Navarro County Texas Archives History - Books .....Introduction 1933
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Book Title: Chapter I Early Texas

CHAPTER I EARLY TEXAS

     THE chief incentive to the writing of this history of Navarro County has
been a wish to preserve, in permanent form, a record of the past that it may no
longer be clouded in ignorance or perplexed by fiction; to rescue from oblivion
the memories of the pioneers, whose heirs we are.

       Much of the prosperity and happiness that we now enjoy is due to the
struggles and tribulations of our forefathers. Every worthy descendant of those
gallant and adventurous spirits should feel a strong desire to become more
intimately acquainted with their history and character.

       A veneration of what has gone before and anticipation of what is to come
are the main factors by which man differs from lower animals. It behooves
Citizens of today to teach their children love and respect for the pioneers who
opened up this great country. The State of Texas approximates one thousand miles
from North to South and about the same distance from East to West and its
historical romance is further enhanced by its physical variations, since within
the confines of this great State may be found extremities of climate from the
frigid plains of the Northwestern Panhandle to the tropical climate of the Rio
Grande Valley. No other state possesses such a variety. The geographical
description of Texas is within itself a romantic volume and the resources are
apparently without limitation.

     The name "Texas" is derived from an old Indian tribal designation, "Tejas",
or "Tecas", and authorities agree that the word meant "friendly" or "friends".
The term was not applied to any specific tribe of Indians but embraced ten or
twelve tribes, each with a distinctive name, who inhabited the region which now
comprises approximately the Counties of Cherokee, Rusk, Houston, and
Nacogdoches. Records indicate there were about eight hundred heads of families
who cultivated the soil, lived in wood houses, and possessed a higher order of
intelligence than surrounding tribes of Indians and these outstanding tribes
were generally referred to under the appellation of the Tejas Indians.   In 1680
DeLeon and Father Massenet arrived at Nebadache village in what is now the
Northeastern part of Houston County at the junction of San Pedro Creek and the
Neches River and established the Mission "San Francisco De La Tejas." DeLeon
wrote to the Viceroy in Spain, "The Tejas are a well governed people and plant
large quantities of maize, beans, calabashes, canteloupes and watermelons."

       The region inhabited by these friendly Indians soon became known as the
Province of the Tejas and, after exploration of about a quarter of a century,
this designation had become so firmly implanted that later designations did not
seem to apply and what is now Texas is the outgrowth of the term as originally
given to the small section of the State inhabited by these friendly tribes. At
one time Spain endeavored to name the territory North of the Rio Grande "New
Philipinas" in honor of King Philip, but "Texas" had become so fixed in the
minds of the inhabitants that the name "Nuevas Philipinas" soon fell into
disuse. The name of Texas has come down, not only as a geographical name,
embracing all of the original territory of Texas, but following the changes,
political and otherwise, has attached itself to all of the territory within the
present boundary of the State.

       During the Spanish dominion, the whole population of Texas, exclusive of
Indians, did not exceed 5,000 souls, nor did it exceed that at the time that
Anglo American settlement began in 1822.

       The Spanish explored and gave names to all of the conspicuous features
along the gulf shore from Sabine Pass to the Rio Grande; islands, bays, passes,
all streams emptying into the Gulf of Mexico and to many of the tributaries as
well as to the mountains, trees, birds and fishes.

       We have no sounds, inlets, straits, capes and lakes, but have passes,
points, bayous, lagoons, matagordas, and mingled with these are many Indian
names. Among the trees, we have the Mesquite and Huisache and Yu-pon, and among
the birds are the Chaparral.

 The names of several counties in Texas were hoary with age before Texas began
to develop into geographical significance. These names were probably here before
Columbus discovered America. At any rate Coronado and the followers of DeSoto
found them here, with a well established identity, fifty years after that event.

       Nacogdoches, Pecos, and Pueblos, are among these prehistoric names. The
Pecos tribe of Indians had a village at the head of the river which now bears
that name. When Coronado made his expedition the tribe had a tradition that it
had never been conquered.

