EAST TEXAS: ITS TOPOGRAPHY, SOILS, TIMBER, AGRI- 

 CULTURAL PRODUCTS, PEOPLE, RAINFALL, 

 STREAMS, CLIMATE, ETC. 



Kast Texas, as I shall denominate it, is all that section lying east 'of 

 the Trinity river as you ascend that stream from the Gulf of Mexico 

 as far north as the northern part of Henderson county, and thence north 

 to the Red River, including thirty-eight counties. They are alphabeti- 

 cally arranged as follows: Anderson, Angelina, Bowie, Camp, Cass, 

 Chambers, Cherokee, Delta, Franklin, Gregg, Hardin, Harrison, Hen- 

 derson, Hopkins, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Marion, Morris, 

 Xacogdoches, Xewton, Orange, Panola, Polk, Rains, Red River, Rusk, 

 Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, 

 Van Zandt and Wood. 



These counties embrace a territory larger than South Carolina, larger 

 than the States of Massachusetts, Vermont and Xew Hampshire com- 

 bined and larger than Scotland. Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, 

 Xacogdoches, Red River, Sabine, San Augustine and Shelby were set- 

 tled as far back as 1836. Nearly all the others were created and or- 

 janized after the Republic of Texas became a State from 1845 to 

 1850. Delta, Gregg, Franklin, Morris and Rains were organized after 

 le Civil War, having been created from portions of the older counties. 



Texas stood still from its discovery by La Salle, in 1685, until the 

 beginning of Austin's colony in 1821, a period of 136 years. The pop- 

 ulation of the entire State in 1821, according to the best authority, did 

 not exceed, including all classes, 5000 people. Fifteen years later, at 

 the beginning of the Republic, the estimated population of Texas was 

 only 52,670, "divided as follows: 



jiglo- Americans 30,000 



MEXICANS. 



At San Antonio 2,000 



At Xacogdoches 800 



At Goliad ' 500 



At Victoria 120 



At San Patricio 50 



3,470 

 INDIANS. 



Wacoes 400 



Tehuaeanas 200 



Tonkawap 800 



Coshattees 350 



Alabamas 250 



Comanches 2,000 



