DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Jacob De Cordova — and friend, this is one worth pulling over for. Now, picture a man who couldn't seem to stay put if you nailed his boots to the floor. Jacob De Cordova was born into a Jewish family in Spanishtown, Jamaica, British West Indies, and that restless streak followed him every mile of his life.
Around 1830, he immigrated to Philadelphia. But Philadelphia couldn't hold him either — he made a brief return to Jamaica, where he founded a newspaper, then pivoted entirely and got himself deep into the trade running between New Orleans and Texas. By 1837, Jacob and his brother Phineas had opened a shop together in Galveston.
Then Jacob moved on again — to Houston this time — where he built what the marker calls a highly successful land agency. Land. That word is going to come up a lot.
Now here's where the story pulls tight. A Galveston man by the name of John S. Sydnor — born 1812, died 1869 — acquired a large tract of land on the west bank of the Brazos River in 1847.
And who did Sydnor retain to survey and sell that property? Jacob De Cordova. De Cordova, in turn, hired a man named George Bernard Erath — born 1813, died 1891 — to conduct the actual survey.
Two men, one big piece of Texas, and a river running right through the middle of it all. By 1848, De Cordova had obtained control of that tract himself, and he journeyed out here with Erath to lay out the town of Waco. Just like that — a town, drawn up from the dirt.
And about 1849, De Cordova was also retained to sell a vast tract near here on the east bank of the Brazos. The man was practically building a world out of deed transfers and surveyor's chains. But here's the part that tells you what kind of man he really was.
De Cordova donated several lots to the new town — including this very Waco Spring site, the common square, and sites for numerous schools and churches. He didn't just sell Waco. He gave pieces of it away.
And then — well, this is where the story turns quiet. Jacob De Cordova died while he was still formulating a scheme to industrialize the Brazos River Valley. Still dreaming, right up to the end.
He was buried at Kimball, in Bosque County, about forty-five miles northwest of here. That's where he rested until 1935, when his remains were moved to the state cemetery in Austin. A man born in Jamaica, who founded a newspaper, crossed the Gulf, built a land empire, and laid out the very town you might be drivin' through right now — and he ended up in the state cemetery, among Texas's honored dead.
Some journeys, it turns out, cover a lot more ground than you'd ever expect.
What the marker says
Born to a Jewish family in Spanishtown, Jamaica, British West Indies, Jacob De Cordova immigrated to Philadelphia about 1830. After a brief return to Jamaica where he founded a newspaper, he became engaged in trade between New Orleans and Texas. He and his brother Phineas (1819-1903) opened a shop in Galveston in 1837, then Jacob moved to Houston to establish a highly successful land agency. When Galveston's John S. Sydnor (1812-1869) acquired a large tract of land here on the Brazos River's West Bank in 1847, De Cordova was retained to survey and sell the property. He in turn hired George Bernard Erath (1813-1891) to conduct the survey. By 1848 De Cordova obtained control of the tract and journeyed here with Erath to lay out the town of Waco. About 1849 De Cordova also was retained to sell a vast tract near here on the East Bank of the Brazos. De Cordova donated several lots to the new town, including this Waco Spring site, the common square, and sites for numerous schools and churches. He died while formulating a scheme to industrialize the Brazos River Valley and was buried at Kimball in Bosque County (about 45 mI. nw). In 1935 De Cordova's remains were moved to the state cemetery in Austin.