Online Encyclopedia
Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.
TEXAS
Online EncyclopediaEncyclopedia Home :: TAV-THE
del.icio.us it!
|
TEXAS , a See also:south central See also:state of the See also:United States of See also:America, extending from See also:lat. 26' 51, N. to lat. 36' 39'N. and from See also:long. 93° 3o' W. to long. 1o6° 3o' W. A western See also:projection is bounded N. by New See also:Mexico, but the See also:main portion of the state is bounded N. by See also:Oklahoma, from which it is separated in See also:part by the Red See also:river; a See also:northern projection (the Panhandle) is bounded E. by Oklahoma, but the main portion is bounded E. by See also:Arkansas and See also:Louisiana, the See also:Sabine river separating it in part from Louisiana; on the S.E. the state is bounded by the Gulf of Mexico; on the S.W. by Mexico, from which it is separated by the Rio Grande; on the W. by New Mexico. Texas is much the largest state in the See also:Union. Its length and breadth are nearly equal—about 75o m.—and its See also:area is 262,398 sq. m., of which 3498 sq. m. are See also:water See also:surface. See also:Physical Features.—Texas is crossed by four physiographic provinces. In the S.E. are the See also:West Gulf Plains, a part of the Coastal See also:Plain See also:province. Thence westward to the tooth See also:meridian are the prairies, the south-westward See also:extension of the See also:Prairie Plain province. The See also:Great Plains (really a See also:plateau) comprise the W. See also:half of the state, except a mountainous area in the W. part of the Panhandle, which belongs to the See also:Basin Range province. The surface is principally a See also:series of plains sloping S.E. from the high plateau or from the mountains in the W. to the See also:low See also:shore of the Gulf of Mexico. The mountains of the Basin Range region, known in Texas as the Trans-Pecos Province, rise in Guadalupe See also:Peak near the border of New Mexico, to nearly 9000 ft. (the greatest See also:elevation in the state), and the Great Plains have a maximum elevation in northern Texas exceeding 4000 ft., but from these heights the surface descends to See also:sea level and the mean elevation of the state is about 1700 ft. The Gulf Plains have a See also:coast See also:line of about 400 m., and are bordered along the Gulf of Mexico by a series of long narrow islands and peninsulas, or sandbars, which have been formed by the waves breaking on the shelving shore. Padre, the longest of these islands, extends northward from the mouth of the Rio Grande more than See also:loo m. Back of the islands are the quiet See also:waters of lagoons, and at the mouths of See also:rivers are several shallow bays indenting the mainland; these hays were formed by only a slight subsidence of the See also:land and the rivers are filling them with deposits of silt. For 20 M. or more inland in the N. and for 5o m. inland in the S. the Gulf Plains are low and See also:Rat, seldom rising as much as too ft. above the sea, but farther W. the surface is more broken and rises to a maximum elevation of about 700 ft. Along a line See also:drawn approximately S.S.W. from the S.E. corner of Oklahoma, the N.W. part of the Gulf Plains merges with the Prairie Plains. The N.E. portion of the Texas Prairie Plains is only gently See also:rolling, but the S. portion is quite rugged, and the \V. half rises in a See also:succession of scarps or steps to an elevation of 2500 ft., to the Great Plains region, which extends westward past the valley of the Pecos river. One of the scarps or steps is the result of a great See also:fault or displacement of the See also:earth's crust, and is known as the Balcones fault scarp; others are due to erosion and weathering of alternate layers of hard and soft rocks lying almost See also:horizontal. South of the parallel of the S. boundary of New Mexico the Great Plains province is known as the See also:Edwards Plateau; between the Edwards Plateau and the valley of the See also:Canadian river, as the Llano Estacado, or Staked Plains; and N. of the Canadian Valley, as the See also:North Plains. The E. and S. parts of the Edwards Plateau and the E. margin of the Llano Estacado have been much dissected by headward erosion of streams, but the central portion of the Edwards Plateau and nearly all of the Llano Estacado have a notably even surface rising slowly to the north-westward. In the S.E. corner of the Trans-Pecos Province is a smaller plain known as the See also:Stockton Plateau, but the remaining portion of this province is traversed from N.E. to S.W. by isolated See also:mountain ranges of the Basin Range or See also:block mountain type. The N. portion of the Panhandle is drained by the Canadian river eastward into the Arkansas. The S. portion of the Panhandle and a See also:strip along the N. border of the state, E. of the Panhandle, is drained by the Red river south-eastward into the See also:Mississippi. The See also:rest of the state is drained S.E. directly into the Gulf of Mexico. The Rio Grande and its See also:principal tributary, the Pecos, drain narrow basins in the S.W.; these two rivers and the Canadian river rise in the Rocky Mountains in See also:Colorado and New Mexico, but all the other rivers by which the state is drained rise within its See also:borders. The Red, the Brazos, the Colorado, the Guadalupe, and the Nueces rise on the E. or S.C. border of the Great Plains; the Sabine andthe Trinity, on the Prairie Plains; and numerous small streams, on the Coastal Plain. In the Great Plains region and in the Trans-Pecos Province the rivers have cut deep canyons, and the See also:character of the longer rivers in their upper courses varies from See also:mere rivulets See also:late in summer to See also:swift and powerful streams during See also:spring freshets. Most of the large Texas rivers have deposited great quantities of silt along their See also:lower courses on the Coastal Plain, where the current is often sluggish and the See also:banks are periodically overflowed. Texas has no large lakes; but See also:freshwater lakes, which are fed either by streams or springs, are See also:common on the Coastal Plain; the best known of them are See also:Grand See also:Lake in Colorado See also:county, Clear Lake in See also:Harris county, and See also:Caddo Lake on the Louisiana border. On the Llano Estacado there are both freshwater and See also:salt lakes, and there are a few salt lakes in the Trans-Pecos Province and near the mouth of the Rio Grande on the Coastal Plain. The Texas Cretaceous is notably See also:rich in the fossil remains of an invertebrate See also:fauna and in the vicinity of See also:Waco Cretaceous fossils of vertebrates have been obtained. Fossils of both vertebrates and invertebrates are also common in the See also:Permian and See also:Jurassic formations. Fauna.