       Upon entering Texas the Spanish, being desirous of erecting a barrier
against the French, English, and Americans tried to secure the allegiance of the
Indians, and introduced to them the customs of civilization.

       As the priests were not able to control the savages, missions under the
protection of the presidios, thought to inspire awe, were built.

       These measures failed to secure the desired result and from 1772 to 1783
military discipline was tried.

       For almost twenty years, the Spanish tried to hold the Indians to their
promised allegiance by a systematic distribution of presents and special trade
privileges but at the opening of the nineteenth century the Indian problem was
more complicated than at the beginning of Spanish occupation.

       After Mexico became a republic the policy toward immigration became more
liberal and the great current

of oncoming settlers began. As stated before Texas had few inhabitants other
than Indians and, in the years immediately succeeding the Mexican Revolution,
colonies sprang up and Texas assumed great importance.

       There have been many opinions expressed and many explanations made of the
various causes which led to Texas Independence but the final and vital reason
was that Texans considered that they were alien subjects to an inferior race.

       The revolution passed through two phases: first, a defense of Mexico's
Republican Constitution of 1824 in an effort to secure the cooperation of
Mexican Liberals who opposed military despotism. The Texas leaders earnestly
tried to be loyal to the Mexican government. The second was a struggle for
absolute independence.

       There were many in the United States who censured the Texans, but the
majority of prominent citizens of Texas were former citizens of the United
States, of Anglo-Saxon origin, and of course had many sympathizers.

       There were many Mexicans opposed to military despotism of the leaders,
who exerted every effort to secure for Texas and Coahuila the rights and
privileges to which they laid claim but they were unable to turn the scale. When
it became evident, after repeated failures to secure the rights of a state, that
the interests of Texas were secondary and subject to those of Coahuila the
Texans felt there was no other course possible, than the one which was pursued.

       When the revolution by Texas against Mexico began there were no political
divisions such as counties. There were departments and municipalities. There
were three departments: Bexar, Brazoria, and Nacogdoches.

       There were eighteen municipalities: Austin, Bexar, Brazoria (formerly
called Bevil), Liberty, Matagorda, Milam (formerly called Viesea), Mina
(afterwards called Bastrop), Nacogdoches, Refugio, San Augustine, San Patricio,
Shelby or Teneha, Victoria, and Washington. Five additional were created by the
Provisional Council in 1835: Coronado, Jackson, Jefferson, Red River, and Sabine.

       The department was ignored as a political unit in several conventions,
being unsuited to a representative form of government.

       Representatives came from the various municipalities, and they were the
nucleus of the counties created by the First Congress of the Republic of Texas.

       The province from which Navarro County was finally formed, was called
Viesea, later Milam, and still later, Robertson County.

     Texas became a Republic in 1836, and the trickle of immigration became a
steady flow, which now, almost one hundred years later, has not ceased.

       With indomitable spirit the early arrivals hewed homes from the
wilderness, established a semblance of order.   Towns were built, roads opened,
justice, regulated by law, was administered, and education to the utmost extent
encouraged, freedom in religion and conscience was allowed.

       The recognition of Texas as a republic, was acknowledged by the leading
nations but many difficulties were confronted. It was impossible, with affairs
in the chaotic state which then prevailed, to do more than to meet issues as
they arose. In the President's message, to the First Congress of the Republic,
he said that the Indian situation was very critical and that the military forces
in the field were far outnumbered by the host marching against them, and "were
it not that there is a vast discrepancy between the military capacities of the
opposing armies, the subjugation of Texas would be inevitable, but that
discrepancy had constituted an important ground of confidence in their success,
and it was worthy of all estimation, for it was a discrepancy not only of
military power, but of moral attributes and of political knowledge."

       Houston's policy with the Indians was firm yet conciliatory, for while he
was opposed to aggression against the Indians, he was in favor of sure
protection of the frontier. In the years following the Texas Revolution many
settlements and colonies appeared in the new Republic of Texas.

       The year of 1821 saw Mexico throw off the yoke of Spain and grant to
Moses Austin the right to settle a colony in the Province of Texas.

