About 48,500,000 acres of the Texas Public Domain have been set aside
for public education. This is about one-fourth the area of the state.
The State of Texas still has an interest in about 16,000,000 acres, and
the Commissioner of the General Land Office has charge of these. This
land, which is scattered all over the state, offers leases on oil, gas,
sulphur, and other minerals, timber, and grazing. Altogether, this land
brings the State nearly $30,000,000 per year in income.
This study reveals that early Texas leaders were farsighted. They
maintained faith in the future of Texas and utilized the most abundant
resource of the state—land—to insure a prosperous future of their
beloved Texas.
III.
ITEMS OF INTEREST TO BE FOUND IN THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE
1. THE SPANISH ARCHIVES. These archives contain some 4,000 original
titles written in Spanish and issued by the Spanish and Mexican
authorities when Texas was under their control. In addition, there
are approximately 4,000 sets of field notes written in English by
American Surveyors during the colonization program initiated by
Spain and carried out by Mexico. These documents date as far back
as 1745 but mainly encompass the period from 1823 to 1835. See
Spanish translator.
2. MAP OF TEXAS SHOWING PARTS OF ADJOINING STATES, COMPILED BY STEPHEN
F. AUSTIN. See chief of engineering division.
3. MUSTER ROLL OF THE ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS. See director of
records division.
4. INSTRUMENT BELIEVED TO BE THE ORIGINAL DRAFT OF THE CONSTITUTION OF
THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS from which the final draft was taken. See
director of records division.
5. PATENT (a quitclaim deed) ISSUED BY THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS under
President David G. Burnet. See director of records division.
6. PATENT ISSUED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS under Governor Sam Houston.
Located in Milam Scrip 329. See chief file clerk.
7. COPY OF SAM HOUSTON’S WILL. Located in Nacogdoches I-1134. See chief
file clerk.
8. COPY OF ROBERT E. LEE’S WILL. Located in Bexar III-6947. See chief
file clerk.
9. CERTIFICATE TO SAMUEL G. POWELL, DATED FEBRUARY 3, 1854, FOR 320
ACRES OF LAND FOR BUILDING WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS THE STEAMBOAT
“BETTY POWELL”. Located in Fannin Scrip 495. See chief file clerk.
10. INSTRUMENT EXECUTED IN LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, IN 1855, AND ACKNOWLEDGED
BY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE, then American Consul in Liverpool. See
director of records division.
11. ORNATE, BEAUTIFUL MAPS COMPILED BY PROFESSOR DOCTOR C. C. STREMME
(see reference to Professor Stremme in note about Old Land Office
Building on the back of picture of this structure). Tyler County
map dated May, 1858. Houston County map dated October, 1868. See
chief of engineering division.
12. MAP OF MASON COUNTY COMPILED BY F. H. ARLITT, 1859, NOTED FOR ITS
BEAUTY. See chief of engineering division.
13. THOMAS TOBY SCRIP NUMBER 1 FOR 1000 ACRES OF LAND. Located in Milam
Scrip 87. See chief file clerk.
14. PAYROLL RECORD OF WILLIAM S. PORTER (O. HENRY), 1887. See director
of records division.
15. PICTURE OF DRAFTSMEN IN GENERAL LAND OFFICE, 1887, INCLUDING WILLIAM
S. PORTER (O. HENRY). See chief clerk.
16. MAP OF KENT COUNTY, 1889, BY WILLIAM S. PORTER (O. HENRY). See chief
of engineering division.