Peters Colony
The officials of the Peters Colony made a contract with the Republic of Texas in 1841 to bring six hundred families into the land that was designated for the colony by 1848.
After three contracts, the land area started just east of McKinney, went south to include most of Dallas County and parts of Johnson and Ellis Counties. It extended west to include most of Denton and Cooke counties and half of Tarrant County.
The headquarters for the company was in St. Louis, Missouri, with the local representative, Oliver Hedgcoxe, having his office at the area known today as The Colony.
The settlers who took advantage of the Peters Colony’s offer of free land were mostly from Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
Many families moved to the Peters Colony, but not the required six hundred families. The Peters Colony was considered a failure for that reason.
After three contracts, the land area started just east of McKinney, went south to include most of Dallas County and parts of Johnson and Ellis Counties. It extended west to include most of Denton and Cooke counties and half of Tarrant County.
The headquarters for the company was in St. Louis, Missouri, with the local representative, Oliver Hedgcoxe, having his office at the area known today as The Colony.
The settlers who took advantage of the Peters Colony’s offer of free land were mostly from Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
Many families moved to the Peters Colony, but not the required six hundred families. The Peters Colony was considered a failure for that reason.
THE PETERS COLONY
by Joy Gough
Having grown up in one of the original thirteen colonies, I did not realize until I came to Texas that the word “colony” has two very different meanings. To me a colony is a settlement of people who emigrated from another place, such as England. The thirteen colonies were such settlements. The people came to the New World and created the colonies.
In Texas the colony was created before the people came. A Texas colony was an immigration company trying to get people to move to a specific piece of previously unsettled land. Texas had several of these colonies. The one that involved North Texas was the Peters Colony.
When I first heard of the Peters Colony, I was not interested in it. After all, I thought, there were no “colonies” anywhere near Texas. Surely the Peters Colony does not apply to this area. In fact, the Peters Colony was responsible for settling much of North Texas.
When Texas broke from Mexico and became a republic in 1836, its first priorities were writing a Constitution and establishing its own policies. In the Constitution of 1836, all heads of households living in Texas at the time of Texas’ Independence Day (March 2, 1836), except Negroes and Indians, were declared citizens of the Republic of Texas and were given the rights to one league and one labor of land (4605.5 acres). Veterans of the Texas Revolution were also given a league and a labor of land. These Headrights granted settlers the rights to the land, but they did not designate where the land was located. The settlers could decide where in Texas they wanted to locate their headrights. Many times they divided their acreage, with one portion being farm land for crops, another being forest land for hunting and timber, and maybe a third was prairie land for raising cattle. Since Texas’ western borders were not clearly defined, some of the Texas headrights were actually located in present-day Oklahoma, and maybe Colorado and New Mexico.
During the days of the Republic, present-day Collin and Grayson Counties and points west were part of Fannin County; Dallas and Tarrant Counties were part of Nacogdoches County; and Johnson and Ellis Counties were part of Robertson County.
The new government of the Republic of Texas assumed responsibility for its public domain lands. It nullified the existing Mexican land laws and abolished all of the land offices, firing the agents and the commissioners. On February 4, 1841, the Republic signed a land bill that included both the British and the Spanish systems of land grants. It authorized the President of the Republic to enter into empresario contracts to establish colonies. This type of colony system was Spanish in origin. The Spanish sold land to empresarios, who sold land to individuals and received large land “premiums” for their efforts. The British sold land to individuals. In other parts of the Republic, people bought land from the government.
Twenty people petitioned the Republic of Texas to establish a colony in Texas. They included William S. Peters, his sons – William C. Peters, John Peters, Henry J. Peters – and his son-in-law, Samuel Browning. William S. Peters was an Englishman by birth. He and his sons lived in Louisville, Kentucky. The sons were musicians and owned music stores in Louisville and other towns in the area. Samuel Browning was the only one to move to Texas. The colony was named the Peters Colony. In this instance, “the colony” was a company, whose purpose was to entice settlers to immigrate to the Republic.
