DOCSLIB.ORG

Founding of Harris County

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Founding of Harris County Proposed Harris County Marker with County Seal at Top FOUNDING OF HARRIS COUNTY In December 1835, near the beginning of the Texas Revolution, the new Provisional Government of Texas defined the boundary of the Municipality of Harrisburg, similar to the extent of Harris County today.1 Its largest town and seat of government was then Harrisburg, founded by John Richardson Harris in 1826.2 The municipalities became counties in the 1836 Texas Constitution.3 Texas won its independence from Mexico after the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. The First Texas Congress established the structure of county government4 and designated the county seat at the new town of Houston in December 1836.5 Local residents David G. Burnet and Lorenzo de Zavala served as the first President and Vice President of the Republic of Texas until October 1836.6 While Houston was the capital of Texas from 1837 to 1839, City Council designated Houston as a port of call and Buffalo Bayou as a National Highway of the Republic.7 Much like today’s Commissioners Court, the 1837 Harrisburg County Board of Commissioners was entrusted with control and supervision of roads, ferries, and bridges, in addition to providing for support of indigent, blind, and lame citizens.8 The first chief justice (county executive), Andrew Briscoe, organized an initial board meeting in March 1837 with DeWitt Clinton Harris serving as county clerk.9 The first sheriff, John W. Moore, also handled tax collection along with his usual duties.10 Harrisburg County became Harris County by action of the Third Congress in December 1839.11 Today, the county is administered by a County Judge and four Precinct Commissioners, elected by the public. Home to over four million people, Harris County is Texas’ most populous county, boasting a thriving port, world renowned medical center, NASA, and headquarters for oil, chemical, and export/import companies. HARRIS COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION – 2012 1 Ordinances and Decrees, Passed at San Felipe de Austin, Dec. 30, 1835, by General Council. “An Ordinance and Decree defining the boundary of the Municipality of Harrisburg,” and further ordaining “that the Town of Harrisburg ... is hereby made the place for transacting the judicial and municipal business of said Municipality.” The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 1, p. 1022, http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5872/m1/1030/ 2 Andrew Forest Muir, "HARRISBURG, TX (HARRIS COUNTY)," Handbook of Texas Online, published by the Texas State Historical Association http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hvh27 (accessed 19 Jan 2012).. 3 Constitution of the Republic of Texas, Article IV, Sections 10-12, dated March 17, 1836. “Sec. 10. There shall be in each county a county court, and such justices' courts as the congress may, from time to time, establish.” “Sec. 11. The Republic shall be divided into convenient counties, but no new county shall be established, unless it be done on the petition of one hundred free male inhabitants of the territory sought to be laid off and established; and unless the said territory shall contain nine hundred square miles.” “Sec. 12. There shall be appointed for each county, a convenient number of justices of the peace, one sheriff, one coroner, and a sufficient number of constables, who shall hold their offices for two years, to be elected by the qualified voters of the district or county, as congress may direct. Justices of the peace and sheriffs shall be commissioned by the president.” The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 1, p. 1074, http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5872/m1/1082/. 4 Laws of the Republic of Texas, Approved Dec. 20, 1836. “An Act Organizing Justices' Courts, ... and also creating and defining the office and powers of commissioners of roads and revenue.” The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 1, p. 1205, http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5872/m1/1213/ 5 Laws of the Republic of Texas, Approved Dec. 22, 1836. “An Act ... Be it enacted, by ... congress assembled, That the seat of justice for the County of Harrisburg, be, and the same is hereby established at the town of Houston. And be it further enacted that the Island of Galveston shall for the future be included within the limits of the County of Harrisburg, and be, and compose a part of said county. The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 1, p. 1284, http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5872/m1/1292/ 6 Presidents and Vice Presidents of the Republic of Texas, 1836-1846, https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ref/abouttx/prestx.html (accessed 19 Jan 2012). Also, 3rd Texian Consultation, San Felipe de Austin, 1 November 1835, http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/consultations4.htm (accessed 19 Jan 2012). 7 Janet Wagner’s citation of the Water Law of 1840. 