 During this expansion , the city had many " firsts " in the state , with the founding of institutions and adoption of inventions : post office ( 1836 ) , naval base ( 1836 ) , Texas chapter of a <unk> order ( 1840 ) ; cotton <unk> ( 1842 ) , Catholic parochial school ( <unk> Academy ) ( 1847 ) , insurance company ( 1854 ) , and gas lights ( 1856 ) . 