—The varied fauna and See also:flora of Texas may be classified in the following See also:life-zones: the Canadian See also:zone, on the highest parts of the See also:Davis Mountains; the Transition zone, including high parts of the Davis, Chisos and Guadalupe mountains; the Upper Austral zone, Upper Sonoran See also:division, in the Panhandle, E. of the Pecos Valley, and in the Staked Plain and Edwards Plateau; and the widely extending Lower Austral zone, covering most of the state and subdivided into the Lower Sonoran or arid western part, the Austroriparian, or humid eastern, and the narrow Gulf Strip, which is semi-tropical. Originally great herds of bison roamed over the Texas plains, and See also:deer, bears and wolves were numerous, especially in the forests. Only a few of the larger See also:wild animals remain, but the Texas fauna is still varied, for it includes not only many See also:species common' to northern and eastern United States but also several Mexican species. The few remaining bison are on a See also:ranch near Goodnight, in See also:Armstrong county, where they have been crossed with polled See also:Angus See also:cattle. See also: Other felines are the See also:ocelot (F. pardalis limitis) and red and grey See also:cats (F. cacomitli) in the south, the Texan See also:lynx (Lynx See also:rufus texensis) in the south-See also:east, and the plateau wild cat (L. baileyi) in the west. There are several varieties of See also:grasshopper mice (Orychomys), white-footed mice (Peromyscus), See also:harvest mice (Reithrodontomys), See also:rice-rats (Oryzomys), See also:wood-rats (Neotoma), voles (Microtus), &c. Bats inhabit caves in See also:Burnet, See also:Williamson, Lampasas, See also:Gillespie and other counties. The mocking-See also:bird is the principal See also:song bird and it and the See also:lark-See also:sparrow are common throughout the state. 'The snowy See also:heron is a rare plume bird seen occasionally along the coast. The scissor-tailed See also:flycatcher, or Texas bird of See also:paradise, is common on the prairies and in the lightly wooded districts. The Texas screech-See also:owl, the Texas See also:woodpecker, and the road runner, or ground See also:cuckoo, are found mostly in southern and south-western Texas. Among birds common in Texas as well as in the other Southern States are the See also:cardinal, See also:golden-fronted woodpecker, Mississippi See also:kite, See also:mourning-See also:dove, and See also:turkey-See also:buzzard. In a narrow strip along the Gulf there are some Mexican or tropical birds, notably the caracara and two varieties of See also:grackle (Megaquiscalus). The Texas Bob White or Texas See also:quail is found principally in Texas and a few neighbouring states. The Texas See also:game birds consist chiefly of See also:plover, See also:snipe, See also:teal, mallard and wild geese. Texas has also the See also:American See also:coot or mud-See also:hen and the See also:pelican. Of See also:reptiles there are the See also:alligator, and several species each of turtles, lizards and See also:snakes. Alligators are found in the low coast region and are especially numerous in the Nueces river. The painted See also:box See also:tortoise is common in the central part of the state; the snapping-turtle and the soft-See also:shell turtle in most of the rivers and creeks; the Louisiana mud-turtle, in the coast marshes. The horned See also:lizard, or horned See also:toad (Phrynosoma cornutum; P. hernandesi; P. uzodestum),
is the most common of Texas lizards, except in the western counties where the Texas See also:rock lizards (Sceloporus lorquatus; S. clarkii; S. spinosus; S. consobrinus; S. dispar) are numerous. The See also:tree swift, or scaly lizard, is also an inhabitant of western and south-western Texas. The See also:green lizard, the fence lizard and See also:whip-tailed lizard (Cnemidophorus gularis; C. sexlineatus; C. tesselatus, &c.) are quite widely distributed. The Gila See also:Monster (Heloderma suspectum), a poisonous lizard, whose bite is injurious but rarely, if ever, fatal to See also:man, also occurs in the See also:desert regions. The See also:blow snake, or spreading See also:adder (Heterodon platyrrhinus), black snake (Bascanion constrictor), See also:coach whip (Bascanion flagellum), and prairie See also:bull snake (Pituophis) are common; the See also:diamond water snake (Natrix fasciata) is found along creeks; the See also: Oysters, clams, and See also:shrimp abound along the coast, and there are more than 50o species of mollusks in the state. The See also:boll-See also:weevil, preying on the See also:cotton, is the most noxious of the See also:insects. Flora.—The arboreal flora of Louisiana and Arkansas extends into north-eastern Texas, conformable with the Coastal Plain, where, immediately south of the Colorado river, the great See also:pine See also:belt of the See also:Atlantic and Gulf coasts terminates. The flora of the Great Plains region, consisting principally of nutritious See also:grasses, enters the north-western portion of the state and extends south to the Edwards Plateau and east into the Prairie Plains region. The See also:peculiar See also:plants of the Rocky Mountain plateaus penetrate into the Trans-Pecos region, which the north Mexican flora, including the See also:Agave lecheguilla, a valuable commercial fibre, is found along the Rio Grande. The central region is a transition ground where these floras find See also:representation generally in deteriorated and dwarfed species. The long-See also:leaf pine is the dominant See also:forest tree on the uplands of the Coastal Plain, north of the Colorado river, for too m. or more from the coast; farther inland and especially in the north-eastern corner of the state, it is succeeded by the See also:short-leaf pine. Between the rising swells of long-leaf pine lands are impenetrable thickets of See also:hawthorn, See also:holly, See also:privet, See also:plane trees and magnolias. Loblolly pine, See also:cypress, oaks, See also:hickory, ash, pecan, See also:maple, See also:beech and a few other See also:deciduous trees are interspersed among both the long-leaf and the short-leaf pines, and the proportion of deciduous trees increases to the westward. In the broad river valleys of the eastern part of the Prairie Plains region are forests and isolated groves consisting principally of pecan, cypress, cottonwood and several species of See also:oak. Farther west two narrow belts of timber, consisting mostly of stunted See also:post oak and black jack, and known as the Eastern and Western See also:Cross Timbers, cross the prairies southward from the Red river, and a low growth of See also:mesquite, other shrubs and vines are common in the eastern half of the Prairie Plains. The western half of these plains has only a few trees along the watercourses