">'); win.document.writeln(''); win.document.writeln(''); }
 

The Indefinite Article.

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

A trip to the library


library - 3
Originally uploaded by killy.
I went to the Houston Public Library (downtown branch) after work today to do some research on the history of my neighborhood. Mangum Manor is officially 50 years old. In December 1954, the neighborhood's first residents, the Sullivans, moved in to 5019 Saxon. At the time, Donna Lynn (my current street) didn't even exist. It wouldn't be for another 15 years that what is now 290 would exist, at least, according to the key map book, 1969; that is the first year that the freeway makes it's appearance, but it stops right at pinemont. beyond that it is represented by a dotted line pointed north east with the words "Proposed NorthWest Freeway" alongside it.

Searching for just Mangum Manor turned up only two articles, both from the 1954 Houston Chronicle, about the acquisition of 109 acres of land for the development by a 2nd generation italian immigrant DeGeorge. The land was bought for $300,000 from the Sauer family who had lived on it for 150 years. The Sauers were Dutch immigrants who had received the land from a Spanish land grant in the early 1800's.

Do any of you hisotry buffs (read: Tudeau1 & Trudeau 2) know much about the Dutch in Texas, Spanish land grants and/or the Sauer's?

posted by Killy at 8:57 PM

2 Comments:

  • Historically spanish land grants have been
    controversial. Spanish encomiendas, basically plantations that came with free native work forces, were doled out to settlers then split up between family members without any real documentation (besides the original grant, but those kinds of things were usually lost after a while).
    Since spanish settlers were not usually prone to fencing of land after Texas' annexation and the civil war, Lincoln's Homestead act opened-up seemingly unsettled land to veterans.
    Immanent Domain. After a settler built a house, fenced off some land, or farmed it after five years it it became his.
    This practice and disputes stemming from them has lead to more lenchings of Mexican americans in Texas than any other minority.
    In the late eighties and early nineties many sates with high decedents of Mexican Americans have called for reparations for land lost.
    VIVA LA RAZA!!!! DUDE.
    (by the way I may be wrong)

    By Blogger taggart, at 11:03 PM  

  • The Handbookis usually considered one stop shopping on pertinent texas history.

    By Blogger taggart, at 11:16 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home