Texas, New York

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.

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 104B, 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 City and a German by birth, purchased 500,000 acres (2,000 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, convert|12|mi|km northeast of Fort Ontario. Scriba built a gristmill, a store, and other buildings, and began an active trade on the lakecite book
last = French
first = J. H.
title = Historical & Statistical Gazetteer of New York State
publisher = R. P. Smith
location = Syracuse
year = 1860] .

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 doomcite book
last = Faust
first = Ralph
title = The Story of Oswego County
publisher = Palladium-Times
location = Oswego
year = 1948] .

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 rebuiltcite book
title = Landmarks of Oswego County
publisher = D. Mason and Co.
location = Syracuse
year = 1895] . The hamlet's name became Texas some time between 1820 and 1860, probably soon after the firecite book
title = Mexico, Mother of Towns
last = Simpson
first = Elizabeth
year = 1948] .

Demographics

Oswego County property tax records show approximately 50 houses in Texas. The population is said to be around 200.

References

External links

* [http://history.rays-place.com/ny/mexico-ny.htm Early history of Mexico village and area]

ee also

* New York, Texas