and some scraggy bushes of oak, See also:juniper and See also:cedar in the more hilly sections. In the canyons of the Edwards Plateau grow the pecan, live oak, sycamore, See also:elm, See also:walnut and cypress; on the hilly dissected borders of the same plateau are cedars, dwac: and scrubby oak, and higher up are occasional patches of stunted oak, called " shinneries." The upper slopes of some of the mountains in the Trans-Pecos region are clothed with forests of large pines, cedars and other trees. Smaller trees and shrubs grow farther (down the same mountain slopes, but other mountains and the valleys are wholly destitute of trees. The entire valley of the Rio Grande, from El Paso to See also:Brownsville, grows many species of See also:cactus, and other prickly coriaceous shrubs. The low See also:country along the coast is covered chiefly with grasses and rushes, but scattered over it are clumps cf live oak, called " mottes." Grasses representing several species also See also:cover most of the Great Plains, the uplands in the southern portion of the Coastal Plain, and the treeless portions of the Prairie Plains and the Trans-Pecos region. See also:Climate.—In the region of See also:Galveston, along the northern See also:section of the coast, where southerly or south-easterly winds from the Gulf prevail throughout the See also:year, the climate is warm, moist and squable, but the moisture decreases westward and south-westward, Ind she equability, partly because of northerly winds during the See also:sinter months, decreases in all directions inland. The mean See also:annual temperature decreases to the north-westward with an increase of both See also:altitude and See also:latitude, and ranges from 73° F. in the lower689 Rio Grande Valley to 95° F. in the northern portion of the See also:Pan-handle. The range between the mean of the See also:maxima of the summer months (See also:June, See also:July and See also:August) and the mean of the minima of the See also:winter months (See also:December, See also:January and See also:February) is only from 88° to 50° at Galveston, but at See also:Mount Blanco, See also:Crosby county, on the eastern border of the Llano Estacado, it is from 9o° to 26°. During a See also:period of twenty-six years (from January 1882 to December 1908) the greatest extremes that were recorded in the state by the United States See also:Weather See also:Bureau were 113° at El Paso in June 1883 and -16° at Amarillo, See also:Potter county, in the Panhandle, in February 1899; within the same period the extremes at Galveston ranged only from 98° to 8°. Along the coast the See also:average number of days during a year in which the temperature falls below freezing-point is only 3 or 4, but in the Panhandle this average is 111. January is the coldest See also:month in nearly all parts of the state and July is the warmest. The mean temperature for January decreases from 5° at Brownsville, at the southern extremity of the state, to 36' at Amarillo in the Panhandle. The mean temperature for July is 85° both at Beeville, See also:Bee county, in the southern coast region, and at Waco, much farther north but also farther inland ; at Amarillo it falls to 76°. The average annual rainfall decreases quite regularly westward and south-westward from 47.6 in. at Galveston to 9.3 in. at El Paso. Along the coast the autumn months are the wettest and the spring months are the driest; for example, at Galveston the rainfall amounts to 5.7 in. in See also:September and only 2.9 in. in See also:April. In the See also:middle, eastern and north-eastern parts of Texas the spring months are the wettest and the winter months are the driest; for example, at Waco the rainfall amounts to 4.5 in. in May and only 1.9 in. in December. In the western and south-western parts the summer months are the wettest and the spring months are the driest; thus, at El Paso the rainfall amounts to 2.2 in. in July and only o•2 in. in April. The average annual snowfall for the state is about 5 in., ranging from 19 in. in the northern portion of the Panhandle to scarcely any along the coast and in the lower Rio Grande Valley. The prevailing winds are southerly or south-easterly throughout most of the state in spring and summer. Along the coast they continue in the same direction throughout the year, but inland they usually shift to the north or north-west either in autumn or winter. Soils.—The Coastal Plain has for the most part a See also:light sandy See also:soil, but there is a fertile See also:alluvium in the river bottoms and See also:good See also:clay soils on some of the uplands. The eastern part of the Prairie Plains is a belt known as the Black Prairie, and it has a rich black soil derived from Upper Cretaceous See also:limestone; immediately west of this is another belt with a thinner soil derived from Lower Cretaceous rocks; a southern part of the same plains has a soil derived from See also:granite; in a large area in the north-west the plains have a reddish clay soil derived from Permian rocks and a variety of soils—good black soils and inferior sandy and clay soils—derived from Carboniferous rocks. A very thin soil covers the Edwards Plateau, but on the Llano Estacado are brownish and reddish loalns derived from the sediments of a Neocene lake. See also:Agriculture.—The See also:total See also:farm acreage was 125,807,017 acres in 1900, the total number of farms' being 351,085, their average acreage 358.3 acres, 84.9 per cent, being operated by white farmers. There were 11,220 farms of moo acres and more; 10,183 between 500 and moo acres; 115,393 between loo and 50o acres; and 88,537 between 50 and too acres. The See also:production of See also:Indian See also:corn was I22,250,000 bu. in 1909 (valued at $92,910,000) ; the See also:wheat See also:crop, 5,050,000 bu. (valued at $5,959,000); the See also:oat crop, 11,500,000 bu. (valued at $7,130,000); the rice crop, 9,894,000 bu. (valued at $7,717,000); the acreage under See also:hay was 618,000, the crop being 587,000 tons and its value $6,985,000. Texas ranked first in 1899 among the states in the production and value of cotton, the acreage of which increased from 2,178,435 acres in 1879 to 6,960,367 acres in 1899, and the number of commercial See also:bales from 805,284 in 1879 to 2,506,212 in 1899, when the total crop was valued at $96,729,304. The estimates for 1909 were 9,334,000 acres and 2,570,000 bales. In the value of live stock on farms and ranges, Texas ranked seventh among the states in 1880 and second in 1900, with a value of $240,576,955. The value of all domestic animals on farms and ranges in 1900 was $236,227,934, Texas ranking second in this respect among the states. The censuses from 186o to 1900 showed a far greater number of neat cattle on farms and ranges in Texas than in any other state or Territory ; in 1900 the number was 7,279,935 (excluding spring calves) ; and in 1910 there were 8,308,000 neat cattle including 1,137,000 milch cows. In the number of horses the state ranked third in 1900, with 1,174,003 See also:head—excluding colts—and in 1910 with 1,369,000 head. In the number of mules the state ranked first by a wide margin in 1900, with 474,737 head, and in 1910 with 702,000 head. In the number of See also:swine the state ranked eighth in 1900 with 2,665,614 head, and third in 1910 with 3,205,000 head. In the number of See also:sheep the state See also:rose from See also:fourth See also:rank in 1880 to first in 189o, but dropped to tenth rank in 1900, when there were 1,439,940 head; in 1910 1 Not including farms of less than three acres and of small productive capacity. 