Old Three Hundred

The "Old Three Hundred" were the 297 grantees, made up of families and some partnerships of unmarried men, who purchased 307 parcels of land from Stephen Fuller Austin and established a colony that encompassed an area that ran from the Gulf of Mexico on the south, to near present-day Jones Creek in Brazoria County, Brenham in Washington County, Navasota in Grimes County, and La Grange in Fayette County. Moses Austin was the original empresario of the Old Three Hundred and was succeeded by his son, Stephen F. Austin, after his untimely death.[1]

Implementation

Stephen Austin agreed to implement his father's plan, and at the end of the summer of 1821, he and a small group of settlers crossed into Texas. Before he arrived in San Antonio to meet with the governor, they learned that Mexico had earned its independence from Spain, making Texas a Mexican province rather than a Spanish province. Governor Martinez assured him, however, that the new Mexican government would honor the colonization contract.[2]

Stephen returned to Louisiana to recruit settlers. He offered land at 12 cents per acre, only 10% of what comparable acreage sold for in the United States. The Settlers had to follow only four regulations. They had to be Catholic, they had to be of good moral character, they had to improve the land, and they had to cultivate the land within two years or it would be forfeited. Settlers would pay no customs duties for seven years and would not be subject to taxation for ten years. In return, they would be expected to become Mexican citizens.[3]

In March 1822, Austin learned that the new Mexican government had not ratified his father's land grant with Spain. He was forced to travel to Mexico City, 1,200 miles (1,931 km) away, to get permission for his colony.[4]

The 1823 Imperial Colonization Law of Mexico allowed an empresario to receive a land grant within the Mexican province of Texas. The empresario and a commissioner appointed by the governor would be authorized to distribute land to settlers and issue them titles in the name of the Mexican government. Only one contract was ultimately approved under this legislation: the first contract granted to Stephen F. Austin.[5]

Establishment

Between 1824 and 1828, Austin granted 297 titles under this contract. Each head of household received a minimum of 177 acres[6] or 4,428 acres[7] depending on whether they intended to farm or raise livestock. The grant could be increased for large families or those wishing to establish a new industry, but the lands would be forfeited if they were not cultivated within two years.[5]

The settlers who received their titles under Stephen's first contract were known as the Old Three Hundred, and they made up the first organized, approved influx of Anglo-American immigrants to Texas. The new titles were located in an area where no Spanish or Mexican settlements had existed, covering the land between the Brazos River and the Colorado River from the Gulf Coast to the San Antonio Road.[8] The capital of this new colony was San Felipe de Austin, now the town of San Felipe in Austin County.

Growth

When Austin began advertising his colony, he received a great deal of interest. He was able to be selective in his choice of colonists, which enabled his colony to be different from most others of the time. Austin chose settlers based on whether he believed they would be appropriately industrious. Overall, they belonged to a higher economic scale than most immigrants, and all brought some property with them. One-quarter of the families brought slaves with them. All but four of the men could read and write. This relatively high level of literacy had a great impact on the future of the colony. According to historian William C. Davis, because they were literate, the colonists "absorbed and spread the knowledge and news always essential to uniting people to a common purpose".[9]

Despite a provision in Mexican law requiring immigrants to be Catholic, most of Austin's settlers were Protestant. Many chafed at being ruled by Catholics. Most held strong feelings about property ownership and personal liberty.

List

Lester G. Bugbee in his article The Old Three Hundred published in the October 1897 issue of The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, identifies the head of each family who purchased land in Austin's colony.[10] They were:

Head of household Born Died Family as of March 1826 Notes Refs
Elijah Allcorn17711844Wife, five children and two servants.[11]
Martin Allen17801837Wife, nine children[12]
Abraham Alley18031862Wife, five childrenBrother of John, Rawson, Thomas and William Alley[13]
John C. Alley1822Brother of Abraham, Thomas, Rawson and William Alley.[14]
Rawson Alley17931833SingleBrother of Abraham, John, Thomas and William Alley[15]
Thomas Alley1826SingleBrother of Abraham, John, Rawson and William Alley[16]
William Alley1800August 15, 1869SingleBrother of Abraham, John, Rawson and Thomas Alley[17]
Charles AlsburySingleBrother of Harvey and Horace Alsbury. Died about 1828.[18]
Harvey AlsburyWifeBrother of Charles and Horace Alsbury[19]
Horace Alsbury1805June 1847Single; later married Juana Navarro[20]
Thomas Alsbury1773Wife and two daughtersFather of Charles, Harvey and Horace Alsbury. Wife Leah Catlett Alsbury. Daughters Leah Ann and Marion B. Served in the War of 1812. Died August 1826.[21]
Simeon Asa AndersonWife, three children, one slave[22]
John AndrewsFebruary 1838Wife, two children, one servant[23]
William Andrews1840Wife, five children, two slavesDaughter married Randal Jones in 1824.[24]
Samuel AngierAugust 26, 1792In 1829, married fellow colonist Pamelia Pickett[25]
James E.B. AustinOctober 3, 1803August 14, 1829Helped put down the Fredonian Rebellion. Brother of Stephen F. Austin.[26]
John AustinMarch 17, 1801August 11, 1833[27]
Stephen F. AustinNovember 3, 1793December 27, 1836[28]
James B. BailyNovember 13, 1797September 30, 18355 wives and 18 children
Daniel E. Balis
William Baratt
Thomas Barnet
Thomas Hudson Barron[29]179618742 wives 22 children
Mills M. Battle
Benjamin Beason 17861837wife Elizabeth "Betsy" & children Lydia, Collins, Nepsey, Abel, Edward (Leander), Benjamin; one hired hand, seven servants; horses, mules, cattle, and farming utensilsIn 1822, Beason (originally Beeson) began operating a ferry across the Colorado River. Beason also established a gristmill, gin, and a sawmill; his wife operated a boarding house. The settlement became known as Beason's Ferry or Beason's Crossing, later the site of the Texas Army camp under General Sam Houston. Following the Battle of the Alamo, Santa Anna's army headed for San Jacinto, and Sam Houston ordered that Beason's Crossing be burned during the Runaway Scrape. Beason's Crossing was officially renamed Columbus after the population returned In 1837. See Columbus, Texas.
Charles Belknap
Josiah H. BellAugust 22, 1791
Thomas B. BellWife Prudencio, three childrenDonated the land on which Bellville was founded in 1846
M. Berry
Isaac Best17741837Wife Mary Margaret (Wilkins), and some of their nine children.After spending his early years in Pennsylvania and Kentucky, Best and his wife left Garrard County, Kentucky, and moved to Montgomery County in southern Missouri in 1808. There he built a mill and an outpost known as Best's Fort, which served as a refuge from Indian attacks during the War of 1812. The family and several slaves moved to Texas in 1824. On August 19 of that year, Best received title to a sitio ["site", in Spanish] east of the Brazos River in what is now Waller County. He increased his landholdings and built a home near the site of present Pattison. The 1826 census described Best as a farmer and stock raiser between forty and fifty years of age. His household consisted of his wife, three sons, two daughters, and four slaves. Best may have lived at San Felipe in 1833, when William B. Travis issued a subpoena for him as a witness in a case against Isaac Clower. Best died near Pattison in 1837. On August 29, 1974, the Texas Historical Commission dedicated a marker to him on Farm Road 1458 1½ miles west of Pattison."