From February of 1841 to July 1842 there were three contracts between the Republic of Texas and the Peters Colony company with each additional contract increasing the size of the land area and also increasing the demands on the Colony administrators.
The First Contract for the Peters Colony was signed on August 30, 1841. The company were contracted to bring in six hundred (600) heads of households in a three-year period. A head of household was defined as a father, a widow, or a single man.
The land designated for the colony extended from the Red River to the bottom of present-day Collin County, west about 20 miles, and then back up to the Red River. It consisted of the western half of present-day Grayson county and a sliver on the west side of present-day Collin County and the eastern halves of present-day Denton and Cooke Counties. At that time all of the land was in Fannin County.
Every family that immigrated was entitled to receive 640 acres (a section or a square mile) and every single man, 320 acres (a half section). In order to qualify for the grant, the immigrants had to reside on the land for three years, to cultivate at least ten acres, to have the land surveyed and plainly marked, to take an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Texas, and to procure from the chief justice of the county a certificate signed by two reliable witnesses, stating the terms of the law had been fulfilled.
The settlers were to be given full and absolute title to the land provided they “shall have built a good and comfortable Cabin upon it, and shall keep in Cultivation under good fence, at least 15 acres on this tract.”
The company would get a land premium of ten (10) sections for every one hundred families and five sections of land for every one hundred single men that moved into the colony. The land premiums were to be selected within the limits of the colony and no land was to be granted for a fractional portion of the settlers. The Republic further agreed to give each individual settlement within the colony a section of land to be used to aid the settlers “in the erection of buildings for religious public worship.” It was further agreed that the company would introduce at least 200 of the 600 families within a year, 400 within two years and the remainder in the third year. If these time limits were not fulfilled the contractors were to forfeit their rights. A final clause provided that the emigrants introduced be of good moral character. If the company fulfilled the terms of the contract, it could have received as much as sixty square miles, or sixty sections, of land in the Peters Colony.
By the end of the Third Contract in July of 1842, the number of immigrants was increased to eight hundred, and the land area had almost doubled in size to include half of Collin and Grayson Counties, most of Dallas County and part of Ellis County -on the East- and half of Tarrant and Cooke Counties, most of Denton County and part of Johnson County - on the West. Also every alternate section of land was to be reserved for the Republic of Texas.
The Peters family and some new associates organized the Texas Agricultural, Commercial and Manufacturing Company to manage the Peters Colony, with Horace Burnham as agent.
The Fourth Contract, signed on October 3, 1842, changed everything. The time period to bring in eight-hundred families was extended to five years. The western boundary was extended to include land in Throckmorton County sixty miles west of Wichita Falls. The colony was one hundred miles long and one hundred and sixty four miles wide. The terms of the contracts were changed so that the title to the property was not given to the settler. It was kept by the agent of the land company, who could give the settler any portion of his 640 acres, not to be less than 160 acres. This change is what precipitated the Hedgcoxe War.
by Joy Gough
Having grown up in one of the original thirteen colonies, I did not realize until I came to Texas that the word “colony” has two very different meanings. To me a colony is a settlement of people who emigrated from another place, such as England. The thirteen colonies were such settlements. The people came to the New World and created the colonies.
In Texas the colony was created before the people came. A Texas colony was an immigration company trying to get people to move to a specific piece of previously unsettled land. Texas had several of these colonies. The one that involved North Texas was the Peters Colony.
When I first heard of the Peters Colony, I was not interested in it. After all, I thought, there were no “colonies” anywhere near Texas. Surely the Peters Colony does not apply to this area. In fact, the Peters Colony was responsible for settling much of North Texas.
When Texas broke from Mexico and became a republic in 1836, its first priorities were writing a Constitution and establishing its own policies. In the Constitution of 1836, all heads of households living in Texas at the time of Texas’ Independence Day (March 2, 1836), except Negroes and Indians, were declared citizens of the Republic of Texas and were given the rights to one league and one labor of land (4605.5 acres). Veterans of the Texas Revolution were also given a league and a labor of land. These Headrights granted settlers the rights to the land, but they did not designate where the land was located. The settlers could decide where in Texas they wanted to locate their headrights. Many times they divided their acreage, with one portion being farm land for crops, another being forest land for hunting and timber, and maybe a third was prairie land for raising cattle. Since Texas’ western borders were not clearly defined, some of the Texas headrights were actually located in present-day Oklahoma, and maybe Colorado and New Mexico.
