George Duncan Hancock

(1809–1879)

George Duncan Hancock was born in Tennessee on April 27, 1809. In 1835 he moved to Texas. He served as a private in the revolution and fought at the Battle of San Jacinto. Afterwards he became a land surveyor, and finally opened up a highly successful general store in La Grange, which he moved in 1845 to Austin, and located it at corner of Congress Avenue and 6th Street. According to the editor of the Austin Gazette he was as “an experienced merchant of acknowledged good taste in the selection of goods,” who was offering “as large and complete a stock…as has ever been brought to the city.” He was elected to the House of Representatives in the Eleventh Legislature.

In 1850 his partnership was granted a charter to incorporate the Colorado Navigation Company to promote Colorado River traffic and commerce, and on February 16, 1852, Hancock and six other men were granted corporate rights for the Brazos and Colorado Railroad Company to link Austin and Houston.

Like his brother John Hancock, he was an ardent Unionist who vehemently opposed the secession of the Confederate States. He built a 90 foot flag pole in front of his store where he flew the flag of the United States until 1861. During the Civil War someone burned down the flag pole. After the war he erected another flag pole and flew the same old flag, which he had hidden during the war.

He was raised to the degree of a Master Mason in 1840, served as Worshipful Master of Austin Lodge No. 12 in 1848, and as DDGM in 1852. In 1867, following the fire which burned down the lodge building, he provided space for the lodge to meet at a highly reduced rate.

He died on January 6, 1879, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Austin.