Directly across Blake Manor Road, about 50 feet from the southern border of the land where I live, an 1861 Travis County map shows land that is identified as the Larkin Martin survey. Mr. Martin never had surveyed, or owned, this land. Travis County records seem to show that the survey was made in 1872 on behalf of the Sheriff, who thought he was the owner of the land; he was not.
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| Larkin Martin survey (center of map) |
Oliver Buckman came to Texas in 1825. Because he was one of the first emigrants to Texas, around 1836, he received a land grant from the Republic of Texas for at least 4428 acres of land, some records say more.
At an as yet unknown date, he assigned his land certificate to George W. Spear (Speir) who had a survey made on February 20, 1838 in Bastrop County (this area later became Travis County). On January 30, 1841, George Spear now being deceased, ownership of the land passed to his heirs.
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| Oliver Buckman survey made for George W. Spear |
In 1856 a certificate for 836 acres of land was given to Larkin Martin by the Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office. On July 4th of that year, Mr. Martin, who lived in Fort Bend County, officially and legally gave his land certificate to his attorney, James S. Sullivan, so that Mr. Sullivan could sell the land certificate for him.
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| Document giving James Sullivan authority to sell Oliver Buckman survey for Geo. W. Spear |
On August 23, 1856 Mr. Sullivan sold Mr. Martin’s land certificate to Samuel A. Maverick for $250.80. Mr. Maverick was a lawyer, politician and land baron, who owned thousands of acres of land in Texas. He also served two terms as Mayor of San Antonio. Upon his death in September, 1870 the Larkin Martin land was transferred to C.R. Johns and the Texas Land Agency by Maverick’s widow, Mary.
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| C. R . JOHNS NEWSPAPER ADS FROM 1870'S |
At this point the details are a bit unclear as to who sold and who owned the land after this, but somehow a survey of 800 acres of Larkin Martin’s grant is made on June 28 and 29, 1872 by James R. Pace, County Surveyor of Travis County. This survey was made on behalf of Travis County Sheriff George B. Zimpleman who appears to become the owner of this land.
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| Field notes of Larkin Martin survey made in 1872 for George B. Zimpleman |
On July 15th the Texas General Land Office releases a document declaring that 800 acres of this land grant has been surveyed and recorded, leaving only 36 acres left to be surveyed at a future date.
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| GEO. B. ZIMPLEMAN - NAME ON BOTTOM OF DOCUMENT |
The next day, on July 16th, a letter of protest is sent to the Honorable Jacob Koechler, Commissioner of the General Land Office. In this letter, Williamson Jones states that he has title to 75 acres of this land and that the current survey was made on the already-surveyed Oliver Buckman land.
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| Williamson Jones letter of protest |
In another letter to the General Land Office Commissioner, dated October 11, 1872 Sheriff Zimpleman states that after a thorough examination of the surveys he concludes that Williamson Jones is correct. Zimpleman relinquishes all claim to the 800 acres of land and requests that Land Office to void the survey and return his land certificate to him.
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| George B. Zimpleman letter surrendering ownership of Larkin Martin survey |
It seems that not a lot is known about Williamson (Williumson) Jones. It appears he was a surveyor in Louisiana in the early 1850’s – some records show even earlier; in 1837. He is listed as one of the first Chief Justices of the newly-formed Lampasas County in Texas in the mid 1850’s. According to the Historical Marker located there, he was the first person buried in the Manor Cemetery (1875) after the cemetery was legally given to the city, however, cemetery records seem to show a couple of other burials with earlier dates. James Manor actually deeded the land to the Church on Wilbarger's Creek in 1871, "for church and cemetery purposes".
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| Manor Cemetery historical marker |
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| Williamson Jones head stone |
As of today, the 800 acres once surveyed for Larkin Martin has many owners. Some of it is now Travis County East Metropolitan Park and the rest is individually owned by a number of different people; none of them being Larkin Martin, Oliver Buckman, George Zimpleman or Williamson Jones.
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