690 there were 1,909,000 sheep in the state. The See also:wool product of the state in 1900 was 9,638,002 lb, and in 1910 was 8,943,750 lb washed and unwashed and 3,040,875 lb scoured. In the number of chickens (13,562,302 in 1900) the state ranked fifth, and in the number of ducks, geese and turkeys (1,299,044 in 1900), ranked first. The cereals grow generally throughout the state, excepting in the arid western lands. The crop of Indian corn is especially large in a belt of counties beginning near the north-eastern corner of the state and extending in a south-See also:westerly direction. Most of the rice is raised along the seaboard, in the south-eastern corner of the state. The largest crops of cotton are grown in the cereal-growing counties. Forests and Timber.—About 64,000 sq. m., or 24 per cent. of the area of Texas, is estimated to be wooded. The area of yellow pine forests (the stand is estimated at 67,568.5 million ft.), and the lesser one of hardwood, together with considerable softwood, represent See also:lumber-producing possibilities of much economic importance. The pine and hardwood areas occur chiefly in the north-eastern part of the state, and are bordered on the west by scattering growths of hardwood, extending as far westward as See also:Austin. Sparse scrub timber, of little value except for posts, poles and rough beams and for See also:fuel, occupies the region westward to approximately the See also:longitude of the See also:Pease river. Outside of these See also:general areas, forest products are of relatively little value, the exceptions being the dense growths, in certain restricted areas, of live-oak, which is in demand for See also:ship timbers; and scattering patches of hickory, which is requisite for certain manufactures. The pine and hardwood forests are of great economic value because of the See also:density of their growth, and there are at See also:hand the means of profitable development of this See also:industry in the numerous watercourses which make logging cheap and expeditious. The maple, walnut, oak, ash, 'beech, elm. See also:gum, sycamore, hickory and See also:poplar, found on the southern slope of the Osage See also:highlands, on the uplands about the source of the highlands and in the central portions of the Red river valley, are valuable for See also:cabinet woods. The cut, consisting almost entirely of yellow pine, was valued in 1900 at $16,296,473.
See also:Fisheries.—The value of the fisheries product of Texas increased from $286,610 (7,174,550 lb) in 1897 to $353,814 (8,044,404 lb) in 1902; and the amount of See also:capital invested in the industry from $237,496 in 1897 to $373,724 in 1902, but the number of wage-earners employed decreased slightly—from 1199 in 1897 to 1144 in 1902. The values of the principal catches in 1902 were: red snapper, $103,398; oysters, $100,359; squeteague, $49,577, and channel bass, $39,525.'
Minerals.—The total value of the See also:mineral products of Texas in 1890 was $1,986,679; in 1902, $6,981,532; in 1907, $19,806,458, and in 1908, $15,212,929—the valuations for the two years last named being those of the United States See also:Geological Survey. By far the largest See also:item in these totals after 1902 represented the value of See also:petroleum. Little See also:attention was paid to this resource until 1883; in 1890 the product was valued at only $227; and five years later it had increased to only $250. A good quality of oil—better in fact than the See also:Ohio product, but not as good as that of See also:Pennsylvania—was accidentally found at See also:Corsicana, See also:Navarro county, about 1894, and in 1898 it was discovered at a See also:depth of 1040 ft. In 1901 an extraordinary " gusher " well was drilled near See also:Beaumont, See also:Jefferson county; in the nine days before this well was capped, it threw a stream of oil 16o ft. high, and poured out about 5oo,000 barrels. The development of the Hardin county See also: The value of the bituminous See also:coal output was $465,900 (184,440 short tons) in 1890; $1,581,914 (968,373 short tons) in 1900; $2,778,811 (1,648,069 short tons) in 1907; and $3,419,48I (1,805,377 short tons) in 1908. The value of the product of limestones and See also:dolomites in 1900 was $124,728; in 1902, $228,662; of See also:sand-stones and quartzites in 1900, $37,038; in 1902, $165,56; while the value of all See also: The highest average quantity of rough milled rice per See also:establishment in the United States in 1905 was for Texas, where seventeen establishments produced an average of 18,598,259 lb, valued, together with that of other rice products, at $4,638,867. Transportation.—Until the middle of the 19th See also:century transportation facilities remained practically undeveloped in Texas. In 186o the steam railway mileage was 307 m.; in 187o, 711 m.; in 188o, 3244 m.; in 1890, 8709 M.; in 1905, 11,949 M.; in 1907, 12,877 m.; and in 1908, 13,066 m. Most of this mileage is in the eastern part of the state, the western and southern portions having slight railway facilities. The principal railway systems are the Southern Pacific, the See also:Santa F6, the Texas & Pacific and the Colorado & Southern. The inland waterways include the 25 ft. ship See also:canal from the Gulf to See also:Port See also:Arthur (the Port Arthur Canal), opened in 1899, and transferred to the United States See also:government in 1906; the Galveston and Brazos River canal, 29.5 M. long and of a ruling depth of 3 ft., also acquired by the government in 1902, and a privately owned canal, 9 M. long and from 6.5 ft. to to ft. deep, extending from Corpus Christi to Aransas See also:Bay. Other important waterways which have been authorized by the United States government and on which See also:work was proceeding in 1910 are canals from the Rio Grande river to the Mississippi river at Donaldsonville, Louisiana; and " a navigable channel depth of 5 ft. in a canal along the coast of Texas, underlying the lagoons lying between the islands and the mainland" to develop light See also:navigation to points not reached by the See also:railways. Another important under-taking is the deepening of the Trinity river to See also:Dallas, a distance of 511 m., thereby affording a navigable waterway almost to the northern boundary of the state. Congressional appropriations for the survey, improvement and See also:maintenance of waterways began in 1852; amounted to $15,055,688 between 1891 and 1896 inclusive, and $1,613,829 between 1897 and 1907; the total appropriated being $23,249,419. The ports of entry of Texas are Galveston, Corpus Christi, See also:Eagle Pass, El Paso and Brownsville. See also:Population.