8 Laws of the Republic of Texas, Approved Dec. 20, 1836. “An Act Organizing Justices' Courts, ... and also creating and defining the office and powers of commissioners of roads and revenue.” “Sec. 25. County commissioners, the justices of the peace, and the chief justice of the county court, shall constitute a board of commissioners for their respective counties; which board shall have the entire superintendence and control of roads, highways, ferries, and bridges, and of the poor within said counties.” “Sec. 29. It shall be the duty of said board of commissioners to provide, at the expense of the county, for the support of indigent, lame, and blind persons, who are unable to support themselves.” The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 1, p. 1205, http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5872/m1/1213/ 9 Adele B. Looscan, “Harris County, 1822-1845, part III” The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, April 1915, Volume 18, pp. 400- 403 http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101064/m1/405/ 10 Ibid. 11 Laws of the Republic of Texas, Approved December 28, 1839 “Joint Resolution Altering the name of the County of Harrisburg to the county of Harris.” The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 2, p. 396, http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth6726/m1/400/ .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • TSHA William B Travis.Pdf
    Copyright © 2015 by Texas State Historical Association All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions,” at the address below. Texas State Historical Association 3001 Lake Austin Blvd. Suite 3.116 Austin, TX 78703 www.tshaonline.org IMAGE USE DISCLAIMER All copyrighted materials included within the Handbook of Texas Online are in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 related to Copyright and “Fair Use” for Non-Profit educational institutions, which permits the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA), to utilize copyrighted materials to further scholarship, education, and inform the public. The TSHA makes every effort to conform to the principles of fair use and to comply with copyright law. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 – William Barret Travis Chapter 2 – Joe Chapter 3 – Anahuac Disturbances Chapter 4 – Angelina Elizabeth Dickinson Chapter 5 – Travis Guards and Rifes Chapter 6 – Camp Travis Chapter 7 – Travis: A Potential Sam Houston 1 William Barret Travis William Barret Travis, Texas commander at the ba#le of the Alamo, was the eldest of eleven children of Mark and Jemima (Stallworth) Travis.
    [Show full text]
  • LOTS of LAND PD Books PD Commons
    PD Commons From the collection of the n ^z m PrelingerTi I a JjibraryJj San Francisco, California 2006 PD Books PD Commons LOTS OF LAND PD Books PD Commons Lotg or ^ 4 I / . FROM MATERIAL COMPILED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE COMMISSIONER OF THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE OF TEXAS BASCOM GILES WRITTEN BY CURTIS BISHOP DECORATIONS BY WARREN HUNTER The Steck Company Austin Copyright 1949 by THE STECK COMPANY, AUSTIN, TEXAS All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine or newspaper. PRINTED AND BOUND IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PD Books PD Commons Contents \ I THE EXPLORER 1 II THE EMPRESARIO 23 Ml THE SETTLER 111 IV THE FOREIGNER 151 V THE COWBOY 201 VI THE SPECULATOR 245 . VII THE OILMAN 277 . BASCOM GILES PD Books PD Commons Pref<ace I'VE THOUGHT about this book a long time. The subject is one naturally very dear to me, for I have spent all of my adult life in the study of land history, in the interpretation of land laws, and in the direction of the state's land business. It has been a happy and interesting existence. Seldom a day has passed in these thirty years in which I have not experienced a new thrill as the files of the General Land Office revealed still another appealing incident out of the history of the Texas Public Domain.
    [Show full text]
  • Mary Jones: Last First Lady of the Republic of Texas
    MARY JONES: LAST FIRST LADY OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS Birney Mark Fish, B.A., M.Div. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS December 2011 APPROVED: Elizabeth Hayes Turner, Major Professor Richard B. McCaslin, Committee Member and Chair of the Department of History D. Harland Hagler, Committee Member Denis Paz, Committee Member Sandra L. Spencer, Committee Member and Director of the Women’s Studies Program James D. Meernik, Acting Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Fish, Birney Mark. Mary Jones: Last First Lady of the Republic of Texas. Doctor of Philosophy (History), December 2011, 275 pp., 3 tables, 2 illustrations, bibliography, 327 titles. This dissertation uses archival and interpretive methods to examine the life and contributions of Mary Smith McCrory Jones in Texas. Specifically, this project investigates the ways in which Mary Jones emerged into the public sphere, utilized myth and memory, and managed her life as a widow. Each of these larger areas is examined in relation to historiographicaly accepted patterns and in the larger context of women in Texas, the South, and the nation during this period. Mary Jones, 1819-1907, experienced many of the key early periods in Anglo Texas history. The research traces her family’s immigration to Austin’s Colony and their early years under Mexican sovereignty. The Texas Revolution resulted in her move to Houston and her first brief marriage. Following the death of her husband she met and married Anson Jones, a physician who served in public posts throughout the period of the Texas Republic. Over time Anson was politically and personally rejected to the point that he committed suicide.
