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Title John Hunter Herndon Diary, 1837-1838
Author Herndon, John Hunter
Date 12 Dec 1837 - 5 May 1838
Document Type Personal Account
Reference 2E 239
Library / Archive Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin
Collection Name Herndon (John Hunter) Papers, 1814-1872
Description Diary of John Hunter Herndon describing his journey from Kentucky to Texas, via New Orleans. Herndon describes living conditions, leisure pursuits, legal work, steamboat travel and visiting military garrisons. Two particular steamboats are referred to throughout, the Friendship and Houston.
Series Description Correspondence, diary, legal documents and military documents relating to observations of John Hunter Herndon (1813-1878), lawyer and soldier, during his journey from Kentucky to Texas via New Orleans (1837-1838), especially his impressions of Galveston and Houston, and his opinions regarding the President and members of the Congress of the Republic of Texas. Also included is material relating to land transactions in Texas and to the military career of Alexander Calvit.
Biographical Note / History Born and educated in Kentucky, John Hunter Herndon arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1838. He studied law in Kentucky and Houston, and was admitted to the bar in Fort Bend County in November 1838. In 1839, Herndon married Barbara Makall Wilkinson Calvit, heir to the Calvit sugar plantation in Brazoria County, and by 1860 he had become one of the wealthiest landowners in Texas. Although he was not in active military service during the Civil War, the war and Reconstruction depleted most of his fortune. Herndon died on July 6, 1878, and was buried at Hempstead.
Theme(s) Journey Conditions
Places Houston, Fort Bend County, Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County, Galveston, San Antonio, Texas, New Orleans, Louisiana, Louisville, Kentucky, United States; Rio Grande, Mexico
Nationality American; American Indian
People Herndon, John Hunter (1813-1878); Smith, William; Douly, John C; Hunter, Fanny; Houston, Isaac
Keywords overland migration, travel, transportation, women, weather, steamboat, shipping, cityscape, public life, coffee, livestock, journey conditions, Battle of San Jacinto, conflict, timber, geology, poverty, employment, law, hotel, health and sickness, family, liberties, hunting, food, fishing and fishermen, climate, housing, living conditions, navy, statue, entertainment, leisure, treaty, indigenous people, chief, industry, agent, trade, burial and graves, alcohol, court, crime, punishment, murder, capital punishment, water, dance, self-government, education, election, literature
Additional Information Please note: Some of the metadata for this document has been taken from the Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin catalogue.
Language English
Copyright Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin