The Texas Almanac for 1867 with Statistics, Descriptive and Biographical Sketches, etc., Relating to Texas. Page: 95
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DESCRIPTION OF COUNTIES. 95
able wine has been made. From the facilities for irrigation, this county will
doubtless be eventually the wine region of Texas. The labor is almost
exclusively white, and can be had on reasonable terms. There are but few
freedmen in the county. The entire population will reach about 6000. The
lands of the county, being mostly covered with mesquite-grass, are especially
adapted for raising cattle and horses; but sheep have been found the most
profitable investment, as indeed they have proved to be in all this western
section of country. This year, the pasturage has been unusually good.
Game is very abundant. In the neighborhood of New-Braunfels the culti-
vated lands are literally alive with quail, which afford excellent sport in
winter. The mule-eared rabbits, which resemble the English hare, are also
very numerous, and are taken with greyhounds. There are plenty of deer,
panther, and bear, also the silver fox, raccoon, opossum, and a variety of
other wildt animals. Fish is also found in great abundance in all the streams.
Lavaca is the shipping port, distant about 150 miles.
COMANCHE CouwrY.-(By Jesse Mercer.)
COrIJTY-SEAT, CoMANHE.-The agricultural products are wheat and corn,
the average yield of which is, corn 40, and wheat 12 bushels per acre, The
land is about equally divided between timber and prairie. The cross-timbers
run through the western part of the county, but there is considerable prairie
in them. This county is peculiarly adapted to stock-raising, and there is a
large amount of cattle and horses now in it ; but the depredations committed by
Indians have discouraged those owning horse-ranches, and many have given
them up and turned their attention to something else. Plenty of post-oak
upon the uplands for fencing, and walnut, burr-oak, and elm in the bottoms
of Leon river, which runs through the eastern side of the county. Living
may, be as the people wish. They can have butter, cheese, eggs, and
poultry if they want, by attention. The population holds its own, say about
1000. Life and property are insecure, on account of Indians. There are
plenty of grape-vines (Mustang) in the bottoms; but no wine of any kind
is made. The price of land is from 50c. to $5 per acre, according to situa-
tion and improvement. Crops are fine this year. No post-offices in the
county. Negroes but few, and these are unreliable; they do about one
quarter as much as in their former state of slavery.
Coox Coua~T.--(By G. R. Reeves, Rep.)
COUNTY-SEAT, GAINSVILLE. - Gainsville has the only post-office in the
county. There is also one school and two churches in the town. There are
no minerals or mineral springs in the county. - Nearly opposite Gainsville,
however, in the Chickasaw nation, about 22 miles north-east, and 5 miles from
Red river, there are 3 or 4 oil springs, strong, rich, and copious. Corn, wheat,
barley, and all the cereals do well; and upon Red river there are several
cotton plantations. The soil is prolific, except on the eastern side of the
county, through which run the cross-timbers. Timber is fine, consisting of
post-oak, ash, pecan, walnut, hackberry, and elm, the' best building timber
being post-oak. Red river forms the northern boundary of the county. Enlm
fork of Trinity heads in the county, within a few miles of Red river, and runs
south through the centre of the county. Upon this stream is situated the
town of Gainsville. Clear creek and Jordan creek run through the county,
the former on the western and the latter on the eastern side. These are fine
streams, and their bottoms are both rich and well timbered. The corn crops
will average this year from 40 to 50 bushels per acre, buE wheat falls below
the ordinary yield, in consequence of the heavy spring rains. The natural
grapes of the State are abundandt in the western portion and above the cross-
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The Glaveston News. The Texas Almanac for 1867 with Statistics, Descriptive and Biographical Sketches, etc., Relating to Texas., book, December 1866; Galveston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth123772/m1/97/: accessed May 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.