George Washington Glasscock
Encyclopedia
George Washington Glasscock (April 11, 1810 – February 28, 1868) was an early settler, legislator, and businessman in Texas
.
He was born in Hardin County, Kentucky
near the same area where Abraham Lincoln was born. In 1830 he went to St. Louis
and from there to Springfield, Illinois
, where in 1832 he was a partner of Abraham Lincoln
in flatboating on the Sangamon River
. He also fought in the Black Hawk War
in Illinois
where he was a Lieutenant and Abraham Lincoln was a private under his command. Lincoln became a surveyor for Sangamon County and Glasscock was a surveyor in Texas but it is not known if the two learned their surveyor skills together. George's sister stayed in Illinois and married a friend of Lincoln's law partner, Herndon. His sister's husband is quoted as saying he had received a letter from George in 1865 and that he stated Lincoln had pardoned him.
In September 1835 he moved to Texas and settled first at Zavala
, where he was in business with Thomas Byers Huling
and Henry W. Millard
. Glasscock was with James Chesshire's company in the Siege of Béxar
. He was a surveyor and many land titles in Central Texas especially near the San Gabriel Rivers were surveyed by him. In aletter to his brother in 1834 he tells him he should come to the San Gabriel area as "the land is cheap and the indians have not killed me yet".
In 1840 he moved to Bastrop County, Texas
and four years later to Travis County
. In 1846 he moved yet again to the Williamson County
area, where Glasscock helped to organize the county and donated 172 acres (3.9 km²) for the county seat, Georgetown, Texas
, which was subsequently named for him.
In 1853 he returned to Travis County. He represented Travis and Williamson counties in the Tenth
and Eleventh Texas Legislature
s and was one of the managers of the State Lunatic Asylum
during the gubernatorial administrations of Sam Houston
, Edward Clark
, Francis R. Lubbock
, and Pendleton Murrah
. During the American Civil War
, he served with the 33rd Texas Cavalry. As a result of his interest in wheat
growing, Glasscock built the first flour
mill
in what was then western Texas. He continued to make his home in Austin until his death there on 28 February 1868.
His son, George Washington Glasscock, Jr. was a State Senator in the Nineteenth
, Twentieth
, and Twenty-first Texas Legislature
s
Glasscock County and Georgetown
in Texas are both named in his honor
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
He was born in Hardin County, Kentucky
Hardin County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 94,174 people, 34,497 households, and 25,355 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 37,673 housing units at an average density of...
near the same area where Abraham Lincoln was born. In 1830 he went to St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and from there to Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
, where in 1832 he was a partner of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
in flatboating on the Sangamon River
Sangamon River
The Sangamon River is a principal tributary of the Illinois River, approximately long, in central Illinois in the United States. It drains a mostly rural agricultural area between Peoria and Springfield...
. He also fought in the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
where he was a Lieutenant and Abraham Lincoln was a private under his command. Lincoln became a surveyor for Sangamon County and Glasscock was a surveyor in Texas but it is not known if the two learned their surveyor skills together. George's sister stayed in Illinois and married a friend of Lincoln's law partner, Herndon. His sister's husband is quoted as saying he had received a letter from George in 1865 and that he stated Lincoln had pardoned him.
In September 1835 he moved to Texas and settled first at Zavala
Zavalla, Texas
Zavalla is a city in Angelina County, Texas, United States. The population was 647 at the 2000 census. The town is named for Lorenzo de Zavala, a Mexican rancher, politician, and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence who served as the first Vice-President of the Republic of...
, where he was in business with Thomas Byers Huling
Thomas Byers Huling
Thomas Byers Huling , was a businessman who, along with Henry Millard and Joseph Pulsifer, helped lay out the original plans for Beaumont, Texas.Huling also owned the land upon which the former town of Zavala, Texas, was founded.-References:...
and Henry W. Millard
Henry Millard
Henry Millard was an American businessman, military officer, and public servant. He founded the city of Beaumont, Texas, in 1835 and fought in the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836 during the Texas Revolution.- Early life :...
. Glasscock was with James Chesshire's company in the Siege of Béxar
Siege of Bexar
The Siege of Béxar was an early campaign of the Texas Revolution in which a volunteer Texan army successfully defeated Mexican forces at San Antonio de Béxar . Texians had become disillusioned with the Mexican government as President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's tenure became increasingly...
