[During The Mexican War (1846-1848)]
[Not sure if article refers to Pine Bluffs, of what would be later Freestone County, Texas or Pine Bluff Arkansas.]
The Northern Standard (of Clarksville, Red River Co., Texas) – April 22, 1848 – Page: 3
THE OLD STEAMER
VICTRESS,
(as some kind friends call her,)
MARTIN GLOVER, Master,
NOW undergoing
repairs, will run as regular packet between
Pine Bluffs and the Raft.
Having made arrangements with Boats in the Lower Trade, cotton and other freight will be reshipped without delay. The Captain respectfully invites Planters and Merchants to call and examine the Boat, and satisfy themselves in regard to the safety of freight shipped by her.
OLIVER & CHATFIELD
Agents at Clarksville
J. J. SMITH
Agent at Pine Bluff
All Cotton
shipped on the Victress, will be insured, at the usual rates of insurance, by
the undersigned.
OLIVER & CHATFIELD
Clarksville, Nov. 29th, 1848
The Northern Standard (of Clarksville, Red River Co., Texas) – April 22, 1848 – Page: 4
[Also May 6, 1848 – Page: 4; June 17,
1848 – Page: 4; June 24, 1848 – Page: 4; July 8, 1848 – Page: 4; July 15, 1848 –
Page: 4; July 22, 1848 – Page: 4; August 26, 1848 – Page: 4; September 16, 1848
– Page: 4; October 14, 1848 – Page: 4]
PINE BLUFFS
A TOWN with the above name, has
been laid off upon the west bank of the Trinity river, a high and beautiful bluff,
immediately above the south line of Mercer’s Colony, and below all rafts and
obstructions to the navigation of the Trinity.
Navigation to this point is undoubted: a boat having been within 20 miles
of it February last, and the river being uninterruptedly good to the Bluffs.
The Town and the county immediately around, abound with bold springs of
purest water.
The health of the place is believed to be good – there being neither
swamps nor stagnant water about, and the families who resided at the place last
year having good health.
North, West, and South, of the Bluffs, for a great distance, is as rich
farming land as there is in the world.
GOOD ROADS, which will not have to cross either swamps or boggy land, can
be had to the place from any desirable direction.
As a point for SHIPMENT OF PRODUCE it has great advantages, there being
no bluffs on the west bank of the Trinity, below the obstructions to Navigation, and
high enough as a deposit for the produce of the Upper Trinity Country, combining
the accessibility and other advantages of this point. As a point for Mercantile establishment at the present time, it is
unequalled in the Upper Trinity region, as the country which should properly
trade at this point immense. The Richland, Chambers Creek
and Navasoto County all lies adjacent. At least 500 bales of Cotton will be shipped from this point the coming
winter, and much more would be, but for the difficulty in procuring seed.
We offer to donate lots to Merchants and Mechan??? who will settle at
this point and improve them.
All persons who may desire to settle at a new place, having every
prospect of rapid rise, are invited to examine the locality and purchase lots,
which will be sold low.
A good ferry boat is constantly kept at the place.
W. NICKS ANDERSON,
For Charles Fenton Mercer & Associates
(n5 tf)
The Northern Standard
(of
[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 was 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
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 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.
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
XE "Galveston"
News
The Northern Standard (of Clarksville, Red River Co., Texas) – June 6, 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 Trinity. He described the banks of the river being very high, with a deep channel. He says that the obstruction encountered by Mr. Runyon with his Keel boat, from Porter's to Pine Bluff were inconsiderable and could be easily removed, being small rafts that had lodged in the river. The sides of the bank are overgrown in many places with willow trees, some of which project into the river. These will have to be cut down and removed. One peculiarity of the Trinity that will render it superior to almost any river of its size, is, that its channel never changes. It has no shifting sand bars. Mr. Smith learned at Galveston that several new boats were building expressly for the Trinity. We say to our people confidently, “there’s a better day a coming.” – Herald.
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.
The Star StatePatriot (of Marshall, Harrison County,
Texas)
September 3, 4, 18, & 25, 1852 - Page: 3
[Also]
Weekly Journal - August 13, 1852
T. T. Gammage N. H. Wilson
Milton P.O.
Fairfield
FreestoneCo.,
Texas Freestone Co., Texas
LAW NOTICE
GAMMAGE & WILSON, Attorneys at Law will regularly attend the Courts of the Third Judicial District; the Courts of the counties of Anderson and Navarro, of the Ninth; and the Supreme and Federal Courts of the State.
Refer to
Hon. R.T.
Wheeler }
Hon. Johs R.
Jones } Galveston
Hon. Robert
Hughes }
Hon. W.B.
