1860
Thomas W. Whitmarsh became mayor of Houston
Buffalo Bayou's steamboat era reaches its zenith
The richest man in the county was William Marsh Rice and he was believed to the second richest man in the state. Rice owned the biggest building in Houston. One of his several businesses was hauling ice to Houston from New England by ship
Knights of the Golden Circle, Southern Rights Association, and other organizations stimulate local sentiment in favor of secession
Houston's population was 4,845. That figure included about 1,068 slaves. Fourteen Texas counties had more people than Harris County
Over 115,000 bales of cotton passed through the city
Houston was a growing rail center with five short rail lines and over 350 miles of track leading to the city by the time the Civil War began
Industry still lagged far behind commerce, as Houston could claim only fifteen manufacturing establishments. The largest was a thirty-employee iron foundry, producing about $50,000 worth of goods a year
J. E. and J. W Schrimpf opened a large meat packing plant
At least nine Houston merchants reported taxable holdings of over $250,000
The city experienced two disastrous fires, one destroying $350,000 worth of property
Founding of King Ranch
January 31
The first telegraph connection established in 1853 proved temporary. On this day, the first news dispatch arrived over what would be a permanent connection. The telegraph line was kept operating all during the Civil War with sulphuric acid from Sour Lake
February
The first train crossed the causeway linking Galveston and the mainland, and soon daily runs between the Island and Houston were in operation
A telegraph link between the two cities had been completed a short time earlier
May
Wharfage fees at Houston were abolished, primarily because they increased freight rates and hurt the competitive position of Bayou shipping vis-a-vis rail service to Galveston
November 6
Independent Democratic Party candidate John C. Breckinridge received a majority of Houston's presidential votes
December
Now aged, General Sam Houston spoke to a large crowd urging maintenance of the Union, but he received sparse support
Still lacking municipal services, Houston had two fire engines, but had no paid firemen, no paved streets, no covered sewers, no street lighting, and no permanent health board
The Houston and Texas Central Railroad now extended eighty miles to the northwest
The Houston Baseball Club was founded
J
anuary 1 Houstonians fire a fifteen-gun salute in celebration of South Carolina's secessionJ
anuary 14 Houstonians voted overwhelmingly for succession of TexasF
ebruary 20 About 500 eager volunteers reported for service in the Confederate Army under Col. John S. "Rip" FordM
arch 2 Abraham Lincoln inaugurated as president of the United States of AmericaMarch 16
Sam Houston resigns as governor after refusing to take Confederate oath of allegiance
April 12The Civil War began with Confederate forces attacking Fort Sumter, South Carolina
J
ulyU. S. Navy blockades Texas Coast
Sam Houston is ousted from office for refusing to take the oath of allegiance to the confederacy
The city of Houston serves as military headquarters for the confederate district of Texas
Summer
Economic decline came to Houston with the Union blockade. With the ship channel getting limited use during the war, most of the pre-war improvements disappeared. Shoals and bars formed, and snags accumulated
September 9
Col. Benjamin F. Terry mustered into service his famed Texas Rangers, accepting Capt. J. G. Walker's Company as the 9th company from Harris County, the unit which would be the pride of Texas for its performance in the Civil War
November 16
A canon salute was fired in the Courthouse Square to celebrate the fall of Fort Sumter
Thomas W. House became mayor of Houston
F
ebruary 13A Warehouse fire destroyed $12,000 worth of cotton and food supplies
A
prilThe Weekly Telegraph estimated that 12 percent of Harris County's population had joined the Confederate Armed Forces
Massacre of pro-Union German Settlers
O
ctober 9Federal troops occupy Galveston and Houston was inundated with Galveston refugees, many whom chose to remain after the end of the war
1863
William Anders took office as mayor.
