Bounded north by Angelina, east by Jasper, south by Hardin, and west by Polk. Population in 1870, 5,010; assessed value of property in 1876, $507,253. There is an excellent sulphur spring in the northern part of the county, near Mount Hope. It would be an excellent watering-place if conveniently fitted up and attended to prop- erly. The agricultural products of this county are corn, cotton, rye, oats, potatoes, peas, etc., all of which grow well and yield abundantly. The climate is mild and pleasant, and the soil of almost every variety and quality ; black bottom, gray, sandy bottom, black prairie, hummock, etc. The seasons are generally regular, and a failure of crops on account of floods or drought is exceedingly rare. Timber is plentiful, and of the best quality, and of every variety. The Neches river bounds the county on the north and east, and is navigable generally from four to six months in the year for small boats. There are numerous fine creeks traversing the county, and any number of springs and branches, making this county one among the best-watered counties in the State. The pasturage is inferior, and cattle and horses do not do well upon it; hogs and sheep do well. But very little wheat has been raised here, though as far as the experiment has been made it has done well. Rye, oats, and tobacco are raised successfully, and in considerable abundance. Pine is the best building material. A family can live here comfortably and cheap-as much so as in almost any other portion of the world. Butter, milk, cheese, eggs, poultry, etc., can be had in abundance, as there is no market for them. It costs but little to raise hogs, as the mast is usually good ; bacon is saved without loss or trouble.
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139. UPSHUR .- Created from Harrison and Nacogdoches in 1846. Gilmer is the county-seat. Named for Abel P. Upshur of Tyler's cabinet. It is
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bounded north by Camp, east by Marion, south by Gregg and Smith, and west by Wood. During the colonial period this section of country was occupied by the Cherokee and Caddo Indians. In 1835 Mr. John Cotton settled on Big Cow bayou, and the next year Isaac Moody settled on the Cherokee tract. O. T. Boulware established a trading-post near Mr. Cot- ton's, in 1838. After the Cherokees were expelled in 1839, the country rapidly settled up. The land is well adapted to agriculture, is well watered, and has an abundant supply of timber. The Texas and Pacific railroad passes through the southern part of the county, having a station at Big Sandy. Population in 1870, 12,039; assessed value of property in 1876, $959,449. The soil, for the most part, is a sandy gray loam, varying in depth from one to ten feet, and is very productive. Corn, cotton, wheat, rye, oats, barley, rice, tobacco, and potatoes, when properly cultivated and planted, yield an abundance. As an average, on uplands, the yield of corn is about fifteen bushels per acre; cotton, seven hundred pounds; wheat, from seven to ten bushels. The county generally is covered with a dense growth of forest trees, among which predominate oaks of every variety, hickory and pine. The latter is used for building purposes entirely, though occasionally a brick edifice appears. With few exceptions, the county supplies its own provisions, on account of the ease with which bacon is saved. But few have large stocks of cattle, for want of winter range. With the essentials of life, such as the produce of the barn-yard, dairy, etc., every household is bountifully supplied. The county is watered by the Sabine, the two Cypresses, and Sandy creek, the latter a tributary of the Sabine, abounding in fish at all seasons. Good freestone water is to be had everywhere by digging from ten to forty feet, and fine springs are occasionally to be found; but, as a general rule, their waters are not used, as well-water is cooler.
140. UVALDE .- Created from Bexar in 1850, and named for a Mexican Colonel, who gained a victory over the Indians in the Uvalde canon. Uvalde is the county-seat. Bounded north by Edwards and Bandera, east by Medina, south by Zavalla, and west by Kinney. The county was settled in 1850, by Messrs. Ware, Hill, Robinson, Angler, Thompson, Reading, Black, and others. About two-thirds of the county is prairie; the soil is good, and in the creek valleys, susceptible of irrigation. It is a fine stock county. Uvalde is sixty-five miles west of San Antonio. Population in 1870, 851; assessed value of property in 1876, $650,586. This county is very well watered by the Salbinal, Comanche, and Leona streams, with a few others, and has great advantages for stock-raising, on account of its fine grass and stock-water. Fort Inge is in the southern part, on the Leona. It is not adapted to agriculture, though there are some fine lands, but the seasons are too dry.
