USA > Texas > The history and geography of Texas as told in county names > Part 3
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"Apollo then said to him, 'Noble youth, I love you the better, because you prefer duty to pleasure. I go, but tomorrow I will come again.'
"Apollo came, and for many happy days they played and talked and learned to love each other as the best of friends. One day they were playing a game of quoits, each wishing that the other might win. Apollo picked up the discus and, making a good throw, would have won but for a sad accident. Zephyrus, the god of the west wind, blew the discus so that it hit Hya- cinthus on the forehead. Apollo rushed forward and lifted the head of the youth from the ground, but it was too late, Hya- cinthus was dead. To preserve the memory of his friend, Apollo caused to spring up on the edge of the brook that flowed by, the flower which bears his name-the 'hyacinth.'"
The name was kept green in the memory of the Spartans in their religious rites and festivals to impress the lesson that duty comes before pleasure.
As the ages passed it became a common name among the early Christians. In the latter part of the twelfth century there was born of a noble family in Silesia a son, who, evinc- ing at a very early age great qualities of mind and heart, was christened Hyacinth. He was carefully educated at Bologna and became converted to the Dominican teachings. He took the vows of that order at Rome in August, 1257, and traveled as a missionary in Northern Europe and to him, more than any other person, is credited the spread of Christian influences
25
AS TOLD IN COUNTY NAMES
through that region. He traveled on foot for forty years among the fierce tribes of that country and achieved worldwide fame. He died at a monastery in Cracow and was canonized several centuries later.
The story is that friars from the Presidio San Augustine de Ahumada, on the lower Trinity, explored the coast during the period, 1751-1772, and coming to this stream, endeavored to make their way up, but found it so choked with water hya- cinths they were unable to push their boats through it and called it the hyacinth stream, honoring it with the name of St. Hyacinth, or San Jacinto.
That these hyacinths have from time to time been so dense upon the bosom of the stream as to obstruct navigation, there are many evidences. The latest is contained in the official re- port of Capt. J. C. Oaks, in 1908, to the Committee of Rivers and Harbors of the United States Congress, in which he says :
On August 9, 1907, water hyacinths were discovered in Buf- falo Bayou and vicinity, and an allotment of $500 was made, November 4, 1907, to destroy them and prevent them becoming an obstruction to navigation.
SAN SABA
Authors of respectability have defined this as Holy Savior (San Salvador), but a rather careful investigation and inquir- ies among Spanish scholars and Catholic priests lead to the con- clusion that the name comes from San Sabada (Holy Saturday) and that the stream by that name was known among the Span- iards prior to the establishment of a mission near its banks in 1757, and it is more than probable that the stream was discov- ered on Holy Saturday (San Sabada), and according to custom in naming streams was called San Saba in honor of that day.
Where the mission was established is near the town of Men- ardville, in Menard County.
The following from Bancroft's History contains a brief ac- count of the mission and presidio established near by :
"It had been decided to establish a presidio with one hundred
26
THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TEXAS
men on the Rio San Saba. The expedition, including five padres, reached Bejar at the end of 1756 and proceeded in April, 1757, to the new field. The presidio was called in the vice- roy's honor, San Saba de las Amarillas, and the Mission San Saba was located a league and a half distant on the river. 'The Apaches' were pleased and friendly, but declined, under one pretense or another, to congregate at the mission. The real motive of the Lipanes (Apaches) for the founding of a pre- sidio and missions was to utilize the Spaniards as allies against the Comanches and other tribes by whom they were hard pressed. The northern inland bands, crediting the Apache boast of their new alliance, became bitterly hostile to the Span- iards and formed a league to defeat them. The Apaches gave warning of the approaching design, which caused so much terror at the different forts that but little attention was given to the protection of San Saba. On the 16th of March, 1758, the sav- ages appeared some thousand strong under the command of a Comanche chief at the mission. Too late to effect a surprise, they obtained admittance by pretending friendship, and soon began their work of destruction. The buildings were plun- dered and burned. The only survivors were Pedro Molina and two or three soldiers, who managed to conceal themselves, and escaped at midnight. Only a few Apaches were present to share the disaster."
TRINITY.
Spanish, Trinidad, "the union of three persons, the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost, in one Godhead, so that all three are one God, as to substance, but three persons as to individuality." Adopted as a geographical name in all Latin-American coun- tries.
The Spanish first crossed this stream in 1690 under De Leon and again in 1691 under Teran. The river, from which the county took its name, was probably named on one of these ex- peditions. The mission of that name was established later.
27
AS TOLD IN COUNTY NAMES
UVALDE.
This county took its name from Uvalde Canyon, named for Juan de Ugalde, governor of Coahuila in 1778, with the addi- tional power of commandante of arms in 1786.
The Apache Indians had been very troublesome on both sides of the Rio Grande, making forays upon the missions and set- tlements, robbing and plundering and retreating to the can- yons and mountain fastnesses, where they had baffled all efforts to subdue them. Governor Ugalde, soon after he had the mil- itary power conferred on him, pursued a raiding band and over- took them at this canyon, where a stubborn fight ensued. The Indians were so completely routed that they abandoned this region entirely.
In honor of that event the stream was afterward known as the Ugalde (changed to Uvalde) canyon. When the county was organized, in 1856, it was named for this canyon.
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THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TEXAS
VICTORIA.
Guadalupe Victoria was first President of the Republic of Mexico. The town and municipality of Victoria were named in his honor.
He was a native of Durango, and an active participant in the struggle of Mexico against Spain. As the organized armies of the revolutionists were, one after another, dispersed by the royalists, he organized small bands and kept up a guerilla warfare.
His real name was Juan Felix Fernandez, but during the war he changed it, taking as his first name Guadalupe, in honor of the Virgin patroness of Mexico, and Victoria as his surname to com- memorate a victory over the Spaniards. He was an alumnus of the College of San Ildefonso of the City of Mexico, a consistent federalist during his entire career, and was a universal favorite in Mexico, and particu- larly of Tamaulipas, whose capital bears his name. He was in- augurated President of Mexico October 10, 1824. During his administration there occurred no national outbreak and his ca- reer as President was a great success. He retired from office April 1, 1829.
After his retirement from the presidential office Victoria was elected Governor of Puebla, which office he resigned to become Senator for his native state, Durango.
In 1839 he was one of the two plenipotentiaries to negotiate peace with France, after which he retired to private life and died March 21, 1843.
His portrait adorns the national gallery in the City of Mexico.
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AS TOLD IN COUNTY NAMES
Colored
austin
Burnet's
~William's Colony
colony
Colony
Kuo 10
Justins srd Colony
Trinity
2. MLU
Del Morte
Lifts 2nå
Colonies
River
San Fernando
De Att's Colony.
Justins 4th Colony
COAHUILA
M& Mullen
La Baht
Presidido
OF
GULF
LaredoD
TAMAULIPAS
Rio Grande
COLONIAL TEXAS. 1822 to 1836.
Colony
nacogdodres
Rachitoche:
Robertson's ( naspiille
Zavalla's
Ola Comma
Antonio
austin's
Galóny
MEXICO
Nº Clouis colony.
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THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TEXAS
CHAPTER II.
THE ANGLO-AMERICAN COLONIZATION OF TEXAS.
With the beginning and rise of the Republic of Mexico, the settlement of Texas may be said to have begun. It had its in- ception during the Spanish regime, when Moses Austin ob- tained permission to settle three hundred families, January, 1821. Moses Austin died in June, 1821, and his son and suc- cessor, Stephen F. Austin, took charge of the enterprise and carried it to a successful termination.
In order to understand more readily the difficulties under which Austin labored in preserving his rights under the con- cession to his father, a statement in brief of some of the prin- cipal events of Mexican history, affecting his concession, is given.
On the 21st of January, 1821, the concession to Moses Aus- tin was made by royal authority. In August, 1821, Mexico be- came an independent nation. In May, 1822, Iturbide became Emperor and a national legislative body was assembled, called the "Junta Nacional Instituyente." In January, 1823, this body confirmed the rights of Austin, but held that Martinez had no authority to make terms as to the quantity of land the colonists should receive.
A national colonization law was passed in January, 1823, and finally decreed by the Emperor in February, 1823. On the 19th of March, 1823, Iturbide abdicated. The original conces- sion to Moses Austin was again confirmed, April 11, 1823.
