The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 29, July 1925 - April, 1926 Page: 61
330 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The (C'ity of Ken
cold inclemency of the wet northers, and the fear of the Indians
who still regarded themselves as owner of the lands about the pro-
posed colony site, drove many of them away from their comrades.
Several deserted the colonial project to accept situations in Hous-
ton, Cameron, and Waco, which lay along their route. Only those
with the greatest pluck and hardihood and an unquenchable spirit
of adventure traveled the distance to the site fifty miles above Waco.
(Waco itself was little more than a year old when the covered
wagons of the colonists passed through, although there had been
a trading post on the Tehuacana east of that place since Sam
Houston's administration as president of the Texas Republic in
1842.)
One family belonging to the colony came up from Galveston by
boat on the Trinity and thence across the country. But they never
got any nearer "The City of Kent" than Fort Graham, some ten
miles or more away. The Indians were too bad for them. This
family, who were canny Scotch, settled in Hill County, where they
prospered. A grandson of this Woods was in later days county
attorney of Hill County. Mr. Frazier remarks "that while there
were only a few Scotch and German families among the colonists it
was a fact that they all prospered in this frontier country, while
the English and the Irish could not cope so well with conditions
as they found them."
It is true that Sir Edward Belcher had preceded the colonists
to make arrangements. Major George B. Eratb and Neil McLen-
nan, noted Texas surveyors, for whom Erath and McLennan
County, respectively, were named, did the surveying under the
personal supervision of Sir Edward Belcher. Jacob de Cordova as
agent for Richard B. Kimball, remained on the grounds until the
colonists were considered safely settled. Then Sir Edward re-
turned to England, leaving Captain Mackenzie in charge. I-is
return was probably about the first of the new year or shortly
before, to judge by the following paragraph:
Captain Sir Edward Belcher has reti runed to this city from the
upper Brazos where he has been to locate the English emigrants
who lately arrived here and to make suitable preparations for nu-
merous others who are to follow. We understand that he is de-
lighted with the country and its prospects, and goes home to push
the work of emigration to the beautiful and fertile country which
he has selected. The company which he represents commands a
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 29, July 1925 - April, 1926, periodical, 1926; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117141/m1/69/?rotate=270: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.