This Day In Texas History - March 21

[joe817]

1801 - Early Texan entrepreneur and Mustang wrangler, Philip Nolan on his forth expedition to Texas to gather wild Mustangs for market in New Orleans, is met by Spanish troops near present day Blum. He and many of his party are killed, others imprisoned, leading to outrage in America and a desire to free Texas from Spanish Rule. Survivors are held captive for several years, before a toss of the dice is used to select which prisoners are hanged.

1845 - German nobleman, Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, Commissioner General of the "Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas", also known as the "Noblemen's Society" founded the town of New Braunfels. Prince Carl named the city for Braunfels, his hometown in Germany. By 1850, it was the fourth largest town in Texas.

1864 - The USS Clifton, was a side-wheel steam ferryboat that saw action along the Texas coast during the Civil War. She was captured by the Confederates at Sabine Pass, Texas, on September 8. The Clifton ran aground at Sabine Pass on March 21, 1864, while trying to run the Union blockade and was burned by the Confederates to prevent her capture.

1886 - A shoot-out involving cowboys from the LS ranch at Tascosa, leaves four dead.

1899 - The Tenth United States Cavalry, under the command of Capt. Charles G. Ayers, moved into the affected neighborhoods of Laredo to maintain the peace and assure that the work of controlling the smallpox epidemic which had reached epidemic proportions. Texas Rangers also patrolled the area, searching for and arresting anyone they thought involved in the riot. The riot was caused by W. T. Blunt, State of Texas health officer, who ordered house-to-house vaccination and fumigation, the burning of all questionable clothing and personal effects that could not be fumigated, and the establishment of a field hospital to disinfect patients.

1916 - 1,400 building in Paris in northeast Texas burned leaving the city virtually destroyed. In 10 1/2 hours, the fire had worked it way throughout the city, killing 3. The fire was so tremendous that firefighter from as far away as Hugo, Oklahoma, Bonham, and even Dallas came to assist. Paris is destroyed, and rebuilding would take years.

1926 - Rebecca Fisher died in Austin. She was born Rebecca Gilleland in Philadelphia in 1831. Her family came to Texas around 1837 and settled in Refugio County. In 1840 Comanches attacked their home, killing Rebecca's parents and taking Rebecca and her brother. The children were rescued by Albert Sidney Johnston and a detachment of Texas soldiers. Mrs. Fisher was a charter member and state president of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. She also aided Clara Driscoll in saving the Alamo from destruction, and for several years she gave the opening prayer when the Texas legislature convened. She was the only woman elected to the Texas Veterans Association and was its last surviving member.

1966 - Edith Wilmans, who in 1922 became the first woman elected to the Texas legislature, died in Dallas. Wilmans, born in Louisiana in 1882, moved to Dallas at an early age. She helped organize the Dallas Equal Suffrage Association and was president of the Democratic Women's Association of Texas.