1840   1841 December 13 Sam Houston becomes President of the Republic. Oldest continuous business in the state is the Huntsville firm of Gibbs Brothers and Company, begun as Gibbs and Coffin.   1842   1843   1844   1845 December 29 Texas admitted to the Union as a state.   1846 April 6 Walker County was created, along with 23 other counties, by an act of the Texas Legislature. Huntsville Academy (also known as Old Brick Academy) recieves charter.   1847 Woodlawn Home built.   1848 Sam Houston Law Office built.   1849 October 1 Texas State Penitentiary receives first convict. November 22 Austin College receives a charter by the governor of Texas; the charter remains in affect today.