San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-04-21
RAYS COUNTY.
REsoURO Es AND INDUSTRIES
ITS SOILS, TIMBER, WATER AND PRO.
I I..t.N 4, DUCTIONS. ut-Nl r
IT'S SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES

a carefully prepared pen-picture up
ipeari1g in the FREE Press extra il
September 1878, and a well writer
statistical account in the Land ant
Raiiray Journal of last October. W.
shall borrow from both these sources
Hays county was organized il
1S48, through the instrumentality o
Gen. Burleson, then a member of th'
State Senate, and was named in hon
or of Col. Jack Hays, the noted Tex
as Ranger. Prior to that date it wal
part of Travis and Bastrop counties
The Antonio Veremendi League wa
purchased by Gen. Burleson and VIM
Lindsey, and $40 acres appropriated
for town site. They paid for j
partly in cash and partly in cattle
Each settler received q building 10
free. Henry Mccullough was station
ed here with company of rangers
and a log house, used as a commits
sary department, and bar-room in ,
tent, constituted the settlement up tc
April 1S47. The first election was
held in 1S48.
Hays county is located in latitude
80 N. and longitude $50 W. 1t is
bounded by the counties of Travis
Colnal, Blanco, Caldwell and Guada
loupe, and is situated very near the
centre OF the state.
The northern portion Of the county
is hilly and in some portions rough
and rugged with many rich valleys,
however, interspersed along the wa.
ter courses. The hills, with here and
there few rocky exceptions, are GOV
cred with luxurIant grasses, atfording
fine pastluage for cattle, horses, sheep
and goats. The southern portion oi
the county is aro!ling prrirle viii.
numerous water courses. The soil IL
the northern portion OF the county III
the valley along the streams, is very
rich and highly productive. Th.
prairie region, III the southern ano
eastern part, is rich dark loam. Tn,
Alluvium of these prairie lands is funJ
four feet in deptn, with substr!t-
um of clay ana gravel. IL may b.,
safely asserted that the fertility o.
these lands can never be exhausted.
Farms whicn have been in cultivation
fer more than twenty years show NJ
deteriation OF falling off i'll produ3-
Glveness, and this too with NJ atten-
zion paid to rotation of crops, drain
age, etc. About one-half OF Jne corn-
ty is very rich arabic land suiti.b,e fol
farming and the remainder Is exec
lent for stock.
Tle county is well timbered, ex-,
cepting the prairie lands III tine south
ern portion, and on most OF tnese til.
mesqut affords an abundance OF lire
wood. The pecan, blackberry, live
oak, Spanish oak, box elder, willow,
wild cherry, Mexican perslmmmon,
elm and mesqrlit are Indigenous anu
IN the northern portlon OF
the ecounty. Several varieties OF grapes
are found growing wild here, and oth-
er varieties introduced bear profusely.
The China tree grows luxurllntiy lnI
the cypressis occasionally found grow
ing aiung the streams.
The ALTITUDE of the county is from
five hun dred to thousand rect above
the level of the Gut, and a cool anu
lnvigorating wind will neariy always
be found biow.ng even N the hottest
weather. The temperature In winter
seldom goes below hfteen to twenty
degrees above zero, and even during
the past unusually cold winter tn.
lowest temperature reached, WAS l.
degrees above zero. Tue summer
nights are never sultry, the cool trad
winds always blowing from the Gull,
them perfectly delightful,
md paIr of blankets are g.neriiiy
to sleep under.
By the kindness. o. Prof. Prischett
Df Coronal Institute, we Cre eLab edtO
the following in regard to the
geology OF the county:
The geological formation OF ID 4ys
and this portion OF the state Is
rretacous, merging into the tertr ry
in the southern part OF the county
The hills around San Marcos and IT,
wards the northern pr; OF Hiys
comfy very clearly sIJw tier ere
taceons origin, ani the mountains IN
many places are Principally beds OF
shells containing ter.bTstIlae, ex
Dpyrae and other vel known creta-
,eous fossils. while the praIrses south
q town n .lis and atllcent coun-
ties have upon Their sarface large
shells Of amy pounds IN weig5@ Ine
formlaOus are uesiliiy
wanting in minsrlis. but IN soiae p.i'e-
e IL SID irr.CJusryeizs have forced
-,,e.r w4v thrJsgh the more roceIt
..rrta- Va,uIbie building material
II TIE soft an3hlrl limestone is iCuld
m several paris d the cOunty. SDil;e
s.e o1arT7es have bssl partially
-rorksi q. tae Mitchll and b5r.oaoa
,,aeae TIE soft limestone can he
sawe,i a-d o1sly a.iaptea for bulia
rPs q a Egat cEst 81 iEr no pre-
.o7s OF sa-58stz1. Iasl-rzls lave Dsel
EscOvarel
Hsvs os-1f- = olco, slls t1-J-a1st
~artc- r tie s-ate n MASTERS Pr
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