Once upon a time in Texas by Mable Cash 5-24-08

In 1835-1837 the Republic of Texas had a government on horseback that was constantly on the move. Meetings for government officials were located in turn at Harrisburg, Galveston, San Jacinto, Velasco, and Columbia. In 1837 it moved to the new town of Houston and remained there for three years, for a permanent capitol had yet to be established. After a great deal of debates, it was 1839 before a congressional commission chose a site on the Colorado River in a small village in the wilderness called Waterloo, Texas. (I’ll bet you thought that I was going to say it was Austin.) The place called Waterloo had its name changed to Austin, in honor of Stephen F. Austin who led the first colonists into Texas territory. He is often called “The Father of Texas” by historians. The first capitol building was erected in 1852 but burned to the ground in 1881. Then the government had no place to attend to governmental business. The official needs had far out-grown the original building and a replacement would have to be much larger.

Times were hard for Texas after the Civil War. The State Treasury was empty and money was scarce. The State legislature chose to sell off some of our assets to raise money for a permanent capital building. They sold 3 million acres of public land to pay for our present day State Capital building! (When Texas was annexed into the United States in 1845, she agreed to keep all her debts and all her public lands as a condition of Statehood) Architects drew up plans for consideration and a design was chosen. The structure was to be placed on the original site of the old capitol on a hill commanding a view of Congress Ave. in Austin.

A company of English and Scottish investors accepted the offer to purchase the 3 million acres of Texas territory and named their new acreage the XIT cattle ranch. (Thus named for “Ten In Texas” because the holdings included part of ten Texas Counties.) With monies from this sale, the State Capitol building foundation could be laid. Architects used 15,000 carloads of pink granite from quarries in nearby Burnet County to build our imposing structure. The State assisted by building a 16-mile rail line from Burnet to Granite Mountain and provided 1,000 convicts for the entire building project! The iron columns that support this massive structure were made by prisoners from the penitentiary at Rusk from local Texas resources of coal, charcoal and limestone. Our capitol is a product of our State! The result of the design and workmanship is a building that resembles the National Capitol ….with the exception of one minor detail, the state house of Texas is several feet taller than its Washington counterpart.

As the construction of the State Capitol was nearing competition in 1888, it was decided to top off the dome with a zinc statue of the “Goddess of Liberty.” She was cast in sections and then put together before being hoisted into place atop the dome. The direction she faces was strongly suggested by some Confederate War veterans. Their comment was, “Don’t much matter where she faces as long as her backside faces north!”

The Texas State Capitol building topped with the Goddess of Liberty holding a lone star, completed in May of 1888 has just turned 120 years old! Happy Birthday to our Texas Goddess of Liberty!

Once upon a time in Texas by Mable Cash 5-16-08

The wind was cold and damp blowing across Point Bolivar near the mouth of Galveston Bay where a fort had been built in 1819 along the Texas coast. It was November of 1821 and only three females occupied the structure. Dr. James Long, a serious fighter for independence in Texas from Spain had brought his wife Jane, daughter Ann and a servant girl Kiamatia, to the fort, leaving for their protection, a handful of soldiers, while he led a second attempt to secure the freedom of Texas. In 1819 he had declared Texas free and independent when he, leading an army of 300 men captured Nacogdoches. (The good Doctor refused to accept the Adams-Ones Treaty of 1819 recognizing Texas as a part of Spanish territory. He was convinced that Texas was a part of the Louisiana Purchase.) Though his endeavor was successful for a little while and settlers began moving into the territory; as soon as he was away in a meeting with Jean Lafitte, Spanish forces marched on Nacogdoches from San Antonio. The settlers scattered, some returning to the United States, some were captured and a few were killed, including Dr. Long’s brother. Dr. Long, having failed in his endeavor to liberate Texas, returned to his family in Natchez, Mississippi. But by 1821, still believing that Texas should be a free and independent Republic, he once more was able to raise a small army of about 50 men willing to fight for this cause.

Dr.Long’s wife Jane, supportive of her husband’s plans, accompanied him on this second invasion to free Texas. With his family established safely in the fort at Point Bolivar and leaving guards for their protection, he lead the remainder of his forces inland to Goliad. As soon as Mexican forces became aware of their presence in Goliad, an army came by way of San Antonio and forced Long’s army to surrender. While awaiting trial, Long was killed by a Mexican soldier.

Meanwhile, back at the fort, Jane knew nothing of her husband’s fate. The guards who had remained to protect Longs’ family, grew restless and left, returning to New Orleans in the fall of 1821. December was the month that Jane’s baby was to be born! Jane, daughter Ann and servant, Kiamatia took inventory and realized how meager their food supply was. Together, they daily gathered driftwood from the beaches and searched for oysters, fished and trapped small birds. One day, a party of Karankawas Indians appeared on the beach. The women rushed back to the fort and fired the cannon. Their action frightened them away.. The winter was harsh and the damp cold made survival difficult for them all, even more so with the arrival of a new baby girl! They patiently waited for Dr. Long to return.

Help finally arrived in the summer of 1822.The rescue party told Jane of her husband’s death. She and the children went back to the United States only to return to Texas in 1824 with Stephen F. Austin’s “Old 300” colonists.

Jane Long lived to see her husband’s dream of an independent Texas come true. She became successful, operating a boarding house in Brazoria and running a plantation in Richmond. Her farm was one of the most prosperous in Fort Bend County. Many noteworthy men, including Sam Houston and Mirabeau Lamar stayed at her boarding house. She died in 1880. Because of her devotion to the

dream of a free Republic of Texas, she is often referred to by historians as “The Mother of Texas.”