    [Show full text]
  • The War and Peace Parties of Pre-Revolutionary Texas, 1835-1836
    East Texas Historical Journal Volume 29 Issue 1 Article 6 3-1991 The War and Peace Parties of Pre-Revolutionary Texas, 1835-1836 Jodella D. Kite Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/ethj Part of the United States History Commons Tell us how this article helped you. Recommended Citation Kite, Jodella D. (1991) "The War and Peace Parties of Pre-Revolutionary Texas, 1835-1836," East Texas Historical Journal: Vol. 29 : Iss. 1 , Article 6. Available at: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/ethj/vol29/iss1/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the History at SFA ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in East Texas Historical Journal by an authorized editor of SFA ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EAST TEXAS HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION II THE WAR AND PEACE PARTIES OF PRE-REVOLUTIONARY TEXAS, 1832-1835 by lodella D. Kite Although many people are conversant with the Texas Revolution and events leading to it, relatively little research has been published until recently on the War and Peace parties of 1832-1835. These two factions within the Anglo-American population of Texas helped to sway public opinion both for and against armed conflict in the crucial days leading to the revolution. The War and Peace parties cannot be defined easily because they were not established political parties. They were labels faT persons of opposing political dispositions. Both factions surfaced during the disturbances of 1832. Members of the War Party either participated in the disturbances or condoned them. The Peace Party, probably repre­ senting more Texans throughout the period, loudly criticized the agita­ tion.
    [Show full text]
  • Heritage Tourism Guidebook
    TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION HERITAGE TOURISM G ook uideb Tbl f n INTRODUCTIONa e o ...................................................................................................................Co tents ..........................1 WHAT IS TOURISM?........................................................................................................................................2 WHAT IS HERITAGE TOURISM?...................................................................................................................3 GROWTH OF THE HERITAGE TOURISM INDUSTRY .............................................................................6 THE HERITAGE TOURISM TRAVELER........................................................................................................7 HERITAGE TOURISM PLANNING ................................................................................................................8 STEP ONE: ASSESS THE POTENTIAL ..................................................................................................9 STEP TWO: PLAN AND ORGANIZE...................................................................................................14 STEP THREE: PREPARE, PROTECT AND MANAGE........................................................................28 STEP FOUR: MARKET FOR SUCCESS................................................................................................36 CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................................................43
    [Show full text]
  • Notes and Documents the Texas Frontier in 1850: Dr. Ebenezer Swift
    Notes and Documents The Texas Frontier in 1850: Dr. Ebenezer Swift and the View From Fort Martin Scott by: CALEB COKER AND JANET G. HUMPHREY The Texas Frontier in 1850 was guarded by a line of army forts ranging from Fort Worth to Fort Duncan near Eagle Pass. With the end of the Mexican War, settlers had begun pushing toward the Texas interior, and troops became available to furnish new towns some measure of protection from raiding bands of Indians. 1 Fort Martin bScott, established between the towns of Fredericksburg and Zodiac in December 1848, was one such military post. The letter reproduced here, from the fort's physician, provides a marvelous glimpse of frontier Texas in 1850. It includes candid descriptions of a farm in Austin, life at the fort, and relationships with the local Indians. Native Americans living in the vicinity of Fort Martin Scott belonged to a number of tribes. The least predictable and most feared, however, were the Comanches. White settlements disrupted their wide-ranging lifestyle and threatened the abundant supply of game. In the mid-1840s their primary tactic was to attack settlers in small raiding parties and then vanish, often taking with them horses and other livestock. These hit-and-run assaults terrorized those on the frontier for decades.2 The Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas had purchased 10,000 acres of forested land just north of the Pedernales River on Barron's Creek in December 1845. By the following May, settlers began arriving from New Braunfels at the town site named Fredericksburg.
