The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 53, July 1949 - April, 1950 Page: 403

Austin College in Huntsville

and farm lands. Because of excessive valuation only $15,000 was
subsequently realized from the subscription. At a board meeting
in Sherman on February io, 1876, in which A. J. Burke held
seven proxies and another not on the board held two proxies
a formal acceptance was made. R. E. Sherill, E. P. Gregg and
F. M. Good were appointed to act with C. C. Brinkley, R. A.
Chapman, and F. W. Sumner to collect subscriptions, secure an
architect, select a site, and have a building constructed pursuant
to the terms of a contract. The board further directed the
president to move all the college equipment to Sherman in time
to open school in September, 1876.
The Synod subsequently ratified the action taken and the
board, anticipating that some question might arise on its
removal vote, again ratified its own act in July, 1877, in its
following Declaration of Removal:
In pursuance of the express will of the Synod of Texas, the Board
of Trustees did on the loth day of February, 1876, at Sherman, Texas,
remove the said Austin College from Huntsville, its then location
to Sherman, Texas, in compliance with a contract that day accepted
and entered into by the citizens of Sherman.
Resolved therefore that the action of said Board of Trustees
in removing said Austin College from Huntsville and locating the
same at Sherman, and putting the same in operation is hereby
ratified and confirmed to relate back and take effect on and from
said loth day of February, 1876, and by the authority in us vested
by the amended charter of said Austin College, we the said Trustees
do hereby declare that the said Austin College is and was on said
loth day of February, 1876, removed from Huntsville, and located
at Sherman, Texas.12
Left behind in Huntsville was Professor C. P. Estill who con-
ducted a school for the remainder of the session. The building,
which had crowned Capitol Hill for approximately a quarter
of a century as a beacon housing the weakened but persistent
and vital flame, was destined to experience a change of lights.
Participating in that transition and connected with the old
and new was Professor Estill.
12Ibid., 112-117.

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