July Timeline
July 1
1887 - Clay Allison fell beneath the wheels of his wagon, fracturing his neck and died shortly afterwards.
July 2
1835 - In July of this year, Lorenzo de Zavala landed at Velasco with his family. He settled near present-day San Jacinto Park. Denouncing Santa Anna, he supported Texas' fight for freedom.
July 3
1716 - Spain decided to reoccupy Texas, and several missions were founded. On this date Father Hidalgo was placed in charge of Mission San Francisco de los Neches.
July 4
1845 - The Convention of 1845 met in Austin and approved annexation to the U.S. by a vote of 55 to 1. A constitution was written for the new State.
July 5
1685 - La Salle's expedition finished building Fort St. Louis by using the timber from its wrecked ships.
1834 - The newspaper from Brazoria, Texas Republican, was first printed.
July 6
1851 - Fort Mason was established on Post Hill near Mason, Texas. It was the last command of Gen. Robert E. Lee before the War between the States.
July 7
1888 - R.E. and John Stafford were killed in a saloon in Columbus, TX, as part of the Stafford-Townsend Feud in Colorado County. The Staffords and Townsends were cattlemen and their feud finally came to a close on June 30, 1906.
July 8
1855 - On March 3, 1855, the U.S. Congress passed the Shield Amendment, establishing funds to buy camels for use in America. The camels were to go to Camp Verde in Kerr County.
July 9
1733 - Records show that there were nearly 30 different tribes of Indians living at Mission Concepcion in San Antonio.
1857 - The first mail left San Antonio on a newly created San Antonio-San Diego Mail Route.
July 10
1824 - Richard King, founder and owner of the King Ranch, was born in New York City. He came to Texas in May 1847. In 1852 he and G.K. "Legs" Lewis established a ranch on the Santa Gertrudis Creek, naming the breed of cattle they developed for the creek.
July 11
1835 - Stephen F. Austin was finally allowed to leave Mexico after being in jail and held on bond since January 1834.
1949 - Beauford H. Jester died while aboard a Pullman car on his way to a speaking engagement in Galveston. He was the first Texas governor to die during the term of office.
July 12
1882 - Ben Thompson, gunfighter and city marshal of Austin, killed Jack Harris in San Antonio. He resigned as marshal of Austin and did not return there until he was found not guilty on January 20, 1883.
July 13
1821 - Stephen F. Austin wrote his mother to tell her he would keep working on his father's plans for colonization for Texas.
1859 The Cortina War began in Brownsville.
July 14
1843 - The career of the Texas Navy nearly ended when the ships put into port in Galveston, but the citizens there placed armed guards around them to keep them from being sold.
1879 - The Texas Legislature passed the Fifty Cent Act. This allowed public land to be sold for fifty cents an acre to pay the public debt and to establish funds for schools.
July 15
1839 - The Battle of the Neches was fought as the primary engagement of the Cherokee war. This was the battle in which Chief Bowles was killed.
July 16
1852 - This day marked the beginning of the Hedgcoxe War, also known as Peter's Colony Rebellion. Over one hundred settlers took up arms to protest against Henry O. Hedgcoxe and a circular he issued concerning the legality of certain land claims in Peters' Colony.
July 17
1865 - Gen. Edward R. S. Canby was appointed commander of the Department of Louisiana and Texas. He would be killed by Modac Indians in Oregon.
July 18
1686 - Alonso de Leon returned to Mexico after failing to find the French settlement.
1817 - Many Texans fought in World War I. On this day the 36th Division was organized to fight in France. It was primarily composed of Texas National Guard Troops.
July 19
1940 - During this month the Santa Gertrudis brand of cattle was bred. These cows were three-eighths Braham and five-eighths shorthorn. It was the first American brand of cattle.
July 20
1687 - The viceroy in Mexico City first received word from the Spanish ambassador in Paris that La Salle's expedition had French authorization to form a colony.
July 21
1824 - John Austin was granted two leagues of land in present Harris County. He was the first settler in this area which is near present-day Houston.
1851 - Sam Bass was born in Indiana. He would meet his fate in Round Rock, Texas on his 27th birthday in 1878.
July 22
1857 - Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee ended his service as commander of Camp Cooper in present Throckmorton County.
July 23
1798 - Jane Long, "The Mother of Texas," was born.
July 24
1536 - Cabeza de Vaca reached Mexico City, having walked there from Texas, and reported to the viceroy.
1684 La Salle had planned to leave France with four ships, heading for the mouth of the Mississippi River, Instead, he was not able to leave until August 1.
July 25
1839 - By July 25, all Indians were driven out of East Texas except the Coushattas and the Alabamas, who were moved to less fertile land.
1885 - Granite was substituted for limestone in the construction of the state capitol building. Native pink granite was quarried in Burnet County near Marble Falls.
July 26
1823 - The town of San Felipe de Austin was established on the Brazos River. It was the capital of the colonists until 1836. It saw the beginnings of the Texas Rangers, the Texas Postal System and held three state conventions.
1863 - Gen. Sam Houston passed away at his home in Huntsville, TX.
July 27
1881 - The Incarnate Word College in San Antonio was chartered in this month.
1885 - St. Edwards University in Austin was chartered.
July 28
1881 - The Frisco System, a system of chartered railroads that increased shipping, began.
July 29
1918 - The oil boom began at Burkburnett with the well "Fowler's Folly." Burkburnett was originally known as Nesterville by the cowboys of the 6666 Ranch on which it is located. Theodore Roosevelt once hunted wolves there.
July 30
1956 - At 7:00 a.m. a terrible explosion occurred between Dumas and Sunray at a petroleum tank farm. The resulting fireball was seen in Amarillo, forty miles away. Nineteen men were killed and many others seriously injured.
July 31
1867 - Fort Griffin was established and a frontier community grew around the military post. Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday met here, beginning a lifelong friendship.