    [Show full text]
  • Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER of ARTS
    /3 9 THE TEXAS REVOLUTION AS AN INTERNAL CONSPIRACY THESIS Presented to the Graduate Council of the North Texas State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS By Patsy Joyce Waller,. B. A. Denton, Texas June, 1965 PREFACE In the past many causes for the Texas Revolution of 1835 1836 have been suggested. Various politicians, such as John Quincy Adams, and such abolitionists as Benjamin Lundy and William Ellery Channing have charged that the struggle for independence represented a deliberate conspiracy on the part of vested economic groups in the United States--a plot on the part of southern slaveholders and northern land specula- tors to take over Texas in order to extend the slaveholding territory of the United States. Those who opposed President Andrew Jackson maintained that the Texas revolt was planned by Jackson in co-operation with Sam Houston for the purpose of obtaining Texas for the United States in order to bring into the Union a covey of slave states that would fortify and perpetuate slavery. The detailed studies of Eugene C. Barker, George L. Rives, William C. Binkley, and other historians have disproved these theories. No documentary evidence exists to show that the settlement of Texas or the Texas Revolution constituted any kind of conspiracy on the part of the United States, neither the government nor its inhabitants. The idea of the Texas Revolution as an internal con- spiracy cannot be eliminated. This thesis describes the role of a small minorit: of the wealthier settlers in Texas in iii precipitating the Texas Revolution for their own economic reasons.
    [Show full text]
  • Pre-Visit Guide Grade 4
    Texas Historical Commission Pre-Visit Guide Grade 4 Pre-Visit Guide visitlandmarkinn.com Pre-Visit Guide Grade 4 Overview: Texas-born World Leader In preparation for a visit to Landmark Inn, students will learn about the arrival and colonization of European immigrants in Castroville by exploring the geographical advantages of developing homes and business at this site and illustrating the evolution of historic buildings on the property. Social Studies TEKS (2) History. The student understands the causes and effects of European exploration and colonization of Texas and North America. The student is expected to: E) identify the accomplishments and explain the economic motivations and impact of significant empresarios, including Stephen F. Austin and Martín de León, on the settlement of Texas. (6) Geography. The student uses geographic tools to collect, analyze, and interpret data. The student is expected to: (A) apply geographic tools, including grid systems, legends, symbols, scales, and compass roses, to construct and interpret maps. (8) Geography. The student understands the location and patterns of settlement and the geographic factors that influence where people live. The student is expected to: (A) identify and explain clusters and patterns of settlement in Texas at different time periods such as prior to the Texas Revolution, after the building of the railroads, and following World War II; (B) describe and explain the location and distribution of various towns and cities in Texas, past and present; and (C) explain the geographic factors such as landforms and climate that influence patterns of settlement and the distribution of population in Texas, past and present. (21) Social studies skills.
    [Show full text]
  • Austin's Mission to Mexico When Did It Happen?
    NAME ________________________________________ DATE _____________ CLASS ______ The Road to Revolution Lesson 3: Tensions Grow, 1833–1835 EESSENTIALSSENTIAL QQUESTIONUESTION What are the characteristics of a leader? Terms to Know epidemic a situation in which a disease spreads rapidly through a population temporary lasting a short time repeal to recall or do away with a law uniform in a consistent manner dictator a ruler with absolute power WWhenhen ddidid iitt hhappen?appen? 1833 1834 1835 1833: Stephen F. Austin 1834: Stephen F. 1835: Stephen F. 1835: Andrew takes the proposals of Austin is Austin is released Briscoe is arrested 1833 to Mexico City arrested and returns to Texas at Anahuac 1835: Leaders call for a meeting of Texans known as the Consultation Austin’s Mission to Mexico Guiding Question What leadership qualities did Stephen F. Austin Defining show in dealing with Mexico? 1. What is an epidemic? In April of 1833, Stephen F. Austin left the Convention of 1833 and began the long trip to Mexico City. As the convention’s representative, Austin played an important leadership role. Even colonists who did not like Austin admitted to his great influence with Mexican officials. When Austin reached Mexico City, Santa Anna was away. The new government of Mexico was not yet well organized. Also, a cholera epidemic raged in the city. Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use. classroom for reproduce to is granted Permission Education. © McGraw-Hill Copyright Reading Essentials and Study Guide 125 NAME ________________________________________ DATE _____________ CLASS ______ The Road to Revolution Lesson 3: Tensions Grow, 1833–1835, continued Thousands of people were dying as the disease spread through Marking the the population.