J
anuary 1The city got a first hand taste of military action with the Battle of Galveston. Houston troops under Gen. John B. Magruder drove the Union forces from Galveston Island
Prices soared, with flour now quoted at $50 for a 100 pound sack, milk costing $1 a quart, boots worth $100 a pair, and tea and coffee unavailable at any place
J
anuary 1The "cotton clad" steamboats Bayou and Neptune, sailing from Houston, defeat Federal men-of-war in the Battle of Galveston
Some 1,600 Confederate forces under General John Blankhead Magruder are mobilized in Houston and recapture Galveston Island and kept the port open until the end of the Civil War
F
ebruaryHouston becomes military headquarters for the Confederate District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
July 26 The death of Sam Houston. Many people were beginning to believe Houston's predictions about the outcome of the war at the time of his death.S
eptember 8Battle of Sabine Pass
Lt. Dick "The Kid" Dowling lead a company of 42 men against a 15,000-man Union landing at Sabine Pass which prevented the Yankees from taking the strategic rail junction
1864 Deaths of Cynthia Ann Parker and her daughter Texanna, repatriated Comanches captives
January
There is a shortage of salt even at the extravagant price of 75 cents per pound
1865
A
prilFollowing the surrender of Gen. Lee, Houstonians held a public meeting where they declared "uncompromising resistance," but demoralization soon set in
April 9
Robert E. Lee surrenders Confederate forces at Appomattox, Virginia
Three black schools were established by the Freedman's Bureau
June 19
Maj. Gen. Gordon granger arrived in Galveston and proclaimed the emancipation of Texas slaves. The day would be known as "Juneteenth"
June 20
The U.S. Army occupied Houston with limited violence. One black man was killed. The city remained orderly, and the troops were withdrawn by November
Reconstruction begins locally
June 25
The Amnesty Office opened as Houstonians came forward to swear allegiance to the United States
October 19
An ordinance was passed authorizing the mayor to accept private loans for Buffalo Bayou ship channel improvements
Battle to Palmito Ranch, last conflict of Civil War, fought on Texas soil
1866
Horace D. Taylor became mayor of Houston
Harrisburg votes for incorporation
The Houston Gas and Fuel Company was established to make gas from coal
Formal banking institutions emerged with the First National Bank organized by B.A. Shepherd and T. M. Bagby. Popular prejudices and strictures in the state constitution prevented banks before the war
The Texas Transportation Company was chartered to construct New Houston near present-day Constitution Bend. It was planned as a transfer point where ocean-going ships could transfer cargo to railroads leading to Houston. Though the project failed, it evidenced quickening interest in ocean traffic among Houstonians
April
Lt. Dick Dowling reopens his Bank of Bacchus Saloon
June 19
Houston's first "Juneteenth" celebration included a banquet given by freedmen and their former mistresses and masters
O
ctober 9The Houston Direct Navigation Company was chartered for the purpose of putting barges on the Bayou, which could load and unload ocean vessels in mid-channel and thereby eliminate docking in Galveston. The Company controlled traffic on the Bayou in the immediate post-war period
1867
Texas under Martial Law
Great Texas trails drives begin
An outbreak of Yellow Fever became the city's worst epidemic in history, killing Lt. Dick Dowling , occupation commander Charles Griffin in Galveston, and many others in both cities
January
Andrew McGowen again became mayor
March 2
First Reconstruction Act passed by U. S. Congress over presidential veto
Spring
Hugh Rice was commissioned by the city to survey a proposed ship channel from the foot of Main Street to Bolivar Roads
1868
Joseph R. Morris became mayor
Black Texans vote for the first time
The first horse car is placed in operation on the Tap Railroad
Comanches, Kiowas, and Apaches moved to Fort Still, OK, but raids into Texas continue
Spring
The Houston Direct Navigation advertised, for the first time, a through bill of lading from Houston to New York City
The first gas lighting was installed, using gas produced from oyster shells and coal
April
The Klu Klux Klan appeared in Houston
A
pril 6The Houston City Railway placed its first trolley car in operation on McKinney Avenue. They were pulled by mules
S
ummerHouston was unable to pay its municipal employees, and the military authorities ordered the removal of the mayor, recorder, and city marshal. The ensuing appointment of a "carpetbagger" mayor aroused indignation
Thomas W. House, William Marsh Rice, and other important citizens founded the Buffalo Bayou Ship Channel Company with the intention of dredging a nine-foot channel from Houston to Bolivar Roads. City residents subscribed $100,000 for the project
The Houston City Mills textile factory opened in a three-story building. It employed eighty people and included fifty looms and 2,200 spindles
A new ice factory failed for lack of customers
Gus and Mollie Bailey Circus begins operations and tours the South until 1918
A
prilConstruction began on the Church of the Annunciation, a beautiful Roman Catholic Romanesque structure
A
pril 15TEXAS vs. WHITE decision in U.S. Supreme Court repudiates the doctrine of states' rights
1870 The Buffalo Bayou Ship Channel Company succeeds in obtaining a Congressional designation of Houston as a port of delivery awarding it federal funds to finance an improvement project
Thomas H. Scanlan, the most famous of Houston's Reconstruction Radicals, was appointed mayor by Radical Governor Edmund J. Davis. Blacks held positions on the city council and in the police force during his four-year administration
Houston's population stood at 9,332. Harris County had a population of 17,375. Only Washington County had more people
Harris County had sixty-four manufacturing establishments, employing 583 laborers and adding $305,359 in value to manufactured items
Eureka Mills, a $125,000 textile factory, opened five miles northwest of the city
Congregation Beth Israel established the first synagogue in Houston, at Franklin and Crawford
The City Bank of Houston opened
The first 300 Chinese immigrant laborers arrived in Houston
The cornerstone was laid for the first synagogue
First Lt. H. M. Adams of the U. S. Army Engineers began the first federal survey of a ship channel for Houston
April 16 Martial law ends, and with it the formal ReconstructionTexas is readmitted to the Union
Henry Journeay, the fiddler of Perote Castle, killed in Galveston by a mule drawn omnibus
May
The first Texas State Fair was held in Houston
May 23
The Texas Historical Society was organized with Ashbel Smith as president
July 14
Congress declared Houston a port of entry, authorized a customs house, and ordered a survey of the proposed channel from Houston to the Gulf
A
ugustHouston recedes a new city charter establishing eight city wards
YEARS OF WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION
By Marvin Hurley
HE national conflict reached the crisis stage in
December, 1860, when South Carolina seceded from the Union, to be quickly followed by
Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. Delegates from these
seven seceding states met in February, 1861, in Montgomery, Alabama, to draft a
Constitution for the Confederacy and to elect Jefferson Davis provisional President.
During April and May, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina seceded. The
Confederacy was then complete, with a population of 9,103,000, compared to the
Union's 22,340,000. President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to take
effect January 1, 1863, and the die was cast.
The federal census of 1860 showed a national population of 31, 433,321, with Texas having a total of 604,215, an increase of 184 percent for the decade. The population for Houston was shown to be 4,845 an increase of 102 percent. Harris County reported 9,070, and although this was an increase of 94 percent in ten years, it dropped to 15th place among the counties of the state in population. Rusk County ranked first, with 15,215; and Harrison County third with 15,001.
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Main Street Houston, circa 1864. Houston's economy had been bankrupted by the Union Blockade that closed the Gulf of Mexico. |
Because of his belief that the best interests of the Union, Sam Houston was deposed March 16, 1861, after the people had ratified secession over his protest on February 23rd. Even though little of the War between the States was fought on Texas soil, Texas contributed a great deal to the cause of the Confederacy east of the Mississippi. When Texas went to war, it was under the sixth flag to fly over the area, the other five being the French, Spanish, Mexican, Republic of Texas, and the United States. Divided loyalties separated families and friends, and during these agonizing years the wartime blockades choked commerce and slowed civic progress. But the Chamber of Commerce maintained its diligent efforts to keep commerce moving and to protect the young city from as many of the problems of the period of conflict as possible.
The shooting war came no closer to Houston than Galveston. The Texas coast was blockaded from the beginning of the war, and on October 4, 1862, Galveston was captured; but on January 1, 1863, Confederate forces under General John B. Magruder recaptured Galveston, attacking simultaneously by the land and sea. Later in the year, Lieutenant Dick Dowling commanded a force that successfully repulsed a federal attack at Sabine Pass. The last shot fired in the War between the States was at Palmito Ranch near Brownsville, May 13, 1865.
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After the surrender of the Confederacy was negotiated at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, General Gordon Granger of the United States Army was placed in command of Texas, with A. J. Hamilton being appointed by President Andrew Johnson as governor. When he landed at Galveston on June 19, 1865, General Granger issued an order that "in accordance with a proclamation by the executive of the United States, all Negroes are free." This date has since been celebrated by Texas African Americans as "Emancipation Day," and is popularly referred to by them as "Juneteenth."
The end of the war left economic devastation throughout Texas, and this situation was further aggravated by the federal government's imposition of four years of military rule, marked by depredations, injustices and humiliations which embittered Texans more than the war itself. The military dictatorship was followed by four more years of oppressive rule under the administration of Governor E. J. Davis, who held the office for a second term without re-election. Even at the end of this period, after he was defeated at the polls, he refused to vacate the office of governor until President U.S. Grant denied his petition for federal troops and advised him to vacate.
The Texas Legislature, on September 25, 1866, incorporated the Texas Transportation Company, with Colonel John T. Brady as president, and W. P. Hamblen as secretary. A few years later, the line came into the hands of a debt, and it is now a part of the Southern Pacific System.
Yellow fever struck Houston again in 1867, but determined civic leaders continued their development plans. The Houston Ship Channel Company was organized in 1869 to dredge Buffalo Bayou to the depth of nine feet, with additional dredging at the foot of Main Street to enable ships to turn around. A score of brick buildings created a modest skyline, and some additional streets were shelled. Alabama-Coushatta Indians supplied wild game to the local markets, cows were butchered in the city and hogs were driven through the streets to the sausage factory. Flies buzzed raw buffalo hides on the Central Railroad siding.
he Social amenities, however, were not neglected.
Violinist Charles Stone gave a concert, and the road company of "East Lynne"
enjoyed a sellout. Fire companies conducted Calico Balls for Charity. Dick Dowling,
hero of the Battle of Sabine Pass, got his Bank of Bacchus Saloon at the corner of Main
and Congress Streets all lit up again. The city's first baseball team,
" The
Stonewalls." forerunner of the Buffs, the Colt .45's and the Astros, was organized,
and the Jockey Club planned a fall racing season. By 1868, the first horse-cars
carried men to work in the mornings and couples on moonlight excursions in the
evenings. After Texas had ratified the 14th and 15th Amendments and was readmitted
to the Union in February, 1870, Houston was ready to accelerate the rapid growth
that had come in recent years.