The terms arranged for the distribution of land to settlers between Austin and Governor Martinez were, for 640 acres to the head of a family, 320 for the wife, 150 for each child, 80 for each slave introduced. As this was held to be unauthor- ized, the quantities substituted were, a sitio (a league) or 2.62+ miles square for pasturage purposes, and a labor, or 177 acres for farming land, called a labor, as, that was the part upon which it was contemplated the settlers were to do their labor.
Under this law Austin's rights were secure, with the advan-
31
AS TOLD IN COUNTY NAMES
tage to his colonists of a sitio (or league) and labor, or 4,605 acres, to heads of families, instead of 640, as under the terms he had arranged with Martinez, and 1,107 acres, or one-fourth of a league, to single men.
This law further provided that the Empresario, or person who contracted with the executive to introduce settlers, should receive for his services a premium at the rate of five sitios or leagues and five labors (or 23,025 acres) of land for each hun- dred families introduced, a great advantage to Austin, whose compensation, under the Martinez arrangement was to be paid by settlers.
In February, 1824, the National Congress, then assembled, conferred on the respective State Legislatures the power to form colonization laws, and on the 24th of March, 1825, the general colonization law of Coahuila and Texas was decreed regulating the settlement of the country.
As under this law the rights of settlers were created and defined and the Spanish or Mexican land system was engrafted on Texas institutions, some of its most noteworthy features are here mentioned.
First, settlements were prohibited within ten leagues (26.62+ miles) of the coast and within twenty leagues (53+ miles) of the boundary of the United States, without the expressed con- sent of the National Executive. This forbidden area has been very inaptly called the "Littoral and the Border Leagues."
Second, provision was made for the formation of towns, and four leagues (17,712 acres) of land were granted to each town, an old Spanish law that had its origin in Chapter XXXV of the Book of Numbers, where it was provided that each city established for the Levites should receive a large area around it for common use.
Under this law each empresario was required to select a townsite, and for Austin's colony San Felipe de Austin was selected. Gonzales became the town of DeWitt's colony; Vic- toria of De Leon's colony; San Patricio of the Irish colony ; Nashville of Robertson's colony. As this is no longer on the map, its location was in Milam County, on a high bluff over- looking the Brazos Valley, where the International & Great
32
THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TEXAS
Northern Railroad crosses that river. Each of these townsites were, without exception, among the most beautiful in Texas.
Under the law, thirty contracts were made, the concessions covering the entire area of Texas, all of Coahuila east of the Rio Grande, nearly all of Oklahoma, and part of Kansas, but as nothing was accomplished under most of the contracts, they are of no historical importance.
There were many other provisions of the law, favorable to settlers, but these are sufficient to enable a clear understand- ing of the history of the period.
The names of the empresarios and others immediately con- nected with the colonization of Texas from 1822-1836 commem- orated in county names, are :
Austin
Edwards
Robertson
Bastrop
Gonzales
San Patricio
Chambers
Leon
DeWitt
McMullen
33
AS TOLD IN COUNTY NAMES
AUSTIN.
This county was named for Stephen F. Austin, "The Father of Texas." Within the limits of this county, on a high bluff, overlooking the Brazos River, there stands the old village of San Felipe de Austin where some of the most stirring scenes of the colo- nial days of Texas were enacted.
Stephen F. Austin was born in Wythe County, Virginia, November 3, 1793. At the age of six years he went with his fa- ther, Moses Austin, to Mis- souri, at that time in Span- ish territory. At the prop- er age he was sent to a school at New London, in his father's native state, Connecticut. He was prepared for college there and later entered Transylva- nia University, at the time the only institution for higher educa- tion in the United States west of the Alleghany Mountains. After finishing the course he returned home and was elected a member of the territorial legislature of Missouri, which terri- tory was then taking preparatory steps for becoming a State of the Union. The next year he removed to Arkansas Territory and was appointed to the office of Circuit Judge.
In 1821 his father having conceived the idea of colonizing a portion of Texas, Stephen F. Austin resigned his office to aid him in his work. He then visited New Orleans with a view to enlisting financial aid, and in arranging for the transpor- tation of supplies by water to the settlers near the coast, and had reached Nachitoches on his way to Texas when he re- ceived the news of his father's death. As the responsibility of carrying out the enterprise had already been placed upon him by his father, he proceeded from Nachitoches to Texas with fourteen companions under the escort of Seguin and Ver-
3
34
THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TEXAS
amendi, commissioners who had been appointed to receive and conduct him into Texas. Upon his arrival at San Antonio he was cordially received by Gov. Martinez and was authorized to examine different sections of the State for locating his colony.
