A History of Montgomery County, Texas
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TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION ................................. 1 Thestudy ..................................... 1 Purpose of the study ........... 11 Importance of the study ...................... 1 Other studies ............................... 2 Source of data and method of procedure.......... 2 Sources .................................... 2 Method . ..................0............ 3 Organization of remainder of the thesis.......... < 4 II. GEOGRAPHIC NOMENCLATURE AND EARLY INHABITANTS............................... 6 Czecphysi cal and geographical structure........... 6 Geophysical ................................. 6 Jeographical ................................ 7 Indians ........................................ 9 Grcoquisac ................................. .1 0 Bidaiand Kickapoo ........................... 12 Cenis ....................................... 13 Explorers and missionaries ...................... 13 Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle ............. 13 Alons:D de Leon............ .................. 15 Don Martin de Alarcon ....................... Pedrode Rivera ............................. Joaquin Orobic y BaZteMI. ..................... Missions...................................... III. EMPR :SSARIOS AND SE 's LI"M NAT'............... Emnresarics ................................... Nloses Austin ................................. Ste phen F. Austir............................ Hayden Edwards .............................. Joseph Vepicirt ............................... Settlement ................................... Settlers...................................... IV, CRGANIZA I T'_r' ...ND EARLY POLIT CAL DEV . LC : i::.; • T ............................ Organizat- on ................................... Creatior .................................... Naming..................................... Political development......................... County seat.............................. Courthouses .............. .................. Division of the county......................... V. CITIES, TOWNS, AND COMMUNITIES.............. Montgomery.. .................................. 'ii Danville . ..... .....................4......... 9 Willis.......................................... 882 Conroe ......................................... 88 Security......................................... :G? Cu-('.- 'n Shoct .................................... f. O 5 New Caney .................................... :. 89 F)stcria ...................................... 0? Splend,ra ...................................... Magnolia....................................... .0 VI, IMPCRTANT EVENTS, ISSUES, AND PEOFL. ....... — ; Consultati2n co _V nr on ......................... Declaration on .......................... .. : Battle of San Ja i-a;o ............................ ' 13 Selection of cap_cci S ito ......................... 115 Wollinvasion..... ............................. 118 Annexation convention ........................... '24 Montgomery versus Willis ..................... Biographical sketches....................... VII. CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION............... Civil War ...................................... 144 Plantation and slaves ........................ 144 Secession ................................... 149 A rmy and county militia ...................... 153 iv Reconstruction ..........^............»....,.... 167 Emancipation ..................... ......... 167 At rocities .................................. 171 'IrIII. INSTITUTIONS AND INDUSTRZ1 ................ 178 Ith.stit^.ttions .... ......................... 178 Churches ................................... 178 Baptist.. ......... ................ z -sue Methodist............................... Schools .................................... 182 Mont g omery ............................. 182 Montgo•rn: r y Academy.................. ones demy ....................... 114 Public............................... 185 onroe .................................. 187 Newspspers ................................ 191 Q Industries ..................................... i92 Early ....................................... `02 Lumbering ............................... Fanning ................................... .97 Ranching ................................... 199 Gil ......................................... 199 Ix. SUMMARY AND CCNC LUSICNS .................... 203 v Sumrnary..................................... 203 Conclusions ................................... 208 BIBLICGRA PHY ........................................ 209 APPENDIX............................................. 215 DMERY COUNTY LIBRARY CONROE, TEXAS CHAPTERI INTRODUCTICN I THE STUDY Purpose of the study . The primary purpose of this study is (1) to give historical and unbiased facts concerning the county of Montgomery, Texas; (2) to present the events of historical signifi-- cance as nearly as possible as they actually occurred; (3) to aid the people of Montgomery County, Texas, who are interested in the history of their county; and (4) to help preserve the historical data of the county Importance of the study . The study of history should begin at home. People of the United States today do not understand each other as they should, primarily because they are continually on the move and most of them know little or nothing about the locale in which they live. Actually, if they would stop long enough to acquaint themselves with their local history, it would help them to get along with their neighbors. Since no continuous history has been compiled chronologically of the important events of Montgomery County, this study should be of importance to those who are interest ,--3 =.:) o')taining a general survey of the progress of the ecunty through the years. Another ph?se r importance. hi `^rically speaking. is that 2 this study should be of importance to those who are interested in Texas history. Other studies. To the author's knowledge no other study has been written concerning the entire history of Montgomery County, Texas. A number of brief papers have been done about the early phase of the county's history and one research thesis was written about the history of the town of Montgomery by W. N. Martin. 1 II SOURCES OF DATA AND METHOD OF PROCEDURE Source of data . Material for this study was obtained, whenever possible, from the original sources. Extensive research was made in the original papers, letters, documents, petitions, et cetera, at the Texas State Archives, University of Texas Archives, Archives of the Houston Public Library, original documents and records of the Montgomery County courthouse, and the personal archive collection of Hart Addison, Conroe, Texas. Much of the original material of the early history of the county was written in Spanish and has been trans- lated; this was used in preference to the original, due to the time re- quired for translation. Not only were the original documents used extensively, but also secondary source material from books, news- W , N. Martin, "A History of Montgomery, " (unpublished Master's thesis, Sam Houston State Teachers College, Huntsville, T,exn , 1950.). 3 papers, and magazines. Much of the data concerning the towns and communities was obtained verbally through interviews with old time residents of the various places. Not much of the data of the area was found at any one place, except in the collection of Hart Addison of Conroe, and considerable time was spent cross-checking on small leads that usually led tc. non-usable material. It is the opinion of the author that much rncre material than was collected about Montgomery County remains un- covered, and will some day, no doubt, be brought to light by someone interested in the lore of the region. Method of procedure . The method of procedure used in this study was as objective as possible. There was some controversy on how several of the communities acquired their names; therefore, enough data was collected on each community so that a hypothesis could be formed. One community in particular had two sides as to how the community hack acquired its name; hence, several people from each faction were interviewed; an interpretation was reached and a hypothesis formed. A similar method was used in compiling the data of this thesis whenever contradictory evidence existed. Ikhere primary source material in its original form and secondary source material known to be authentic were used, there was no need to check its validity. 4 The treatment of the conclusion was presented on as unbiased basis as was possible by the author. III ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS An organization of the history of a county whose background has been as varied as Montgomery's is quite a challenge in itself, The chapters are arranged as nearly as possible according to the chronologi- cal data with chapter one concerning the introduction and chaptor ,-,vo portraying the geographic nomenclature and the early inhabitants of +`^.^ county. These two phases stress the location, description, land structure, Indians, missions, and early explorers of the county; the reign of Mexico with the establishment of settlements under the empresarios will comprise chapter three. Montgomery County was organized soon after Texas declared her independence from Mexico. Chapter four will contain the county's organization, naming, and early political development, which make this era of the county's history one of its most interesting. The cities, communities, important events, and outstanding people fall into the next catagory with a brief description of the county's institutions,