Railroads
There was much agitation in the early Texas press for the development of railroads in Texas. Accordingly, the State began granting lands as early as 1852 in return for the laying of track. On January 30, 1854, general railroad legislation was enacted granting 16 sections of land per mile to companies that would build at least 25 miles of track. In locating their land, railroads were required to locate a like amount for the State. Railroad lands were usually surveyed in tracts of a section each, odd-numbered tracts going to the railroad companies, and even-numbered tracts going to the State of Texas.
Railroad companies were required to dispose of this land within a specified period of time, which originally was 12 years. This was later increased to 21 years and, finally, reduced to seven years. The Legislature’s reason for enacting this requirement was probably to encourage settlers to these railroad lands and to discourage the formation of huge railroad estates.
The State halted its railroad grants by an Act of April 22, 1882. Total acres granted to railroads reached 32,153,878.
Memphis, El Paso and Pacific Railroad Company provides an example of the large areas that were granted for this purpose. A reservation eight miles wide, and later 40 miles wide, was set aside in which this railroad company could select its land.
Canals, Irrigation, Making Rivers Navigable
Construction of canals and irrigation systems and clearing rivers of obstructions to navigation began to interest the State of Texas to such an extent after 1870 that legislation was enacted to encourage these activities.
The main reason for this interest was the speedy, direct transportation which canals and rivers could provide. Railroads were only then beginning to stretch their steel fingers across the state, and Texans still needed other ways to get themselves and their goods from one place to another.
On February 22, 1875, the Capital Canal Company was organized to dig a canal from Marble Falls to Austin—a distance of about 40 miles—and the company was to be granted 20 sections of land for each mile of canal. General Land Office files indicate that the canal, if constructed, was never paid for in land grants.
A general act designed to encourage construction of canals and irrigation ditches was passed on August 21, 1876. The legislation provided that contractors who dug canals or irrigation ditches at least two miles in length could receive from two to eight sections of land, depending upon the size of the passage.