The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 14, July 1910 - April, 1911 Page: 115
348 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
The City of Austin from 1839 to 1865.
The site selected for the Capital extended below and above that
place so as to include Harrell's cabin. Two or three other set-
lers had built their cabins in 1839 at the river ford near Har-
rell's and they called the place "Waterloo."
The Congress, mindful of the exalted character and patriotic
service of Stephen F. Austin, provided, in Section 2 of the act
to appoint Commissioners, as follows:
"Sec. 2. Be it further enacted that the name of said site shall
be 'The City of Austin.' "
The first section of the act required that the site for the Capi-
tal "should be selected at some point between the rivers 'Trinidad
and Colorado,'" and above the San Antonio road. That road
was then a noted trail, which was often called for in the early
prairie surveys of Travis and other counties. It started from a
Mission Church in Louisiana and had been traveled for over a
hundred years by Mission priests, led by an "Intendant," and
protected by an escort of Spanish cavalry in their annual visita-
tions of the Missions of San Jos6, Concepci6n and San Juan near
San Antonio,-then they visited the mission on the San Saba
until after the priests there were massacred by the Indians. The
annual visitations continued to the Missions at El Paso, on to
the Gila River in Mexico and terminated at the Missions in Cali-
fornia.1 That old San Antonio trail crossed the Colorado eighteen
miles below Austin before the town of Bastrop was built. After
Bastrop was settled it crossed the Colorado at that point. Its
location could be traced across Texas in many places as late as
1852.2
After selecting the ground for the Capital, the Commissioners
surveyed one mile square, laying it off in blocks and lots be-
tween Shoal Creek and Waller Creek, and designated locations
for the public buildings. Their report to Congress was made on
April 13, 1839, and so rapidly was the work of building pushed
1When in 1858 or 1859 the title to the eight leagues of land granted by
the King of Spain to San Antonio was tried before me as judge in San
Antonio, the annual visitations of the Missions across the continent was
revealed in the testimony. Navarro and Manchaca, then old men, re-
membered seeing the annual arrival of the priests.
2The early Spanish grants to land in Travis and HIays counties made
before 1836 often called for the San Antonio road in the field notes. It
crossed the Blanco at McGehee's Grossing.115
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 14, July 1910 - April, 1911, periodical, 1911; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101054/m1/129/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.