John Marie Durst (1797–1851) was born on the frontier in
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
, and was an early American settler, military veteran, and politician in
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
and
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. As a youth, he learned the mercantile trade from his godfather Peter Samuel Davenport in Texas, where he also became fluent in several languages.
French,
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
and various Native American languages were spoken in this region in addition to English, reflecting its different colonial history. At the age of 18, Durst fought in the
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815 between the British Army under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and the United States Army under Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson, roughly 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the Frenc ...
with a Louisiana militia.
He was a legislative representative under
Coahuila y Tejas
Coahuila y Tejas, officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila y Tejas (), was one of the constituent states of the newly established United Mexican States under its 1824 Constitution.
It had two capitals: first Saltillo (1822–1825) f ...
, during which he became involved in a land speculation controversy. Durst became a large land holder, due in part to an inheritance from Davenport. Because he rode in 1835 to warn settlers of Mexican troop movements, when Texas was seeking independence, he is sometimes called the
Paul Revere of Texas. Durst also served with the
Republic of Texas militia under Major General
Thomas J. Rusk in actions against the
Kickapoo and
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
peoples in the region. He founded the settlement of
Mount Sterling, Texas in Nacogdoches County after the Republic of Texas gained independence.
Early life
John Marie Durst was born in
Arkansas Post on February 4, 1797. He was one of eight children, four boys and four girls, born to Jacob and Anna Agnes (Schesser) Durst. His brother Isaac was also given the first name of John, which was a custom among many ethnic Germans. His father Jacob was born in
Shenandoah County, Virginia in 1754 as the first generation in North America. Jacob's father Abraham Derst had spelled the family name with an "e". Paternal grandfather Abraham Derst was born in
Worms-Pfeddersheim,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
in 1725, and was the immigrant ancestor to
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. Abraham's own father, Abraham Jacob Derst, was born and died in Germany. When John Marie was two years old, his mother died.
In 1803 the widower Jacob Durst moved the entire family to
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches ( ; french: link=no, Les Natchitoches) is a small city and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was name ...
. That year the region and much more former French territory west of the Mississippi River was acquired by the United States in the
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...
.
Move to Texas
In 1806, Jacob Durst moved to
Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches ( ) is a small city in East Texas and the county seat of Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. The 2020 U.S. census recorded the city's population at 32,147. Nacogdoches is a sister city of the smaller, similarly named Natchito ...
, then part of Spanish Mexico, with son John Marie and two of his older brothers. After Jacob died in 1814, local merchant
Peter Samuel Davenport, known to friends as Samuel, became Durst's godfather and legal guardian. His two older brothers had already reached adulthood and were making their way.
Nacogdoches merchants
William Barr
William Pelham Barr (born May 23, 1950) is an American attorney who served as the 77th and 85th United States attorney general in the administrations of Presidents George H. W. Bush and Donald Trump.
Born and raised in New York City, Barr ...
, Luther Smith, Edward Murphy, and Davenport had established the mercantile
House of Barr and Davenport in 1798. During
Spanish Texas
Spanish Texas was one of the interior provinces of the colonial Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1690 until 1821. The term "interior provinces" first appeared in 1712, as an expression meaning "far away" provinces. It was only in 1776 that a lega ...
, the distribution center was an importer and exporter of merchandise between Louisiana and Texas, serving both the Spanish troops and the area Indian tribes.
Under Davenport's guardianship, the young Durst learned the mercantile trade and became fluent in several languages, including those of Indian tribes among whom the House of Barr and Davenport maintained resident traders.
When the
Gutiérrez-Magee Expedition captured Nacogdoches on August 12, 1812, Davenport became the quartermaster for the
filibuster, supplying both arms and materiel, as well as rallying volunteers to join the cause. With the expedition defeated the next year, the Spanish government offered a reward for Davenport's capture.
Davenport fled with 16-year-old Durst to
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches ( ; french: link=no, Les Natchitoches) is a small city and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was name ...
.
On January 8, 1815, Durst fought in the
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815 between the British Army under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and the United States Army under Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson, roughly 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the Frenc ...
, as part of the Louisiana militia, second division. Afterward, Durst returned to Natchitoches.
Land owner
Davenport died in 1824. He bequeathed acres in Louisiana to Durst. Davenport's son Juan Benigno swapped Durst the Louisiana acreage for acreage on the west side of the
Sabine River in Texas. Part of the property included the
Old Stone Fort in Nacogdoches, which Durst owned until 1834. That year he sold it to Juan Mora and Vicente Córdova.
