Archives of the Comandancia General de la Inspeccion de los Estados Internos de Oriente

After the 1825 Mexican colonization law opened Coahuila and Texas to Anglo-American settlers, James Power (1788?-1852) and James Hewetson (1796-1879) organized Power and Hewetson Colony, petitioned to become empresarios, and received a large tract of land between the Lavaca and Guadalupe Rivers, which they later expanded to also encompass the area from the Guadalupe to the Nueces River. James Hewetson had met Stephen F. Austin in St. Louis, Missouri and then accompanied him to Texas, leading him to decide to seek his fortune in the new territory. Additionally, Power and Hewetson took possession of the abandoned Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission.

Hewetson eventually sold his interest in the colony although he did retain his headrights and purchased lands. He married a Mexican widow, Josefa Guajardo, and maintained a home in Coahuila, Mexico. He did not take part in the Texas Revolution, but did visit Texas several times and aided Texans who came through Coahuia.

Power represented Refugio at the Convention of 1836 and signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. He sat on the committee that wrote the Constitution of the Republic of Texas, helped raise supplies for the Texas army, then founded the town of Aransas City (which no longer exists) in 1837. He represented Refugio again at the Second Congress and at the Convention of 1845.

Sources:

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "Hewetson, James," http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/HH/fhe36.html (accessed June 9, 2010).

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "Power and Hewetson Colony," http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/PP/uep3.html (accessed June 9, 2010).

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "Power, James," http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/PP/fpo36.html (accessed June 9, 2010).

From the guide to the Power and Hewetson Collection 81-128., 1824-1835, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin)