Ebenezer Allen
EBENEZER ALLEN
Ebenezer Allen was born in Newport, New Hampshire on April 8, 1804. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1826 and moved to Orono, Maine where he married Sylvina Morse in 1833. He migrated to Texas in the 1830's.
Historical marker application for the city of Allen
"Though the man for whom the town [of Allen] is named never lived here, Ebenezer Allen is an important ... character in the story of Texas and is, therefore, an important figure to the city as well. Mister Allen came to Clarksville, Texas, in 1839 from Maine with his wife and four children and established a law practice. In 1844 he was elected Attorney General for the Republic of Texas and served in that capacity when Texas was annexed to the United States. As Attorney General, ‘he drew up all the legal papers in connection with the Annexation of Texas in to the Union.’ (Clarksville Times, February 13, 1959) In 1846 he moved to Galveston. And in 1850 he became the first man "elected" as attorney general for the state of Texas, the previous four having been appointed.
"On March 11, 1848 Mr. Allen was awarded a Charter by the state to build a railroad. In his attempts to build it he was met with contempt and ridicule. These people believed that the first railroad in Texas (and the only railroad in Texas at that time), the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railroad, amply served the needs of the state. Unable to get state funding for the project he fired all the original board members and replaced them with men of wealth and property. (Reed, History of Texas Railroads) With their help he was able to get his initial funding and work began on Texas’ second railroad in 1853. At the outbreak of the civil war in 1861, 80 miles of track had been laid northward out of Houston at which time work on the railroad had ceased. During the civil war, Allen was involved in the torpedo industry for The Confederacy and died of apoplexy in a Richmond, Virginia restaurant on November 20th, 1863. (The Northern Standard, December 5, 1863.)"
Ebenezer Allen was born in Newport, New Hampshire on April 8, 1804. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1826 and moved to Orono, Maine where he married Sylvina Morse in 1833. He migrated to Texas in the 1830's.
Historical marker application for the city of Allen
"Though the man for whom the town [of Allen] is named never lived here, Ebenezer Allen is an important ... character in the story of Texas and is, therefore, an important figure to the city as well. Mister Allen came to Clarksville, Texas, in 1839 from Maine with his wife and four children and established a law practice. In 1844 he was elected Attorney General for the Republic of Texas and served in that capacity when Texas was annexed to the United States. As Attorney General, ‘he drew up all the legal papers in connection with the Annexation of Texas in to the Union.’ (Clarksville Times, February 13, 1959) In 1846 he moved to Galveston. And in 1850 he became the first man "elected" as attorney general for the state of Texas, the previous four having been appointed.
"On March 11, 1848 Mr. Allen was awarded a Charter by the state to build a railroad. In his attempts to build it he was met with contempt and ridicule. These people believed that the first railroad in Texas (and the only railroad in Texas at that time), the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railroad, amply served the needs of the state. Unable to get state funding for the project he fired all the original board members and replaced them with men of wealth and property. (Reed, History of Texas Railroads) With their help he was able to get his initial funding and work began on Texas’ second railroad in 1853. At the outbreak of the civil war in 1861, 80 miles of track had been laid northward out of Houston at which time work on the railroad had ceased. During the civil war, Allen was involved in the torpedo industry for The Confederacy and died of apoplexy in a Richmond, Virginia restaurant on November 20th, 1863. (The Northern Standard, December 5, 1863.)"