Westside in Piney Point Village in Harris County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
John Taylor's Piney Point League
In 1824, colonial empresario Stephen F. Austin received from the government of Mexico the authority to administer public lands. Most early grants were for cotton plantations along the Brazos and Colorado Rivers, but a few were for timber prospects along Buffalo Bayou. Stock raisers and industrialists could expect grants of a league of land (4,428 acres) or more.
John D. Taylor arrived in Texas in 1822 with his wife, Maria, and in 1824 was granted a league of land that included the southern half of the modern day Memorial Villages. They built a log cabin close to a spring south of Buffalo Bayou, near what is now Windermere subdivision, and north of a prominent landmark called "Piney Point." The couple were the first residents of western Harris County. He became disenchanted with his new property however, perhaps because the Bayou at that location was not deep enough to transport timber products downstream. By 1825, he sold the land, and the couple left the area for Harrisburg, where both died of yellow fever in 1829.
Downstream, where the bayou was deeper, John Richardson Harris established the town of Harrisburg in 1826 and built a sawmill. He died in 1829 while travelling to New Orleans to purchase a steam engine for the mill. His heirs were shipping lumber from that port to Mexico by 1831. Harrisburg was burned in 1836 by Santa Anna's Mexican Army during the Texas Revolution.
Captions
An early dog-trot cabin, coastal Texas
Courtesy of the Texas Room, Houston Public Library
Stephen F. Austin's "Old 300" Land Grants of 1824 along upper Buffalo Bayou
Contributors include: James M. Cole and the Arrowwood Circle homeowners, Lisa and Joel Bender, Jennifer and Brad Hutchinson Family, Deborah and Mark Kobelan, Chip Marshall, Robert and Lynn Murphy, Katherine and Brian Thompson Family, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Williams, and Dan Worrall
Erected by Memorial Villages Heritage Trail.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1824.
Location. 29° 45.086′ N, 95° 31.059′ W. Marker is in Piney Point Village, Texas, in Harris County. It is in Westside. Marker is on Memorial Drive near Piney Point Road, on the right when traveling west. The marker is located with two other markers in the Carol Tree Pocket Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 11600 Memorial Drive, Houston TX 77024, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Early Settlement South of the Bayou (here, next to this marker); German Settlements North of the Bayou (here, next to this marker); Early Settlers of Piney Point (approx. 0.7 miles away); The Fritz Schroeder Home (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Rummel-Hildebrandt-Bauer Sawmill (approx. 2 miles away); a different marker also named The Rummel-Hildebrandt-Bauer Sawmill (approx. 2 miles away); Jacob Schroeder and Early Spring Branch Community (approx. 2 miles away); The Pioneer Spring Branch Community (approx. 2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Piney Point Village.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 10, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 262 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 10, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.