'The History of Brenham and Washington County

' TH E H I STO RY O F BR EN HAM AND WASHI NGTON COUNTY BY M R P R . E . EN I T S . N NG O N B R E N HAM TE "A S , STA N D A R D P RI N TI N G 8: LI TH O G R A P H I N G C O M P A N Y H O US TO N TE "A S I wish t o th a n k Vin h r E . WI /e o At in f , a n d No t l o B r n h a rn o r t WD . ey f e f h e va l u a ble a ss is ta n ce g ive n me in th e prepa ra tio n of th i: b o o k V " iv , " v $0 w " M ' wfi 4 A t \ ' 19 W M 4 M R S . P N R . E . E NIN G TO N T H E HISTO RY O F BRENH AM AND WAS HINGTO N COUNTY H T HI T RY F S OR S O O TE"AS . Vivid in coloring and wonderful in action are the moving p ictures which H istory throws upon the screen of Time . ’ Th e first films in the long reel unroll with creation s dawn . The soft pastel shades appearing after " the Spirit moved upon the waters and said , Let there be light . These are followed by films depicting the lovely rose pinks and delicate blues of the golden sk y that arched the Garden of Eden , where Adam and Eve wandered in perfect peace and happi ness in the beautiful green valley through which flowed the sparkl ing waters of the E uphrates . And then comes war , grim visaged war , with its crimson carnage , and dull blues and browns of sorrow . Beginning with the killing of Abel by Cain , and ending with th e present E u ropean struggle for supremacy , the dramatic action is based upon war . All through the fascinating reel some nation is warring with some other nation , for the pu rpose of changing conditions for the betterment and advancement of mankind . In the filmed pictu res , since Adam and E ve were driven from E den , there is no record of universal peace . B ut ever through History ’ s scenario shines the Master’ s holy white l ight , leading each human being to the peace which pass ” eth all understanding . ’ Time s motion pictures of Texas , Washington County , and i B renham , are very likely , of greater interest to B ren h am t e s - than any other historical photo play in the world . The long reel opens with T E"AS . Texas dates its individual history with the signing of the Declaration of Independence at ol d Washing ton on the Brazos , March 2 , 1 836 . Prior to that period the changes through which it passed were marvelous . Indians , French men , Spaniards , Mexicans , Texans , Americans , Confederates and Americans , each in turn have controlled for a time its destinies . Robert Cavalier , Sieur de la Salle , conducted the first Europeans to Texas . He commanded the squadron of four 9 vessels and 3 00 men wh o landed near the entrance t o Mata 1 6 gorda Bay February 8, 1 85 . Later the colonists bu ilt on the Lavaca River a fort which they called Saint Lou is . La t o fo r Salle went search the M ississippi River , and was killed 1 68 in 7 by his own men . The Indians attacked Fort Saint Lou is and killed and scattered the colonists , thus ending French rule in Texas . Little was done after this t o settle Texas until 1 7 1 5 . Per manent occupation by Spain may date from this year . La 1 7 1 6 i ' Bahia was settled in , Nacogdoches n 1 732 , and Vic toria soon after . M issions were built ; and each mission had a presid io , for church and fortress , cowl and carbine were ever together for mutual protection . Spain held Texas fo r u pwards o f 1 5 0 years . o f Following the revolt Mexico from the rule o f Spain , the first grant from the Mexican government to found an American colony in Texas was dated January 1 7 , 1 82 1 . It was given to Moses Austin , a native of Connecticut , and o f father Stephen F . Au stin . The father , Moses Austin , dying suddenly, the so n undertook the work o f carrying o u t ’ ’ his father s plans . Au stin s first colonists arrived on the Brazos River late in December , 1 82 1 . On the first o f Jan 82 2 uary , 1 , Austin named the creek upon which he and his ’ party had camped New Year s Creek . The country watered by the Guadalupe , Colorado and Brazos rivers was explored , and the town o f San Felipe de Austin was laid out o n the Brazos in 1 82 3 . In the spring the emigrants real ized that they had found a most beautiful country . There was plenty o f fish and game , and great herds o f deer and buffalo grazed peacefully upon the prair ies . The thickly wooded forests , where wild birds warbled , were equally divided with the boundless prairies where innumerable wild flowers bloomed in profusion . Even at this early period the myriads of blue bonnets that carpeted the broad prairies and faded into the cerulean distance , wonder and admiration ; and ‘ excited ’ they were known as the colonists loveliest flowers . The fi rst settlements were made over an area o f ground from the Lavaca River to the San Jacinto River , and ex tend ing from the Old San Antonio road t o the Gulf o f Mexico . ' This scope o f country embraced what is n o w known as Austin , B razoria , Brazos , Bu rleson , Colorado , Fort B end , Grimes , Harris , Jackson , Lavaca , Lee , Mfiatagorda , Waller , Washington , and Wharton Counties . The rst Mexican civil government was organized by Do n Juan Antonio Sancedo , Pol itica l Chief o f the Province o f Texas . He assumed co m mand Of the colony , May 2 0, 1 82 4, and his proclamation is brief and sensible . Sancedo appointed Stephen F . Au stin Political Chief and Judge , until the Ayuntamiento should be 1 0 ‘ ‘ organized . Baron de Bastrop was the first surveyor , and ‘ Horatio C'hriesman was employed and made most of the original surveys in Washing ton County . The first settlers ' n ot i n this section did establish a town , b u t opened up farms . P . Judge John Coles , Col . Jared E . Groce , D r . Colbert Baker and Andrew Robinson came to th e west side of the 2 1 - 1 2 2 1 8 . Brazos in the winter of 8 Sam , Will iam and Amos Gates , James Whitesides , M . Bi rd , James Lynch , Abner 1 2 2 - 1 2 Kuykendall and Josiah H . Bell arrived in 8 8 3 . The first child born in this settlement was Mariah Coles , the h n win daughter of Judge and M rs . JO P . Coles , born in the ter of 1 82 2 . The Mexican government passed colonization laws and held out inducements to the citizens of the United States . Immigration began to flow in and spread itself over the provinces of Texas and Coahu ila , as by decree May they had been provisionally united to form one of the con st it u e n t and sovereign states of the Mexican Confederacy . Forests were felled , wild prairies were broken , and farms established . In nine years the Americans had explored the whole southern portion of the provinces and redeemed it - from wild beasts and Indians . Colonists came faster than provision could be made for their support ; and the first sett lers were often reduced to the necessity of subsisting w . entirely on ild game , and clothing themselves with skins Buckskin was the common dress . Blessed indeed was the woman who had brought a supply of wearing apparel from the States , for even calico was hard to obtain and found a - r ‘ ready sale at seventy five cents pe yard . These pioneers suffered greatly from Indian depredations . On April 6 , 1 83 6, an arbitrary law was passed prohibiting further immigration of American settlers into Coahuila and au th o ri Texas . M ilitary posts were established and the civil ties were trampled under foot . The Texans held a gen eral consultation in 1 835 at San Felipe de Austin . Harry Smith was elected governor , and James W . Robinso n lieutenant h m governor of t e provisional government . S a Houston was made commander in chief of the Texas army. Bran ch T. Archer , William A . Wharton and Stephen F . Austin were appointed to seek aid from th e United States . The appeal to arms in behalf of the constitution of 1 82 4 rallied the r whole people of Texas like o n e man , to the p otection of an d their rig hts liberties . 2 6 h At Washing ton on the B razos , M arch , 1 83 , t e famous Declaration of Texas ‘Independence was signed by the fifty eight delegates . ’ " ~ a t xi - Santa Ann , President of Me co , and the self styled ' ” ‘ o t h e West o n th e Am e ri Nap leon of , resolved driving out 1 1 o r cans i n Texas , crushing their spirit o f independence , at o f 8000 the head men , marched into the city o f San Antonio .

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