Did the English discover Texas before the Spanish? Was the Union Jack the first European flag to fly over Texas? Was the first European settlement along the Gulf Coast in the middle of modern Houston? Is it even possible?
Well, there's some archeological data that, although inconclusive, may point to this rather sensational discovery. Here are some facts.
First, we need to travel back to the 16th century England. It was the time of the bubonic plague, one of the most terrible contagious disease outbreaks in European history. It didn't take long to figure out that the desease is spreat through contact with infected people or corpses of recently deseased. The idea was that if the corpse was made to decompase more rapidly, that might slow down the spread of the infection. Sorry for grim details, but it is really important for the story! Anyway, new legislation passed that prescribed burials in fresh organic compost brought from a forest, for example. This kind of soil looked much darker than surrounding soil, therefore these graves were called "black earth graves". I don't know if that actually helped, but the such practice was established throughout the British Isles and eventually the colonies. Why am I telling you this? Well, here's why.
In 1980s a utility trench was dug along Girard Street in the First Ward of Houston. At some point the workers found lots and lots of human bones, and the archeologists were called in. They carefully examined the area and discovered around 60 graves, all evenly spaces and laid out on an east-west axis. They were typical "black earth" graves. It was also established that the remains were much older than those of the 1840 cemetery located in the same general area.
That fact alone doesn't prove anything, of course, but for a long time it was known that some old British maps indicated a colony called Carolana along the Gulf coast. It was impossible to pinpoint the exact locations of any settlements the maps of that time were very imprecise. Could it be that one of such fortified settlements was where the city of Houston was eventually founded?
The location seems perfect for a fortified settlement. It's in the confluence of Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou, on high enough ground that it is easy to defend, and also it doesn't flood.
And probably the best piece of evidence is pieces of porcelain dug from the "black earth" graves. They belonged to a certain style that was widely produced in England some time between 1600 and 1650.
I would say, these pieces of evidence make a very strong case for the lost colony of Carolana being located in the middle of modern Houston, founded some 200 years before Allen brothers. Why isn't this mystery resolved one way or another? Well, it seems it won't be for a long time. Centuries later, in 1840, the city of Houston bought some land to use as burial grounds after the old Founders' Cemetery was filled to capacity. Ironically, it was on top of what could be the lost colony of Carolana. Although the cemetery was abandoned long ago and currently not one tombstone remains, according to Texas law, any archeological research is prohibited in cemeteries.
The concrete curbing you see is the only part of once large cemetery that is still visible. It is the Super family plot. The tombstones were there a few decades ago but disappeared since. There are a few graves preserved a few hundred yards to the west from here, but they are on the fire department graunds and are not accessible.
We may never know for sure if the English were indeed the first European to settle Texas, but when you come here, imagine an untouched land between two bayous, tall grass, thick growth of palmettos below along the water, a buffalo herd far in the distance, and a small fort in front of you, with a small Union Jack flown over dark wooden walls.