Jacob Betts
Francis Biggam
William Bloodgood
Thomas Boatwright
Thomas Borden
Caleb R. Bostwick
John T. Bowman
Edward R. Bradley
John Bradley
Thomas Bradley
Charles Breen
Patrick Brias
William B. Bridges1795April 4, 1853
David Bright
Enoch Brinson
Bluford Brooks
Robert Brotherington
George Brown
John Brown
William S. Brown
Aylett C. Buckner
Pumphrey Brunet
Jesse Burnam17921883
Micajah Byrd
Morris A. Callihan
Alexander Calvit17841836
David Carpenter
William C. Carson
Samuel Carter
Jesse H. Cartwright
Thomas Cartwright
Sylvenus Castleman
Samuel Chance
Horatio Chriesman
John C. Clark
Antony R. Clarke
Merit M. Coats
John P. Coles
James Russell Cook18121843Single
John Cooke
William Cooper
Robert Cooper5 children
John Crownover1 sonMarried to Elizabeth Chesney, son John Chesney Crownover born 1799 in Pennsylvania[30]
James Cummings
John Cummings
Rebecca Cummins
William Cummings
James (Jack) Cumminsc. 17731849
James Curtis, Sr.
James Curtis, Jr.
Hinton Curtis
Samuel Davidson
Thomas Davis
D. Deckrow
Charles Demos
Peter Demos
William B. DeweesSep. 8th, 1799Apr. 14th, 1878
John Dickinson
Nicholas Dillard
Thomas Marshall Duke178524 May 1867Married 3 times. 3rd wife, Jane Mason Wilkins McCormick Duke. 6 children; Mary Francis, Charlotte Jane, Thomoas Marshall, Jr., John Marshall, Stephen Austin, Alice ImoginDied, Hynes Bay, Refugio County, Texas during the yellow fever epidemic of 1867-Certified by Witnesses: Wm. Andrews, G. Seelingson, F. Hunt. Source: Daily Ranchero, September 1, 1867.
George Duty
Joseph DutyMarch 6, 1801 (Gallatin, TN)September 11, 1855 (Webberville, TX)
Clement C. Dyer
Thomas Earle
G.E. Edwards
John Elam
Robert Elder
Charles Falenash
David Fenton
James Fisher
David Fitzgerald1832Widowed with one son and daughter.The plot of land now sits in modern Fort Bend County. Fitzgerald died in 1832 and willed the land to his daughter Sarah. She would later sell the entire property to Johnathan Dawson Waters.
Isaiah Flanakin
Elisha Flowers
Isaac Foster
John Foster18372 sons[33]
Randolph Foster
James Frazier
Churchill Fulshear[34]
Charles Garret
Samuel Gates
William Gates
Freeman George17801834Wife, 8 sonsFreeman George received 1 sitios land between San Bernard and Bay Prairie (Matagorda County) and 1 labor of land located Brazos East side opposite San Felipe (Waller County). According to the Handbook of Texas Online, he was given a league and a labor of land (see above) which is known as Matagorda and Waller counties on July 7, 1824. Also one of the original patentees in the vicinity of Old Ocean, Texas, in southwestern Brazoria Co.[35]
Preston Gilbert
Sarah Gilbert17501841
Daniel Gilleland
Chester S. Gorbet
Michael Gouldrich
Thomas Gray
Jared E. Groce17821839
Robert Guthrie
John Haddan
Samuel C. Hady
George B. Hall
John W. Hall
W. J. Hall
David Hamilton
Abner Harris
David Harris
John Richardson Harris
William Harris
William J. Harris
George Harrison
William Harvey
Thomas S. Haynes
James Hensley
Alexander Hodge17571836Historical marker erected at Hodge's Bend Cemetery in Fort Bend County (1975), where Alexander Hodge's grave is located.
Francis Holland
William Holland
Kinchen Holliman
James Hope
C.S. Hudson
George Huff
John Huff
Isaac Hughes
Eli Hunter
