[According to a statement made by Asa Hoxey, president of the Washington Company, in a communication addressed to the commissioners to locate the seat of government and dated November 15, 1837, Washington “was laid out as a Town in the spring of 1835.” 295 The following documents, taken from the Texas Archives, give an account of the organization of the municipality, in July, 1835. The jurisdiction of Washington was erected into a county by the constitution adopted in March, 1836.—E. W. Winkler.]
To his Excellency James B Miller
Your petitioners respectfully represent—that during the last year they did Petition the Auyto of the Jurisdiction of Austin to be Sepperated from said Jurisdiction and to be organised, and to form a New Jurisdiction to be called the Jurisdiction of Washington Said Petitioners set forth the limits of the said Jurisdiction and the place of holding the Corts, &c. All of which was approved of and acted upon by said Ayuto and recommended through the proper channells to the Congress of the State for its action (as the Constitution and Laws provide) but owing to some cause unknown to your petitioners the application (documents) &c was not recd by the Congress in time to be acted upon
Your petitioners being aware of the disorganised condition of the Government of the State and of the disorder with which it is surrounded and thereby of the uncertainty of its reorganiseation, deem it expedient to organise the said New Jurisdiction without any further delay. Your Petitioners being also aware of the extraordinary powers confered upon your Excellency pray that you order an organiseation of said Jurisdiction immediately and thereby preserve order and union amongst the Inhabitants 2nd. day of July 1835
Jno P Coles Francis G Clampitt (?)
James Whiteside John W. Conner
Shubael Marsh W A Hall
John J. Wyche J J Allcorn (?)
Epps D. Payne E. D Jackson
Asa Hoxey F. (?) Soop
John Newell (?) Wm. W. Hill
James Clark Wm Lewis (?)
Baldon Robinson Ashby R Stevens (?)
M. Cummins T G Evitt (?)
J. G. Wilkinson James Moore
William W Hawkins J. B. Chanie (?)
Jesse B. Atkinson Elijah Allcorn
John H. Allcorn G W Barnett
John P. Tompson John F Guthrie
James G. Swisher W. E. Allcorn
John Grahams T Chambers
Jacob Gross D T A Thomson
Isaac Thomas Alfred M. Cooper
Isaac H (?) Hawkins Horatio Chriesman
Joshua Graham Stephen R Roberts
Thos G (?) Allen Hiram Beales
William H. Miller Thomas Dillard
[This document is a copy. It corresponds almost word for word with the forgoing petition, and bears the same date. The following signatures are attached to it:]
J M Splan J. W. Simpson.
David Trast. Wm Copenhavn.
S Moris Ches. J. Young
J H Wood J F Q Walkertson (?)
Robt. J. Clow. Lewis Jones
H J Williamson Samuel Henrey [or Kerney]
M. T. Martin James Gray
James Lynch Noah T (?) Byars
Saml R Miller James Balantine
Bethel Morris Peter M. Mercer
John Lott Isaac Connelly
Thos. S. Saul Wm C Jones
Moses Evans
San Felipe July 19 1835
I have permitted the jurisdiction of Washington to organize provisionaly every man in the jurisdiction has signed a petition requesting said organization as their territory is extensive &this point too far, their petition passed through this Ayuntamiento to Govt and was not acted upon by the Govt last session, which caused great dissatisfaction, as soon as the Govt was again organized I intended to report them in an organised condition and pray the Govt to legalize their proceedings as every man has signed the petition for this provisional organization no man can plead to the jurisdiction of the Courts—
J B Miller
Thos. S. Saul, Secy
I, John P. Coles, do hereby certify, that having compared the within list of votes, from the returns from the several elections, held on Saturday 18th July 1835 for the municipal officers—and sheriff of the Jurisdiction of Washington, find that
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Josa. Hadley had 160 votes as Alcalde
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Jesse Grymes had 178 votes as Regidor
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Asa Mitchell had 165 votes as Regidor
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A. C. Reynolds had 116 votes as Syndico procurador
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Jno. W. Hall had 151 votes as Sheriff..... and being the highest number voted for the several offices are duly elected.....
Washington 21 July 1835 Jno P Coles by order of his Excellency J B Miller
Ayuntamiento of the Jurisdiction of Washington 28th July 1835 To his Excellency Jas. B. Miller Actg. Govr. of the Province of Texas Sir
I have the honor respectfully to inform you, that this body have, by an unanimous resolution passed this day, nominated the following persons to fill the Offices of Judge &supernumeraries of this municipality—
Viz
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Moses Cummings
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Jas Hall Senr
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Shub: Marsh
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S. R. Roberts
God &Liberty Joshua Hadley (Prst) Thos. S. Saul Secy
How to cite:
"DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE ORGANIZATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF WASHINGTON, TEXAS ", Volume 010, Number 1, Southwestern Historical Quarterly Online, Page 96 - 100. http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/publications/journals/shq/online/v010/n1/article_7.html
[Accessed Tue Dec 2 18:32:00 CST 2008]
