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1835 Letter from Jesse Bartlett

Jesse Bartlett had worked as a surveyor in Illinois in the late 1820's
and perhaps before then in East Tennessee.  He arrived in Texas in December 1831
and by May 1832 had settled on the west bank of the Brazos River near Chappell Hill.
He continued working as a surveyor and in 1835 addressed this report to Gail Borden, Jr.,
who was in charge of the land office for Stephen F. Austin's colony while Austin was in Mexico.
The original of this letter is in box 2A160, Austin Papers,
at the Center for American History, University of Texas, Austin.
Spelling and punctuation are as in the original.

To view the original of this letter (two pages), click here.
Note:  The images may take a long time to load

                                                                                            Best League May 20th 1835

Dear Sir,

I have been engaged for two weeks past in this section country an have just fineshed the Surveys on the River between Groces upper & lower plantations¹ and has not seen much of the vacant lands yet - Mr Donoho has been with me for several days and I have surveyed One quarter league for him South of Bell and T. Stephens, West of Braces,² and as near square as practicable the land is vacant and he ought to have a preference as he was the only man I found in this section willing to go to the woods and bear the heat and fatigue - a quarter west of him and East of Best I have surveyed for Jessee Suttion. I will see you in eight or ten days and will be able to say a great deal about lands in this country the Survey of the River leagues will be of much value in straiting up things and enable you to give a true map of the country - the lands marked for Mr Baker Abbot etc is not very valuable I shall not make any selection for them before I see you -

                                                                                            Yours and etc

                                                                                            Jessee Bartlett

Gail Bordon Esqr

(addressed to:) Mr Gael Borden
San Felipe

1. Almost certainly Jared Groce's plantations on the Brazos River.
2. Probably the Brazos River.

This page maintained by Roger A. Bartlett
Last revised on 12/24/06