The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 40, July 1936 - April, 1937 Page: 55
348 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Mercer Colony in Texas, 1844-1883
mills for water mills, which had been successfully made in
Illinois." Upon the completion of his mission in the middle west,
Mercer went to Virginia "to secure mechanics for the new town
Fenton" in his colony which "was located 28 miles below the
forks of the Bois d'Arc and the Trinity Rivers."22
From the following it appears that this town of Fenton served
as an important crossing on the Trinity.
FERRY AT FENTON
The public are hereby informed that I have an excellent new
ferry boat here always ready for their accommodation. The ap-
proaches to the ferry on either side of the River are well opened.
The Town is situated on a beautiful Bluff on the East side of
the Trinity, and the bottom on the opposite side is narrower than
at any point ever used as a ferry above or below for many miles.
This is the nearest and best route between Clarksville and Tawacana
Springs on the route to Austin.
March 23, 1846 Joseph Bartletts23
Upon his departure from Virginia, Mercer went to New York
to open direct intercourse through German houses with "Germany
to facilitate the introduction of emigrants from among a people
distinguished alike for their frugality, industry, and persever-
ance." To further his purpose he "opened a correspondence with
a Mr. Sand, ex-president of the German Emigration Company
of New York City."24 Before he left he had a description of the
physical features of Texas, his terms of colonization, and a brief
history of the Texas Revolution prefixed by her Bill of Rights
translated into the German language for distribution in Germany.25
Mercer proposed to apply to the First Legislature of the State
of Texas for permission to remove the obstructions to navigation
on the Trinity from the upper border of his colony to Fort
"Semi-Annual Report of C. F. Mercer to Secretary of State of the
Republic of Texas, September 25, 1845. This report is found in the records
of the case, Preston vs. Walsh.
"'The Northern Standard (Clarksville, Texas), March 23, 1846. Univer-
sity of Texas.
2"Semi-Annual Report of C. F. Mercer to the Secretary of State, Republic
of Texas, September 25, 1845. This report is found in the records of the
case, Preston vs. Walsh.
"Semi-Annual Report of C. F. Mercer to the Secretary of State, December
31, 1845. This report is found in the records of the case, Preston vs. Walsh.
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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/m1/63/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.