The Growth of Towns

•Many people moved into towns

• In 1850 about 13,000 lived in Texas towns but in 1860 it about doubled its size to 26,000.

• Houston was biggest with 5,000 until San Antonio had 8,000

• San Felipe was one of the most important towns at one time

• Marshall, a center for trade, New Braunfels, a center for German immagrants in the 1840s and 1850s, and Austin, the states political center and capital were important.

• Each town had- a few homes, general stores, blacksmith shops, offices for lawyers and doctors, and trade shops (maybe even supported newspapers)

• most buildings were made of logs or lumber

• They had no paved streets, but they did have county sheriffs and town Marshall's