Texas, New York
Encyclopedia
Texas is a hamlet in Oswego County
, New York
, USA, near the southeastern corner of Lake Ontario
. It is officially part of the town of Mexico
.
, which parallels the east-west section of the stream. Chief points of interest include Mexico Point State Park and nearby Derby Hill Bird Sanctuary.
and a German
by birth, purchased 500000 acres (2,023.4 km²) of land lying between Oneida Lake
and Lake Ontario
, for the sum of $80,000 (approximately $870,000 in today's money). This purchase, known as "Scriba’s Patent," was bounded on the east by Fish Creek and on the west by the Oswego River
, and embraced 14 towns in Oswego County and four towns in Oneida County
. Around 1794, Scriba founded the of settlement Vera Cruz at the mouth of Little Salmon Creek, on the shore of Lake Ontario, 12 miles (19.3 km) northeast of Fort Ontario
. Scriba built a gristmill
, a store, and other buildings, and began an active trade on the lake.
While the settlement showed initial promise, a series of disasters including the drowning of the heads of seven households in 1799, the British
embargo
on American trade prior to the War of 1812
, the war itself, and a massive fire in 1820, spelled doom.
Soon after the fire, S. P. Robinson established a boat yard and built boats there for five or six years, and later a paper mill and store were conducted for a time. A United States Post Office was established in 1839 but discontinued in 1905. For several years a life-saving station was maintained by the state, but it burned in 1886 and was not rebuilt. The hamlet's name became Texas some time between 1820 and 1860, probably soon after the fire.
Oswego County, New York
Oswego County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 Census, the estimated population was 122,109. The City of Oswego and the Village of Pulaski serve as the dual county seats in a two shire system of government...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA, near the southeastern corner of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
. It is officially part of the town of Mexico
Mexico (town), New York
Mexico is a town in the northeast part of Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 5,181 at the 2000 census. The town contains a village, also called Mexico. NY 104/Main Street passes through the village. NY 69 passes through the town of Mexico and comes to an end in the village,...
.
Geography
Texas lies on Little Salmon Creek, about one-half mile above the mouth of that stream on Lake Ontario, on an east-west section between two bends. Its only major road is New York State Route 104BNew York State Route 104B
New York State Route 104B is a east–west state highway located in central Oswego County, New York, in the United States. This highway provides a connection between NY 104, the principal highway along the southern shore of Lake Ontario, in New Haven and NY 3, the principal highway...
, which parallels the east-west section of the stream. Chief points of interest include Mexico Point State Park and nearby Derby Hill Bird Sanctuary.
History
In 1790, George Scriba, a merchant of New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
by birth, purchased 500000 acres (2,023.4 km²) of land lying between Oneida Lake
Oneida Lake
Oneida Lake is the largest lake entirely within New York State . The lake is located northeast of Syracuse and near the Great Lakes. It serves as one of the links in the Erie Canal. It empties into the Oneida River which flows into the Oswego River which in turn flows into Lake Ontario...
and Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
, for the sum of $80,000 (approximately $870,000 in today's money). This purchase, known as "Scriba’s Patent," was bounded on the east by Fish Creek and on the west by the Oswego River
Oswego River (New York)
The Oswego River is a river in upstate New York in the United States. This river is the second-largest river flowing into Lake Ontario. James Fenimore Cooper’s novel The Pathfinder, or The Inland Sea is set in the Oswego River valley...
, and embraced 14 towns in Oswego County and four towns in Oneida County
Oneida County, New York
Oneida County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 234,878. The county seat is Utica. The name is in honor of the Oneida, an Iroquoian tribe that formerly occupied the region....
. Around 1794, Scriba founded the of settlement Vera Cruz at the mouth of Little Salmon Creek, on the shore of Lake Ontario, 12 miles (19.3 km) northeast of Fort Ontario
Fort Ontario
Fort Ontario is a historic fort situated by the City of Oswego, in Oswego County, New York in the United States of America. It is owned by the state of New York and operated as a museum known as Fort Ontario State Historic Site....
. Scriba built a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
, a store, and other buildings, and began an active trade on the lake.
While the settlement showed initial promise, a series of disasters including the drowning of the heads of seven households in 1799, the British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
embargo
Embargo
An embargo is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is...
on American trade prior to the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, the war itself, and a massive fire in 1820, spelled doom.
Soon after the fire, S. P. Robinson established a boat yard and built boats there for five or six years, and later a paper mill and store were conducted for a time. A United States Post Office was established in 1839 but discontinued in 1905. For several years a life-saving station was maintained by the state, but it burned in 1886 and was not rebuilt. The hamlet's name became Texas some time between 1820 and 1860, probably soon after the fire.