The Texas Almanac for 1867 with Statistics, Descriptive and Biographical Sketches, etc., Relating to Texas. Page: 75
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DESCRrIIION OP COUNTIES. 75
importance until 1853, when it commenced settling up very fast. Its population
is now about 2500. This is strictly a stock-raising county, and no more
attention is paid to the growing of the cereals than to insure a plentiful
support of its inhabitants. It is, however, peculiarly suitable for the breed-
ing of swine, owing to the luxuriant growth of mast, and the facility with
which these animals fatten themselves from the heavy product of the dwarf
oak. Atascosa river, running through this county, is remarkable for the
purity of its freestone water, from- its source to its discharge into the Rio
Frio. The Borego and San Miguel are streams running through the county.
There are but few schools in the county. Lands in this county are generally
sandy, and the growth is principally post-oak and live-oak; a large portion
is prairie. But few "freedmen" throughout the county.
AusTIN CouxTY.--(By J. ,McDade, Senator.)
COUNTY-SEAT, BELLVILLE.--There is a female school at Hempstead, also sev-
eral male schools. There is an academy at Travis, and another at Beilville, and
common primary schools in every neighborhood. There is one Methodist and
one Presbyterian church at Hempstead, and there are also chapels in all the
small towns. The agricultural products are cotton, corn, and most of the small
grains, but not much wheat. Cotton and corn are raised for market, also
vegetables of all kinds. Austin has a large supply of timber, the Brazos
river, with its heavy bottom timber, passing through this county. The Cen-
tral Railroad runs through this county the distance of eighteen miles; also,
the Washington County Road connects with the Central at Hempstead, and
leaves Austin county where it crosses the Brazos river into Washington
county. Austin is, therefore, well supplied with railroads. The Brazos is the
principal river; there is also the Bernard, East, West, and Middle, Mill
creeks, and Little Caney, between Austin and Washington counties. The
present crops are thus far good, but fears are entertained that the cotton may
be destroyed by the caterpillar. The pasturage is fine and water abundant.
Stock and sheep do well, and there are very large herds of both, some
persons having as many as three or four thousand head of cattle. The
flocks of sheep vary from two or three hundred to two thousand in each
flock. The building timber is cedar and pine, brought from Washington
and Grimes counties, as there is no pine or cedar in Austin county; but firing
timber is abundant in Austin county. Milk, butter, poultry, eggs, etc., are
abundant. Hogs are raised in large quantities, and almost without cost, as
there is an..abundance of mast. The bacon is usually saved very easily,
though some persons take out the bone when the weather turns warm. The
vote of Austin county is about 1400, and the population some 6000, and
increasing. During the war there were many acts of violence and lawlessness
in parts of this county, but now no county presents a better condition of
society. The markets are Houston and Galveston, both reached by railroad
in a few hours, and at small expense. Distance from Hempstead to Houston
fifty miles, and to Galveston one hundred miles. The wild grapeis very
abundant, and a large amount of excellent wine is made from it. The better
kinds of grapes are also successfully cultivated, and some people are paying
special attention to the cultivation of the vine. Cultivated lands in the bot-
toms are worth $15 to $20 per acre; uplands, $5 to $10; uncultivated lands,
from $2 to-$10 per acre. An average yield of cotton on the bottom lands is
one bale to the acre; on the uplands, 1000 to 1200 lbs. seed-cotton - corn, 20
to 40 bushels per acr ; potatoes, 300 or 400 bushels to the acre. Obne hand
cultivates now fifteen: to twenty acres in corn and cotton--twenty to twenty-
five acres to the hand was common when the negroes were slaves. The
negroes only do about two thirds the work they formerly did. There has
been considerable trouble with thesegroes.. Their numbers appear to be rapidly'
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The Glaveston News. The Texas Almanac for 1867 with Statistics, Descriptive and Biographical Sketches, etc., Relating to Texas., book, December 1866; Galveston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth123772/m1/77/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.