“Your children learn more of your faith during the bad times than they do during the good times.” (Beverly LaHaye)

Once upon a time in Texas, by Mable Cash 5-9-08

Traveling this week, I spied a Ford pick-up truck with the following bumper-sticker, “American by birth, Texan by the grace of God.” I’ve thought about that statement and I’ve come to this conclusion, that person is a proud American who considers it a blessing from God to have been born in Texas and is acknowledging that fact. Some folks weren’t born in Texas but they came here for various reasons. The following excerpt is taken from “My Rambles” by Solomon Alexander Wright.

“One cold, rainy day a gang of old-timers were in a saloon drinking and sitting around the stove telling yarns and getting mighty cheerful. After awhile they all agreed to tell why they had come to Texas. One said he’d come because his neighbors all seemed anxious for him to try another climate. Another one said that he always thought a lot of his horses and that the brands on some he’d got hold of back in Georgia seemed to keep them from resting easy. Another one said he never did want to be tied down to property and had simply refused to inherit a shotgun from a man who wanted to be his father-in-law.

The Confessions went on this way until all but one old gray-whiskers had told his story. ‘ Now, Uncle Billy, let’s hear why you came to Texas,’ they said.

Uncle Billy stroked his chin and said: ‘Back in Kentucky, where I come from, I was a preacher… and a d—n good one. One Sunday morning I got up in the pulpit and told my flock how the congregation over in Pleasant Valley had agreed to build a twenty-five hundred dollar church house and were raising the money. I proposed that we go the Pleasant Valley brethren and sistern one better and build a thirty-five hundred dollar church house.

‘ They all sanctioned the idea. It had been a good year, and right then and there the money was subscribed. They appointed me treasurer. Bright and early next day I started out to collect the pledges. It certainly wasn’t blue Monday that week. I got every dollar of the thirty-five hundred. But I was in such a hurry to come to Texas that I didn’t have time to stay and build the church house.’”

No doubt, if you’ve delved into Texas History you’ll find that Texas had numerous rascals come to settle here. But as some folks say,” You’ve got to have a little gravel in your gizzard to get by.”

There’s a story of a young boy who was asked by his Sunday school teacher to name the birthplace of Jesus. He thought for while and finally made three guesses, Gladewater, Mount Pleasant and Bonham. The teacher finally told him that the answer was, Palestine. The youngster nodded and said, “I knew it was somewhere in East Texas!”

You qualify to understand Texanese if you know the meaning of the following quote, “Pert nigh but not plumb.”

Once upon a time in Texas by Mable Cash… May2, 2008

Picture this: It is 1519, you are a native Texan, while out fishing in your yard, which is the Gulf of Mexico; you spy a peculiar sight. It appears to be a man, strangely dressed, floating along on a boat in the salty water. The stranger waves and brings his floating device to shore. As he approaches, he pats himself on his chest and utters these words, “Alvarez de Pineda.” He offers items for trading and then he plants a flag in your front yard, making a declaration in words you cannot understand, “I have discovered this place and I claim all this territory for Spain!” How would you handle this situation? Would you, (A) Smile, nod and serve him oysters on-the-half-shell? (B) Take him home to meet your wife and the new papoose? (C) Put him back on his boat, hand him his flag and point out to the big water? Or (D) Sink his boat and use his flag to diaper the baby?

The story of American Indians is a sad one. As settlers made their way to America they wanted land. Some traded for it, others simply took it. Those who fought for their land were often killed. The Indians had two good reasons to hate the incoming settlers; the white men had come to take their land and to kill their people. As Americans moved westward, the Indians were pushed ahead of them. The Cherokee, Delaware, Osage, Choctaw, Alabama, Coushatta and Seminole tribes were pushed from their native lands to Texas into territory claimed by twelve other tribes. Tribes indigenous to Texas are: Kiowa, who lived in the Texas Panhandle, north of the Canadian River,

Wichita, who settled along the Red River near the present day, Wichita Falls, Caddo, dwelled between the Trinity and the Sabine, on the Neches River ,often called “Forest Indians,” Comanche, roamed most of north-western portion of Texas, following the buffalo herds from Palo Duro Canyon to Edwards Plateau, Tonkawa, resided near the Brazos River in the area we refer to as the Brazos Valley, Karankawa, lived along the Gulf Coast, were fierce warriors with cannibalistic tendencies, Coahuiltecan, dwelled at the lower tip of west Texas near the Quitman Mts. along the Rio Grande, Apache(Lipan) settled at the head of these rivers, Guadalupe, San Antonio and Nueces, Jumano, lived alongside the Concho tribe on the Rio Grande on the southwestern border, Mescalero Apache, settled south of the Pecos River, were hunters and farmers, and Atakapan, lived in southeast Texas on the Trinity from the Brazos to the Sabine Rivers.

These early Texas inhabitants made a major contribution to the new-comers who came. Much of the food we eat today was introduced into our diets by the Indians. Europeans learned of corn, squash, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and cocoa beans,(from which chocolate is derived.) They shared a recipe for pemmican, which is similar to our present day, “jerky.” They even taught the settlers their technique for fertilizing and rotating the crops they raised. Their most valuable gift to the white man was their knowledge of medical treatments that were unknown to the Europeans. Indians taught them how to use bacteria-fighting herbs, aspirin-like extracts from tree bark and quinine for treating malaria.

Sam Houston, a friend of the Indians intervened and set aside the Alabama-Coushatta Reservation, for those who would stay in the Big Thicket near Livingston. Land near El Paso was reserved for Indians, as well. Our early history is of different peoples, both desiring the same territory. Priests came and tried to change the Indians’ ways, to live as the white men. But the Indians were free people, as were their ancestors. They had no desire nor need for fences on their land.

The settlers and the Indians fought bravely for what each thought was theirs…. In the end, the strongest took the prize. This is a bitter-sweet period in our Texas history.