Johnson Calhoun HunterMay 22, 1787May 29, 1855Wife: Mary Martha Harbert; Children as of March 1826: Robert Hancock Hunter, John Calhoun Hunter, Harriet Harbert Hunter, Thomas Jefferson Hunter, Thaddeus Warsaw Hunter, Messina Hunter, Martha HunterEducation: Dr. Johnson Hunter, earned a Medical Diploma around 1805. Dr. Johnson & Martha raised 10 children, four girls and six boys. He received a title to a sitio (roughly 4600 acres where La Porte and Morgan's Point, TX are now located) of land from the Mexican government in 1824. In 1826, he sold Hunter's Point (peninsula between Galveston & San Jacinto Bays, now known as Morgans Point and La Porte and relocated to Fort Bend County, where he built a home that served as a Richmond area landmark for fifty years, currently Pecan Grove.[36] In 1855, a five-acre tract of land was donated by Dr. Johnson Hunter on the R.H. Hunter survey and was called the Frost Institute. The institute was organized by Dr. Johnson Hunters' son-in-law. Frost Institute was located approximately six miles north of Richmond.[37] Dr. Hunter was buried in the family cemetery, known as the Brick Church Graveyard.
John Iiams [sic]This may be John Williams.
Ira Ingram17881837
Seth Ingram
John Irons17861842Wife Polly(Baker) Irons and son Elisha B. Irons born in 1826Settled outside Monaville, Tx near Irons Creek.
Samuel Isaacks
Alexander Jackson
Humphrey Jackson
Isaac Jackson
Thomas Jamison
Henry W. Johnson
Henry Jones
James W. Jones
Oliver Jones
R. Jones
Imla Keep
John C. Keller
John Kelly
Samuel Kennedy
Alfred Kennon
James Kerr
Peter Kerr
William Kerr
William Kincheloe
William Kingston
James Knight
Abner Kuykendall17771834Brother of Robert and Joseph, father of Barzillia. Commanded the militia of Austin's colony, murdered by Joseph Clayton.
Barzillai KuykendallSon of Abner Kuykendall
Joseph Kuykendall
Robert Kuykendall
Hosea H. League
Joel Leakey
Benjamin Linsey
John Little
Jane H. Wilkinson Long17981880Mother of Texas
James Lynch
Lydia Amanda Smalley
Nathanael Lynch
John McCroskey
Arthur McCormick
David McCormick
John McCormick
Thomas McCoy
Aechilles McFarlan
John McFarlan
Thomas F. McKinney18011873Father of the Texas Navy
Hugh McKinsey
A.W. McClain17971895
James McNair
Daniel McNeel
George W. McNeel
John McNeel
John G. McNeel
Pleasant D. McNeel
Sterling McNeel
Elizabeth McNutt
William McWilliams
Shubael Marsh
Wily Martin17761842
William Mathis
David H. Milburn
Samuel Miller
Samuel R. Miller
Simon Miller
James D. Millican
Robert Millican
William Millican
Joseph Mims1844Wife Sarah, two sons, one daughter, and four slaves
Asa Mitchell
John L. Monks
John H. MooreAug. 13, 1800Dec. 02, 1880SingleIndian fighter, builder of Moore's Fort, and leader at the Battle of Gonzales. Married Eliza Cummins, daughter of Jack Cummins listed above.
Luke Moore
Moses Morrison
William Morton
David Mouser
James Nelson
Joseph Newmanc. 17871831Wife Rachel Rabb, 10 childrenBrother in-law to John Rabb and Thomas J. Rabb, he ranched and farmed a sitio near Bonus.
Charles Isaac Nidever
M.B. Nuckols
James Orrick
Nathan Osborn
William Parks
Joshua Parker
William Parker
Isaac Pennington
George S. Pentecost
Freeman Pettus
William A. Pettus
John Petty
J.C. Peyton
James A.E. Phelps
I.B. Phillips
Zeno Philips[38]
Pamelia Picket
Joseph H. Polley
Peter Powell
William Prater
Pleasant Pruitt
William Pryorc. 17751833Wife Betsy Trammell, 6 childrenHis death was recorded as 9 Sept 1833 in the diary of William B. Travis. Pryor's will states he was from Botetourt County, Virginia He disowned his only son Trammell J Pryor.[39]
Andrew Rabb
John Rabb
Thomas J. Rabb
William Rabb
William Raleigh
L. Ramey
David Randon
John Randon
Frederic H. Rankin