Ochiltree } Nacogdoches
Hon. Thos. J.
Rusk }
Col. Jas.
McCown } Harrison
Col. C.C.
Mills }
W. P. Hill, Esquire Tyler
James Webb, Esquire Austin
The Galveston Journal, State Gazette, and Trinity Advocate (of Palestine, Texas), will please copy for one year.
July, 26 1852 -- n7:1y
The Star State
Patriot (of Marshall, Harrison County, Texas)
Sept 9 & 25, 1852 - Page: 2
A friend has kindly furnished us a letter on
Freestone County,
from which we take a brief extract - in order to show the credence given to Gen.
Pierce's letter of denial to the New Boston Abolition sentiments, alleged to
have been uttered by him.
Troy Freestone Co.,
Texas.
September the 4th, 1852
We are in receipt of papers furnishing the most reliable
poof of Gen. [Franklin] Pierce's Freesoil traits. It is now pretty certain, since Gen. Pierce is the Northern man, and not
like little Kinderhook Van, but void of Southern principals, that even this
portion of Texas will go for Gen. Scott, unless there can be brought to bear
more substantial proof to do away with this New-Boston affair, than anything yet
brought to light.
After all their efforts to this end, it amounts to a
puerile attempt at bluff, with general denials, without saying what should have
been said on the occasion, and seemingly leaving the imaginative democracy to
supply the omissions as occasions may require, to suit their own views, what he
should, or rather what they would he should have said.
TROUPE.
[Notes to help understanding: Free-soil is an anti-slavery movement and political party. Franklin Pierce would later become the president of the United States in 1853 by defeating the Whig party’s candidate of General Winfield Scott. A focal battle ground of the abolitionist and slavery owners would be in Kansas during Pierce’s presidency. “Kinderhook Van” is a reference to Martin Van Buren, a former U.S. president, born in Kinderhook, NY.]
Star State Patriot
(of Marshall, Harrison County, Texas)
Vol. V., No. 21 - Saturday, October 2, 1852 – Whole No.
229.
Page: 2
PALESTINE RAILROAD CONVENTION
We
learn by the Cherokee Sentinel that this body
convened on the 20th ult.
Delegates in attendance: From
Anderson county 18, Cherokee 12, Dallas 1,
Freestone 3, Galveston 1, …
A
committee of one from each county was appointed to report permanent officers, a
code of rules, and the number of votes allowed each county. … Anderson to have 4 votes, Cherokee 5, Dallas 3,
Freestone 2, Galveston 4…
San Antonio Ledger (of San Antonio, Texas) – January 6, 1853 – Page: 2
It is proposed to establish a new Judicial District to be
composed of the counties of Leon, Freestone, Navarro,
Robertson, Falls, and
Brazos.
Nacogdoches Chronicle (of Nacogdoches, Texas) – May 17, 1853 – Page: 2
Judicial Record.
Table Showing the Names of the District
Judge
the Names of the District Attorney
THIRTEENTH DIST. – H. J. Jewett, Judge; R. S. Gould, Attorney; Centerville, Leon Co. – Brazos, Falls, Freestone, Leon, Limestone, Madison, Navarro, Robertson.
Texas State Gazette (of Austin, Texas) – August 27, 1853 – Page: 11
STATE ELECTIONS, 1853
Freestone: 92 Pease; 13 Ochiltree
Texas State Gazette (of Austin, Texas) – Sept. 10, 1853 – Page: 25
EVANS, A. J. – Attorney-at-Law, Waco, McLennan county, Texas. Will practice in the counties of McLennan, Limestone, Freestone, Falls, Milam and Bell and in the Supreme Court of the State. Prompt attention given to securing valid, and perfecting controverted land claims. Office east of Waco Inn. July 1852
The San Antonio Ledger (of San Antonio, Texas) - Feb. 9, 1854 edition - Page: 2
Texas Items
Messrs. Charles T. Friend and Wm. L. Moody, have issued a prospectus for a paper to be published at Fairfield, Texas, to be called the "Fairfield Republican." It is to be democratic in politics. Success to the Republican.
Texas State Gazette (of Austin, Texas) - Feb. 13, 1854 edition - Page: 165
[Summary of legislation passed]
...
An act to authorize the County Court of Freestone County
to levy an additional tax for the purpose of building a Courthouse.
...
Texas State Gazette (of Austin, Texas) - Feb. 21, 1854 edition - Page: 178
An act to authorize the County Court of Freestone County to levy an additional tax for the purpose of building a Courthouse.