    [Show full text]
  • CITY of HOUSTON Archaeological & Historical Commission Planning and Development Department
    CITY OF HOUSTON Archaeological & Historical Commission Planning and Development Department LANDMARK DESIGNATION REPORT LANDMARK NAME: Benjamin Apartments AGENDA ITEM: II OWNER: Mid-Continent Houston Properties, Ltd HPO FILE NO: 02PL102 APPLICANT: Anna Mod, representing owner DATE ACCEPTED: Jun-08-2002 LOCATION: 1218 Webster Street – Midtown HAHC HEARING DATE: Jul-18-2002 PC HEARING DATE: Aug-08-2002 SITE INFORMATION Lots 4 and 5, Tract 11A, SSBB, City of Houston, Harris County, Texas. The building on the site is a 2- story, masonry brick commercial building. TYPE OF APPROVAL REQUESTED: Landmark Designation HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE The Benjamin was constructed in 1923-24 as an apartment building with four large units, two down and two up. It is one of the few apartment buildings that survive in the South End (Midtown) area where there were many at one time. Its uniqueness also is in its Renaissance Revival detailing. Furthermore, it is one of the few remaining apartment buildings designed in the area by Alfred C. Finn, one of Houston’s most prominent 20th-centruy architects. The building was designed for the original owner, Benjamin Cohen, who was not only a friend of Finn’s, but is also the namesake of the building (“The Benjamin”). Mr. Cohen himself lived in the building for approximately 20 years. The Benjamin is an integral part of an important chapter in the story of how housing needs developed in Houston. It offers a visual model of dynamic shifts in aesthetic preferences and architectural styles of early 20th century Houstonians. By the 1920s, South End (Midtown) was home to many of Houston’s first apartment buildings.
    [Show full text]
  • ABSTRACT “What's Good for Business Is Good for the City”: Interpreting Dallas
    ABSTRACT “What’s Good for Business is Good for the City”: Interpreting Dallas and the Railroad Connection Alyssa Taylor Steed, M.A. Chairperson: Kenneth C. Hafertepe, Ph.D. In recent years, historic house museums have experienced a decrease in visitorship. In order for these institutions to survive, measures need to be taKen to revamp their interpretive plans. The purpose of this project is to aid Dallas Heritage Village at Old City Park reinterpret the on-site railroad depot in accordance with their new interpretive plan “All Roads Lead to Dallas.” In this sense, “road” refers not only to literal transportation routes and railways, but also passages for new ideas and attitudes. In undertaKing this project, research will be conducted in order to gain historical evidence for changes to be made to buildings in accordance with the new theme. The second phase of this project is to aid in the preliminary planning of the exhibit including creating a conceptual preliminary design of the railroad depot. "What's Good for Business is Good for the City": Interpreting Dallas and the Railroad Connection by Alyssa Taylor Steed, B.A. A Project Approved by the Department of Museum Studies _________________________________________________________ Kenneth C. Hafertepe, Ph.D, Chairperson Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Baylor University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Approved by the Project Committee _______________________________________________ Kenneth C. Hafertepe, Ph.D, Chairperson __________________________________________________
    [Show full text]
  • Teachers Unit
    Te x a s Archeology in the Classroom A Unit for Teachers Compiled by Helen Simons, Brett Cruse, and Kitty Henderson A Texas Archeology Awareness Month Publication Archeology Division Texas Historical Commission Austin 1998 Note on Rights and Permissions This unit for teachers is composed of a series of "booklets" and activities, most of which are adapted from other, copyrighted sources and used here with the permission of the publishers. For information on rights and permissions, see the reverse of the title page of each booklet section and the permissions note and by-lines on the individual classroom activities. Credits for illustrations appear in a list following the Acknowledgments section. Passages or entire sections from this Texas Historical Commission publication may be reproduced without permission for classroom use only. Permission to use, reproduce, or reprint this material other than for nonprofit use in the class- room must be obtained in advance from the Series Editor, Texas Historical Commission, P.O. Box l2276,Austin,TX 78711-2276. Publication of this new edition of Texas Archeology in the Classroom was made possible in part by a grant from the Texas Council for the Humanities, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities, for the TAAM Teachers' Workshops and Outreach-Materials Development Project, jointly sponsored by the Council and the Office of the State Archeologist, Texas Historical Commission Archeology Division Texas Archeology Awareness Month Publications Brett Cruse, Program Coordinator Patricia
    [Show full text]