Amos Rawls
Benjamin Rawls
Daniel Rawls
Stephen Richardson
Elijah Roark17821829Son: Leo Andrew Elijah Roark and Wife: Cynthia Elijah Fisher
Earle Robbins
William Robbins
Andrew Roberts1844Wife Sally, four daughters, and one son
Noel F. RobertsC. 1786C. 1843Harriet Pryor
William Roberts1813Jul 1849Elizabeth Pryor
Edward Robertson
Andrew Robinson Sr.1852Wife Nancy and two childrenFirst settler
Texas Historical Marker for Andrew Robinson Sr.
George Robinson
James Ross
June Salmeron
Joseph San Pierre
Robert Scobey
Marvin Scheick
James Scott
William Scott
William Selkirk179218302 childrenHelped found Matagorda and served as militia captain.
Owen Shannon17621839Margaret & childrenMargaret Montgomery/family Montgomery County named after/ Ran Montgomery County Trading Post
David Shelby
Daniel ShipmanNC 20 Feb 1801Goliad County Texas 4 Mar 1881Son of Moses Shipman
Moses Shipman1774 NC1 Jan 1838 Ft. Bend, TXMary Robinson, ten children Father of Daniel Shipman
Bartlet Sims
George Washington SingletonRelated to Charla Kaye Moore Siskhttps://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fsi29
Philip SingletonDaughter Mary King married John D. Taylor November 19, 1838
Christian Smith
Cornelius Smith
John Smith
William Smeathers17671837
Gabriel S. Snider
Albert L. Sojourner
Nancy Spencer
Adam Stafford
William Stafford17801840
Thomas Stevens
Owen H. Stout
John Strange
Walter Sutherland
David Tally
John D. TaylorMarried Mary King Singleton, daughter of Philip Singleton, November 19, 1838; they had two children Jeanette Susan 1841–1915 and Isabell 1842–1925
George Teel
Ezekiel Thomas
Jacob Thomas
Jesse Thompson
Thomas J. Tone
James F. Tong1783298 Elizabeth Thompson , 1 Child- Harriet E. Tong (1817–1884) Father- William H. Tong (1756–1848) Revolutionary Way Minuteman in Maryland, fought at Bradywine and Germantown with George Washington. William Tong, 2 wives and 26 children
Samuel Toy
John Trobough
Elizabeth Piemmons Tumlinson17781829Wife of John Jackson Tumlinson whom was killed by Waco Indians while crossing the Guadalupe river
James Tumlinson
Isaac Vandorn
Martin Varner
Allen Vince
Richard Vince
Robert Vince
William Vince
James Walker
Thomas Walker
Caleb Wallice
Francis F. Wells
Amy White
Joseph White
Reuben White
Walter C. White
William White
Boland Whitesides
Henry Whitesides
James Whitesides
William Whitesides
Nathaniel Whiting
William Whitlock
Elias R. Wightman17921841Married Mary Sherwood Wightman in 1828Helped found Matagorda and surveyed Austin's colony.
Jane Wilkins
George I. Williams
Henry Williams
John Williams
John R. WilliamsBuilt "The Old Place" along Clear Creek, which eventually became the oldest remaining structure in Harris County, Texas. It is now part of Houston's Sam Houston Park
Robert H. Williams
Samuel M. Williams
Solomon Williams
Thomas Williams
Zadock Woods aka Zaduck17731842Wife Minerva Cottle WoodsServed in the battle of Gonzales, the battle of Concepción, the Grass Fight and the Runaway Scrape. Colonist of Texas, Zadock Woods was one of the "Old Three Hundred" who established a colony area with land purchased from Stephen F. Austin.[40] A veteran of the War of 1812, he served in the battle of Gonzales, the battle of Concepción, the Grass Fight and the Runaway Scrape.[41][42] His homestead was a fortified inn, known as Fort Woods, built to provide protection from Indian attacks on the colonists.[43] He was the oldest man killed in the "Dawson expedition" September 1842.[44][41]
Memorial Stone erected by the State of Texas 1936 at the site of Woods Fort

References

  1. Christopher Long, "OLD THREE HUNDRED," Handbook of Texas Online , accessed March 27, 2012.
  2. Edmondson (2000), p. 60.
  3. Edmondson (2000), p. 61.
  4. Edmondson (2000), p. 63.
  5. Greaser (1999), p. xviii.
  6. Cantrell (2000), p. 419.
  7. Hatch (1999), p. 136.
  8. Greaser (1999), p. ix.
  9. Davis (2006), p. 60.
  10. Bugbee, Lester G. (October 1897). "The Old Three Hundred: A List of Settlers in Austin's First Colony". Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association. 1 (2): 108–117. JSTOR 30242636.
  11. "Allcorn, Elijah", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  12. "Allen, Martin", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  13. "Alley, Abraham", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  14. "Alley, John C.", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  15. "Alley, Rawson", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  16. "Alley, Thomas V.", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  17. "Alley, William A.", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  18. "Alsbury, Charles Grundison", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  19. "Alsbury, James Harvey", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  20. "Alsbury, Horace Arlington", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  21. "Alsbury, Thomas", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  22. "Anderson, Simeon Asa", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  23. "Andrews, John", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  24. "Andrews, William", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  25. "Angier, Samuel Tubbs", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  26. "Austin, James Elijah Brown", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  27. "Austin, John", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  28. "Austin, Stephen Fuller", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  29. "TSHA | Barron, Thomas Hudson". www.tshaonline.org.
  30. "Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records". ancestry.com. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
  31. "TSHA | Fitzgerald, David". www.tshaonline.org.
  32. "TSHA | Waters, Jonathan Dawson". www.tshaonline.org.
  33. "TSHA | Foster, John". www.tshaonline.org.
  34. "Fulshear, Churchill", Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association
  35. "GEORGE, FREEMAN," Handbook of Texas Online , accessed June 07, 2012. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
  36. "Fort Bend County Texas - A Pictorial History" by Sharon Wallingford, p. 47
  37. "Fort Bend County Texas - A Pictorial History" by Sharon Wallingford, p. 58
  38. "PHILIPS, ZENO," Handbook of Texas Online (https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fph05), accessed October 02, 2012. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
  39. "PRYOR, WILLIAM," Handbook of Texas Online , accessed January 8, 2014. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
  40. Title: Zadock and Minerva Cottle Woods, American pioneers Author: Paul N Spellman Publisher: Austin, Texas 1988 OCLC Number: 36308761
  41. Paul N. Spellman, "WOODS, ZADOCK," Handbook of Texas Online , accessed June 16, 2012. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
  42. Original papers Regarding Zadock Woodsand His Sons: Norman Woods; Henry Gonzalvo Woods; Montraville Woods; Leander Woods compiled by Robert Forsyth Little, IV and Marianne Elizabeth Hall Little OCLC Number: 310362910 in Historical Manuscript collection, University of Texas at Austin Library.
  43. Texas Haunted Forts Author: Elaine Coleman Republic of Texas Press 2001 ISBN 978-1-55622-841-4
  44. Memorial Stone erected by the State of Texas 1936 at the site of Woods Fort
  • Cantrell, Gregg (2001), Stephen F. Austin, empresario of Texas, New Haven: Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-09093-2
  • Davis, William C. (2006), Lone Star Rising, College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, ISBN 978-1-58544-532-5 originally published 2004 by New York: Free Press
  • Edmondson, J.R. (2000), The Alamo Story-From History to Current Conflicts, Plano, TX: Republic of Texas Press, ISBN 1-55622-678-0
  • Greaser, Galen (1999), "Foreword", Austin's Old Three Hundred: The First Anglo Colony in Texas, Austin, TX: Eakin Press, ISBN 1-57168-291-0
  • Hatch, Thom (1999), Encyclopedia of the Alamo and the Texas revolution, Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, ISBN 978-0-7864-0593-0
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