     Four years later, Robert Leftwich was sent from Nashville, Tennessee, to
procure a contract to settle eight hundred families. The territory sought for
the settlement of the colony was embraced in the following bounds: beginning on
West bank of the Navasota Creek at the upper crossing of the San Antonio Road,
thence Westward with said road to the dividing ridge between the Brazos and
Colorado Rivers; thence to the ridge of hills Northward to strike the old
Comanche trail leading to Nacogdoches; thence to Navasota creek and down the
said creek with its meanders to the beginning. It embraced parts of what is now
Burleson and Brazos Counties, all of Williamson, Milam, Falls, McLennan, Bell,
Coryell, Limestone, Navarro, a part of Hill and small parts of other Counties.
The date of the contract was April 5, 1825. Leftwich died and Sterling Robertson
took charge of the company's affairs, reorganized the work and established his
headquarters at a place near where the city of Marlin now stands. Robertson
County was created from Milam December 14, 1837, and as the creating of other
counties became advisable survey parties were sent out and divisions made. In
1838 a party of surveyors were sent out to survey what is now Navarro and some
adjoining Counties. An account of this survey will be given further on.

       Since Texas embraces such a wide expanse of territory it is not
surprising that the growth was very slow for a number of years. There were no
good roads; only a few passable trails, no navigable streams of any great
length; only three good harbors and the means of transportation were by sail
boat on the gulf or by cart or wagon.   Those who endeavored to travel overland
found it necessary to cut their way through the wilderness mile after mile or
traverse Indian-infested territory for hundreds of miles.   Immigration must of
necessity, therefore, have been slow and tedious and demanded from those hardy
pioneers a high order of patience and fortitude.   During the early days of the
Republic the six hundred miles of Texas border was open to attack from Mexico
and the frontiers were besieged by the savage Indian but in spite of these
hardships and the necessity for building homes in a new country and procuring a
livelihood from tilling the soil, the settlement of Texas continued apace and
how much was achieved in spite of terrific hardship and constant danger! Due no
doubt, in part, to the great exertion necessary to establish a homestead under
such adverse conditions, the Homestead Law was enacted first in Texas, during
the Third Congress of the Republic.   This Bill was introduced in the House of
Representatives by *Louis P. Cooke of Brazoria County and was first read on
December 29,1838, again on January 2, 1839, and passed the final reading on
January 22, 1839 without opposition. The author of this law was extraordinary in
many ways and appears to have been a courageous, although somewhat wild and
reckless, man but his name deserves to be kept from oblivion since it is seldom
that a man leaves such a broad and deep mark upon jurisprudence during so brief
a term as legislator.

*Louis P. Cooke was born in Tennessee and was in the Texan war during the years
1836 and 1837. Later was made a lieutenant colonel and elected a member of Texas
Congress in 1838. Both he and his wife died of cholera in Brownsville in 1849.


       Between the years of 1842 and 1845 two settlements were made in the
vicinity of what is now known as Navarro County and were designated as Peter's
colony and Mercer's Colony. Peter's Colony, twelve miles square, was opened up
in 1842 with a settlement on Waxahachie Creek, now Ellis County. Several
families moved there including those of John and William R. Howe, Col. J. M.
Riggs, James Patton, the Billingsleys, Sutherlands, Mayfields, and others. W. J.
Stokes said that with his mother he moved to Texas in 1839. His uncle, Thos. I.
Smith, who had participated in the Revolution of Texas, joined them at Yellow
Prairie but the Indians stole all of their horses and they came to the home of
W. R. Howe, who was Smith's brother-in-law. This was in 1844. Wm. Howe must have
been an energetic man. He hauled his "bread stuff" from Buck-Snort, on the falls
of the Brazos, eighty or ninety miles away. He was known to have on hand always
a good meat supply. When finally the committee to organize a new county met at
Austin his home was chosen to house the court until a county seat should be
selected. Court was held there until 1848 when Wm. Howe died.   A site was then
chosen.

       In Mercer's Colony there were twenty-five or more families living around
Spring Hill, Melton or Dresden, Pisgah Ridge and Bazette. These communities were
compact in order to secure protection from Indians and rough characters.

