The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 3, July 1899 - April, 1900 Page: 268
294 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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268 Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
Brick Academy, I have been unable to ascertain. 'He is referred to,
however, in the town paper of the period, as "a teacher of splendid
acquirements." In later years, when the school became a female
academy, it was successfully conducted by lady principals, among
whom may be mentioned Miss Melinda Rankin, afterwards mission-
ary and authoress, Mrs. M. L. Branch, wife of Dr. John Branch,
and Miss Rowena Crawford, who afterwards became the wife of
Judge James A. Baker.
The era of the Republic had closed before the first church build-
ing had been erected in Huntsville. The Baptists, however, had a
church .organization, and divine services were held at regular inter-
vals in the Brick Academy by Reverends Sarmuels and -Creath of this
faith, and occasionally by ministers of other denominations.
To this period belongs the organization of the Masonic Lodge of
I-Iuntsville. 'The minutes of the Grand Lodge of the Republic,
Seventh Session, held at Washington on the Brazos, in 1844, show
that a petition was presented to .open a lodge at Huntsville. On
January 11, 1844, the charter was granted' with the 'designation,
"Forest Lodge, No. 19." A short time later a Masonic hall was
erected on the north side of the square, on the site the lodge at
present occupies.
Towards the close of this period the first town newspaper was
established. In May, 1845, appeared the first issue of the "Mont-
gomery Patriot." 'Through the courtesy of Judge J. M. Smither,
to whom I am indebted for many of the facts stated in this paper,
I have been permitted to see a copy of the Patriot of date Septem-
ber 27, 1845; also early copies of the Texas Banner and the Hunts-
ville Item. The "Patriot" was edited by J. M. Wade, whose office
was on the east side of the square, "over Smither & Co.'s store."
The subscription price was "four dollars at the end of three months-
at the end of the year $5," with the proviso, that "one-fourth of
the subscription must, in all cases, be paid in advance." The Patriot
had little local matter or news of any kind. It contained chiefly
clippings from magazines and other newspapers. The advertis-
ing columns of the issue above referred to, contain a proclamation of
President Anson Jones, .ordering an election to. decide upon 'the adop-
tion 'or rejection of the proposed first State Constitution of Texas.
Editorially, the Patriot favored the adoption of the Constitution,
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 3, July 1899 - April, 1900, periodical, 1900; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101015/m1/281/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.