Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-08-13
TOM GREEN COUNTY.
A Full Report "a to the History, Topogn-
ply, Rivers, Springs, Timber,
Boils, and Grasses.
Climate, Live Stock, and Farming Inter
ests, Churches, Schools, Markets,
Railroads, Towns,
Business and Leading Business Men Of
the Empire County Of Texas.


Herewith hand you my report rs TO
Tom Green county, prepared at your
request. 1t should have been handed
you earlier, but held II up. waiting
for statement ~ TO the financial con-
dition Of the county, which was prom
lsed me, but has not been received.
Tom Green county lies between 2Ge
and 57o north latitude and 03o aud l07o
longitude west from Washington.
According to article 80, Revised
Statutes Of Texas, its boundaries are az
follows, wiz Beginning at the south
eAst corner OF Concho county; thence
west TO the east bank
Of the Pecos river; thence
up said river with Its meanders to the
south boundary line Of New Mexico,
ats post on said river where the north
east corner CT FL Paso and Pecos
counties join thence due east to the
south boundary line OF New Mexico 10
the southeast corner OF Andrews
county thence with the south lines OF
Andrews, Martin, Howard, Mitchell
and Nolan counties 10 the southeast
corner Of Taylor county thence with
the west lines OF Taylor, Runnels and
Concbo counties to the beginning. II
embraces an area Of 1850 iauare
miles.
II IL more than eleven times M large
M Bexar county, In which Is the city
OF San Antonio; more than twelve
times MS large as Travis or McLennan,
In which are respectively the cities OF
Austin and Waco; nearly fourteen
Times ny large az either Tarrant or
Dallas, In which are respectively the
cities Of Fort Worth and Dallap; and
upwards OF twenty times ns large as
Galveston, In which Ia the city OF
GalyestoD. II II more than eighty
three times as large M Rockwell
county, Tex, tho smallest county Ia
the state.
Tom Green IL more than nine times
ms large as the state 81 Rhode Island;
nearly Fix times IA large ~ Delaware;
nearly three times IA large AZ Con
necticut: upwards OF u times
aB large bs Massachusetts
or New Jersey; nearly 30 per cent
: larger than New Hampshire; nearly
rs per cent. larger than Vermont, aud
In larger than Maryland by ,455 square
miles. territory itself larger than
Rhode Island.
II Ii more than 20 per cent. ma large
NJ England aud Wales combined I;
more than 33l per cont. as large AZ
Portugal nearly 40 per cent. m large
~ Ireland or Scotland more than 90
per cent. as large as Greece more than
10 per cent. M large IN Switzerland f;
nearly no per cent. IN large M Dem
mark, and about IL per cent larger
than Belgium.
Tom Green county IN 1850 could
have held the entire population Of
Texas and not have been as crowded
~ was Connecticut, New !ersey, Mas.
sachusetts or Rhode Island. II
II WAS as densely populated now
~ was Belgium In 1878, when It's
last census was taken, IL would have
was In the state of New York IN 1850,
Indeed Ii would have population
greater than that combined of the
states OF New York and New Hamp-
shire aud all the territories.
In Elze II IN AN empire, though II II
not alone the extent OF It's territory
that entities II to this claim, M will
be shown In this report,
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
II was organized on the 18th day Of
November. 1874, by virtue Of an net
10 create and provide for its organlzi-
tion, approved March ~, 1874 section
I OF this act declared "That n new
county to be called Tom Green county,
In honor Oftien. Tom Green, Is hereby
established y Gen. Green was
born In Virginia, raised In Ten
nesSee; came to Texas In 1885 20
fight for Texan Independence: for gal
liant service ON the field Of San Jacinto,
WINS promoted to u licutenancy was
elected surveyor Of Fayette county In
1898, and In 1910 To congress; In 1871
was appointed clerk OF tho supreme
court. which position he held TO 1861
when he laid II dowt. TO joio the Con-
federacy, He served in Arizona, New
Mexico, Louisiana and Texas aud for
Ing the war promoted SUCCESSFULLY tp
the rank OF colonel, hrlgadier-gcner
and major general. n was killed AT
Bayou de Pierre, l.a., on the lach day
Of April, 1864, while In comnnnd OF
the cavalry corps OF the army under
Gen. Dick Taylor.
The commissioners who organized
tho county were: u. w. DeI.ong, w.
y. Kelley, w, =. Week, j. l.. Milla-
pAugh and 40. Taylor, with John b.
Vlnck Ms secretary.
january o, 1873, the first county elec-
tlon wss held at which Ben Ficklln
was selected az the county seat, and
the following county officers were
elected, VIZ: Sheriff, Frank La Motto
county and district clerk, john
LaNkey treasurer, Joseph Loeb SUR
veyor, - Walton cattle and hide
inspector, w. q. Kelley Justices, pre-
cinct Mol, II. q. Taylor; No. ., Pablo
Alderetti; No. 8, j. l.. Millspaugh; No.
4, q. w. De Long. No county Judge,
county attorney or assessor was elected
IT this term.
Blnce the organization Of the coun.
u, the offices have been filled by the
following named ersons, viz: County
Judge, Hiram Lightncr appointed 18th
Of April, 1876. and served to 18th Of
February. 1877; A. Winston to "a OF
Dccemter, 1878; Frank Stanley 10 loih
IL November, 1880; 3. y. May TO I'd OF
February, 1852, when he died. w. T.
Kelley 10 14th OF February, lsss by
pro tenn. appointmentl; Joseph Spence,
Jr., appointed 1ith of February, 1882,
and sill la Office, County aud district
clerk, John IAckey. who Is still In
ollics. Hherlfl, Frank La Motto tn
Nav ". 1870; e. 4. Henderson to Feb
-s-.- - 10 tl--. l.1an MoIlvat,a o..