The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 54, July 1950 - April, 1951 Page: 328
544 p. : ill., ports., maps. (some col.) ; 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:
Southwestern Historical Quarterly
Lapham's body was returned to San Antonio for burial. Paschal
Borden was made administrator of Lapham's estate, which con-
sisted of some land on the Colorado River and two lots in
Bordentown, Thomas Borden's section of old Fort Bend.'
The last notice of Lapham comes in 1846, when Paschal Borden
advertises as administrator in the Telegraph."1
The short career of Moses Lapham closed four days after his
thirtieth birthday. As indicated in the beginning, his life
amounted to little in the long-run achievements of Texas history.
Because Lapham was an articulate man, however, in an age
when all too few men left personal records behind, he is worth
this brief mention; his correspondence17 which follows helps to
illumine a period that will be studied as long as men evince an
interest in Texas.
1. MosEs LAPHAM, SAN FELIPE, TO AMOS LAPHAM, URBANA, OHIO,
JULY 13, 1831.
... The surveying business [in Texas] is pretty nearly over, and
the heat is so excessive, in summer, that there is but a little done. I
have taken up a small school in this place. ... There is but few
more grants to be made, before Austin will close, the whole affair,
on the present plan. . The climate is not as suitable for corn as
farther north. The best soil brings not more than 3o or 35 bl. to the
acre. Wheat grows well 150 miles from the coast.
The farming business may be made verry profitable here for a few
years at least. Grain of every description brings the highest price,
and cattle may be raised with no other trouble than branding and
marking the calves. Cattle breed much faster here than farther north.
The country, up near the mountains, is said to be much more healthy;
but the Indians are troublesome. ... I do no [t] think it prudent,
to travel through the hot sun, to look for [land], at this season of
the year, for most who have done it, have got the chill & fever by
it. ... The land office fees on a grant for a single man are a little
over $ioo.oo Half of it goes to Austin which I am inclined to believe,
is a piece of rascality in him; for he gets about 5o,ooo acres of land
beside, for his trouble. He seems to be one of the most avaricious
lSJohn P. Borden to Amos Lapham, n.d.; Paschal P. Borden to Amos Lapham,
December 16, 1838.
xeDemocratic Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston), September So, 1846.
1The editing here has been arbitrary; where the material has been deemed of
no interest to Southwestern Historical Quarterly readers, it has been deleted. The
spelling is not edited.328
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 Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 54, July 1950 - April, 1951, periodical, 1951; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101133/m1/440/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.