During the days of the Republic, present-day Collin and Grayson Counties and points west were part of Fannin County; Dallas and Tarrant Counties were part of Nacogdoches County; and Johnson and Ellis Counties were part of Robertson County.
The new government of the Republic of Texas assumed responsibility for its public domain lands. It nullified the existing Mexican land laws and abolished all of the land offices, firing the agents and the commissioners. On February 4, 1841, the Republic signed a land bill that included both the British and the Spanish systems of land grants. It authorized the President of the Republic to enter into empresario contracts to establish colonies. This type of colony system was Spanish in origin. The Spanish sold land to empresarios, who sold land to individuals and received large land “premiums” for their efforts. The British sold land to individuals. In other parts of the Republic, people bought land from the government.
Twenty people petitioned the Republic of Texas to establish a colony in Texas. They included William S. Peters, his sons – William C. Peters, John Peters, Henry J. Peters – and his son-in-law, Samuel Browning. William S. Peters was an Englishman by birth. He and his sons lived in Louisville, Kentucky. The sons were musicians and owned music stores in Louisville and other towns in the area. Samuel Browning was the only one to move to Texas. The colony was named the Peters Colony. In this instance, “the colony” was a company, whose purpose was to entice settlers to immigrate to the Republic.
From February of 1841 to July 1842 there were three contracts between the Republic of Texas and the Peters Colony company with each additional contract increasing the size of the land area and also increasing the demands on the Colony administrators.
The First Contract for the Peters Colony was signed on August 30, 1841. The company were contracted to bring in six hundred (600) heads of households in a three-year period. A head of household was defined as a father, a widow, or a single man.
The land designated for the colony extended from the Red River to the bottom of present-day Collin County, west about 20 miles, and then back up to the Red River. It consisted of the western half of present-day Grayson county and a sliver on the west side of present-day Collin County and the eastern halves of present-day Denton and Cooke Counties. At that time all of the land was in Fannin County.
Every family that immigrated was entitled to receive 640 acres (a section or a square mile) and every single man, 320 acres (a half section). In order to qualify for the grant, the immigrants had to reside on the land for three years, to cultivate at least ten acres, to have the land surveyed and plainly marked, to take an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Texas, and to procure from the chief justice of the county a certificate signed by two reliable witnesses, stating the terms of the law had been fulfilled.
The settlers were to be given full and absolute title to the land provided they “shall have built a good and comfortable Cabin upon it, and shall keep in Cultivation under good fence, at least 15 acres on this tract.”
The company would get a land premium of ten (10) sections for every one hundred families and five sections of land for every one hundred single men that moved into the colony. The land premiums were to be selected within the limits of the colony and no land was to be granted for a fractional portion of the settlers. The Republic further agreed to give each individual settlement within the colony a section of land to be used to aid the settlers “in the erection of buildings for religious public worship.” It was further agreed that the company would introduce at least 200 of the 600 families within a year, 400 within two years and the remainder in the third year. If these time limits were not fulfilled the contractors were to forfeit their rights. A final clause provided that the emigrants introduced be of good moral character. If the company fulfilled the terms of the contract, it could have received as much as sixty square miles, or sixty sections, of land in the Peters Colony.
By the end of the Third Contract in July of 1842, the number of immigrants was increased to eight hundred, and the land area had almost doubled in size to include half of Collin and Grayson Counties, most of Dallas County and part of Ellis County -on the East- and half of Tarrant and Cooke Counties, most of Denton County and part of Johnson County - on the West. Also every alternate section of land was to be reserved for the Republic of Texas.
The Peters family and some new associates organized the Texas Agricultural, Commercial and Manufacturing Company to manage the Peters Colony, with Horace Burnham as agent.
