The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 40, July 1936 - April, 1937 Page: 47
348 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Mercer Colony in Texas, 1844-1888
doing much surveying within the limits of the Mercer Colony
and that they maintained that they had received no notice of
the contract of January 29, 1844. He requested that the County
Surveyor be given at once proper notice of the contract.9
En route to his colony in the summer, Mercer learned at Paris,
Texas, that his "contract had been so grossly misrepresented as
to be odious to the people and a topic for the Congress then
began." Feeling that "these misrepresentations reflected more in-
juriously upon the government of Texas than upon himself," he
departed for Washington, traveling, as had been his custom, "on
horseback lodging at night on the open prairie; and by day en-
countering the hottest sun of July and August, sometimes ar-
rested by sickness but never disheartened or appalled by the trans-
actions before him."10
Apparently satisfactory adjustments were made with the Con-
gress, for upon his return to the United States, Mercer published
the following advertisement of his colony:
TEXAS COLONIZATION
The subscriber obtained in January last, by agreement with
the President, acting in behalf of the Republic of Texas, a grant
of an extensive tract of land on the Rivers Brazos and Trinity,
known to be healthy, fertile, well watered and beautifully inter-
spersed with prairie and forest accessible by navigation from the
flourishing city of Galveston; the best market in Texas. He now
offers emigrants from Europe, or the United States as much as
320 A. to every family, who may settle thereupon prior to the 20th
day of March 1845, on payment of $8 for fees of survey.
The grant for each tract of land will be made directly from the
Republic of Texas on condition that the family will build a com-
fortable log cabin or house on the land, and enclose and cultivate,
for three years, not less than fifteen acres. To save enquiry it is
proper to state that the above contract requires a family to consist
of not fewer persons than a man and his wife, or of a widower or
widow with two children under 17 yr. of age, or of a widow with
a son above 17 or of women each over 17 yr. of age. The heart
of the above lands may be reached by water, from Galveston into
the bay of which the River of Trinity, the best river for naviga-
gRowlett to Ward, Land Commissioner, July 16, 1844. Letters Received,
Vol. 1, August, 1837, to March, 1854. General Land Office. Austin, Texas.
"Mercer to Jones, March 31, 1845. Colonization Papers, 1843-1845.
Texas State Library.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 40, July 1936 - April, 1937, periodical, 1937; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101099/m1/55/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.