After a short time he selected that portion of Texas ex- tending from the Lavaca River to the San Jacinto River and from the old San Antonio road to the coast, embracing in a general way the region now included within the counties of Austin, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Colorado, Fort Bend, Grimes, Harris, Jackson, Lavaca, Lee, Matagorda, Waller, Washington, and Wharton.
This region had many advantages, among them were its great fertility, ample rainfall for agriculture, two navigable streams centrally situated, ample fuel, and wood for building purposes and fine ranges for stock.
The general colonization law of Coahuila and Texas for- bade settlements within ten leagues of the coast and to make the titles of his colonists more certain, Austin contracted with the State of Coahuila and Texas, on the 20th of May, 1825, to introduce 500 families. It expressly authorized the settle- ment of additional families on the vacant land within the bounds of his original or Moses Austin concession, and not comprehended within the bounds of colonies established by other empresarios. The boundaries of this, usually called his second contract were :
"Beginning on the West bank of the San Jacinto River at ten border leagues from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico; thence following its course with the right bank of said river to its source; thence on a straight line north to the road leading from Bexar to Nacogdoches; thence with said road westward to a point due north to a point from the headwaters of Labaca Creek; thence on a line due south toward the source of said creek; thence down said creek to the eastern bank of the same, to the boundary line of the ten littoral leagues of the Gulf of Mexico; thence eastward leaving clear the ten littoral leagues parallel with the coast to the place of beginning."
This embraced practically all the land in the original or Moses Austin concession except the space within ten leagues
35
AS TOLD IN COUNTY NAMES
of the coast; in a general way that land is now embraced with- in the Counties of Harris, Montgomery, Walker, San Jacinto, Madison, Brazos, Grimes, Waller, Austin, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Matagorda, Jackson, Colorado, Washington, and Burleson, and parts of Lavaca and Fayette.
Austin's third contract was dated November 20, 1827 and was to introduce one hundred families within the following limits :
"Beginning on the eastern bank of the River Colorado at the place where the said river is crossed by the road leading from Bexar to Nacogdoches; thence with said eastern bank of said river upwards the distance of fifteen leagues; thence eastward on a line parallel with said road to the dividing ridge of the waters of the Colorado and Brazos which is the boundary line between this colony and the colony of the Nash- ville Company; thence with the line of the demarcation of that colony downwards to the road leading from Bexar to Nacog- doches; and thence with this road to the place of beginning."
This embraced the northwestern half of what is now Bas- trop County and the portion of Travis, east of the Colorado River and perhaps a small portion of what is now Lee County.
The term "leagues" is somewhat indefinite. In land meas- ure a league was 2.62+ miles square ; in ordinary linear measure three miles. In either case the site of the present capital of Texas was within the bounds of this colonial grant.
Under the colonization law as it then existed the space within ten leagues of the coast might be colonized by the con- sent of the President of Mexico.
To do away with all uncertainty of his right to colonize this under the original or Moses Austin concession, he made an- other contract June 8, 1826, consented to by the President of Mexico on the 2nd of July, 1828, and signed respectively on the 12th and 20th of July, 1828. The boundaries of this, al- though contemplated that it should embrace the area within ten leagues of the coast, was specifically defined as follows :
"Beginning on the left bank of Labaca Creek at the point where it flows into the sea; thence following along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico to the point where the San Jacinto
36
THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TEXAS
Creek flows into Galveston Bay; thence up the left bank of said River San Jacinto the distance of ten leagues; thence to the west on a line parallel to the coast to a point on Labaca Creek ten leagues distant from the coast; thence with the left bank of said Labaca the precise distance or ten leagues to the place of beginning." The site of the present city of Houston is well within this area.