The Fourth Contract, signed on October 3, 1842, changed everything. The time period to bring in eight-hundred families was extended to five years. The western boundary was extended to include land in Throckmorton County sixty miles west of Wichita Falls. The colony was one hundred miles long and one hundred and sixty four miles wide. The terms of the contracts were changed so that the title to the property was not given to the settler. It was kept by the agent of the land company, who could give the settler any portion of his 640 acres, not to be less than 160 acres. This change is what precipitated the Hedgcoxe War.
This is the text of the actual flyer used to advertise the Peters Colony. Spin doctors existed 150 years ago.
EMIGRATION TO THE TRINITY AND RED RIVER COLONY, TEXAS
The parties to the contract made with the Government of the Republic of Texas, under the special acts and authority of the Congress, passed the 4th of February, 1841, and January 16th, 1843, with Peters and others, for the purpose of colonizing the vacant and unappropriated lands of the Republic, having formed themselves into an association called ‘The Texas Emigration and Land Company,’ appointed the undersigned as Trustees, and invested them with full power and authority to carry out and fulfil the objects and purposes of the parties thereto:– We would therefore give notice to those who may wish to avail themselves of the liberal terms offered by this Company, to settlers in their colony, that we shall give to emigrants who shall go to the grand and settle thereon, on or before the first of July 1847, the following amount of lands, to wit: to each family 320 acres, and to each single man over seventeen years of age 160 acres of land, to be selected by themselves from our surveyed and unlocated lands, upon the following conditions, viz: before going thereon, each family shall remit to us $20; and each single man $10, to pay us for the cost of the surveys of the lands upon which they shall settle, upon the receipt of which, we shall issue to all thus remitting to us, a certificate, which when presented to our agent in the grant will entitle the parties holding the same to their lands, or if the above amount is promptly paid to our agent on arriving at the Colony: provided they comply with the contract, which requires each family or single man to build a cabin, fence in and cultivate 15 acres of land for three years, and be citizens of Texas for that period, when this Company or the Government of Texas will convey a clear and undisputed title, upon the simple payment of the cost of the deed and record thereof. To all those who may go on to our grant and settle according to our contract, but do not remit us the money for the surveys before emigrating, we will give to each such family 240 acres, and to each single man, over 17 years of age, 120 acres of land; the families executing their notes to our resident agent for $15, and the single many for $7.50, for the cost of the surveys, payable 12 months after the date, with interest to maturity of note–the certificate in such case will be issued by our agent.
By a family is to be understood, a man and his wife, with or without children, a widow or widower, with two or more children under the age of seventeen years; or if all girls they may be over the age of seventeen years, also two men over the age of seventeen years– males over seventeen years of age shall each be entitled to 160 acres of land, if the surveys be paid here before emigrating, or 120 acres if paid by note after settling on the grant, besides the 320 acres given to the family of which they are members.
For the information of those not acquainted with the very great advantages of ettling in this beautiful country we would respectfully represent, that our colony is now becoming rapidly settled by an intelligent, industrious, and desirable population, and we are advised that such large numbers are now preparing to go there, that there can be no doubt but it will become in a very short time, the most populous and valuable part of Texas.
Our grant lies between the 32nd and 34th degrees of north latitude, and between the 19th and 22nd degrees of longitude west from Washington, in the rich counties of Fannin, Nacogdoches, Robertson, and Milam, beginning at a point on the south side of Red River, 12 miles east of the mouth of the False Ouchita river, running thence due south 100 miles, then west 164 miles, thence north 100 miles to Red River, thence east down the meanderings of Red River 164 miles to the beginning.
We have now in our possession letters from gentlemen of the highest standing and intelligence, and from the colonists themselves, declaring that this country contains, for its territory, the largest body of the richest and most fertile lands of any in North America; and that no country is more abundantly watered by rivers, creeks, rivulets, and springs of the purest and most wholesome water.
The lands generally have a gently undulating surface, and are so well proportioned with woodland and prairie, that nearly every settler may have woodland enough for all the purposes of fuel, fencing, and agriculture, and rich prairie enough to relieve him of the tedious, expensive, and laborious work of clearing a plantation, it requiring only to be fenced in, to be ready for cultivation.
