January 7th in 1859, businessman James Moreau Brown made a significant purchase in Galveston, Texas by buying four lots at the corner of Broadway Boulevard and Twenty-fourth Street. On this site, he built Ashton Villa, which was reportedly the first brick house in Galveston. Today, Ashton Villa is open to the public and is administered by the Galveston Historical Foundation.
Moving forward to 1867, the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament opened Nazareth Academy in Victoria. Initially known as the Monastery of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament, this institution played a significant role in the education of many individuals in the community.
Three years later in 1870, the Waco Suspension Bridge, a 475-foot structure that crosses the Brazos River in downtown Waco, was opened to traffic. This bridge has since become a part of the National Register of Historic Places and received a state historic marker in 1976.
Finally, in 1892, the Galveston, La Porte and Houston Railway was chartered to build a two-mile bridge across Galveston Bay.