Bigfoot Wallace's First Letter Home
Center for American History
University of Texas at Austin

Early settlers were often shocked at the conditions they saw when they arrived in Texas. William A. A. Wallace, better known to generations of Texans by his nickname, "Bigfoot," wrote home to Virginia:

"Such a sight I never saw.... the water is scarcely fit to drink and no timber scarcely worth naming .... and worse society could not be found on the globe people here kill each other every day.... I would not stay if all my relations were here and I beg of you never to come to Texas.... I would rather see a sister of mine in the grave than in Texas."