The Texas Almanac for 1867 with Statistics, Descriptive and Biographical Sketches, etc., Relating to Texas. Page: 79
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DESCRIPTION OF COUNTIES. 79
a State penitentiary. Five extensive flouring and corn-mills are now in
operation, and another in course of erection. The markets are Port Lavaca
and Indianola, distant about 150 miles, thirty of which are by railroad. Irri-
gable lands are worth from $10 to $50 per acre, other lands from $5 to $10,
according to quality, timber, etc. "Freedmen" are unreliable since their
emancipation, being idle, dissolute, and thieving, hardly performing work
enough to keep body and soul together from day to day. Those not confined
in jail for felonies, or at work upon the streets of San Antonio to liquidate
fines and costs, are to be seen roaming about the country, ragged and vagrant.
The city of San Antonio is lighted by gas. An ice manufactory is in success-
ful operation. There are five newspapers published in the city. German and
English laborers are the main dependence. Colonel Hosea Antonio Navarro,
one of the old patriots of the Texas Revolution, and the only surviving signer
of the Texas declaration of independence, now seventy-one years of age, resides
in San Antonio. A volume of statistics and historical information could be
given of this famous old town of San Antonio, from the building of its first
missions by the Spanish government in 1735, the battles of Aredondo, Toledo,
and others, in the attempted revolution of 1812, the establishment of Mexican
independence a few years later, the capture of the city by Milam in Decem-
ber, 1835, followed by the declaration of Texan independence and the terri-
ble slaughter of the Alamo, where fell Travis and his immortal band of he-
roes to secure the liberties of Texas. But these thrilling events belong to
other portions of this work. Suffice it to say, that San Antonio is now in-
creasing with a rapidity unexampled in any period of its past eventful his-
tory, and is destined ere long to become one of the greatest commercial and
manufacturing inland towns on this continent.
BLANcO COUNTY.---(By J. IW. Herman, Rep.)
COUNTY-SEAT, BLANCO, which is the only post-office in the county. We
have three schools, one Methodist and one Baptist church. No minerals or
ores of any kind have yet been discovered. The principal products are corn,
wheat, sorghum, and potatoes. The soil is black loam and sandy, the climate
mild, and the seasons as good as in any portion of Western Texas. There has
been plenty of rain this year. The timber comprises cypress, post-oak, live-
oak, white oak, hickory, and pecan, also the other kinds of timber usually
found in Western Texas. Our rivers are the Rio Blanco and Perdinalis. We
raise no cotton; but corn, wheat, rye, oats, barley, potatoes, sorghum, all do
well. We have finer crops this year than were ever known before. The
grazing lands are fine, and the stock looks well. The sheep also have done
better than usual this year. There is wood enough for fuel, and plenty for
fencing, but stone is abundant, and is better and cheaper for building. Liv-
ing is cheaper here than anywhere else that I know. We make butter and
cheese to any extent, and poultry is no trouble to raise. Hogs are also raised
at little cost, and bacon is easily saved._ We have not much security against
thieves, though we have not so much stealing as some counties east of us;
and the Indians come through the western part of this county sometimes.
San Antonio is our best market, about 60 miles distant, over a rather rough
road. New-Braunfels, 40 miles distant, affords us a market for most articles,
but not so good as San Antonio. Austin is about 50 miles due east of the
county-seat, with a tolerably good natural road. We have no vine-grow-
ers in the county. Land ranges from $1 to $10 per acre. This year wheat
averages about 12 bushels per acre, and corn about 25 bushels. One hand
can cultivate about 15 acres. We have but few negroes in the county, and
they give us but very little trouble. Vegetables of every kind are easily
raised, 'but we have very little fruit-mostly peaches. Corn sells from 50
cents to $1.50 per bushel; wheat, $1 to $2; rye, $1 to $1.50; barley about
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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/m1/81/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.