       The first surveys that were made in the vicinity of the present County of
Navarro were made by Thomas Jefferson Chambers, who, at that time, was superior
of Texas for Mexico. His salary for the years of 1834 and 1835 was five sitios
of land. Chambers Creek was named for his brother who was a lawyer. Several
other large surveys were made at that time in this vicinity and the overlapping
of claims gave rise to many disputes as to boundaries. These land trials were
the chief cause of litigation in Navarro for many years and were finally settled
in 1866 with the Rachel Leach case on trial.

       Many land grants were made in Texas after Mexico became a Republic Some
of these claims included tracts in what later became Robertson County. Others
were made during the period in which Texas was a Republic.

       Owners of some of these claims lived in other states but many of them
lived in Texas and besides all these, hundreds and thousands were turning their
thoughts and hopes toward Texas.

       As rapidly as the population justified other counties were formed.

       Of the groups of settlers in the area of the present County of Navarro
some were one hundred and twenty-five or more miles from Franklin. With no roads
or bridges, and the dangers from savages, they began to consider ways and means
of changing these conditions.

      Of the following names and claims, some were signed in Austin and some in
Franklin, Robertson County.

       Some of those who had claims in Navarro County in those days were as
follows:

       John DeArman, 320 acres, headright certificate, ten miles Northeast of
Corsicana, 1850.

       Survey for George W. Dougherty of 1280 acres, situated on Chambers Creek,
a branch of Trinity River, being the quantity to which he is entitled by virtue
of Bounty Land Certificate No. 6050, issued to him first day of January, 1839,
by A. Sidney Johnston, Secretary of War. (Page 15, Book A, County Clerk's Office.)

     Others who received land grants on Chambers Creek were:

     John Nelston, 1280 acres, 1839.
     Jacob Hendrick, 1280 acres, 1839.
     Joseph Young, 1280 acres, 1837.
     G. A. Allen, 1280 acres, November, 1838.
     Edward Campbell, 1280 acres, August, 1838.
     William Gibson, 1280 acres, 1839.
     Simon Garcia.
     John Carpenter, 960 acres, November 11,1837.
     Richard Newman, 1280 acres, West bank of Trinity including Bazette Bluff in
1840.
     Robert Porter, 1-3 of a League on Trinity, January 6,1838.
     Micajah Autry, 1920 acres on Richland Creek, 1839.
     N. H. Carroll, 640 acres four miles West of Trinity, December, 1837.
     William M. Love, 1-3 of a League, March 16, 1838.

     Some of the early land warrants made were:

       Robert R. Goodlow, 2-3 of a league of land, February 21,1638; William F.
Henderson, 1-3 of a league West of Trinity River, 1838; David Clary, 26 labors
of land August 21, 1838, West of Trinity and on Richland Creek; Robertson County
school land 25 labors of land by virtue of an act of Congress of the Republic,
entitled "act appropriating land for the establishment of a general system of
education," Jan. 26,1839; John Kerr 1/3 of a league of land on Chambers Creek,
March 19, 1839; David Love 640 acres on Richland Creek, "being the quantity to
which he was entitled by being in the battle of San Jacinto," July 28, 1858;
John Pevehouse 640 acres for "being in the siege of Bexar," July 18,1838;
Alphonso Steele 640 acres for "being in Battle of San Jacinto," November 14,
1838; Ethan Melton 640 acres on Richland Creek, donation land warrant; John
White 640 acres on Pin Oak Creek, Headright certificate; John Treadwell,
Headright certificate; William Mayfield, 1280 acres, one mile North Bazette
crossing, December, 1889; Thomas Wright on      Richland,  22 labors, March
8,1838; Jefferson McKinney paid $2,000 cash to Joseph West for land on Richland
Creek May 3, 1838.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from 

History of Navarro County
by
Annie Carpenter (Mrs. W. F.) Love

Southwest Press
Dallas, Texas

Copyright, 1933
by
Annie Carpenter (Mrs. W. F.) Love

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