The rich river bottoms and splendid prairies cannot be surpassed by any lands on this continent for richness, and the luxuriant production of all the great staple articles grown in this country, with as little labor to the cultivator.
This country is peculiarly adapted to the growth of tobacco and cotton, as there are no early frosts to destroy the crops. Indian corn, rye, barley, oats, peas, beans, melons, figs, sweet and Irish potatoes, hemp, fruits and grapes of the very finest kind, are produced in great abundance. It is not surpassed by any part of the world for its abundant produce of the finest wheat, and grasses of various kinds; the prairies abound in an ample range of wild nutritious pasturage, affording the greatest facility for rearing cattle at the very cheapest rates. Horses, cattle, sheep and hogs all thrive there with the usual care and attention.
The timber is composed principally of red, white, post, and Spanish oak, cotton wood, elm, ash, and black walnut.
The climate, is mile and beautiful, and for health and pleasure, is not surpassed by any in the world, and in this respect may be termed the Italy of America–the thermometer ranging from 30 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the year, the winters are mild and the summer months are relieved of their heat by a constant breeze which plays over the country.
The planting season begins in February and March, and continues until July, but as the early crops are more certain and productive, those tending to go on there would do best to do so during the next Fall, Winter, that they may locate and be prepared to put in an early crop. We would advise every one to take with them all such needed articles, which can be done without too much inconvenience or trouble and every male over 17 years of age should take with him a rifle or gun, with plenty of ammunition, by which he will be enabled to hunt an abundance of wold game, for the mere trouble of shooting it and cost of ammunition, as the country abounds in buffalo, deer, wild turkey, prairie hens, quails, and grey squirrels.
The Trinity river empties into Galveston Bay at Galveston, and the Red River into the Mississippi river above New Orleans, and are navigable to our grant, which will afford a cheap conveyance to the markets of the country.
Emigrants going to our grant, from the States of Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, and the northern parts of Illinois and Indiana, should go through Missouri or Arkansas to Van Buren, Fort Smith, Fort Towson, Coffee’s Station, or Pine Bluffs on Red River, and thence to the settlements. The land route through Missouri and Arkansas, is more expeditious, certain, and cheaper than the water route, unless Red River known to be high. Those wishing to go by water, should, if Red River is known to be up, go on to New Orleans and there take a Red River boat to Fort Towson, or Pine Bluffs. It is often the case that Red River is in a moderate stage, and that boats can easily go to Shreveport, Port Caddo or Jefferson, and not higher; persons should therefore to prepared to go on from Shreveport, Port Caddo or Jefferson, by land to our grant. Mr. George M. Nichols, a Merchant of Shreveport, will give Emigrants all necessary information as to the cheapest and best route to our Grant from that place at the time of arrival there.
We have heard from respectable sources, that many emigrants have returned who have gone up to Shreveport and other points on Red River being discouraged by the circulation there of reports prejudicial to the interests of this company and our grant; alleging that we cannot give land, and that if we could do so that they are miserable poor; to those who have such tales told them we would say, go on and see yourselves. The country for some distance between Shreveport and grant is not desirable, but as you approach our settlements of the country totally changed as it regards the soil, woodland, water, and indeed is different in all respects.
Heads of families or single men may go on and send an agent to country to select and locate their lands, build the cabins, and make fences before removing, provided they are on the rant as citizens of Texas on or before the 1st of July, 1847, to be reported to the government as emigrants and colonists under the contract.
When 20 families or more shall go on and settle, and ___ their lands surveyed within themselves, we shall allow them to do so provided they are correctly done under the supervision of our agent and our chief surveyor.
We have now at Dallas and the Forks of The Trinity an ___ resident agent, Mr. Henry O Hedgecoxe, who will at all times be prepared to receive and locate to their satisfaction all who may go on to settle.
From the vast amount of Lands to be surveyed we shall require a number of surveyors. We would therefore invite competent surveyors to go and given them constant employment for two years to come.
