-
10,000 BCE
Proto-Indians
The Proto-Indians lived at the Gault site -
1500 BCE
Tools
Coastal Americans Indians make knives and scrapers from stone -
100
Pottery
American Indians that lived near Galveston Bay begin making pottery -
May 15, 1519
Map
Alonso Alvarez de Pineda maps the Texas coast -
Oct 19, 1541
Explored
Explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado crosses the Texas Panhandle -
Apr 10, 1554
Shipwreck
A Spanish treasure fleet shipwrecks off of present-day Padre Island -
Jun 15, 1581
Writing
Spaniard Hernan Gallegos writes about the lives of the Jumano Indians in Texas -
Traveling
Juan de Onate crosses the Texas Panhandle on his way to Quivira -
Indians
Spaniards first record seeing Apache Indians riding horses -
Colonists
A group of colonists led by French explorer ReneRobert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle lands in Matagorda Bay in Texas -
Mission
the Spanish build a mission named San Francisco de los Tejas -
Established Mission
Martin de Alarcon establishes the San Antonio de Valero mission -
Settlers
Settlers from the Canary Islands arrive in San Antonio -
Laredo
Rancher Tomas Sanchez establishes the town of Laredo -
expedition
the Marques de Rubi expedition begins -
town
Antonio Gil Ybardo founds the town of Nacogodoches in East Texas -
author dies
Spanish priest Juan Agustin Morfi, author of the History of Texas, 1673-1779, dies -
horses
Philip Nolan, a U.S. citizen, receives permission to capture wild horses in Texas -
forces
U.S. citizen James Long and a small force invade Texas, only to be defeated by Spanish forces -
independence
Mexico, which includes Texas, wins its independence from spain -
permission
The Spanish government grants Moses Austin permission to found a colony in Texas -
cotton
Settler Jared Grose plants a cotton crop, possibly the first in Stephen F. Austin's colony -
settlers
about 3,000 Anglo settlers live in Texas without the permission of the Mexican government -
families
Empresario Martin de Leon settles families on the lower Guadalupe river -
adopt
Mexican officials adopt the Constitution of 1824. Coahhuila and Texas are merged to form one state -
attack
An American Indian attack on the Green DeWitt colony forces settlers to flee Gonzales -
families
Stephen F. Austin receives a contract to settle an additional 100 families in Texas -
school
Tomas J. Pilgrim organizes a Sunday school and a private boys' school in San Felipe -
newspaper
The Texas Gazette newspaper begins publication in Austin's colony -
letters
Mary Austin Holly's letters, describing life in early Texas, are published -
cotton
Texas farmers export some 7,00 bales of cotton, worth about $315,000, to New Orleans -
land
Texas settlers hold about 3,500 land grants -
immigrants
An estimated 1,000 U.S. immigrants enter Texas each month -
attack
Texas settlers attack Mexican soldiers at Gonzales, forcing them to leave -
capturing
Texas troops push Mexican troops out of San Antonio, capurting the city -
alamo
The Siege of the Alamo begins -
independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence is adopted -
revolution
Texans win the Battle of San Jacinto, ending the Texas Revolution -
president
Sam Houston becomes the first popularity elected president of the Republic of Texas -
flag
The first official Texas flag is adopted by the Texas Congress -
capital
The Texas government begins work in Houston, the new Capital -
diplomat
The U.S. Congress authorizes a diplomat to go to Texas -
horse race
Velasco citizens hold a horse race on the coast near the town -
Texas Senate
William H. Wharton is elected to the Texas Senate -
new president
Texans elect Mirabeau B. president -
debts
Texas passes a homestead law, protecting setters' homes from being seized to pay debts -
independent
France becomes the first European nation to recognize Texas as an independent country -
attacks
Repeated attacks and discrimination force more than 100 Tejano families to flee Nacogdoches -
residents
Austin, the new capital, has 850 residents -
college
The first college chartered by the Republic, Rutersville College, is founded -
university
Galveston University opens its doors to five students -
Yucatan coast
President Mirabeau B. Lamar sends the Texas Navy to the Yucatan coast -
published
William Kennedy publishes Texas: The Rise, Progress, and Prospects of the Republic of Texas -
president
Texans again elect Sam Houston president of the Republic -
captured
General Adrian Woll and about 1,400 Mexican soldiers capture San Antonio -
