The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 19, July 1915 - April, 1916 Page: 57
452 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Harris County, 1822-1845
lowing the passage of this act there was held a citizens meeting
with Robert Marsh, President, and Thomas W. Ward, Secretary.
. . . The Telegraph, September 29, 1837, gives notice of a
special election signed by Jas. S. Holman, Mayor, to fill vacancies
left by Hugh McCrory and Herman Kelcey, deceased."20 No
other city official is mentioned, but the need of a city government
in a town which had grown almost in a night, and the brief record
given, leaves no doubt that such existed so soon as the requisite
authority for creating it could be carried into effect.
On January 25, 1839, an act to incorporate the city of Hous-
ton21 provided for the enlargement of the city limits, for the col-
lection of city taxes, and gave to the authorities duly elected full
powers to regulate and control everything necessary for the con-
venience and safety of the public. It was under this act of in-
corporation that Francis W. Moore, who has generally been re-
garded as the first mayor, went into office.
Newspapers of April, 1839, give the names of city officials in
attendance at the meeting of the council in that month as follows:
Francis W. Moore, mayor; Asa Brigham, J. W. Moody, A.
Ewing, W. Pierpont, Robert Miller, J. G. Welchmeyer, aldermen.
On October 4, 1839, the following officials were given: Geo. W.
Lively, mayor; C. J. Heddenberg, J. W. Moore, John Carlos,
George Stevens, Thomas M. League, A. Wynne, aldermen. To
these are added the following officials compiled from the volume
mentioned above: D. W. Babwell, recorder; J. W. Bergen, secre-
tary; J. H. Brown, treasurer; Thomas Stansbury, Jr., marshal;
James Way, constable; Thomas E. Graws, market master; Isaac
Reed, sexton; Geo. H. Bringhurst, surveyor; Cruger and Moore,
printers.22
20Hardy and Roberts, Historical Review of Southwest Texas, I, 230,
281, 282.
"Laws of the Republic of Texas, First Session, Third Congress, I, page 84,
"Hardy and Roberts, Historical Review of Southeast Texas, I, 237-238,
gives the following list from 1840 to 1845:
1840.-Charles Bigelow, mayor. Aldermen: First ward, H. R. Allen,
Edmond Osborn; Second ward, William M. Carper, John Carlos; Third
ward, George Stevens, John W. Moore; Fourth ward, F. Gerlach, A.
Wynne. Recorder, D. W. Babwell; secretary, J. W. Bergen; treasurer,
J. H. Brown; inspector, T. F. Graves; marshal, D. Busby; surveyor, G. W.
Bringhurst; Constable, W. F. Moody.
1841.-John D. Andrews, mayor. Aldermen: First ward, M. De-
Chaumes, Barry Carraher; Second ward, Francis Moore, Jr., C. McAnelly;
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 19, July 1915 - April, 1916, periodical, 1916; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101067/m1/66/?rotate=90: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.