Title:
Cane made from a wild cherry tree that grew over the grave of Moses Austin
Description:
Slim cane, brown wood, with the appearance of a prickly tree limb. Glossy surface.
Description:
Historical Note: This cane was made from a wild cherry tree that grew over the grave of Moses Austin at Potosi, Missouri. Moses Austin was born October 4, 1761, in Durham, Connecticut. He married Mary Brown in 1785 and the couple had five children, including Stephen Fuller Austin. Moses founded his own dry goods company (Moses Austin and Co.) and in 1789 won the Virginia state contract to provide a lead roof for the new capitol building. His innovative business and mining strategies earned Austin credit for founding the lead industry in the United States. Though he amassed a considerable fortune from his lead mining ventures, the failure of the Bank of St. Louis sent Austin into debt. So he devised a plan to colonize Spanish-controlled Texas with Anglo settlers. He travelled to Texas and won the approval of the Spanish governor in 1820, but his health soon failed. Suffering from pneumonia contracted in Texas, Moses Austin died on June 10, 1821. His final wishes were that his son Stephen carry on with his plans to colonize Texas.
Description:
Related Collection: Moses Austin Papers at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.
Identifier:
ATF0400
Item identifier:
ATF0400
Collection:
Artifacts collection
Date range of creation:
1880 to 1895
Subject:
Austin, Moses, 1761-1821
Subject:
Austin, Stephen F. (Stephen Fuller), 1793-1836
Type:
Image
Type:
Personal Assistive Objects
Type:
Cane
Medium:
Wood (plant material)
Citation information:
ATF0400, Artifacts collection. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Copyright information:
This image is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States. The Item and its design depicted in this image may be protected by copyright, patents, trademarks, or other related rights. You are free to use this image in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Unless expressly stated otherwise, Texas State Library and Archives Commission makes no warranties about the Item and cannot guarantee the accuracy of this Rights Statement. You are responsible for your own use. Please contact the Texas State Library and Archives Commission for more information. You may need to obtain other permissions for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy or moral rights may limit how you may use the material.
Size or duration:
34.5 in x 1.5 in x 0.5 in