The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-10-24
TOWNS THAT WERE.


pcsses the same sentiment that causes the
antiquarian to forsake things worldly 70
study things that were.
We who are Of the earth earthly. read
Of buried cities being exhumed. Of extinct
nations and people being studied by arch
aeologiGts, and naturally begin scanning
the pages of history for additional data
anent them.
Here and there in Texas. and elsewhere,
ono in posing looks with wonder upon
tho earth mounds. cenotaph- like, In men,
Org Of an extinct race. We md along the
main travelled roads quaint old towns,
places at which great men lived and great
deeds were done. and they All our minds
with thoughts Of tho past events and OF
tho people who performed them.
Although this State ID comparatively
young. the Archaeological or antiquarian
can hnd much to interest him within Eta
borders. One hundred perfect mounds have
been located and described by the writer;
nearly a. many deserted Indian villages
visited, and equally MS many historic places
| studied. Texas 10 microcosm In macro-
cosm. and to study 1t closely would re-
Quire many years Of active research.
The earliest European name associated
with Texas Is that Of Juan Ponce de Leon.
who searched part OF this country, It is
alleged. whom he was looking fer that twin
dream Of Alchemy-god and immortality.
few years later. Pamphllo de Narvnoz.
who at an earlier date undertook to arrest
the victorious progress Of fernando Cor
| tcz In Mexico, was carried, ms n piece OF
drift wood, dong the Texas coast and was
finally driven out to sea by tempest and
never heard OF more. OF his expedition,
| Alvar Nunex and four companions, the
only survivors OF the ill-starred expedi-
ton, after incredible wanderlnge, exposed
to every species OF hardship and peril.
| made their way through Texas to Mexico.
and from thence back to spain. In pass
| ing, they stopped with the Same tribe OF
| Indians that is now occupying the fsleta
1 village. which Is near FL Paso, this state.
| Upon returning TO Spain, Nunez told
wonderful stories, which fred the magma
ton of De Soto. who with many OF the
best blood and chiyalry of Spain, with we'll
tried warriors from the fields OF Africa and
Peru, halbcrdiers and arquebuslers, amid
the braying OF trumpets and the roaring Oh
artillery the vfvas Of relatives and friends,
as soon as possible. left the port OF San
Lucor de Barrameda. April, 1858, and.
finally, reached land on the western coast
OF Florida. In their subsequent peregrina-
tions they visited the greatest Of all In
dian Chiefs Tuscaloosa, the Black Warrior.
The last of his mighty tribe is now living
isolated and unheard OF in Polk county,
this State.
"A thfs Arct
discover this country, he was not the 1fst
to explore It. That honor was reserved for
the intrepid Frenchman, La Sale, who,
while his cohorts were singing "Vive lie
Roi" and firing formal saluies OF musketry
planted the cross Of Christ and the lilies
OF France near where now is the town OF
Matagorda. From this effort grew Chris
tianity In Texas. and town. which at one
time was fitting monument to the dis
coverer Of Texas.
Near the point on Matagorda bay where
La Sale and his men landed, subsequently
the town OF Matagorda was built. At one
time II occupied a prominent place in the
commercial and political history Of this
country OF ours. in as much as 1t was the
shipping point for theoWest and then had
several hundred inhabitants. among whom
were many mon OF wealth and political
prestige. Recently the county's court house
has been moved to more central point
Bay City.
When Texas raised more hades than /,
did OF anything else. the bold and bal
pirate LATTE, sought 1t for his refuge
| 1t Is additionally said that he had several
Ravens along the Texas coast and that In
dianola was his stronghold--the place
ri ~
house.
Their was a time when Indanola hat
far more commercial prestige than ii
rival Galveston, had at the same time
Old records show that more shipping wa
done from and to its wharves than wa
done at any other wharves along the Texa
: coast. Twenty-Five years ago 1t reaches
its zenith. Fifteen years ago 1t was wipe
from the face OF the earth by a tidal wav
that struck 1t. Nearly every man. womai
and child living there at the time wa
drowned. Now there Is not human beini
. there, save an old negro who is eking ou
a miserable existence by catching tn
! 1otsam and jetsam that is left at hi
.. door by the ebbing and flowing tides.
doubt not there will yet be a time whe
|; the fact that such place as lndianol
i. ever existed will be questioned with a
much sang froid as do the doubling one
: place as Atlantis, the tabled Greek islant
Stephen F. Austin, the Father G
! Texas" was at one time the monarch {
I all he could survey in this country II
. stood nearer 'the powers that be" tina
: any other then did and It was thoir WIS
that he build town suitable for his colon
d and for governmental purposes. at thel
= suggestion he selected tho most suitabl
o point in his little dominion for the tow
site. The place was lad OH according
: the prevailing customs OF the SPANS
n rulere-here and there were public psrls
+ a site for a proposed cathedral. the plaz
s etc. With great ecla;. the place wa
n christened San Felipe" in memory {
d good Saint Peter. AT the suggestion OF u
!. Mexican officials, de Austin" was addt
a to the towns appelatlon Like the PFC
/. verbal green bay tree. Il grew until
e spread over much ground. Reaching 4
n full growth, II began to decay and no