settlers
Snider de Pellegrini, director of a French colonization company, brings 14 settlers to Texas -
tehuacana creek
The Tehuacana Creek Councils lead to peace between Texans and several Texas Indian groups -
immigrants
Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels comes to Texas followed by a group of German immigrants -
war
President Sam Houston sends troops into East Texas to end the Regulator Moderator War -
president
Texans elect Anson Jones president of the Republic -
annexes
The United States annexes Texas -
African Americans
At least 30,00 enslaved African Americans live in Texas -
U.S. Senate
Thomas J. Rusk and Sam Houston become the first Texans to serve in the U.S. Senate -
fighting
Fighting breaks out between U.S. forces and Mexican troops at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma -
Peace Treaty
Texas signs a peace treaty with the Penateka Comanches -
Population
A state census reports the state's population at more than 142,00 -
death
Samuel H. Walker dies in combat during a conflict in Mexico -
governor
George T. Wood is elected governor of Texas -
population
The Texas population reaches 200,000 people -
Melinda
In her book Texas in 1850, Melinda Rankin describes the state and urges people to move to Texas -
lighthouse
Work begins in the Port Isabel Lighthouse. When completed, its light could be seen from 16 miles away -
Fort Worth
U.S. Army troops abandon Fort Worth after settlers move farther west beyond the fort -
railway
After many false starts,track is finally laid for the Buffalo Bayou,Brazos,and Colorado Railway -
active party
The American, or Know-Nothing, Party becomes active in Texas -
mansion
The Governor's Mansion is built in Austin -
rebellion
Slaves in Colorado County acquire weapons and plan a rebellion, but the plot is discovered before it can begin -
Overland Mail
The Butterflied Overland Mail begins taking passengers and mail by stagecoach from Missouri, through Texas, and on to California -
clashes
A series of clashes occurs between Texas Rangers and Mexican Americans near Brownsville -
cotton
Texas produces a record crop of more than 400,000 bales of cotton -
election
Sam Houston easily defeats incumbent harden Runnels in the election for Texas governor -
Vote
Texans vote, by more than three to one, to secede from the United States -
Regiment
The Texas Frontier Regiment is established -
Capture
Troops leave San Antonio for New Mexico, planning to capture the Southwest for the Confederacy -
Galveston
Union forces capture Galveston -
Proclamation
President Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation -
Cattle
The Texas cattle population increases rapidly during the Civil War -
invade
A Union attempt to invade Texas is turned back at Sabine Pass -
Brownsville
Union troops capture Brownsville -
Invasion
In a battle near Mansfield, Louisiana, Confederate forces stop a Union invasion of northeastern Texas -
Attack
Colonel Christopher "Kit" Carson leads an attack against Plains Indians in the Panhandle -
Free Slaves
The Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect in Texas, freeing the state's slaves -
Last Battle
The last land battle of the war is fought at Palmito Ranch, Texas -
Fort Richardson
Fort Richardson is established near Jacksboro -
Convention
African American George T.Ruby is elected as a delegate to the Republican National Convention -
Cowboys
Texas cowboys move a herd of 15,000 cattle to market. It is the largest single herd of the era -
Governor
Republican Edmund J. Davis is elected governor -
Rail Lines
Texas has 583 miles of rail lines -
Public School
A public school system is created in Texas -
wettest place
clarksville received 109.4 inches of rain -
Shipping Cattle
Ranchers begin to ship thousands of cattle from Denision after the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad extends a line there -
Democratic Party
The Democratic Party regains full control of state government -
Indian Attack
Plains Indians attack a group of buffalo hunters in the Battle of Adobe Walls -
Surrendered
Comanche leader Quanah Parker surrenders, ending the Red River War -
Dead Animals
About 2,700 animals die during a cattle stampede near the Brazos River -
A&M University
Texas A&M University opens as an all-male military institution -
Constitution
Texas adopts a new constitution -
Railroad Laws
The Texas legislature passes a law that allows the state to fund railroads with land grants -
Raids
