The Block 97 Controversy
Snyder, Scurry County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Notorious county land dispute arising from state practice of paying railroads in public land for trackage laid. Began in 1873 when Houston & Texas Central claimed, in error, some 300,000 acres of Block 97 which were in reserve for Texas & Pacific. Found in 1882, the error voided all deeds from H. & T.C. for lots in the reserve. Much land was unscrupulously resold, causing a decade of conflict over claims. Issue was decided only when 1899 Legislature, on authority of State Supreme Court, declared land to be state school land and gave settlers option to buy. (1972)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The Block 97 dispute grew out of Texas's practice of paying railroads in public land for the track they laid. In 1873 the Houston & Texas Central mistakenly claimed some 300,000 acres reserved for the Texas & Pacific; when the error surfaced in 1882 it voided countless deeds, and much of the land was unscrupulously resold, sparking a decade of tangled claims until the legislature declared it state school land in 1899.
Why it matters
The controversy exposes the messy underside of railroad land grants, which financed western expansion but also bred speculation and years of conflict over who really owned the frontier.
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Related events
- · Block 97 land dispute
Themes & tags
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