Freestone County, Texas
History


NEWS OF 1850


"The Standard" newspaper - January 26, 1850 - Page 4

[NOTE - Modern spelling of the location is Tehuacana Hills.  The hills are 
located west of Westminister College in Tehuacana in the edge of Limestone 
county.
  Pine Bluff is a ghost town that was located in the southeast corner of
Freestone county and was located near the Trinity River.]

The Seat Of Government 
To The People Of Texas

[Incomplete]
  The election prescribed by the State Constitution, for a seat of Government 
for the next TWENTY YEARS, being about to come on, the undersigned, proprietor
of the locality generally known as Tawakanah hills, begs leave to propose his
place for the consideration of the People of the State, and set before them
its natural advantages, and the inducements, which he offers for their 
selection of it, for the Seat of the State Government.
  There are several hills known as the Tawakanah hills, but there is one, at the
base of which the subscriber now lives, which by general consent has for a 
long period been recognized as a desirable locality for a Town, both on account
of its extent of unbroken surfaces, the springs upon and around it, the rock 
with which it abounds, and its convenience to timber.  The hill itself contains
an area of some four hundred acres, all of which, except for a reservation of
twenty blocks to cover sales and settlements heretofore made, and expenses of
publication, your petitioner tenders to the use and benefit of the State, to
be laid off in Town lots and sold.  To this, continuing the line of donation 
across the whole line of his survey, he adds enough more of land to make the
quantity of twelve hundred acres, the residue of which, after defining the 
town lots, being laid off in outlets of from five to twenty acres, and being
good farming land, the whole will, it is believed, produce a sum, by its public
sale, more than sufficient to cover all expenses of removing the Government
archives and fixtures, and the erection of better public buildings than are
now at Austin.
  Rock, the gray limestone, lies in abundance, upon and below the surface
of the hills, and in addition to its usefulness for building material, makes 
most excellent Lime.
  Cedar, measuring forty and fifty feet to the body in length, and two feet or
more through, may be found in large qualities, within two and one-half miles
of the place, and at a distance of six miles, upon the Navasoto, there is 
enough to build cities.  Thirty miles distant is excellent Pine. Post Oak, Elm,
Ash, Walnut, Cottonwood &c., are to be found within a mile of the place on the 
east upon Tawakanah creek and extending thence to the Trinity, thirty miles. 
To the west, upon Elm and Pin Oak creeks, timber abounds commencing at a 
distance of two miles, and at four miles, being in dense bodies.  Little skirts
of timber upon branches and ravines adjacent are not taken into calculation.
  Clay, of the best quality for brick is to be found every beneath the surface.
  At the south base of the hill is a large Spring affording nearly enough 
water to turn  a mill during all the year, which forms the source of Elm creek.
At the east base are two large springs, within three hundred yards of each 
other, which form the sources of Tawakanah creek, which empties into the 
Trinity at Pine Bluff.  These Springs, it is believed, would amply supply with 
water, a population of thousand persons.  In addition to these, however, are 
ten or twelve more Springs around the hill, and it may properly be added that 
water is  procured by digging a few feet below the surface, anywhere in the 
neighborhood.
  Of the remarkable health of the place, not a doubt can exist.  The air is
pure.  There are no marshy exhalations rising from any portion of the country 
near it, and every one knows that the hard gray limestone water is pure and
salubrious.  In addition to this, the place has been settled for several years,
and has proved itself from the experience of the residents, entirely healthy.
  The soil of the hill and surrounding region, is of the kind known as black
sandy.  It is remarkably lively and productive, and especially adapted to the 
growth of vegetables, and has a thin red clay foundation.
  Pine Bluff, thirty miles from Tawakannah, upon the Trinity River, is the 
landing place for this point, and has been accessible for the past fourteen 
months uninterruptedly.  At the time of writing, a boat is within a few miles 
of the Bluff. The road to it, from this place, is direct, and at all times
excellent, without regard to the state of the weather, and there is not a 
creek crossing it, during the whole distance.
  ....
  JOHN BOYD
  Tawakanah, December 14th, 1849.
  
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  The Northern Standard (of Clarksville, Red River Co., Texas) 
  – May 4, 1850 – 
  Page 4
  
  Trinity River
  The recent arrival of the steamers Jack Hays and Brownsville, from a distance 
  of 650 miles up the Trinity, has brought most encouraging intelligence from 
  that country.  These boats, by the present trip, have brought about 600 bales
  of cotton belonging to planters who have heretofore always hauled their crops
  either to Houston or Shreveport, a distance of about 300 miles to either place.
  
  Pine Bluff, the point to which the boats found the navigation quite free from
  all obstruction, is now settling up with unexampled rapidity.  The neighboring
  counties lie generally between the parallels of 31 and 32 degrees of latitude,
  and are peculiarly adapted to the production of cotton, …
  
  Mr. John R. Rose has just returned from a trip up the Trinity as agent for 
  the Government, to examine the country, and ascertain the most eligible
  point of shipment of stores and munitions for the supply of the several
  military posts in northern Texas. We learn that he has given the preference to
  Pine Bluff, and will recommend that point to the government.  It is situated on
  the west bank of the river, and is nearly equally distant form Gates’ Fort in
  Navarro county, Fort Graham in Milam county, and Fort Worth in Dallas county,
  the greatest distance being only 115 miles, and the roads good to all these 
  posts.  There can scarcely be a doubt that the Government will establish a depot
  for these posts at Pine Bluff.
                        Galveston News
  
  
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  Democratic Telegraph and Texas Register (of Houston, Texas) - June 20, 1850 – 
  Page 2
  
    Parson Smith, in his remarks to the mass meeting on Wednesday, gave a 
    cheering account of the prospects for the successful navigation of [the] 
    Trinity [River].  He described the banks of the river as being very high, 
    with a deep channel.  He says that the obstruction encountered by Mr. Runyon
    with his Keel beam from Porter’s to Pine Bluff were inconsiderable and could 
    be easily removed, being small rafts that had lodged in the river.  The side
    of the bank are overgrown in many places with willow trees, some of which 
    project into river.  These will have to be cut down.