The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 63, July 1959 - April, 1960 Page: 438
684 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
early summer of 1861, there was much confusion in mail delivery
in Texas. By the fall of 1861, a tri-weekly mail from Houston
served Austin.
Austin citizens had hoped to have the railroad from Hemp-
stead completed to Austin early in the 186o's, but war interrupted
the work and the rails were not extended beyond Brenham
during the war. Contract for the first five miles of the railroad
was let in September, 186o, beginning at Brenham and working
toward the Brazos River. The contractors began work on the road
with seventy-five "able-bodied negro men" in January, 1861.80
John R. Banks was president of the Air Line Railroad, which
had an office in Austin at the end of 186o. The "Tap" and the
Brazos bridge were completed by the end of March, 1861, leaving
Austin less than one hundred miles from the railroad.
Austin was destined to remain an important supply and admin-
istrative center during the Civil War. The city's pro-Union faction
was practically subverted by the end of 1861, although extreme
faith in all phases of the Confederate government was not a pre-
dominant characteristic of the citizens of Austin, particularly in
the matter of acceptance of Confederate paper money at face
value. The loyalty of the city toward the Confederacy remained
steadfast in the more important issues, and Travis County contrib-
uted many soldiers and supplies for the Confederate army.
The economy of Austin suffered considerably during the war,
forcing the closing down of many businesses by 1862 and putting
a temporary halt to the rapid strides made in the growth of the
city from 1854 through 186o.
soTexas State Gazette, January 12s, 1861, p. 3.438
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 63, July 1959 - April, 1960, periodical, 1960; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101186/m1/544/: accessed May 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.