This Day In Texas History - July 31

[joe817]

1817 - Pirate Louis Michel Aury resigned his Mexican commission to rule Galveston Island. Aury, born in Paris about 1788, served in the French navy and on French privateers from 1802 or 1803 until 1810, when he became master of his own vessels, which cruised the Caribbean in search of prizes. He joined a group of New Orleans associates who were planning a Mexican revolt against Spain in 1816. Rebel envoy José Manuel de Herrera proclaimed Galveston a port of the Mexican republic, made Aury resident commissioner, and raised the rebel flag on September 13 of that year. Henry Perry, who commanded troops sent by the New Orleans associates for the invasion of Texas, refused obedience to Aury, who also initially refused to cooperate with Francisco Xavier Mina, leader of a filibustering expedition that reached Galveston in November. In the spring of 1817, while Aury was convoying Mina's forces to the Santander River, Jean Laffite seized the opportunity to undermine the skeleton "government" left behind.

1835 - On July 31, 1835, William B. Travis wrote James Bowie that Texans were divided and that the Peace Party appeared the stronger. Travis was a leader of the War Party. Bowie had hired Travis as early as 1833 in San Felipe to prepare land papers, and in June 1834 Travis represented Bowie and Isaac Donoho in a case filed by Francis W. Johnson. Travis also did legal work for Bowie's friend Jesse Clifft, a blacksmith who is often credited with making the first Bowie knife.

1845 – The present-day community of Corpus Christi was started when US General Zachary Taylor landed troops on Corpus Christi to form a base camp during the Mexican War.

1867 - Fort Griffin was established on the Brazos River in Shackelford County when four companies of the 6th U.S. Cavalry arrived at the site.

1891 - The Lubbock Leader began publication. It was the town's first newspaper.

1964 - On this date in 1964, Galloway, Texas born, Gentleman Jim Reeves died when the small plane he was piloting crashed near Nashville. Also deceased in the accident was Reeves' piano player, Dean Manuel. Reeves appear on "The Louisiana Hayride" in 1953, and became a regular on "The Grand Ole Opry" beginning in 1955. His legendary mellow baritone voice produced such hits as "Four Walls", "He'll Have to Go". In 1967, he was admitted to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

1965 - Tarrant County Junior College was founded. The South Campus opened in 1967, a Northeast Campus at Hurst in 1968, a Northwest Campus on the north edge of Marine Creek Lake in 1975, and a fourth campus in Arlington in 1996.