—The population in 188o was 1,591,749; in 1890, 2,235,523; in 1900, 3,048,710; and in 1910, 3,896,542 s Of the population in 1900, 94.1 per cent. was native See also:born, 79.6 per cent. was white and 20.4 per cent. (or 620,722) was See also:negro, or of negro descent. There were in 1900, 2,249,088 native whites, 179,357 persons of See also:foreign See also:birth, 836 See also:Chinese, 470 See also:Indians and 13 See also:Japanese. Of the inhabitants born in the United States 130,389 were natives of See also:Tennessee, 129,945 of See also:Alabama, 90,584 of Mississippi, 77,950 of See also:Georgia and 75,633 of Arkansas; and of the foreign-born 71,062 were Mexicans, 48,295 Germans, 9204 Bohemians, 8213 See also:English, 687o Austrians and 6173 natives of See also:Ireland. Of the total population 471,573 were of foreign parentage—i.e. either one or both parents were foreign-born, and of those both of whose parents were foreign-born 70,736 were of See also:German, 10,967 of Bohemian, 7759 of Irish and 6526 of See also:Austrian parentage. In 1906 1,226,906 inhabitants of the state were members of religious See also:societies. Of these 401,720 were See also:Baptists; 317,495 Methodists; 308,356 See also:Roman Catholics; 62,090 Presbyterians; 39,550 Disciples of See also:Christ; 34,006 members of the Churches of Christ; 27,437 See also:Lutherans; 14,246 See also:Protestant Episcopalians; 7745 members of the German Evangelical See also:Synod of North America, and 1856 Congregationalists. The principal cities are See also:San See also:Antonio, See also:Houston, Dallas, Galveston, Fort See also:Worth, Austin, the capital, Waco, El Paso, See also:Laredo, See also:Denison and See also:Sherman.
See also:Administration.—Texas as a part of Mexico was governed under the constitution (1827) of the " See also:Free State of See also:Coahuila and Texas "; a See also:separate constitution adopted in 1835 was never recognized by the Mexican government and never went into effect. The Texan See also:Declaration of See also:Independence, adopted in See also:November 1835, was accompanied by a provisional constitution; and with the Declaration of Independence of See also: There is a general land See also:office at Austin in fighting a See also:duel or in sending a See also:challenge) have the right of under the See also:charge of a commissioner. Among other features of See also:suffrage. The constitution originally forbade the See also:registration See also:interest the constitution forbids the suspension of the See also:writ of habeas
of voters, but an See also:amendment of 1891 permits it in cities having cising the rightutoli ote,da daa thorizesf the excl uionfiof atheists a population of ten thousand or more, and the Australian from office. There is also a clause which exempts from seizure See also:ballot system was adopted in such cities by an See also:act of the for See also:debt the See also:homestead, not more than two See also:hundred acres of land twenty-second legislature in 1892. An amendment to the in the country; or a See also:house of any value in a See also:city or See also:town on a See also:lot constitution may be proposed by a two-thirds See also:vote of all members or lots not exceeding five thousand dollars in value at the See also:time
d if it is of its designation as the homestead. The See also:object is the See also:protection elected to each house of the legislature, and is adopted widows and orphans, but the right has been very much abused, approved by a See also:majority of the popular vote on the amendment. and its abuse is in part responsible for the high See also:rate of interest
The executive See also:department consists of a See also:governor, See also:lieutenant- which prevails. State-wide See also:prohibition of the See also:sale of intoxicating governor, secretary of state, See also:comptroller of public accounts, trea- li uors was voted down in 1887 and a local See also:option See also:law went into surer, commissioner of the general land office, and See also:attorney-general. effect; in 1907, when there was no See also:licence in 145 (out of 243) Contrary to the usual See also:custom in other states, the secretary of state counties and licence only in parts of 51 other counties, a law was
is appointed by the governor. The other officials are elected by there was an un uccessful See also:attempt tof cities towns. In o pass i indthe legislature a See also:con
popular vote for two years' terms. The governor and lieutenant- stitutional amendment providing for state-wide prohibition; the
governor must be, at the time election, at least See also:thirty years amendment was favoured by the Democratic state See also:platform, but of age, citizens of the United States, and residents of the state for the hostility of the legislature to Governor See also: His functions Both See also:husband and wife retain their separate See also:title to the See also:pro-are rather more extensive than those of the average American perty which each owned before See also:marriage and to that acquired executive. In addition to the usual See also:privilege of granting pardons after marriage by See also:gift, devise or descent, and to the increase of and reprieves, he controls considerable patronage, and possesses a all lands thus. acquired, but the husband has the See also:sole management rills. of See also:veto which extends to separate items in See also:appropriation both. of his wn and of his wife's separate See also:property. However, biolls. A two-thirds majority in each house is necessary to over- should the husband neglect to See also:sue for the recovery of any separate ride a veto. property of his wife she may, with the permission of the See also:court, The legislature of the state is composed of a See also:Senate and a House sue for it in her own name; or should the husband refuse to sup-of Representatives. The Senate consists of thirty-one members, port his wife and educate her See also:children as her See also:fortune would See also:war-chosen by popular vote for four years, one-half retiring every two rant, the county court may in See also:answer to her complaint require a years. Representatives are elected biennially. Their number, fixed portion of the proceeds from her property to be paid to her. originally ninety-three, is determined by See also:apportionment