This Day In Texas History - January 29

[joe817]

1842 - The Houston city fathers established the Port of Houston. And the following year the Congress of the Republic of Texas granted the city the right to remove obstructions and otherwise improve the Buffalo Bayou. After Texas entered the Union, free wharfage was given to boat owners who contracted to keep the channel clean.

1844 - President Sam Houston granted Charles Mercer a contract to settle 100 families a year for five years beginning on this date on a colony near present-day Dallas.

1861 - Following opening remarks the day before, the delegates to the Texas convention to consider secession voted overwhelmingly to secede from the Union on this date in 1861. Governor Sam Houston, who was opposed to the convention, was asked to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, which he refused. In March the Citizens of Texas will themselves vote to approve secession. Shortly thereafter, Governor Sam Houston is forced to resign, and a new government is installed in Texas. Throughout the Civil War, Texas provided much of the supplies for the Confederacy, until 1863 when the Union forces took control of the Mississippi River. Sam Houston returned to his home in Huntsville, where he lived out the remained of his life in peace.

1862 - Col. James M. Norris stationed at Camp Collier(located at Vaughan's Springs on Clear Creek in southwestern Brown County), assumed command of a new frontier regiment of rangers, called the Frontier Regiment commissioned by the Ninth Texas Legislature on December 21, 1861. The purpose of the legislative act was to protect the northern and western frontiers of Texas from Comanche and Kiowa Indian raids that were devastating frontier settlements in 1861. The Indian raiders were taking full advantage of the absence of many young men of fighting age that had been drawn out of the settlements at that time and into the Civil War. The eighteen settlements, commanded by nine ranger captains in the regiment, were intended to provide a cordon of protection on a line running from the Red River in North Texas to the Rio Grande at what is now Eagle Pass.

1881 - A company of Texas Rangers ambushed a group of fugitive Guadalupe Apaches at Hueco Tanks, thirty miles east of El Paso. Hueco, Spanish for "hollow," refers to the hollows in the rocks that collect rainwater, which has long been one of the chief attractions in this arid land; around 1860 the tanks were capable of holding a year's supply of water. Until about 1910 they furnished virtually the only water between the Pecos River and El Paso, and thus were a popular camping spot for Mescalero and Lipan Apache, Kiowa, Tigua, and various other Indians.

1891 - Sixteen years after the Plains Indians had been confined to reservations, several settlers near the site of present Wellington in Collingsworth County became convinced that hostile Indians were returning to their old lands. Mrs. Will Johnson brought her two children to Henry Stall's farm, where her husband and W. L. Huddleston were visiting, and told of hearing "bloodthirsty yells" and seeing smoke in the distance. Huddleston rode to Salisbury, where the depot agent wired for help, and the townspeople barricaded themselves wherever they could. Area ranchers sent out runners with news of an impending Indian raid, and panic spread as far west as Amarillo and as far south as Plainview and Floydada. In Clarendon, Henry W. Taylor's hardware store was picked clean of guns and ammunition. A company of Texas Rangers commanded by Capt. William J. McDonald traveled by rail to defend the "front line" in Collingsworth County. Once there, they discovered the cause of the yelling and smoke that Mrs. Johnson had reported. Apparently S. H. Vaughn, foreman of the Rocking Chair Ranch, had ordered his men to kill a steer for supper. They had fired several shots and, during preparations for cooking, had accidentally incinerated the carcass. Some settlers blamed Charles Goodnight and other ranchers for purposely spreading the scare in an effort to discourage further agricultural settlement. This became known as "The Great Panhandle Indian Scare".

1915, The Texas legislature accepted the provisions of the Smith-Lever Act(which instituted the Cooperative Extension Service passed by the U.S.Congress )and assigned the Texas Extension Service to Texas A&M for administration. These actions confirmed an existing system of agricultural extension.

[joe817]

Letters From The Past: In 1836 at this time, the Texicans were fighting for independence from Mexico. A very tumultuous time in our history. Below is a letter, written during this time, from Col. James W. Fannin to James W. Robinson(Governor of Texas):

"FANNIN to ROBINSON Aransas Bay 28th. Jany 1836 To/His Excellency James W Robinson Gent. Council of Texas I have the honor to inform you that, agreeable to the last Communication from Velasco- I sailed & arrived here safe some days or so after- but the wind being ahead Cannot go up until a change I have about 200 men-& 80 more waiting at Matagorda and am informed that since I left Brazos, the Liberty & four sails under convoy, with men & Munitions & Provisions &c had arrived there- and will be here tomorrow I have contracted for the Pilots to remain here to bring in all vessels ordered here, having the Texas private signal- We find from 7 to 12 feet water.

Rest assured that I will do all in my power to promote the public service, regardless of consequences- or of my own personal safety- It is rumored in New Orleans- and from Genl. Mexia, writes me, the report & his information stated that Santa Anna was in Matamoras I will not give an opinion- but simply suggest that if it be correct we may expect a vigorous onset- & speedily Will it not be prudent- nay is it not necessary to order out all the disposable force of Texas-from East North & South-to concentrate on Bejar, Goliad and Nueces &c and that forthwith If this is not done- you may not be supprised to hear of your officers being compelled to make,retrograde movements- if they do not suffer the most disasterous defeats- Aid them and the brave men, who are in the field- Do your duty as you have done, and you need not fear the consequences- "Westward- Ho," should not be the order of the day- and watch word by night

A Company at Galvaston & Matagorda to fortify the passes- is requisite- the ballance we need here- and West I recd. a few minutes before I sailed I read a letter from "Henry Smith", a copy of which I ordered made out- & forwd. to you- It was nearly equal to the one I referd to in my last- & from which I quoted- You will see from the back, that he reports an Express from Bejar, saying 2500 Mexicans were advancing to retake the Post- I suspect the Cause of this rumor- and will be gouverned by such orders, emenating, from such Persons, as may be above suspicion, as may be recd. at the Copeno-or Refugio-. I will make farther report from that point- and trusting that you will take my suggestions into consideration & act on them promptly- I am as ever, With High consideration Yr obt servt J W Fannin Jr Agt Provl. Govt On board sch Invincible [Addressed:] His Excellency James W. Robinson Govr. of Texas G Smith Genl. Council of Texas San Felipe.