|
Early colony holds first election
On this day in 1844, just nine days after reaching their new settlement,
Henri Castro, empresario of the Republic of Texas, and his first
thirty-five colonists held an election to choose two justices of the
peace, a constable, and the settlement's name, Castroville. Henri
Castro, a learned, wise, and humane man, received contracts for two
grants of land on which he was to establish 600 families. In the
management of his colonies, he is more comparable to Stephen F. Austin
than any other Texas empresario. He had an unbounded faith in the
capacity of intelligent men for self-government. During Castro's
colony's first year the population grew to 2,134. Although the colony
suffered from Indian depredations, cholera, and the drought of 1848, the
population increased sufficiently for the formation of Medina County in
1848.
- Links to Related Handbook of Texas Online Articles
- CASTRO'S COLONY
- CASTRO, HENRI
- CASTROVILLE, TX
- EMPRESARIO
- Other Texas Day by Day Articles for This Date
- Country singer born in country town (1909)
- First producing oil well in Texas comes in (1866)
|
