Getting Around In Early-19th Century Texas

[24zulu]

Niche, I had a friend who passed away @ 2-3 years ago, who was a civil engineer all his life, and was fascinated with just what you're researching. I had earned him interviews with several of the old timers in Fort Bend County before they passed on. He had walked the old Thompson's Road, which lead to Thompson's Ferry, and across the Brazos into Sugarland. Part of the old road is still being used to go to Thompson's, but the obscure part is on private property, which slopes down to where the ferry was. This road was also a famous cattle route for several of the largest ranches driving cattle across the Brazos there at the ferry, and then onward through where BelAir is today, then all the way to Roundrock. They would join up there, and move North on the old Chisholm Trail. I knew Lightin' Autry, who rode as a cowboy on the last long drive to Kansas. He told us all about these things. There were many other old timers that I knew well - all passed on now. I'll check with my friend's wife, and see if they kept any of his historic road maps, and see if we can go over them. There are many historic, and obscure roads out there in Fort Bend County, but you'll have Hell gettin' access to see them, and also finding anyone extant that can help you really. The stories of these old roads are fascinating to me as well, from the cowboy perspective. They ( The old cowboys ) had different songs they would sing on different trails, or roads. So, if they were heading down the Line to work, they sang a song lead by Obediah ( Working cowboy ), then sang different songs for the return trip in the evening going home. They also had some pretty risque songs for the old road to Sandy Point, to visit the ladies of the night... etc. etc. etc. There's a ton of great history surrounding your topic, laced with a heavy layer of the romance of early Texas. I'll see what I can find, and get back to you.

Niche, I'm sorry to report that my friend's wife, and family had given all his work away, or threw it out. They really didn't appreciate these topics, and after his death, they didn't care about much. I did give it the old college try though. Have you contacted the archealogical society in Ft. Bend County? I'm sure they would have some valuable collections, and stories to relate as well. Good luck, and thanks for bringing this up, I'm really enjoying reading the posts.

[57Tbird]

Niche, I have a CD I just found while looking for something else. I purchased it about three years ago. It has lots of old maps and links that might be of interest to you. I have attached the label. If you would like to look at it, PM me and I will mail it to you. You may keep it as long as you need it (within reason). If anyone else here is interested, you can pass it along when you are through with it.

[Heights2Bastrop]

The following link is one that I use frequently when looking for maps of a historical nature. Hope it helps....

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/texas.html

I have referenced this site numerous times, and I spend hours pouring over old maps found there. The ones that would best fit this thread would be the Topographic Maps. They were created in specific years, the earliest I found being around 1898-99. Other series include the years around 1915, 1947, 1955, and on into more recent years.

Most of the maps cover the same area so that you can pull up the same area for different years and switch from one to the other to see how the roads changed over time.

Houston is divided into six main areas. The northwestern section is Houston Heights. The map to the east is Settegast, which includes downtown. You can find adjacent maps by looking at the border of the one you are viewing. In the center and in the right margin of the Heights map you will see “Settegast”. At the corners of the maps show the map areas diagonally from the one viewed.

[FilioScotia]

That brings to mind another one that I read about when I was researching the Neches River for my trip last December. There was a point in time when Mexico was concerned about illegal immigration coming across the River into their territories and so they attempted to set up a string of forts, the most notable of which was Fort Teran. It was situated along the Kisatchie Wold, a ridge that runs from Mississippi to the Rio Grande Valley and that posed a major barrier to north-south movement through east Texas. Indian trails ran along the ridge and used river valleys as among the few viable north-south crossing points, and over time those became increasingly used by white settlers. But after the abandonment of Fort Teran, nature so completely covered it up that the exact location of the fort is disputed. The article I linked to doesn't create that impression, but there are other sources that claim that the historical marker is in the wrong place. Needless to say, identifying the precise location of the old trail would prove difficult.

Hey Niche you may be interested in a website I've discovered. It's put together by an amateur historian in Tyler County in east Texas. It's a pretty comprehensive accumulation of Tyler County history, as you will see, but if you scroll down you'll find the results of his search for the site of Fort Teran, including some photographs.

Enjoy. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txtyler/misc/tyler_links.htm

[FilioScotia]

That brings to mind another one that I read about when I was researching the Neches River for my trip last December. There was a point in time when Mexico was concerned about illegal immigration coming across the River into their territories and so they attempted to set up a string of forts, the most notable of which was Fort Teran. It was situated along the Kisatchie Wold, a ridge that runs from Mississippi to the Rio Grande Valley and that posed a major barrier to north-south movement through east Texas. Indian trails ran along the ridge and used river valleys as among the few viable north-south crossing points, and over time those became increasingly used by white settlers. But after the abandonment of Fort Teran, nature so completely covered it up that the exact location of the fort is disputed. The article I linked to doesn't create that impression, but there are other sources that claim that the historical marker is in the wrong place. Needless to say, identifying the precise location of the old trail would prove difficult.

Hey Niche you may be interested in a website I've discovered. It's put together by an amateur historian in Tyler County in east Texas. It's a pretty comprehensive accumulation of Tyler County history, as you will see, but if you scroll down you'll find the results of his search for the site of Fort Teran, including some photographs.

Enjoy. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txtyler/misc/tyler_links.htm