Fewer than 13,000 people lived in Texas towns in 1850. The number had gotten to 26,000 by 1860. San Antonio became the largest town by 1860 with 6,000 residents. Galveston had about 5,000 residents in 1850 making it the largest state in 1850. A large part of the San Antonio population was made up of German immigrants. Once one of the 3 most important cities, San Felipe, was rebuilt after it was burned during the Texas Revolution- but it was never the same. New Braunfels was now a center for German immigrants during the 1840's and 1850's; Marshall a center for trade; and Austin, the states political center and capital. None of these places could be considered cities as they only had a few homes, general store, blacksmith shops, offices for lawyers and doctors, and trade shops. Some even supported newspapers. None of these places had paved streets. County sheriffs and town marshals provided law enforcement. Most house were built of logs or lumber. The one exception was the two story Menger Hotel in San Antonio that was built of stone in 1859.

The Growth of Towns