By Lawrence Ward St. Clair
1931 University Of Texas Master's Thesis

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Robertson County was named for Sterling Clack Robertson, Empresario of the Nashville Company of Tennessee. The Nashville contract was awarded on April 15, 1825, and was the first granted by the State of Coahuila and Texas to settle portions of Texas. The history of Robertson County begins with this colonization movement, and an attempt has been made to relate the outstanding events in connection with its history to 1896. That date ends a period of political and social strife in the county which was an outgrowth of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Since Mr. Seldon Bain Graham of Franklin, Texas, is now preparing a history of the county beginning with a period preceding the World War, it was decided to close the early history with the year 1896.

I wish to acknowledge my gratitude to Dr. J. L. Waller for his assistance and guidance in the preparation of this thesis. His suggestions have been of great value, and his encouragement has made it possible for me to complete the work. I am also grateful to the many others who have assisted me in the search for information relative to the county.

I.      Introduction
       1. Location & Physical Features Of Robertson County
II.     Colonization: The Nashville Colony & Mexican Land Grants
       1. The Empresario System
            a. Stephen F. Austin's Colony
            b. Contracts To Other Empresarios
            c. Colonization Law Of March 4, 1825
      2. Sterling Clack Robertson & The Nashville Colony
            a. "The Texas Association" & The Leftwich Contract
            b. Dr. Felix Robertson & Sterling Clack Robertson Explore The Grant
            c. New Contract To "The Texas Association"
            d. Inactivity Of The Company
          e. Sterling Clack Robertson Becomes Agent Of The Company
            f.   Mexico Suspends Colonization, April 6, 1830
            g. Robertson & Thomson Refused Admittance With Families To Texas
            h. Austin & Williams Secure The Nashville Contract
            i.   Efforts Of Robertson In Securing Restoration Of The Contract
            j.   Introduction Of Families By Robertson
            k. Contract Returned To Austin & Williamson
      3. Mexican Land Grants
        4. Litigation Over Premium Lands
            a. Award Of Travis County Court
            b. Decision Of The Supreme Court
III.    Early Settlement & Indian Warfare
        1. Early Settlement
            a. Location Of First Settlers
            b. Description Of First Settlements
            c. Source Of Emigration To Robertson's Colony
            d. Early Forts
            e. Interruption Of Settlement By The Texas Revolution
       2. Indian Warfare
            a. Indian Troubles To 1838
            b. Indian Troubles From 1838 To 1841
            c. Organization Of "Minute-Men"
IV.    Changing Location Of County Seat
        1. Where Located
            a. At "Old Franklin"
            b. At "Wheelock"
            c. At "Owensville"
            d. At "Calvert"
            e. At "Franklin"
V.     The Development Of Plantations
        1. Early Settlement In The Brazos Bottom
            a. Location Of Early Settlement
            b. Farming In Brazos Bottom To 1850
        2. Introduction Of Slaves
            a. Slave Owners & Slave Values
        3. Development Of Plantations In Brazos Bottom After 1850
            a. Arrival Of Planters From Other States
VI.   Civil War & Reconstruction
        1. Military Preparations
            a. Provisions For Organization Of Military Companies
            b. Organization Of Companies By Townsend & Brooks
            c. Military Patrol Beats & Home Guards In The County
            d. Soldiers' Uniforms Made By The Women
            e. Captain Smith's Company
            f.   Cattle Sold To Confederate Agents
            g. Confederate Cotton & Woolen Factory In Robertson County
        2. Aid To Soldiers' Families
            a. War Tax For Support Of Indigent Soldiers' Families
            b. Distribution Of Flour, Salt, Cotton, Cards, Etc. To Families
        3. Reconstruction
            a. Problem Of The Freed Slave
            b. Registration Of Voters
            c. Election Of Negroes To County & State Offices
            d. Election Of 1896 & Restoration Of White Supremacy
VII.   Social & Economic Progress To 1896
        1. Schools
            a. Franklin & Wheelock Academies
            b. First State Support To Public Education
            c. Distribution Of State School Fund Among Paying Patrons
            d. Number Of Schools & Paying Patrons In County By 1859
            e. The Owensville Academy
            f.   Creation Of Board Of Examiners
            g. Division Of County Into School Districts
            h. Creation Of Office Of County Superintendent
            i.   Noted Teachers
       2. Early Religious Development
            a. Early Organization Of The Methodist Church
            b. Z. N. Morrell In The Nashville Community & Organization Of The Baptist Church
            c. Church Buildings
            d. The Union Church Building At Wheelock
            e. Organization Of Protestant Episcopal Church
            f.   Catholics At Bremond
       3. Transportation
            a. Transportation To Galveston & Houston Before 1868
            b. Stage Coaches & Mail
            c. Building Of Railroads Into The County
       4. Growth Of Population & Economic Development
Bibliography
List Of Maps & Pictures
       The Nashville Grant
       Colonial Grants In Robertson County
       Early Forts In The County
       The C. C. Hearne Residence At Wheelock
       The Armstrong Residence At Wheelock
       The Harrison Owen Home
       The Early Frontier Home Of Alex Calvert