bills passed All property which either husband or wife acquires during the after the publication of each Federal census, but under the con- marriage, other than by gift, devise or descent, is their common stitution it can never exceed one hundred and fifty. Senators and property, and during See also:coverture may be disposed of by the husband representatives must be at least twenty-six years old, citizens of only; on the See also:death of the husband the widow has one-half of the the United States, qualified See also:electors of the state, and residents of property, which they held in common. The causes for a See also:divorce the state for two years, and of the See also:district for one year, preceding are See also:cruelty, See also:adultery, See also:desertion for three years, or conviction after the election. The unusual See also:provision that two-thirds of each house marriage a felonand imprisonment in the state See also:prison without shall constitute a See also:quorum would probably prove inconvenient, if being pardoned within one year after conviction; the See also:plaintiff the See also:political parties were approximately equal in strength. Bills must reside in the county six months before beginning suit. for raising See also:revenue may originate only in the House of Represents Education.—Educational matters are supervised by a state See also:fives, but may be amended or rejected by the Senate. Meetings See also:board, composed of the governor, comptroller and secretary' of of the legislature are biennial, although special sessions may be state, by a See also:superintendent of public instruction, who is ex officio
called by the governor. secretary of the board, by county superintendents (in counties
The judicial system, revised by a constitutional amendment of having a school population of 3000 or more), by superintendents 1891, consists of a supreme court of three members, elected for a and boards of trustees in corporate towns and cities, and by school See also:term of six years, with See also:civil See also:jurisdiction only, largely appellate; commissioners in the rural districts. The permanent public school a court of criminal appeals, of three members, elected for six years, fund is the largest of any state in the Union; in 1908 it included with appellate jurisdiction. in criminal cases; courts of civil appeals $38,406,222 in land notes, $15,136,808 in bonds, $7,915,257 (esti-(number determined by the legislature) of three members each,
elected for six years; district courts, each with one See also:judge, elected mated) in leased lands, and $67,956 in See also:cash awaiting investment. for four years, with See also:original jurisdiction in the more important The invested fund is largely in Federal, state and county bonds. civil and criminal (See also:felony) cases and a limited appellate jurisdic- The revenue for See also:schools in 1907–08 was $8,020,229, of which
on; county and See also:justice of the See also:peace courts with original See also:juris- $2,761,651 was from the state tax, $2,080,159 from the local tax, ton; diction in misdemeanours and See also:petty civil cases. The commissioners' $1,640,969 from the one See also:dollar See also:poll tax on See also:males between the ages court of five members, including the presiding judge, attends to of twenty-one and sixty, $481,894 from a state occupation tax, county business matters, the county being the unit of local govern- $429,365 from county funds, and $105,806 from tuition fees. The ment. state apportionment to the districts was $5 per capita of school
See also:Miscellaneous See also:Laws.—The long domination of See also:Spain and Mexico population in 1906-o7, and was $6 in 1907 08. In the latter exercised an influence on the institutions of the state, but it can year the total enrolment in public schools was 777,545, of whom scd for whit easily be exaggerated. It must be remembered that during the and 7nego children and Separatial te p 000ls are maimade both racese See also:ion i
s colonial period the See also:Spanish and Mexican population was never very In 1839 the See also:Congress of the Republic set apart fifty square leagues large, that the first permanent Anglo-American See also:settlement was (221,420 acres) of land for the establishment of two See also:universities. not established until 1821, that there was See also:ill-feeling between the The state legislature approved this See also: Owing to the peaceful character of its acquisition and the relative strength of the See also:Romance (See also:French) See also:element, Louisiana continued the use of the Civil Law. The Texas invaders, For a full discussion of this question see E. W. Townes, Quarterly on the other hand, adopted the Common Law; but with the addition of'the Texas State See also:Historical Association, ii. 29–53, .134–151 (July of many Civil Law principles. For example, the state has never and See also:October 1898): colleges; ,the Sam Houston Normal See also:Institute (1879) at See also:Huntsville, the North Texas State Normal (1901) at See also:Denton, the South-west Texas Normal (1903) at San Marcos, the School of See also:Industrial Arts for girls at Denton, and the Prairie View Industrial and Normal School (1876) for negroes near Hempstead. The system is not unified or organized: the university's department of education, the school for girls at Denton and the negro normal school all issue teachers' certificates, but are not under the contrcl of the State Department of Education or the State Board of Education. The state library and museum are a part of the Department of Banking, Statistics, See also:History and See also:Insurance. Denominational schools are: Baylor University (Baptist; 1845), at Waco, with a medical department at Dallas; the East Texas Normal and Industrial See also:Academy (Baptist; 1905), at See also:Tyler; Trinity University (See also:Cumberland PresbyteriaA; 1869), at Waxahachie; Austin College (Presbyterian; 185o), at Sherman; South-western University (Methodist Episcopal; 1873), at See also:Georgetown, with a medical department at Dallas; the See also:Polytechnic College (Methodist Episcopal, South; 1891), at Fort Worth; Texas Holiness College (Holiness; 1899), at Peniel, near See also:Greenville; Texas See also:Christian University (Christian; 1873 until 1895 at Thorp's Spring; until 1902 Add-Ran College), at Waco; St See also:Edward's College (Roman See also:Catholic, under the See also:Congregation of the See also:Holy Cross; 1885), at Austin; St See also:Mary's University (1854; since 1884 under the Society of Jesus), at Galveston; St See also:Basil's College (under the Basilian Fathers; 1899), at Waco; for girls, Baylor See also:Female College (Baptist; 1845), at Belton; San Antonio Female College (Methodist Episcopal, South; 1894), at San Antonio; North Texas Female College (Methodist Episcopal, South; 1877), at Sherman; and the Academy of Our See also:Lady of the Lake, under the Sisters of Divine See also:Providence, at San Antonio; and for negroes See also:Paul Quinn College (See also:African Methodist Episcopal; 1881), at Waco; See also:Tillotson College (Congregational; 1881), at Austin; See also:Samuel Huston College (Methodist Episcopal; .1900), at Austin; See also:Bishop College (Baptist; 1881), at See also:Marshall; Wiley University (Methodist Episcopal; 1873), at Marshall; and Texas College (Coloured Methodist Episcopal; 1895), at Tyler. Charitable and Penal Institutions.