Section 1. Be
it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That the County Court of
Freestone County
is hereby authorized and empowered to levy an additional tax upon the persons
and property of all persons subject to taxation in said county of
Freestone, for the purpose of
building a Courthouse in said county, which shall be assessed and collected as
other taxes. Provided, that the
County tax shall not exceed one hundred per cent. on the State tax.
Sec. 2. That this act take effect and be in force from and
after its passage.
Approved,
January 24, 1854.
Nacogdoches Chronicle (of Nacogdoches, Texas) - March 7, 1854 edition - Page: 1
[Summary of legislation passed]
...
38. An act to authorize the county court of Freestone County,
to levy an additional tax, for the purpose of building a Courthouse.
...
Texas State Gazette
(of Austin, Texas)
March 21 & 28th and also April 4, 1854 edition
THE STATE OF TEXAS, COUNTY OF HILL,
HILL COUNTY DISTRICT COURT, SPRING TERM, A.D. 1854
Hugh McMullen vs.
Charles G. Edwards
The State of Texas to the Sheriff of Hill County -
WHEREAS, Hugh McMullen, a citizen of said county of Hill, State of Texas, has this day filed his petition in the office of the District Clerk of Hill county aforesaid, alleging, among other things, that Charles G. Edwards, a citizen of the State of Alabama, being seized in fee simple of a certain league and labor of land, the headright of Henry Ross, lying and being situated in said county of Hill, State of Texas, on Hackberry Creek; that petitioner sent by mail a written proposal to said Edwards to purchase said land, agreeing to give the sum of two thousand dollars for the same; that said proposal or letter was dated October 17, 1853, at Tyler, Smith county, Texas, which said letter petitioner alleges was received by said Edwards, and is now in his (Edward's) possession; and petitioner notified said Edwards to produce said letter or the contents of the same will be proved by secondary evidence. Petitioner further alleges that said Edwards, by a written obligation signed by himself, (Edwards), and dated November 10, 1853, and sent to petitioner in the form of a letter, by mail, accepted petitioner's offer and promised and agreed to execute a deed of conveyance of said league and labor of land to petitioner, and send the same to Messrs. Whitt & Moody at Fairfield, Freestone county, Texas, to be by them delivered to petitioner, upon the payment of said sum of two thousand dollars and the charges of said Whitt & Moody. Petitioner further alleges that said Edwards refused and still refuses to comply with his portion of said contract, and that the purchase money is ready in his hands for the completion of the same. Petitioner having made the affidavit prescribed by law in such cases, has annexed to his petition certain interrogatories to said defendant Edwards, the substance of which is as follows, to wit: ...
Texas State Gazette (of Austin, Texas) - June 10, 1854 edition - Page: 299
LAWYERS' CARDS
BLOCKER & GURLY, Attorneys at Law, Waco, McLennan County -- Will practice in the counties of McLennan, Falls, Limestone, Freestone and Hill.
B. F. Blocker 24:1y E.J. Gurly
Nacogdoches Chronicle (of Nacogdoches, Texas) - July 18, 1854 edition - Page: 1
[Legislation]
THIRTEENTH DISTRICT
HENRY J. JEWETT, Judge, [city obscured]
ROBT. S. GOULD, District Attorney, [city obscured]
...
Freestone: 4th Mondays after
[missing]
April and October; one week.
Texas State Gazette (of Austin, Texas) - August 26, 1854 edition - Page: 5
We are glad to see that a good to horse hack is to be placed upon the route between Palestine, Fairfield and Springfield.
Texas State Gazette (of Austin, Texas) - Sept. 30, 1854 edition
LAWYERS' CARDS
EVANS, A. J. -- Attorney-at-law. Waco, McLennan County. Will practice in the counties of McLennan, Falls, Limestone, Freestone and Hill, and in the Supreme Court of the State. Prompt attention given to securing, valid, and perfecting controverted and claims. Office east of Waco Inn. July, 1852. 3-48
Texas State Gazette (of Austin, Texas) - October 7, 1854 edition - Page: 52
Texas Rangers.
Inspectors-Times and Places of Rendezvous
DISTRICT III - Inspector Adj't. Gen. Gillett will muster in the volunteers at Cameron, 18th October. District III, includes the counties of Fayette, Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, Gillespie. Burnet, Bell, Williamson, Milam. Falls, McLennan, Coryell Bosque, Navarro, Limestone, Freestone and Robertson.
---------------
[same edition, same page]
Candidate for Captain of Company III
Charles E. Travis is a candidate for Captain of company three - ordered by his Excellency the Governor, to be raised in the following counties: Fayette, Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, Gillespie, Burnett, Bell, Williamson, Milam, Falls, McLennan, Coryell, Bosque, Navarro, Limestone, Freestone and Robertson.