All communications, post paid, addressed to the undersigned, trustees, at Louisville, Ky., or to either of them, on business of the company, shall meet with prompt attention.
WILLIS STEWART,
JOHN J. SMITH
WM. C. PETERS Trustees of the Texas Emigration Land Company
Louisville, August 1846.
EMIGRATION TO THE TRINITY AND RED RIVER COLONY, TEXAS
The parties to the contract made with the Government of the Republic of Texas, under the special acts and authority of the Congress, passed the 4th of February, 1841, and January 16th, 1843, with Peters and others, for the purpose of colonizing the vacant and unappropriated lands of the Republic, having formed themselves into an association called ‘The Texas Emigration and Land Company,’ appointed the undersigned as Trustees, and invested them with full power and authority to carry out and fulfil the objects and purposes of the parties thereto:– We would therefore give notice to those who may wish to avail themselves of the liberal terms offered by this Company, to settlers in their colony, that we shall give to emigrants who shall go to the grand and settle thereon, on or before the first of July 1847, the following amount of lands, to wit: to each family 320 acres, and to each single man over seventeen years of age 160 acres of land, to be selected by themselves from our surveyed and unlocated lands, upon the following conditions, viz: before going thereon, each family shall remit to us $20; and each single man $10, to pay us for the cost of the surveys of the lands upon which they shall settle, upon the receipt of which, we shall issue to all thus remitting to us, a certificate, which when presented to our agent in the grant will entitle the parties holding the same to their lands, or if the above amount is promptly paid to our agent on arriving at the Colony: provided they comply with the contract, which requires each family or single man to build a cabin, fence in and cultivate 15 acres of land for three years, and be citizens of Texas for that period, when this Company or the Government of Texas will convey a clear and undisputed title, upon the simple payment of the cost of the deed and record thereof. To all those who may go on to our grant and settle according to our contract, but do not remit us the money for the surveys before emigrating, we will give to each such family 240 acres, and to each single man, over 17 years of age, 120 acres of land; the families executing their notes to our resident agent for $15, and the single many for $7.50, for the cost of the surveys, payable 12 months after the date, with interest to maturity of note–the certificate in such case will be issued by our agent.
By a family is to be understood, a man and his wife, with or without children, a widow or widower, with two or more children under the age of seventeen years; or if all girls they may be over the age of seventeen years, also two men over the age of seventeen years– males over seventeen years of age shall each be entitled to 160 acres of land, if the surveys be paid here before emigrating, or 120 acres if paid by note after settling on the grant, besides the 320 acres given to the family of which they are members.
For the information of those not acquainted with the very great advantages of ettling in this beautiful country we would respectfully represent, that our colony is now becoming rapidly settled by an intelligent, industrious, and desirable population, and we are advised that such large numbers are now preparing to go there, that there can be no doubt but it will become in a very short time, the most populous and valuable part of Texas.
Our grant lies between the 32nd and 34th degrees of north latitude, and between the 19th and 22nd degrees of longitude west from Washington, in the rich counties of Fannin, Nacogdoches, Robertson, and Milam, beginning at a point on the south side of Red River, 12 miles east of the mouth of the False Ouchita river, running thence due south 100 miles, then west 164 miles, thence north 100 miles to Red River, thence east down the meanderings of Red River 164 miles to the beginning.
We have now in our possession letters from gentlemen of the highest standing and intelligence, and from the colonists themselves, declaring that this country contains, for its territory, the largest body of the richest and most fertile lands of any in North America; and that no country is more abundantly watered by rivers, creeks, rivulets, and springs of the purest and most wholesome water.
The lands generally have a gently undulating surface, and are so well proportioned with woodland and prairie, that nearly every settler may have woodland enough for all the purposes of fuel, fencing, and agriculture, and rich prairie enough to relieve him of the tedious, expensive, and laborious work of clearing a plantation, it requiring only to be fenced in, to be ready for cultivation.
The rich river bottoms and splendid prairies cannot be surpassed by any lands on this continent for richness, and the luxuriant production of all the great staple articles grown in this country, with as little labor to the cultivator.