—Texas has done more than any other Southern state for the humane and scientific treatment of its dependent and defective classes. There are insane asylums at Austin (the State Lunatic See also:Asylum), San Antonio (the South-western Insane Asylum), and See also:Terrell (North Texas See also:Hospital for the Insane) ; the Texas School for the See also:Deaf (1857), an institution for deaf, dumb and See also:blind coloured youths (1889), a School for the Blind (1856), and a See also:home for dependent Confederate soldiers, at Austin, a state See also:orphan home (1889) at Corsicana, an epileptic See also:colony at Abilene, and a state reformatory (1889) for boys under seventeen years at Gatesville. A See also:statute of 1899, authorized by a constitutional amendment of 1897, instituted a system of See also:pensions for Confederate veterans. For this purpose $200,000 was appropriated during the fiscal year 1902–1903. The maximum permitted by the constitution is $250,000 per annum. The penitentiaries are at Huntsville and Rusk, and there is a reform school for juvenile offenders at See also:Gainesville. The convict See also:lease system in its most objectionable See also:form was abolished in 1883, and convicts are now employed on state See also:account or by private See also:contract. There are several state farms in successful operation. Each of these institutions, penal and charitable, has its own superintendent and board of managers, appointed by the governor. See also:Finance.—The heavy debt incurred in the struggle with Mexico was paid out of the $io,000,000 received from the United States government under the See also:Compromise of 185o. New loans were made during the Civil War, but they were repudiated by the constitution of 1866, and were made void by the Fourteenth Amendment to the Federal constitution. The extravagance of the Reconstruction governments resulted in the See also:accumulation by 1876 of a debt of $4,792,394. The constitution of 1876 forbids the borrowing of See also:money except to See also:supply casual deficiencies of revenue (amount limited to $200,000 at a time), repel invasion, suppress insurrection defend the state in war, or pay existing debts. The nominal amount of the public debt on the 1st of September 1908 was $3,989,400. but the figures are misleading, because, with the exception of $22,000 (held partly by counties), all of these obligations were in the permanent school fund or in funds for the University, the Agricultural and Mechanical College, and the various charitable institutions. Owing to a clause in the constitution forbidding the issue of See also:bank charters, the See also:financial business of the state was controlled by See also:national and private banks until 1904, when the constitution was amended and provision was made for the See also:incorporation of state banks under a system of state super-See also:vision, regulation and See also:control, deposits being guaranteed as in the Oklahoma banking system. History.—The history of Texas may be regarded as a step in the great struggle between See also:England, See also:France and Spain for the possession of America. The earliest explorations were made by the Spaniards, Cabeza de Vaca, 1528-36, and Francisco Vasquez de See also:Coronado, 1540-42, but the first colony was that planted on Matagorda Bay in 1685 by the French under the
Sieur de la Salle. This was, however, soon abandoned, and the field See also:left to the Spanish. Beginning in 1690 they established several ecclesiastical, military and civil settlements known respectively as See also:missions (Franciscan), presidios, and See also:pueblos. In or near the city of San Antonio are the ruins of five missions built of stone; and missions were more numerous in east Texas, but they were built of wood and nothing remains to See also:mark their location. In 1727 the territory, with vaguely defined limits, was formed into a province and named Tejas, or Texas, after the tribe or the confederacy of Tejas Indians. For more than a century the conditions were favourable for colonization. The French in Louisiana proved to be peaceable neighbours, and that province, both under French (to 1763) and under Spanish See also:rule (1763-1803) served as a protection against the English. Spain failed to take See also:advantage of the opportunity, however, and it was lost when the United States See also:purchased Louisiana in 1803. Three abortive Anglo-American invasions during the first few years of the century indicated the future trend of events. The first, under See also: By the See also:Florida treaty, finally ratified at that time, the claims of the United States to Texas, based on the Louisiana See also:purchase, were given up, and the eastern and northern boundaries of the province were determined. They were to be, in general terms, the Sabine river, the 94th meridian (approximately), the Red river, the tooth meridian, the Arkansas river, and the 42nd parallel. So far as Spain was concerned this was only a form, inasmuch as Mexico, of which Texas formed a part, was just completing its long struggle for independence (1810—21). In that year also (December 1821) See also:Stephen F. Austin established the first permanent Anglo-American settlement at San Felipe de Austin on the Brazos river. This was followed by an extensive See also:immigration from the United States during the period of Mexican rule (1821-36). It is estimated that the population, exclusive of Indians, increased from four thousand in 1821 to ten thousand in 1827, and nearly twenty thousand in 183o. Most of the settlers came from the southern section of the Union and of course brought their slaves with them, but there is no See also:evidence to show that their object was the territorial extension of See also:slavery, or that the revolt against Mexico was the result of dissatisfaction with that country's See also:anti-slavery policy. Texas was joined to Coahuila in 1824 to form a state of the Mexican federation. Although the attempt to force the Roman Catholic See also:religion upon the See also:people, the federal See also:decree of 183o forbidding further immigration from the states, and the reckless grants of land to Mexican favourites aroused some ill-feeling, the government on the whole was fairly liberal. The peace