Episodes Located: TERRITORY, Territory in the 1830's

  1. A Typical Monday for Mary Austin Holley
    date February 26, 1838map TERRITORY, Territorytags Arts/Leisure, Education, Slavery, Women

    In her diary Mary Austin Holley jotted down the events of her afternoon with friends. She enjoyed pleasant conversation as well as the beautiful surroundings. She made note of the impressive collection of books, and in particular the various curiosities displayed throughout the parlor. Holley's friends, Mr. and Mrs. Wharton, boasted all sorts of fascinating relics, once owned by famous figures in...

  2. A Brush with Cannibals
    date June 12, 1837 to June 13, 1837map TERRITORY, Territorytags Government, Law, Migration/Transportation, Native-Americans, Race-Relations, Women

    The trek by wagon train to Texas was one fraught with danger. Trail roads were rough, there were high rivers to cross, diseases to contend with, and of course the possibility of meeting up with Indians. Mary Maverick was making such a journey in the summer of 1837. She was traveling by wagon train from her home in Alabama to the new land of Texas. One day when her party was moving camp, 17 Tonkawa...

  3. A Happy Band of Slaves
    date February 3, 1839map TERRITORY, Territorytags African-Americans, Migration/Transportation, Race-Relations, Slavery

    An incident at the Wharf of Mr. McKinnie and Mr. Williams gave Frances Sheridan something to write critically about in his journal. Here he saw a settler arriving in Texas with a group of slaves. The large band of black enslaved men and women moved about without cares; they laughed and joke as they ate their biscuits. A man only identified as the entertainer of the group created comic relief when...

  4. Problems with Texas's Land Policy
    date 1839map TERRITORY, Territorytags Agriculture, Economy, Government, Law

    He strode up to Frances Sheridan looking utterly ridiculous. Dirty and unshaven, his tattered, mismatched clothes belied his purpose. Much to the surprise of Sheridan, this raggedy character, whom Sheridan took for a vagabond, tried to sell him land. The man took offense at Sheridan's disbelief, but continued to push the sale of his land. After further questioning, Sheridan learned that the land,...

  5. Dilue Harris's Experience in the Runaway Scrape
    date March, 1836map TERRITORY, Territorytags Health/Death, Migration/Transportation, War

    The Alamo had fallen and Sam Houston decided that it was time. On March 11, 1836, Houston ordered Texas families to retreat across the Colorado River in order to escape the Mexican army. Dilue Harris, a young white girl, packed up her belongings and left her home with her family. They began to encounter trouble when they attempted to cross the Trinity River. The water level of the river and the...

  6. A Scarcity of Goods
    date 1830map TERRITORY, Territorytags Agriculture, Economy, Migration/Transportation

    The low water level made the landing of ships near the mouth of the Brazos difficult. And, fortunately for William hunter, the ship that was lost to the sand bar (he could not remember the name of the ship) was not carrying his goods. However, the incident was instructive to Hunter, as he reported to his business associate James Perry (who resided in Missouri at the time), in that after the ship's...

  7. Perry's Detainment
    date 1831map TERRITORY, Territorytags Agriculture, Economy, Government, Politics, Migration/Transportation

    An unidentified man named Perry (likely a relative of James Perry) had finally arrived in Texas. As he is mentioned in a letter to James Perry, who had a number of business interests in Texas, it is probable that he was there in a role of some relation to James Perry's investments. Unfortunately for Perry, the winter of 1831 was the worst winter that Texas had experienced for several years. Upon...

  8. Moses Austin's Final Move
    date 1830map TERRITORY, Territorytags Church/Religious-Activity, Health/Death, Government, Law, Politics, Race-Relations

    Moses Austin had been dead nine years when his final move came about. The owners of the land where Austin and his wife were buried were apparently quite anxious to have their bodies moved off of the property, for reasons unknown today. Their son, Stephen Austin requested to a certain Bishop Rosatti (through his brother-in-law) that they be placed in a Catholic burying ground. It was noted to the...

  9. Mr. Brown and the Indians
    date January 13, 1831map TERRITORY, Territorytags Crime/Violence, Government, Politics, Migration/Transportation, Native-Americans, Race-Relations, War

    Mr. Brown's absence was a strain on the family that he left behind. Taking care of day-to-day business without a husband and father in the rough settlement of San Felipe de Austin was not an easy feat. The pressures upon the family increased as time went by, and the news of him they received after his absence spanned one month was not heartening. Brown was taking part in an exploration of the upper...

  10. Settlers and Slavery
    date January 2, 1830map TERRITORY, Territorytags African-Americans, Economy, Government, Politics, Race-Relations, Slavery

    The steamboat made it safely over the sand bar and arrived at the mouth of the Brazos River in Texas. Upon landing, William Hunter quickly composed a letter to his business associate James Perry to give tidings of his safe arrival. Hunter noted to Perry the presence of 30 Negroes on board and wrote of his plan to inquire of the owner, a settler from Alabama, about the means of their transport into...

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