General Houston was a frequent and welcome visitor, says one account.

Houston was the first President of the Republic of Texas. Two of Manor's kids were
born as citizens of the Republic. Houston wanted to go with the North and fight
against slavery. In my vision, I think Harriet Tubman came out here and connected with Priscilla
Manor, who was (I think) the in-charge household slave that kept the family together (five daughters) after James' wife died. Miss Tubman couldn't read or write. A perfect courier. She was often a
spy for the North. Priscilla couldn't read or write either. The Letters were from
Abraham Lincoln who was offering Houston 50,000 troups to fight for the North.
When General Houston finished reading it, it was thrown in the fireplace with his trusted advisers
looking on. He later said that if he was ten years younger, he would have taken him
up on it.

James Manor received land grants over 1200-acres. He picked the best spot for the city and his house. The city is between the two rivers (Gillilands and Wilbargers) and his homestead is where the Gillilands makes a bend. To me, that's where the best fishing and swimming would be. That's the "grass dale" right in front of our eyes. It's that flat spot where everyone hangs out, including the laundry. Why would Manor put the Stagecoach Station between his house and the river? He wouldn't. You wouldn't either. Eggleston St was the stagecoach route to Houston. James B was in charge of building and maintaining the route to Austin. In 1850, he started laying-out the town. In 1890's Austin American-Statesman Newspaper, we were called "the Village of Manor."

"Grassdale" was the name of the first Post Office with James B as the first Postmaster. There is an Apartments on 290 headin' east called "Grassdale." If you know someone there, let them know from whence the name derives.

That's the Houston and Texas Central Railroad granted the all-important "right of way" that brought the cotton industry here.