The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 1, July 1897 - April, 1898 Page: 109
334 p. : ill., ports., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Old Three Hundred.
109,
out families. These were joined in groups of two and three, and
each group constituted a legal family, which explains the numer-
ous partnerships in the list given below.
The lands chosen by the settlers were the rich bottoms of the
Brazos, the Colorado, and the Bernard, each sitio having a front-
age on the river equal, in theory at least, to about one-fourth of its
length; the east bank of the Brazos was wholly occupied from the
Gulf as far up as the present county of Brazos. The greater part
of the labors were laid off in three groups, one just above San
Felipe de Austin, another a short distance below, and the third
across the river immediately opposite the town.
There were three hundred and seven titles issued; nine families
received two titles each, which leaves, not including Stephen F.
Austin, two hundred and ninety-seven as the actual number of
families introduced under this contract. The law required that all
lands should be occupied and improved within two years after re-
ceipt of deed. It is a sufficient commentary on the sturdy char-
acter of these early settlers that but seven of the grants were for-
feited.'
The original titles are now in the archives of the General Land
Office at Austin, Texas, bound in volumes of convenient size. They
were also copied, as they were issued, by Samuel M. Williams, in
the Register of Land Titles, etc., and these copies, by special decree,
of the government, were declared of equal validity with the orig-
inals. They have since been translated. My references are to the
translated Register and to the original titles. The form and spell-
ing of all the names except thirty-one are taken from the auto-
graphs of the settlers affixed to their applications, which appear in
the deeds. In many instances the spelling of the names has been.
altered by Samuel M. Williams or his clerk. The title, for instance,
which clearly bears the autograph of Pleasant D. McNeel, is issued
to Pleasant D. McNeil. Most of the signatures are plainly written.
Only four of those whose autographs are given in the titles were
unable to write.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 1, July 1897 - April, 1898, periodical, 1897/1898; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101009/m1/126/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.