. He was a surveyor and many land titles in Central Texas especially near the San Gabriel Rivers were surveyed by him. In aletter to his brother in 1834 he tells him he should come to the San Gabriel area as "the land is cheap and the indians have not killed me yet".
In 1840 he moved to Bastrop County, Texas
Bastrop County, Texas
Bastrop County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2006, the population was 71,700. Its county seat is Bastrop. Bastrop County is named for Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop , an early Dutch settler who assisted Stephen F...
and four years later to Travis County
Travis County, Texas
As of 2009, the U.S. census estimates there were 1,026,158 people, 320,766 households, and 183,798 families residing in the county. The population density was 821 people per square mile . There were 335,881 housing units at an average density of 340 per square mile...
. In 1846 he moved yet again to the Williamson County
Williamson County, Texas
Williamson County is a county located on both the Edwards Plateau to the west, consisting of rocky terrain and hills, and Blackland Prairies in the east consising of rich, fertile farming land, The two areas are roughly bisected by Interstate 35...
area, where Glasscock helped to organize the county and donated 172 acres (3.9 km²) for the county seat, Georgetown, Texas
Georgetown, Texas
Georgetown is a city and also the county seat of Williamson County, Texas, United States with a population of 47,400 at the 2010 census. Southwestern University, founded in 1840, is the oldest university in Texas and is located in Georgetown, about 1/2 mile east of the historic square...
, which was subsequently named for him.
In 1853 he returned to Travis County. He represented Travis and Williamson counties in the Tenth
Tenth Texas Legislature
The Tenth Texas Legislature met from 2 November 1863 to 15 November 1864 in its regular session and two called sessions. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1863.-Sessions:...
and Eleventh Texas Legislature
Eleventh Texas Legislature
The Eleventh Texas Legislature met from 6 August 1866 to 13 November 1866 in its regular session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1865.-Senate:Lieutenant Governor: George Washington Jones...
s and was one of the managers of the State Lunatic Asylum
Austin State Hospital
Austin State Hospital , formerly known as the State Lunatic Asylum, is the oldest psychiatric hospital in the state of Texas, operated by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Established by the Legislature in 1856, it commenced operations in 1861 with twelve patients. The name was...
during the gubernatorial administrations of Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
, Edward Clark
Edward Clark (governor)
Edward Clark was the eighth Governor of Texas. His term coincided with the beginning of the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, Francis R. Lubbock
Francis Lubbock
Francis Richard Lubbock was the ninth Governor of Texas and was in office during the American Civil War. He was the brother of Thomas Saltus Lubbock, for whom the City of Lubbock is named....
, and Pendleton Murrah
Pendleton Murrah
Pendleton Murrah was the tenth Governor of Texas. His term in office coincided with the American Civil War.A native of South Carolina, Murrah graduated from Brown University in 1848. He moved to Texas and opened a law practice in Marshall. He ran and was defeated for the U.S...
. During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he served with the 33rd Texas Cavalry. As a result of his interest in wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
growing, Glasscock built the first flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
mill
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 :...
in what was then western Texas. He continued to make his home in Austin until his death there on 28 February 1868.
His son, George Washington Glasscock, Jr. was a State Senator in the Nineteenth
Nineteenth Texas Legislature
The Nineteenth Texas Legislature met from 13 January to 31 March 1885 in its regular session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1884 General Election.-Senate:...
, Twentieth
Twentieth Texas Legislature
The Twentieth Texas Legislature met from 11 January to 4 April 1887 in regular session, and from 16 April to 15 May 1888 in a called session. All members of the House of Representatives and a portion of the members of the Senate were elected in the 1886 General Election.-Sessions:* 20th Regular...
, and Twenty-first Texas Legislature
Twenty-first Texas Legislature
The Twenty-first Texas Legislature met from 8 January to 6 April 1889 in regular session. All members of the House of Representatives and a portion of the members of the Senate were elected in the 1888 General Election.-House of Representatives:-Senate:...
s
Glasscock County and Georgetown
Georgetown, Texas
Georgetown is a city and also the county seat of Williamson County, Texas, United States with a population of 47,400 at the 2010 census. Southwestern University, founded in 1840, is the oldest university in Texas and is located in Georgetown, about 1/2 mile east of the historic square...
in Texas are both named in his honor