1879 Texas General Land Office Map of Cherokee County, Texas

An 1879 Texas General Land Office cadastral map of Cherokee County, Texas. The map features manuscript highlighting the relocation of Jacksonville to Troup, to capitalize on the route Great Northern Railroad. Moreover, the early history of the county, from Spanish colonization though to Texas statehood, can be deduced from the plots and other features.

A Closer Look

A variety of plot sizes are displayed with their owners' names. Many of the larger plots are also the oldest, as noted in their date of acquisition (prior to the Texas Revolution). A number of these older properties belonged to Spanish/Mexican settlers who arrived in the area in the late 18th and early 19th century, while others were owned by the earliest Anglo-American settlers in the region. For example, northeast of Jacksonville, along the rail line, is a property belonging to the descendants of Thomas J. Rusk (namesake for the town to the south), an important military and political figure in the Republic and later State of Texas, serving alongside Sam Houston as the state's first two U.S. Senators. The property assigned to the widow of James Dill, towards bottom-right, is notable as the Dills were very early Anglo-American settlers in the area, arriving in 1799. James Dill traded with Mexican settlers and Native Americans and became involved in local politics, serving as an alcalde. A neighboring property belongs to John Durst, son of Joseph Durst (also listed as owner of a property in neighboring Angelina County), another early settler and a political opponent of Dill who also served as an alcalde. The two properties are separated by the San Antonio Road, arguably the oldest road in Texas and oldest highway in the United States.

Relocating Jacksonville

The penciled in 'City of Jacksonville' on the land of Jose Pineda is the result of the town's relocation in 1872. When the International - Great Northern Railroad was built through Cherokee County earlier that year, it did not stop at the existing town, leading the town's inhabitants to petition the railroad to survey land for a new town along the tracks. An agreement was reached and the entire town quickly moved. The railroad also gave rise to the town of Troup along the northern edge of the county.

Early History of the County

Though not the original inhabitants of the area, the Cherokee, for whom the county is named, and other Native American groups displaced from further east had settled there in the 1820s. Soon afterwards, as White settlers from the east arrived, conflicts over land arose. Though Sam Houston was able to negotiate a treaty with the Cherokee in 1836 on behalf of the Republic of Texas, the Texas Senate rejected it the following year. More settlers arrived and violence increased due to uncertain and contested land claims. This volatile situation led to the 'Killough Massacre' northwest of Jacksonville on October 5, 1838, in which 18 Anglo-Americas settlers were killed or kidnapped by Cherokee warriors unaware of or opposed to an agreement that had been worked out between the Killough family and local Cherokee leaders. The massacre was a precipitating factor in the Cherokee War of 1838-1839, after which the Cherokee were expelled from the area, mostly to the Indian Territory further north (future Oklahoma).

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared by the Texas General Land Office in 1879 and printed by August Gast and Co. in St. Louis. According to the records of the GLO displayed by the University of North Texas' 'Portal to Texas History,' the GLO had produced four earlier cadastral maps of the county (1851, 1863, 1871, and 1877). Nevertheless, this appears to be the earliest obtainable edition of the map (i.e., outside of the GLO archives). It is only noted among the holdings of the Library of Congress and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library.