party, led by Stephen F. Austin, was able to restrain the more warlike followers of See also: See also:Wharton and See also: In the Matamoras expedition the Texan forces were severely crippled on account of a See also:quarrel between Governor Smith, who desired independence, and the majority of his See also:council, who favoured union with the Mexican Liberals. The command was divided between Houston, who was supported by the governor, and two leaders, See also:Frank W. See also: The United States government asserted the Rio Grande claim and prepared to enforce it at the cost of war; at the same time the Mexican government considered See also:annexation, regardless of the boundary question, a declaration of war by the United States. An army of 2000 men under Zachary See also: The state was never the See also:scene of active military operations during the 1 This acquisition of foreign territory by joint resolution instead of by treaty was followed in the case of See also:Hawaii in 1898. Civil War (1861-65), although it is interesting to See also:note that the last See also:battle of the conflict was fought on its soil, at Palmito, near Palo Alto, on the 13th of May 1865, more than a month after the surrender at Appomattox. In conformity with President Johnson's plan of reconstruction, a constitution recognizing the abolition of slavery, renouncing the right of secession, and repudiating the war debt was adopted in 1866, and J. W. See also:Throckmorton, Unionist Democrat, was elected governor. When, in 1867, the Congressional plan of reconstruction was substituted, Texas was joined to Louisiana to constitute the fifth military district, and the first commander, General P. H. See also:Sheridan, removed Throckmorton from office as " an impediment to reconstruction " and appointed E. M. Pease in his See also:place. Delegates to a new constitutional convention were elected in 1868, the constitution framed by this See also:body was ratified in November 1869, state See also:officers and congressmen were elected the same day, the new legislature ratified the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments, and on the 3oth of March 1870 Texas was readmitted to the Union. But the state remained under the rule of negroes and See also:carpet-baggers, supported by United States troops until the inauguration of Governor See also:Richard See also:Coke in 1874. It has since been consistently Democratic. The supremacy of the party was threatened for a time by the growth of Populism, but the danger was avoided by the See also:acceptance of free See also:silver, and the partial See also:adoption of the Populist local See also:programme. This surrender aroused strong opposition among the conservative or See also:Cleveland Democrats, which culminated in the See also:Hogg-See also:Clark gubernatorial campaign of 1892. The victory of the Radicals resulted in the establishment of a railway rate commission, based upon a constitutional amendment of 1890 and a statute of 1891, the passage of an See also:alien land law in 1891, which was declared unconstitutional and amended in 1892, the adoption of the Australian ballot system for cities and towns of more than ro,000 inhabitants (1892), the retirement of See also:Roger Q. See also:Mills from the United States Senate (1899) and the sending of free silver delegations to the national conventions of 1896 and 1900.
See also:GOVERNORS
Spanish Period (169o-1821)2
Domingo Teran de los Rios. Antonio de See also:Martos y See also:Navarrete.
See also:Don Gaspardo de Anaya. Juan Maria See also:Baron de See also:Ripperda.
Don See also: Rafael See also:Pacheco. Fernando de Almazan. See also:Manuel Munoz. Melchior deMediavillayArcona. Juan Bautista Elguezabal. Juan Antonio Bustillos y Ceval- Antonio Cordero. los. Manuel de Salcedo. Manuel de Sandoval. Juan Bautista Casas, provisional. See also:Carlos de Franquis. Manuel de Salcedo. Prudencio de Oribio de Basterra. Christoval Dominquez. JJusto Boneo. Antonio Martinez. acinto de Barrios y Jaurequi. Mexican Period (1821-36)2 Trespalacios. Don Luciana See also:Garcia, provisional. Rafael Gonzales, provisional. See also:Victor Blanco. Jose Maria Viesca. Jose Maria Letona. Francisco Vidauri y Villasenor, provisional. Jose Maria Goribar, }See also:rival claimants. Juan Jose Elguezebal,
Augustin Viesca.
Henry Smith, provisional
Period of the Republic (1836-46)4
See also:David G. Burnet, provisional 1836
Sam Houston 1836-38
See also:Mirabeau B. See also:Lamar 1838-41
Sam Houston 1841-44
See also:Anson See also: 1861
See also:Francis R. Lubbock, Democrat 1861-63
See also:Pendleton See also: See also:Sayers, „ 1899-1903
Samuel W. T. Lanham, „ 1903-1907
See also: 7–325, for an account of legislative and judicial history; and J. J. See also:Lane in Wooten for the educational system. Some valuable statistics will be found in C. W. Raines, Year-See also:Book for Texas, 1901 (Austin, 1902).
An excellent See also:guide to the history of the state is C. W. Raines, Bibliography of Texas (Austin, 1896). The best history of the state is George P. Garrison's Texas (See also:Boston and New See also:York, 1903), in the American Commonwealths series, but its treatment of the period since 1845 is too brief. John Henry See also: The best of the older See also:works and the basis for subsequent books on the period which it covers is Henderson Yoakum's History of Texas from its first Settlement in 1685 to its Annexation to the United States in 1846 (2 vols., New York, 1856). See also David B. Edward, The History of Texas (See also:Cincinnati, 1836), slightly pro-Mexican in sympathy; H. . See also:Ban-See also:croft, History of Texas and the North Mexican States (2 vols., San Francisco, 1884–89), valuable for authorities cited in the See also:foot-notes; and A. M. See also:Williams, Sam Houston and the War of Independence in Texas (Boston and New York, 1893), the best life of Houston. See also:Dudley G. Wooten (ed.), A Comprehensive History of Texas, 1685–1897 (2 vols., Dallas, 1898), contains a reprint of Yoakum with notes and several chapters by various writers on Anglo-American colonization, the revolution against Mexico, the land system, the educational system, &c. A series of monographs dealing mostly with the period before 1845 will be found in The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association (Austin, 1897 sqq.). Among the See also:manuscript treasures at Austin may be mentioned the See also:diplomatic See also:correspondence of the Republic in the state department, the Nacogdoches archives and the W. D. See also:Miller papers in the state library, and the Bexar archives and the See also:Guy M. Bryan (Austin) papers in the university. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML. Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide. |
|
|
[back] TEXARKANA |
[next] TEXT (Lat. textum, woven fabric, from texere, to we... |