TEXAS’ FIRST FEDERAL COURT
The first Federal Court to sit in the State of Texas met in Jefferson in 1879 with Judge Amos Morill on the bench. In a short time the court was made a circuit, which included San Antonio and Galveston.
Three generations of Jefferson men served succeeding terms as clerks of the court—W. E. Singleton, W. E. Singleton, Jr., and J. M. Singleton. These men served for a total of sixty years.
The first court met in the Post Office which had been established in 1842 and was located in the Northeast corner of Polk and Austin Streets, and was the only Federal building in Jefferson. All records were kept in this building and when word came that Federal troops would possibly come through Jefferson and that all valuable papers and documents should be moved to a spot further interior for safe keeping, local authorities hastily gathered the court records and sent them to Dallas from which place they had not been returned after 65 years—though efforts have been made to have them returned.
THE CITY OF JEFFERSON, TEXAS
as a
MANUFACTURING DISTRICT IN 1871
The undersigned would respectfully invite the attention of capitalists, at home and abroad, to the manufacturing facilities of the City of Jefferson and its surroundings, with a view of securing such co-operation as our railroad prospects and natural advantages seem to warrant. We say railroad prospects, because our city will shortly become the Great Railroad Center of Northeastern Texas. Here the International Trans-Continental and East Line and Red River Railroad will all intersect ere many more months elapse, thus opening up direct communications with all the leading business centers in the Union. So far as railroads are concerned, Jefferson will become the Atlanta of all that portion of the State known as “Northeastern Texas.” Associated with this fact is another equally significant in a manufacturing point of view. We have here within striking distance inexhaustible supplies of material for the manufacture on an extensive scale of an endless variety of articles; and for steam purposes we have living waters and fuel in abundance. Indeed Nature has here strewn upon the earth’s surface and planted beneath it forests and mines immeasureable in extent and of inestimable value.
Before proceeding, however, to detail the manner in which these should be utilized, we should invite attention to a few particulars respecting the
CITY OF JEFFERSON
The City of Jefferson is yet in its infancy. But a few short years have passed since the ground on which it stands was a wilderness, but its growth has been rapid and substantial. It now numbers not less than 12,000 inhabitants, and the business houses being constructed of brick, it wears an air of solidity, such as is seldom seen in this State. Its Churches and many of its private residences are unsurpassed in the State, in points of taste and elegance and its business men are quite as enterprising as those of any other city within the confines of the Empire State of Texas.
Jefferson has already a National Bank, a Citizens Savings Bank and three private Banks, but such is the extent of her trade even this number has not been found sufficient, and a charter has been secured for another National Bank, which will soon go into operation. She also has a Chamber of Commerce, an iron foundry and Machine Shop, several planing mills, sash door and blind Factories, the National Cotton Compress Company etc. and here, too, is located the East Texas State Agricultural, Mechanical and Stock Raising Association.