Situated at the head of navigation on the west bank of Buffalo Bayou, is now for the first time brought to public notice; because, until now, the proprietors were not ready to offer it to the Public with the advantages of Capital and improvements.
The town of Houston is located at a point on the river which must ever command the trade of the largest and richest portions of Texas. By reference to the map, it will be seen that the trade of San Jacinto, Spring Creek, New Kentucky, and the Brazos, above and below Fort Bend, must necessarily come to this place, and will at this time warrent the employment of at least $1,000,000 of capital; and when the rich lands of this country shall be settled a trade will flow to it, making it beyond all doubt the greatest commercial emporium of Texas.
The town of Houston is distant 15 miles from the Brazos River, 30 miles a little north of east from San Felipe, 60 miles from Washington, 3o miles southwest from New Kentucky and 15 miles by water and 8 miles by land from Harrisburg.
Tidewater runs to this place and the lowest depth of water is about six feet. Vessels from New York and New Orleans can sail without obstacle to this place, and steamboats of the largest class can run down to Galveston in eight or ten hours in all seasons of the year.
It is but a few hours sail down the bay, where one can make excursions of pleasure and enjoy the luxuries of fish, fowl, oysters and sea-bathing.
Galveston harbor, being the only one in which vessels drawing a large draft of water can navigate, must necessarily render the island the great naval and commercial depot in the country.
The town of Houston must be the place where arms ammunition and provisions for the government will be stored, because, being in the very heart of the country, it combines security and means of easy distribution and a national armory will no doubt very soon be at this point.
There is no place in Texas more healthy, having an abundance of excellent spring water and enjoying the sea breeze in all its freshness.
No place in Texas possesses so many advantages for building, having the fine ash, cedar and oak in inexhaustible quantities; also the beautiful and tall magnolia grows in abundance. In the vicinity are fine quarries of stone.
Nature seems to have designated this place for the future seat of government. It is handsome and beautifully elevated, salubrious and well-watered and is now in the very center of population and will be so for a long time to come.
It combines two important advantages – a communication with the coast and with foriegn countries and with different portions of the republic. As the country shall improve, railroads will become in use and will be extended from this point to the Brazos and up the same; and also from this to the headwaters of the San Jacinto, embracing that rich country, and in a few years the whole trade of the upper Brazos will make its way into Galveston Bay through this channel.
Preparations are making to erect a water sawmill and a large public house for accomodations will soon be opened. Steamboats now run in this river and will, in short time, commence regularly to the island. The proprietors offer lots for sale at moderate terms to those who desire to improve them and invite the public to examine for themselves.
(Signed)
August 30, 1836, 6m.
A. C. Allen, for “A. C. & J. K. Allen”
This old document is as fine a piece of advertising as any turned out by the “artists” of today. It has one great merit, that of truthfulness; for whether intentionally or not, the Allen Brothers told almost the literal truth in every line they wrote that day, for all that they forecasted has come true a thousandfold.
Their town was bounded on the North by Buffalo Bayou, all the territory north of the bayou being densely wooded!
