of 1822, the main home was finally finished. The name "Bernardo" supposedly came from Bernardo de Gálvez, an old Spanish governor. Slave quarters were also built.

Towards the end of 1822, Groce planted his first crop, cotton, and was possibly the first to do so in Austin's colony. The first couple of cotton crops failed, but later on, a single successful crop became the catalyst for a huge boom in cotton farming in Texas. Cotton was a major contributor to the Texas economy for many decades.