Texas

Lexington, KY: J. Clarke & Co, 1836. First edition. Handcolored folding map. viii,410pp. 12mo. Publisher's cloth, remnants of paper spine label, worn. Repairs to separations of the folding map. Provenance: H. M. Spalding, Denton TX (ink ownership stamp on title); James P. Waggener (booklabel); Ted Lusher (booklabel). Housed in a clamshell box. First edition. Handcolored folding map. viii,410pp. 12mo. Scarce Early Texas Promotional Tract, Dedicated to Stephen F. Austin. This is Mrs. Holley's second book on Texas, intended as a practical and informative guide for emigrant's to the area. Despite the title, which is similar to the author's Baltimore 1833 book, this is a completely different work. Jenkins in Basic Texas Books calls it "a much more important book."

Dedicated to Austin, included herein is a general history of Texas to May 5, 1836, a printing of the Texas and Mexican constitutions, Stephen Austin's farewell address of March 7, and specific information regarding settlements, towns, business and banking matters, transportation and communication facilities, etc. While her earlier book served to promote the enthusiastic interest of prospective emigrants to Texas, Mrs. Holley in this work provides the hard facts of what they would find there. As Stephen F. Austin's cousin, she was in a position to know.

"In addition to the San Jacinto reports, it includes the first book printing of the Texas Declaration of Independence, of the Republic of Texas Constitution, of Travis' famous letter from the Alamo, of Austin's Louisville Address of 1836, and other key documents of the revolution. It includes the full text of the Mexican Constitution of 1824 and translations of the colonization laws, as well as chapters on money and banking, the mails, trade, natural history, society and manners, religion and Indians. It includes the best physical description of Texas up to that time, and a clear and concise analysis of the colonization and land grant system and of Austin's colonization activities" (Basic Texas Books).

The Hooker "Map of the State of Coahuila and Texas" was published several times in the 1830s, with revisions to reflect the changing face of Texas. Based on the mappings by Stephen F. Austin and David Burr, the map appeared as a separate ca. 1833 (see Streeter 1136), in Holley's 1833 book (Streeter 1135), and in A Visit to Texas (Streeter 1155) before appearing here. Each version shows additions and changes to reflect the events as the Revolution unfolded. This issue particularly noteworthy, with the land grants entirely hand colored and with Thorn's grant stamped "now Filisola", among other changes. The map shows not only the geography of the Republic, but the location of Indian tribes and villages and herds of of wild horses, cattle, and buffalo. Taliaferro, Cartographic Sources in the Rosenberg Library 241: "Hooker's map is one of the earliest maps of Texas to show all of Texas to the Arkansas River, including the Panhandle."

This copy with early provenance to Henry Moses Spalding (1854-1916) founder and President of the the First National Bank of Denton, TX. Streeter Texas 1207; Raines, p.116; Howes H593, "aa"; Sabin 32528; Graff, Fifty Texas Rarities 15; Basic Texas Books 94; Reese, Best of the West 60 (note); Vandale, Texianameter 88