The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 26, July 1922 - April, 1923 Page: 31
324 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
History of West and Northwest Texas Since 1845 31
for somewhat different treatment; and the fact that the agencies
and the army of the United States have had a largely controlling
effect in the exploration and the protection of its frontiers, and
hence its settlement and development have been, it appears to
me, too little realized by those of us interested in the history of
Texas. The history of the region is little touched on as a thing
worth while, though it contains in area at least one-half of the
state, and supports a population several times as great as Texas
contained when it came into the Union. Its settlers bought their
lands and their homes from the school funds of Texas and from
the various railroads and their assignees; lands that had been
granted by Texas at the rate of sixteen sections to the mile, in
aid of the construction of railroads nearly entirely in other parts
of the state.
The policy of thus granting public lands in aid of railroad con-
struction commenced in Texas in 1854 and closed with the ex-
haustion of the public lands in 1882 when the Southern Pacific
and the Texas & Pacific Railways were being connected with a
Pacific coast line at El Paso. More railroads were needed to
settle and develop the country; but railroads needed people and
traffic in the region before they could afford to build, and there-
fore a slow waiting process commenced about 1882 for West
and Northwest Texas, and continued for several years.
But going back, the discovery of gold in California had its
bearing on these parts of Texas. For it was by reason of gold
in California, and the consequent need of finding and making
roads for the Argonauts and for military purposes due to the
great westward expansion of our nation following the annexation
of Texas and its access of territory following the Mexican war,
that the discovery was made that West and Northwest Texas
covered a vast region well fitted for white settlers to occupy.
The annexation of Texas brought on the Mexican war; and
gold being discovered in California immediately after its occu-
pation after peace, brought a flood of immigrants and gold seek-
ers trooping over mountains and plains who must be provided
with roads to the new Golconda, and furnished protection while
en route. Routes for these roads had to be discovered by explor-
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 26, July 1922 - April, 1923, periodical, 1923; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101084/m1/37/ocr/: accessed April 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.