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Charlotte Baldwin Allen (July 14, 1805 – August 3, 1895) is known in Texan history as the "mother of
When John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen bought land for the town site of Houston, they had been investing some of Charlotte Allen's inheritance.Johnston, Marguerite (1991). Houston: the unknown city, 1836-1846. Texas A&M Press: College Station, Texas, p.9. As Houston was surveyed in 1836 and settled beginning early in 1837, Charlotte and Augustus Allen built a house on Prairie Street at Caroline in Houston. Their next-door neighbor would be the President of Texas, Sam Houston. One of Charlotte Allen's house guests was Mary Austin Holley, who kept a journal of her experiences of early Houston and drew a sketch of the Capitol. Many sources credit her for naming the City of Houston.
Her brother-in-law, John Allen, died in 1838. Augustus Allen left Houston for Mexico. Charlotte remained in Houston and continued to manage the Allens' business interests. They separated in 1850. The Old Capitol Hotel passed on to Charlotte, and it was run as a hotel until she sold the property in 1857.
Charlotte Baldwin Allen (July 14, 1805 – August 3, 1895) is known in Texan history as the "mother of Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
". She was the wife of Augustus Chapman Allen
Augustus Chapman Allen (July 4, 1806 – January 11, 1864), along with his younger brother, John Kirby Allen, founded the City of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas. He was born on July 4, 1806, in Canaseraga Village, New York (now the hamlet of ...
, who used her inheritance to finance the founding of this city.
Early life
Charlotte (Mary) Baldwin Allen was born July 14, 1805, inBaldwinsville
Baldwinsville is a village in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,898. It is part of the Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is often referred to by those in the area as "B’ville".
B ...
, Onondaga County, New York, to Eliza and Jonas Cutler Baldwin. She married Augustus Chapman Allen
Augustus Chapman Allen (July 4, 1806 – January 11, 1864), along with his younger brother, John Kirby Allen, founded the City of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas. He was born on July 4, 1806, in Canaseraga Village, New York (now the hamlet of ...
on May 3, 1831. In 1832, her husband and his brother John Kirby Allen
John Kirby Allen (1810 – August 15, 1838) was a co-founder of the city of Houston and a former member of the Republic of Texas House of Representatives. He was born in Canaseraga Village, New York (the present-day hamlet of Sullivan in the To ...
left New York state for Texas, settling temporarily in San Augustine, Texas
San Augustine is the county seat of San Augustine County in East Texas, United States. Its population was at the 2020 census.
History
The first European settlement in the area began in 1717 with the establishment of Mission Nuestra Señora ...
(Mexico). Charlotte Allen probably rejoined her husband in Texas in 1834. She established a residence in Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches ( ) is a 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. Stephen F. Austin State University is located in Nacogdoches and special ...
(Mexico).Nancy Baker Jones, "Allen, Charlotte Marie Baldwin," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fal84), accessed October 23, 2014. Uploaded on June 9, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.Brooks, Elizabeth (1896). Prominent Women of Texas, Akron, OH: Werner, p.36.McComb, David G. (1969, revised 1981). Houston: a history, Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, p.12.
Founding of Houston
When John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen bought land for the town site of Houston, they had been investing some of Charlotte Allen's inheritance.Johnston, Marguerite (1991). Houston: the unknown city, 1836-1846. Texas A&M Press: College Station, Texas, p.9. As Houston was surveyed in 1836 and settled beginning early in 1837, Charlotte and Augustus Allen built a house on Prairie Street at Caroline in Houston. Their next-door neighbor would be the President of Texas, Sam Houston. One of Charlotte Allen's house guests was Mary Austin Holley, who kept a journal of her experiences of early Houston and drew a sketch of the Capitol. Many sources credit her for naming the City of Houston.
Her brother-in-law, John Allen, died in 1838. Augustus Allen left Houston for Mexico. Charlotte remained in Houston and continued to manage the Allens' business interests. They separated in 1850. The Old Capitol Hotel passed on to Charlotte, and it was run as a hotel until she sold the property in 1857.
Death
Allen died in Houston on August 3, 1895, at ninety. She was buried at Glenwood Cemetery in Houston. The Texas State Historical Association sponsored a historical plaque at her grave site in 2009.Legacy
In 2019 a formerDoubleTree
DoubleTree by Hilton is an American hotel chain managed by Hilton Worldwide. DoubleTree has been the fastest growing Hilton brand by number of properties since 2007, and by number of rooms from 2007 to 2015. , it has 587 properties with 135,745 ...
hotel in Downtown Houston
Downtown is the largest central business district in the city of Houston and the largest in the state of Texas, located near the geographic center of the metropolitan area at the confluence of Interstate 10 in Texas, Interstate 10, Interstate 45 ...
was renamed the C. Baldwin Hotel.
See also
* Charlotte Allen FountainReferences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baldwin, Charlotte Baldwin History of Houston 1805 births 1895 deaths People from Baldwinsville, New York Burials at Glenwood Cemetery (Houston, Texas) People from the Republic of Texas American hoteliers