141. VAN ZANDT .- Created in 1848, and named for Isaac Van Zandt. Wills is the county-seat. It is bounded north by Hunt and Rains, east by Smith, south by Henderson, and west by Kaufman. The surface is rolling; is well watered, and pretty well supplied with timber, and the soil is pro-
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ductive. Wills, the new county-seat, is one hundred and forty miles west of Shrevesport, on the Texas and Pacific railroad. The population of the county in 1870, was 6,444; assessed value of property in 1876, $1,454,497.
142. VICTORIA .- Bounded north by De Witt, east by Jackson, south by Calhoun, and west by Goliad. Victoria is the county-seat. It is conjectured that the Mission San Francisco was commenced on the Carcitas creek, in this county, in 1690, by Alonzo de Leon, as some old works still remain there. In 1714, Don Domingo Ramon founded the Mission of "Our Lady of Guadalupe," at Mission Valley, partly for the benefit of the Tonkawa Indians of the neighborhood, who then cultivated some land and possessed horses and cattle, and partly to irrigate the valley for cultivation. The county was included in the empresario grant of Martin de Leon, and the settlement received the name of De Leon's Ranche. In 1825 four leagues of land were set apart for the town of Victoria. In 1835, the judges appointed by the Convention were Placido Benevedes and Francisco Cardinas; commissioners, Sylvester de Leon, and J. M. Caravahal. In 1836, John M'Henry was Chief Justice. John Linn was Alcalde. Both these gentle- men are still (1878) living in the county. Before the Revolution the De Leon family were said to have been worth a half million of dollars. The county is level and mostly prairie; and well adapted to agriculture and stock-raising. Victoria is forty miles from Indianola, on the M. G. & R. G. R. R. Population of county in 1870, 4,860; assessed value of prop- erty in 1876, $2,088,548. .
143. WALKER-Created from Montgomery in 1846; named for Robert J. Walker, of Tyler's cabinet. Huntsville is the county seat. Bounded north by Madison and Trinity, east by San Jacinto, south by Montgomery, and west by Grimes. The principal State penitentiary is at Huntsville, which is connected by a branch railroad with Phelps, on the II. & G. N. Railroad, seventy-five miles from Houston. Surface of county undulating; well watered and timbered. Population in 1870, 9,776; assessed value of property in 1876, $1,518,523.
144. WALLER-Created principally from Austin in 1873 ; named for Edwin. Waller. Hempstead is the county seat. It is fifty miles from Houston, on the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, and from this place the Western Branch road leaves the Central for the city of Austin, 115 miles distant. Bounded north by Grimes, east by Harris, south by Forth Bend, and west by Austin. This county has an immense body of rich land on the Brazos river and its tributaries; surface flat, but affording, in the prairies, fine range for stock. Assessed value of property in 1876, $1,622,192.
145. WASHINGTON .- Brenham, named for Dr. R. F. Brenham, is the county seat. Bounded north by Lee and Burleson, east by Grimes, south by Austin, and west by Fayette. In 1821, a ferry was established at Washing- ton by Andrew Robinson and John W. Hallam, and the families of Gates, Kuykendall, Whitesides, Byrd and others settled in the neighborhood, The
PE TRIBUT TRY
METHODIST CHURCH AND PARSONAGE, CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS.
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first land cultivated was at Clay Place, near Independence, in 1822, by Martin Vernor and Moses Shipman. There were in the neighborhood the Clampit, Hensley, Cooper, Ross, York, Walker, Stephenson, Hope, Law- rence and other families. The first tract of land run off in Austin's colony was by H. Chriesman, October 1st, 1823-the tract settled and still occu- pied (1878) by Amos Gates. In 1828, J. P. Cole became Alcalde, and he was Chief Justice in 1836. The county originally extended to the Trinity on the east, and from Harris on the south to the old San Antonio road on the north. It is one of the wealthiest and most populous counties in the State. Population in 1870, 23,104; assessed value of property in 1876, $4,736,884.
146. WEBB-Created from Nueces in 1848; named for James Webb. Laredo is the county seat. Bounded north by Maverick and Dimitt, east. by La Salle and Encinal, south by Zapata, and west by Mexico. Laredo is 140 miles west of Corpus Christi and 165 miles southwest of San Antonio. It was settled by Mexicans in 1740. In 1767, Governor Pelacios, of New Santander, visited the place and distributed land to the settlers. To each family he gave a lot in the town and a tract on the Rio Grande, 1,000 yards in front and 30,000 in depth. Tomas Sanches was appointed Alcalde. Friendly relations were established with the Indians. The laws of the Republic were never extended over the territory west of the Nueces river. In 1842, Laredo was, for a short time, occupied by General Som- ervell, in command of the Texas troops. In 1846, it was again captured by Captain Gillespie, of the Rangers, when on the way to join General Taylor at the mouth of the river. In 1847, it was occupied by the soldiers of the United States, under General Lamar. Since that time it has been under the jurisdiction of the State. It is adapted to stock-raising. Popu- lation in 1870, 2,615; assessed value of property in 1876, $432,661.
147. WHARTON-Created in 1846 from Colorado, Jackson, and Matagorda counties ; named for William H. and J. A. Wharton. Wharton is the county seat. Bounded north by Colorado and Fort Bend, east by Fort Bend, south by Matagorda, and west by Jackson. Wharton, the county seat, was settled by the Kincheloe family in 1822. The lands on Old Caney and Peach creeks and the Colorado river are considered equal to any in the State. About one-half of the county is timbered and the other prairie. East Ber- nard Station, on the Sunset Railroad, is sixty miles west of Houston. Population in 1870, 3,426; assessed value of property in 1876, about $500,000. The principal products are corn, cotton and sugar.
148. WILLIAMSON-Created from Milam in 1846; named for R. M. Wil- liamson. Georgetown, named for George W. Glasscock, is the county seat. Bounded north by Bell, east by Milam, south by Lee and Travis, and west by Burnet. The surface is undulating; one-third timber, rich soil, and well watered. Round Rock, on the International and Great Northern Rail- road, is seventeen miles northeast of Austin. Population of the county in 1870, 6,368 ; assessed value of property in 1876, $2,809,464.
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149. WILSON .- Created in 1860; named for James C. Wilson. Floresville is the county seat. Bounded north by Bexar and Guadalupe, east by Gon- zales, south by Karnes, and west by Atascosa. The surface is gently undu- lating ; pretty well supplied with timber, and well adapted to agriculture or stock-raising. Population in 1870, 2,556 ; assessed value of property in 1876, $830,915. The people derive their income about equally from farming and stock-raising. The soil is generally good and well watered, and the timber sufficient for fencing, but the best building material is a fine quality of stone. There are some five or six sulphur springs of superior quality, and much resorted to by invalids. Corn and cotton are the leading staples here, as elsewhere in the State. Sugar-cane is grown, and tobacco succeeds well. Grapes and peaches abound; other fruits are also raised. The San Antonio river passes through this county ; which, with the Cibolo and some smaller streams and springs, supply the county with water.
150. WISE .- Created in 1846 from Denton and Cooke; named for Henry A. Wise. Decatur is the county seat. Bounded north by Montague, east by Denton, south by Tarrant and Parker, and west by Jack. This county is in the " upper cross-timbers ;" watered by the west fork of the Trinity river; and contains large bodies of excellent prairie and timber land. Fort Worth, fifty miles from Decatur, is the nearest railroad station. Population in 1870, 1,450 ; assessed value of property in 1876, $897,096. Decatur is situa- ted some five miles northeast from the center of the county, on a tall hill overlooking the broad prairie known as the " Grand Prairie," extending from the " lower " to the " upper cross-timbers," and spreading itself over a rich and fertile country, covering the principal portion of the eastern half of the county, as well as the " upper cross-timbers," spreading themselves entirely over the West Fork valley, the eastern border of which reaches to within one mile of town, covering the entire western portion of the county. The West Fork of the Trinity river is a considerable stream ; Sandy enters the county five miles east of the northwest corner; Denton creek enters the county fourteen west of the southeast corner; Cattell's creek rises about three miles north from Decatur; Sweet-water rises about two miles southeast from town and intersects Cattell's about eight miles east; Oliver rises about five miles southeast from town, and crosses the east line of the county nine miles north from the southeast corner. The latter three are perpetual running sreams, of pure, cool, and clear water, fed by numer- ous springs issuing from the banks, generally not more than a half or three- quarters of a mile apart. Good well-water may be obtained almost anywhere by digging from fifteen to twenty-five feet deep. The face of the county is high and broken. The streams have immense fall, and the banks are high, rendering even the creek-bottoms entirely free from overflow, and hence entirely free from those impurities which originate in localities where stag- nated water is common. The climate is delightful. The winters are mild, except occasional " northers," which are rather severe, but seldom last longer than twenty-four or thirty-six hours. In summer, we nearly always have a cool and exhilarating south breeze astir. The soil is varied from the rich loam of the valleys and fertile black lands of the high prairies to the
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chocolate-sandy in the post-oak woods. The principal timber is post-oak, burr-oak, pecan, walnut, white or cedar-elm, red-elm, cotton-wood, Spanish oak, and some short live-oak. Each running stream through the prairie is skirted along its banks with timber sufficient to furnish the prairie portion with fuel and considerable fencing-timber. The county is more than half timbered.
151. WOOD .- Created from Van Zandt in 1850; named for George T. Wood. Quitman is the county seat. Bounded north by Hopkins and Franklin, east by Upshur, south by Smith, and west by Rains. Mineola, on the Texas and Pacific Railroad, is 111 miles west of Shreveport. Population in 1870, 6,894; assessed value of property in 1876, $1,150,765. Corn, cotton, wheat, oats, rye, barley, and potatoes are all produced in abundance; corn and cotton take the lead. The climate of Wood county is the same of all the district lying between Trinity and Red rivers. The soil is of three varie- ties, namely, a dark ferruginous soil, a gray sandy soil, and a dark lime soil. The first embraces the best farming portion of the county, and includes the northern and northeastern portions of the county. The gray soil lies mostly on the eastern boundary of the county, and is famous for its first quality of pine timber. The black lime land lies west of the lake fork of Sabine river, and includes a portion of prairie land finely adapted to farm- ing and grazing. The varieties of timber are oak, pine, hickory, ash, walnut, elm, bitter pecan, sweet gum, and maple. The Sabine constitutes the southern boundary of the county; its tributaries are Big Sandy, Little Sandy, and Lake Fork; and the tributaries of Lake Fork inside of the county are Dry creek, Caney, Running creek, and Brushy.
152. YOUNG .- Created from Denton and Cooke, in 1856; named for Wil- liam Cocke Young; Graham, for Augustus Graham, the proprietor, is the county seat. Bounded north by Archer, east by Jack, south by Palo Pinto and Stephens, and west by Throckmorton. This is one of the most desirable of the new counties in the northwestern portion of Texas; having a large proportion of excellent arable land. Before the late war, a military post was kept up at Fort Belknap; and the Indian reserves were on the fine lands on the Brazos river, in this county. Graham was settled in 1875. It is a station for the United States Signal Service, and is destined to become an important city. Its altitude is about 1,000 feet above the sea level. Assessed value of property in 1876, $892,202.
Corn, wheat, oats, rye and barley are the principal products of the county. Cotton is cultivated to a limited extent only, because the cereals pay better in consequence of a nearer market. From the Belknap mountain on the west is the rolling or undulating prairie, extending one hundred miles north to Red river. The top of Twin mountain, in the edge of town, com- mands a view around of some 25 or 30 miles, circling the lofty peaks of the Brazos, rich sublime and enchanting to the eye of the fortunate one. Think of 120 miles of river front in this county alone, necessarily affording thousands of acres of the richest bottom lands, beside abundant water. There are also a number of springs scattered oyer the county. The sheep bus-
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iness is keeping pace with the progress of the age. Forty thousand head have been located within forty miles of Graham during the last six months- doing well, all of them.
153. ZARATA .- Created in 1868; named for a patriot Mexican who dis- tinguished himself in the war for the establishment of the Republic of the Rio Grande. Bartolo is the county seat. Bounded north by Webb and Encinal, southeast by Starr, and southwest by Mexico. It is a stock-raising county on the Rio Grande. Population in 1870, 1,488; assessed value of property in 1875, $458,958.
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