Apache leader Victorio launches raids along the Texas-Mexico border -
Law for Railroads
The Texas and Pacific Railway meets the Southern Pacific line near El Paso, forming the first transcontinental railroad route through Texas -
Barbed Wire
A ranch in the Panhandle purchases enough barbed wire to fence 250,000 acres -
University
The University of Texas formally opens -
Strike
The Knights of Labor begin a major strike against Jay Gould's railroad company -
Antitrust Act
The Texas legislature passes the Antitrust Act of 1889 -
Railroad Track
There are more than 8,000 miles of railroad track in Texas -
Texas Normal College
Texas Normal College and Teachers' Training Institute, now called the University of North Texas, opens in Denton -
Texas Railroad Commission
The Texas Railroad Commission is established to regulate railroads in Texas -
Farmers
A leading association of farmers endorses the Populist Party -
Football Game
The first football game is played between the University of Texas and Texas A&M -
Drillers
Drillers strike oil in Corsicana -
Oil
Drillers strike oil in Corsicana -
Teddy Roosevelt
Teddy Roosevelt organizes and trains the Rough Riders in San Antonio -
Coldest Spot
The lowest temperature in Texas was -23 degrees in Tulia -
Hurricane
A hurricane hits Galveston, killing some 6,000 to 8,000 people -
Farms
Texas has more than 350,000 farms, and almost half of all farmers are tenant farmers -
Spindletop well
The Spindletop well strikes oil, producing more than 17 million barrels of oil the next year -
Baseball
The Corsicana Oilers set a baseball record by defeating the Texarkana team 51 to 3 -
Oil Strike
A large oil strike is made in the Humble oil field in Harris County -
Department
The first Neiman Marcus department store opens in Dallas -
Goose Creek
Oil is discovered at Goose Creek along Galveston Bay -
Jovita Idar
Jovita Idar becomes the first president of the League of Mexican Woman -
Houston Ship Channel
The Houston Ship Channel opens, and Houston soon becomes an important oil-refining center -
Houston Ship Channel
The Houston Ship Channel is completed, leading to the growth of industry in the Houston area -
Ratifies
Texas ratifies the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which bans the sale or manufacture of alcohol -
France
Texas troops are sent to France to fight in World War 1 -
Application
An application is filed to drill for oil on state-owned land in West-Texas. Several years later the Santa Rita No. 1 Strikes oil -
Dockworkers
Governor William Hobby breaks a dockworkers' strike in Galveston -
Female Governor
Texans elect Miriam A. "Ma" Ferguson as the state's first female governor -
Automobile
Automobile Registrations reach 1 million -
Republican
For the first time in the state's history, the majority of Texans vote for a Republican presidential candidate-Herbert Hoover -
Unemployed
Some 300,000 Texans are unemployed -
Governor
James V Allred is elected governor of Texas -
Texas Revolution Anniversary
Texas celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Texas Revolution -
Hottest Spot
The hottest temperature in Texas was 120 degrees in Seymour -
New Governor
Texans elect W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel as governor -
Military Service
Large numbers of Texans volunteer for military service in World War 2 -
U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court declares the Texas white primary unconstitutional -
Medal of Honor
Texan Audie Murphy receives the Medal of Honor for stopping a German tank attack in France -
Automobiles
More than 3 million automobiles are registered in Texas -
Allan Shivers
Allan Shivers successfully runs for a third term as governor -
driest place
wink received just 1.76 inches of rain -
Woman Rights
Texas woman call for an equal rights amendment to the state constitution -
Buddy Holly Dead
Texas musician Buddy Holly is killed in a plane crash -
Texas Owns Gulf
The U.S. Supreme Court rules that Texas owns Gulf coastal tidelands up to a 10.35-mile limit -
timber
the Texas timber industry earned more than $1.9 billion -
livestock
sales of Texas livestock totaled more than $10.8 billoin -
cotton
the value of Texas cotton production reached over $1.5 billon -
money
texas produced about 730 million barrels of crude oil worth some $55 billion -
agriculture
agriculture added $36 billion to the texas economy -
farms
there were more than 244,700 farms in texas -
Electronics
Texas exports of computers and electronics were worth more than $45 billion