![Old Stone Fort in 1885](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Old_Stone_Fort_in_1885.png)
The land transactions took time to complete. As a result of his swap with Benigno, in April 1834 Durst received a Mexican land grant for five leagues, which was surveyed in three separate tracts in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
,
Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches ( ) is a small city in East Texas and the county seat of Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. The 2020 U.S. census recorded the city's population at 32,147. Nacogdoches is a sister city of the smaller, similarly named Natchitoch ...
and
Anderson
Anderson or Andersson may refer to:
Companies
* Anderson (Carriage), a company that manufactured automobiles from 1907 to 1910
* Anderson Electric, an early 20th-century electric car
* Anderson Greenwood, an industrial manufacturer
* Anderson ...
counties.
Durst had originally petitioned for land to be located on the eastern margin of the Trinity River. He was likely trying to recover the Barr Rancho, a large tract lost by his adoptive father Samuel Davenport.
urst was the successor to the landholdings of the only official Indian trading establishment licensed by the Spanish government in the Province of Texas, known as the House of Barr and Davenport Davenport's lands had been confiscated by the government in 1813 due to Davenport's participation in the
Gutiérrez-Magee Expedition.
But the Alcalde of Nacogdoches, Juan Maria Mora, said that available lands on the east bank of the river were limited to those "two leagues below
ownriver fromthe Old Presidio
rinidad de Salcedoand two leagues above
priver fromthe same."
![Durst title refers to Old Presidio - TDS](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Durst_title_refers_to_Old_Presidio_-_TDS.jpg)
Durst chose a tract "above" the former location of Trinidad de Salcedo. It was on both sides of the road to Bexar
ld San Antonio Roadand surveyed out to three leagues, plus 18 labors. The fieldnotes of this survey stipulated that the northern corner should fall on the ''Arroyo de las Ruinas''
uins Creek This was likely known for the ruins of the old Barr Rancho headquarters, burnt by order of Col.
Ignacio Elizondo
Francisco Ignacio Elizondo Villarreal, (born Salinas Valley, New Kingdom of León, New Spain, March 9, 1766 - died San Marcos, Texas, New Spain, c. September 12, 1813), was a royalist military officer during the Mexican war of independence aga ...
of the Spanish Royal Army, during his operations in the aftermath of the
Gutierrez-Magee Expedition and the rout of insurgents at the
Battle of Medina
The Battle of Medina was fought approximately 20 miles south of San Antonio de Bexar (modern-day downtown San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas) on August 18, 1813, as part of the Mexican War of Independence against Spanish authority in Mexico ...
on 18 August 1813.
Province of Coahuila y Tejas
After Mexico gained independence from Spain, from 1829 to 1834 Durst served in many capacities as an interpreter. He also became active in local politics. In 1835, Durst became a legislative representative of
Coahuila y Tejas
Coahuila y Tejas, officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila y Tejas (), was one of the constituent states of the newly established United Mexican States under its 1824 Constitution.
It had two capitals: first Saltillo (1822–1825) f ...
from Nacogdoches. He became involved in a controversy over land speculation. While at the legislature, Durst learned of Mexican troop movement into Texas, and became known as the
Paul Revere of Texas for his ride warning American settlers of the troop movement.
Republic of Texas
Texas achieved independence in 1836. The following year, in 1837 Durst founded the town of Mount Sterling in Nacogdoches County.
In 1838, Durst was commissioned as a captain in the
Republic of Texas militia, serving under Major General
Thomas J. Rusk. Rusk was campaigning against the
Kickapoo and
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
tribes of the area. In 1844, Durst moved with his family to
Leon County.
Personal life and death
Durst married Harriet Matilda Jamison on February 15, 1821. The young
John Henninger Reagan
John Henninger Reagan (October 8, 1818March 6, 1905) was an American politician from Texas. A Democrat, Reagan resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives when Texas seceded from the Union and joined the Confederate States of America. ...
, at the time a deputy surveyor, also served as a private tutor in the 1830s to the Durst children. Planters usually hired private tutors to educate their children.
John Marie Durst died in
Galveston
Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Ga ...
on February 9, 1851. He is buried in the family cemetery established on his property in Leon County. His wife Harriet died September 23, 1885, and is buried next to him.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Durst, John Marie
1797 births
1851 deaths
Mexican War of Independence
People from Arkansas County, Arkansas
People from Nacogdoches, Texas
People from Louisiana