When most people think of Waco, Texas, they might think of renowned institutions like Baylor University, the birthplace of Dr. Pepper, or, more infamously, the 1993 siege involving the Branch Davidians. Few, however, realise that one of the key figures responsible for helping establish and promote the city in its early years was born thousands of miles away in Jamaica.
Long before Waco became one of Texas’ best-known cities, a Jamaican-born entrepreneur, publisher, politician, cartographer and land developer named Jacob DeCordova was helping shape its future. His remarkable journey from Spanish Town, Jamaica, to the American frontier is one of the most fascinating yet overlooked stories connecting Jamaica to the development of the United States.
From Spanish Town to Philadelphia
Jacob Raphael De Cordova was born on June 6, 1808, in Spanish Town, then Jamaica’s capital. He came from a Sephardic Jewish family whose roots traced back to Spain and Portugal.
His father, Raphael De Cordova, was a successful coffee planter and exporter. Tragically, Jacob’s mother died during childbirth, and as a young boy he was sent to England to be raised by relatives before eventually joining his father in Philadelphia, United States.
It was in Philadelphia that De Cordova learned the printing trade, acquiring skills that would later help shape both Jamaican journalism and his future career in Texas.
In the early 1830s, he returned to Jamaica and, alongside his brother Joshua, entered the newspaper business during a period of significant change in Jamaican society.
In 1834, the same year slavery was abolished throughout most of the British Empire, the brothers founded The Gleaner, now the Jamaica Gleaner. What began as a small publication would eventually grow into Jamaica’s leading newspaper and one of the oldest continuously published newspapers in the Caribbean.
Although his contribution to Jamaican journalism alone would have secured him a place in history, DeCordova’s most influential work was still ahead of him.
A New Life in Texas
During the late 1830s, De Cordova left Jamaica and travelled to New Orleans, where he became involved in shipping supplies and cargo to Texas during the political and military upheavals that accompanied the Texas Revolution of 1835–1836.
The experience brought him into contact with a rapidly changing region that was attracting settlers, investors and entrepreneurs from across North America and Europe. Seeing opportunity in the newly established Republic of Texas, he relocated there and set about building a new life.
Texas was still very much a frontier territory. Vast stretches of land remained undeveloped, towns were small, and communities were eager to attract new residents and investment. Drawing on his background in publishing and business, De Cordova quickly established himself as a surveyor, mapmaker, land agent and promoter, roles that would make him one of the most influential figures in the state’s early development.
The Man Who Sold Texas
If Texas had a chief salesman in the nineteenth century, it was Jacob De Cordova. By 1845, DeCordova and his half-brother, Phineas, had established what would become the largest land agency in the state, helping to attract settlers and drive development across Texas.
At a time when attracting settlers was essential to the state’s growth, he published guidebooks, maps and promotional materials encouraging people to relocate to Texas. Among his best-known works were The Texas Immigrant and Traveller’s Guide Book and Texas, Her Resources and Her Public Men, publications that introduced the state to prospective settlers across the United States and Europe.
His influence extended beyond writing. In 1849, he partnered with German surveyor Robert Creuzbaur to produce one of the most detailed maps of Texas of its era, a work so highly regarded that it was later praised by Texas statesman Sam Houston.
Through his publications, maps and promotional efforts, thousands of prospective settlers learned about Texas and were persuaded to make the journey west.
De Cordova eventually became one of Texas’ largest land agents, reportedly controlling more than one million acres through land grants, deeds and land scrip. Historians often credit him as one of the state’s most effective promoters, earning him the reputation as “the man who sold Texas.”
Helping Build Waco
Among the many places De Cordova helped promote and sell land through his agency was the settlement that would become Waco, which he marketed extensively as an attractive destination for settlers seeking new opportunities in Texas.
Located along the Brazos River, the area had originally been home to the Waco people, a branch of the Wichita nation. During the mid-nineteenth century, settlers began establishing a community there, and De Cordova became one of the influential figures in its early development.
Through his land agency, De Cordova eventually controlled more than one million acres of Texas property. His extensive knowledge of the state’s geography, gained through years of surveying and land development, contributed to the creation of one of the most detailed maps of Texas of its time.
His maps, guidebooks and promotional campaigns helped draw attention to the region, encouraging investment and settlement. As more people arrived, Waco grew from a frontier outpost into a thriving town.
Today, Waco is home to more than 140,000 residents and serves as a major centre for education, tourism and business. Yet many visitors remain unaware that one of the city’s early champions was born in Jamaica.
A Voice in Texas Politics
De Cordova’s influence extended beyond business and land development.
In 1849, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, where he participated in shaping policies during the state’s formative years.
His understanding of settlement, infrastructure and economic development made him an important voice in discussions about Texas’ future. While many pioneers helped build the state, few played as many different roles as De Cordova, who was simultaneously a publisher, surveyor, cartographer, entrepreneur, land agent and politician.
Even after leaving Jamaica, he never abandoned publishing. Alongside family members, he helped establish and support newspapers in Texas, continuing a lifelong connection to journalism.
A Legacy That Spans Two Nations
Jacob De Cordova died in 1868, but his legacy continues to be felt on both sides of the Gulf of Mexico.
In Jamaica, he is remembered as one of the founders of The Gleaner, an institution that has documented the nation’s history for nearly two centuries.
In Texas, he is recognised as one of the state’s most influential promoters and an important figure in the development of communities such as Waco. His contributions are commemorated through landmarks including DeCordova Bend Reservoir and DeCordova Bend Dam.
His story serves as a reminder that Jamaicans have long made their mark far beyond the island’s shores. Decades before modern conversations about the Jamaican diaspora, De Cordova was helping shape the future of a growing American state while carrying with him the experience and ambition forged in Jamaica.
