text: Besides being one of the more beautiful places on God's green earth, Tow, Texas, also played a significant role in the Civil War.  In the days before refrigeration, salt was essential for preserving meat and curing leather. The Bluffton-Tow Salt Works were one of a handful of sources of salt for the Confederacy.  During the war, every day the residents of Tow would produce 20 to 30 bushels of salt.  In 1852, David and Gideon Cowan and their mother, Ruth, were the first settlers in the area. Local Indians showed them salt beds near the Colorado River, which they developed into saltworks.  A year later, John F. Morgan and his family were the first settlers to live in the area.  They established a hat business, using beaver and other fur trapped locally.  William and Wilson Tow also moved to the area in 1853 and  named the nearby area in which they settled Tow Valley. I am proud of the rich history of the towns and cities in the 11th District.  Men like the Cowans and John Morgan are the type of entrepreneurs that built America and give me faith in our future.