This country is peculiarly adapted to the growth of tobacco and cotton, as there are no early frosts to destroy the crops. Indian corn, rye, barley, oats, peas, beans, melons, figs, sweet and Irish potatoes, hemp, fruits and grapes of the very finest kind, are produced in great abundance. It is not surpassed by any part of the world for its abundant produce of the finest wheat, and grasses of various kinds; the prairies abound in an ample range of wild nutritious pasturage, affording the greatest facility for rearing cattle at the very cheapest rates. Horses, cattle, sheep and hogs all thrive there with the usual care and attention.
The timber is composed principally of red, white, post, and Spanish oak, cotton wood, elm, ash, and black walnut.
The climate, is mile and beautiful, and for health and pleasure, is not surpassed by any in the world, and in this respect may be termed the Italy of America–the thermometer ranging from 30 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the year, the winters are mild and the summer months are relieved of their heat by a constant breeze which plays over the country.
The planting season begins in February and March, and continues until July, but as the early crops are more certain and productive, those tending to go on there would do best to do so during the next Fall, Winter, that they may locate and be prepared to put in an early crop. We would advise every one to take with them all such needed articles, which can be done without too much inconvenience or trouble and every male over 17 years of age should take with him a rifle or gun, with plenty of ammunition, by which he will be enabled to hunt an abundance of wold game, for the mere trouble of shooting it and cost of ammunition, as the country abounds in buffalo, deer, wild turkey, prairie hens, quails, and grey squirrels.
The Trinity river empties into Galveston Bay at Galveston, and the Red River into the Mississippi river above New Orleans, and are navigable to our grant, which will afford a cheap conveyance to the markets of the country.
Emigrants going to our grant, from the States of Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, and the northern parts of Illinois and Indiana, should go through Missouri or Arkansas to Van Buren, Fort Smith, Fort Towson, Coffee’s Station, or Pine Bluffs on Red River, and thence to the settlements. The land route through Missouri and Arkansas, is more expeditious, certain, and cheaper than the water route, unless Red River known to be high. Those wishing to go by water, should, if Red River is known to be up, go on to New Orleans and there take a Red River boat to Fort Towson, or Pine Bluffs. It is often the case that Red River is in a moderate stage, and that boats can easily go to Shreveport, Port Caddo or Jefferson, and not higher; persons should therefore to prepared to go on from Shreveport, Port Caddo or Jefferson, by land to our grant. Mr. George M. Nichols, a Merchant of Shreveport, will give Emigrants all necessary information as to the cheapest and best route to our Grant from that place at the time of arrival there.
We have heard from respectable sources, that many emigrants have returned who have gone up to Shreveport and other points on Red River being discouraged by the circulation there of reports prejudicial to the interests of this company and our grant; alleging that we cannot give land, and that if we could do so that they are miserable poor; to those who have such tales told them we would say, go on and see yourselves. The country for some distance between Shreveport and grant is not desirable, but as you approach our settlements of the country totally changed as it regards the soil, woodland, water, and indeed is different in all respects.
Heads of families or single men may go on and send an agent to country to select and locate their lands, build the cabins, and make fences before removing, provided they are on the rant as citizens of Texas on or before the 1st of July, 1847, to be reported to the government as emigrants and colonists under the contract.
When 20 families or more shall go on and settle, and ___ their lands surveyed within themselves, we shall allow them to do so provided they are correctly done under the supervision of our agent and our chief surveyor.
We have now at Dallas and the Forks of The Trinity an ___ resident agent, Mr. Henry O Hedgecoxe, who will at all times be prepared to receive and locate to their satisfaction all who may go on to settle.
From the vast amount of Lands to be surveyed we shall require a number of surveyors. We would therefore invite competent surveyors to go and given them constant employment for two years to come.
All communications, post paid, addressed to the undersigned, trustees, at Louisville, Ky., or to either of them, on business of the company, shall meet with prompt attention.
WILLIS STEWART,
JOHN J. SMITH
WM. C. PETERS Trustees of the Texas Emigration Land Company
Louisville, August 1846.