On the 25th of February, 1831, Austin and Williams obtain- ed another contract to introduce 800 families within the fol- lowing limits :
Beginning on the left bank of Labaca Creek at a distance of ten leagues from the coast; thence with said creek upwards to its westernmost source; thence on a straight line northeast to strike the road leading from Bexar to Nacogdoches known as the upper road; thence with this road northeast to the River Colorado; thence up said river on the right bank to the mouth of Salt or Red Fork ("Brazos, Salado, and Colorado") where it enters the same about fifteen leagues above the mouth of Pecan or De las Nueces River; thence from the aforesaid Salt Fork on a straight line northeast to the height or divid- ing ridge of the waters of the Brazos and Trinity Rivers and with said ridge south entirely to the principal or main head- waters of the River San Jacinto; down this river to the line of the ten coast leagues and with said line westwardly to the place of beginning."
It was intended as shown by these boundaries that the con- tract should embrace all of Austin's Colonies except the area within the ten leagues from the coast and all of the Nashville or Robertson Colony, but as nothing was ever done toward the fulfilment of the contract and as the Nashville Company contract later designated as Robertson's, was adjudged to be Robertson's, a further consideration of it is immaterial. (See "Robertson.")
Prior to the adoption of a constitution and the establish- ment of a regular government for the State of Coahuila-Tex- as, Austin was entrusted with discretionary power in the man- agement of his colony. He exercised that power with moder- ation and tact but with firmness and wisdom.
37
AS TOLD IN COUNTY NAMES
After the organization of the state government he was elect- ed a member of the legislature from Texas and served 1831- 1832. He was not in Texas therefore when the troubles arose between some of the settlers at Anahuac and the Mexican gar- rison stationed there-troubles that resulted in the battle of Velasco. He hastened back to Texas and the difficulties were soon adjusted, Bustamente having in the meantime been over- thrown and superseded by Santa Anna who represented the liberal sentiment of Mexico.
Among other high handed measures adopted during the Bus- tamente regime was a law passed by the Federal Congress at the City of Mexico prohibiting the further introduction of American settlers into Texas. Realizing what a death blow this would be to the prospects of Texas, a convention of the people was called to meet at San Felipe to take steps to have it repealed, and to further other policies necessary to meet the demands of a growing population. The convention met, and Austin presided over it. It resulted in nothing practical in the way of accomplishing the purposes for which it was called and in 1833 another was called to meet in the same place. This convention memorialized the government of which Santa Anna was now the head, among other things, to sever Texas from Coahuila and make it a separate state; to repeal the de- cree forbidding further introduction of settlers from the Unit- ed States into Texas, and other matters, and Austin and two others were commissioned to go to the City of Mexico and pre- sent the memorial to Santa Anna. Austin alone went, but, accomplished nothing beyond securing a repeal of that law; this he accomplished with the aid of Lorenzo de Zavala and other friends in that city. At that time there was an epidemic of cholera in that city as well as in Texas. (See Brown and Leon.) In October of that year Austin, although he had not succeeded in getting Santa Anna's consent to erect Texas into a separate state, wrote to a friend in San Antonio advising the people to establish Texas as a separate state and on the 10th of December he left for Texas.
His letter to San Antonio having become known in Mex- ico, he was, while on his way home, arrested at Monterey and
38
THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TEXAS
carried back to the City of Mexico, and on the 15th of Febru- ary, 1834, was incarcerated in a dungeon.
On the 12th of June he was removed to another more com- fortable prison. In the meantime he demanded a trial.
His case was submitted to some official who turned it over to the Federal Judge, and he sent it to the Supreme Court, which disclaimed jurisdiction. Finally in July, 1835, without a trial, he was released from prison and arrived in Texas Sep- tember 1st, 1835.
Santa Anna's high-handed usurpations by this time had so aroused the people of Texas that they were organizing in all parts of the State for defense. A general consultation was called to be held at San Felipe in October, 1835. Austin was elected a member of this body, but was called to Gonzales on the 11th of October and unanimously chosen commander of the Texas forces then organized to resist Santa Anna.
The revolution being now well under way the Consultation appointed Austin, William H. Wharton, and Branch T. Archer, Commissioners to visit the United States to solicit aid for the Texans in their struggle and on the 24th of November Austin resigned his commission in the army and left on his mission.
He remained in the United States doing efficient work un- til early in the summer of 1836 when he returned to Texas. He permitted his name to be used as a candidate for the Pres- idency of the Republic, but was defeated by General Houston.
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