Peter's Colony facts for kids

Peters Colony was a big land deal in North Texas a long time ago. It was a way for the Republic of Texas and later the State of Texas to get more people to move there. Groups of American and English investors, first led by William Smalling Peters, made these deals. They were called "empresario land grant contracts."

What Was Peters Colony?

Peters Colony was a special agreement. It allowed a company to bring settlers to Texas. In return, the company and the settlers would get land. The first contract was signed on August 30, 1841. Samuel Browning, Peters' son-in-law, signed it with the Republic of Texas. The company that managed these contracts changed owners many times.

The First Land Deal

The first area for Peters Colony was huge. It started at the Red River in what is now Grayson County. It went south for 60 miles, then west for 22 miles. After that, it went north back to the Red River. Finally, it followed the Red River east to where it began.

Rules for Settlers

The company had to find 200 families from outside Texas in three years. Each single man could get 320 acres of land. Each family could get 640 acres. The company could keep up to half of the settlers' land. This was for services they provided. These services included surveying the land. They also helped with official land papers. The company sometimes provided supplies like shot, powder, seed, or even a log cabin.

Early Problems with Land

The rules about land titles caused problems. Settlers and the company often disagreed. This went on for many years. One big event was the Hedgcoxe War on July 16, 1852. This was an armed protest against the company's agent, Henry Oliver Hedgcoxe. During this protest, company records were taken. They were moved to the Dallas County Courthouse. These problems meant that the Texas government had to create new laws.

Expanding the Colony

The first land area wasn't big enough. There were already settlers and trading posts there. So, a second contract was signed on November 9, 1841. This extended the colony's boundary 40 miles to the south.

More Contracts and More Land

The Peters company had trouble meeting its deadlines. So, they asked for a third contract. Sam Houston signed it on July 26, 1842. This contract added a 12-mile-wide strip on the east. It also added a 10-mile-wide strip on the west. The fourth and final contract was signed on January 20, 1843. This extended the deadline for settlement to July 1, 1848. It also expanded the colony to include 10 million acres to the west.

Where Was Peters Colony?

Peters Colony covered a very large area of North Texas. It included all or parts of many counties. These counties are:

• Denton
• Collin
• Cooke
• Grayson
• Dallas
• Tarrant
• Wise
• Palo Pinto
• Ellis
• Johnson
• Montague
• Parker
• Hood
• Clay
• Jack
• Erath
• Wichita
• Archer
• Young
• Stephens
• Eastland
• Wilbarger
• Baylor
• Throckmorton
• Shackelford
• Callahan

That's parts of 26 counties in total! Most Texas counties are about 900 square miles (2,331 square kilometers) in size. So, Peters Colony was truly enormous.