1837 Petition to Create Houston County, Texas
Petition dated April 22, 1837 to the Congress of the Republic
of Texas requesting the creation of a county (Houston County)
History of Houston County,
Texas
1687-1979
compiled and edited History Book
Committee of Houston County Historical Commission
Third Floor, Court House, Crockett,
Texas. Heritage Publish Company, Tulsa,
Okla.
[Petition Signers: supposed to be 110
total. Only 106 listed here- who are the
other 4?]
Signed: 22 April 1837
Approved: 12 June 1837
The Republic of Texas
Creation of Houston County
By 1837, leaders of this area, a part of Nacogdoches, felt strong and secure
enough to petition the First Congress assembled to make them a county. Their
petition was written from Mustang Prairie and dates April 22, 1837. It reads:
“To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives when in Congress
Assembled: We, the undersigned, your petitioners, citizens of said republic do
most respectfully pray that your honorable body make for us a county on the East
side of Trinity River, beginning at Robbins ferry on said Trinity; Thence
running fifteen miles each side of the old San Antonio Road and East far enough
to make a constitutional county, and we further pray that your Honorable Body
appoint three disinterested commissioners out of the bounds of said county to
locate the aforesaid county to locate the seat of justice for said county in
granting the aforesaid petition, we, your petitioners as duty bound will ever
pray, etc.”
Signers
included: [alpha order]
| John B. (iIllegible) |
John F. Cheairs |
William L. Gossett |
Benjamin Parker |
| John Adams |
William Cheairs |
J. Haley |
Daniel Parker, Jr.
|
| Collin Aldrich |
Elisha Clapp |
John L. Hall |
Dickerson Parker |
| Albert Allbright |
John E. Clapp |
Alfred M. Hallmark |
Isaac Parker |
| George Allbright |
Jowell Clapp |
George Hallmark |
J. D. Parker |
| Jacob Allbright |
Barton Clark |
George W. Hallmark |
William H. Pate |
| John Allbright |
Samuel Clerlosky |
George Hallmark |
Samuel Phillips |
| John Allbright |
Samuel G. Collison |
James M. Hallmark |
Leon Pritchard |
| Solomon Allbright |
Reason Crist |
John Hallmark |
George W. Reding |
| Elish Anglin |
Stephen Crist |
John B. Hallmark |
Iredell Reding |
| William Anglin |
Henry P. Crowson |
John C. Hayne |
John B. Reding |
| James Barns |
John Denson |
John H. Holder |
William Riley |
| H. Barrett |
Shedrick Denson |
H. C. Johnson |
George W. Robinson |
| Miles Bennett |
Thomas Denson |
William Johnson |
Ira C. Shute |
| Stephen Bennett |
William Dillard |
Joseph Jorden |
Ballin Snelles |
| Frances Bettict |
Stephen Dunston |
Enaske Lapus |
Williard Standley |
| John Box |
G. E. Dwight |
Joseph Lapus |
Peterson Tate |
| Nelson Box |
Richard Eaton |
William Leagon |
Thomas R. Townsend |
| Robin Brown |
Charles Erwin |
P. O. Lumpkin |
H. P. Walker |
| Stephen Box |
John Erwin |
R. O. Lusk |
R. A. Walker |
| Stilwell Box |
Peter Gallahery |
Henry Masters |
Stephen White |
| Thomas G. Box |
Thomas Garner |
Jacob Masters |
W. M. White |
| Alfred Buge |
A. E. Gossett |
Joseph M. Masters |
John Wortham |
| Joseph Cason |
E. Gossett
|
Joseph Masterson |
Joseph R. Yarbrough |
| Elijah Cheairs |
James L. Gossett |
John C. Moore |
Swanson
Yarbrough |
| Frances Cheairs |
James L. Gossett |
Martin Murchison |
|
| John Cheairs |
John V. D. Gosett |
James Neville |
|
Petition of Iredell Reding and others, for a new county, Presented by Mr.
Arnold, May 16, 1837. Refd. To Com. On County Boundaries. County of Houston Co.,
No. 15, Box 38-H.
Order as listed on petition:
| Iredell Reding |
Stephen White |
John C. Hayne
|
Ballin Snelles |
| John B. Reding |
Alfred Buge |
John B. (illegible) |
R. O. Lusk |
| George W. Reding |
Leon Pritchard |
James Neville |
Joseph Masterson |
| James L. Gossett
|
Thomas G. Box |
Stephen Dunston |
G. E. Dwight |
| William L. Gossett
|
Samuel C. Collison |
Swanson Yarbrough |
Samuel Clerlosky |
| Elisha Clapp |
R. A. Walker |
Stilwell Box |
Stephen Bennett |
| John Wortham |
Henry Masters |
James M. Halmark |
Elish Anglin |
| John Hallmark |
John Erwin |
Alfred M. Hallmark |
Miles Bennett
|
| William Dillard |
Charles Erwin |
George W. Hallmark |
Joseph Jorden |
| John V. D. Gossett
|
H. C. Johnson |
John B. Hallmark |
Stephen Box |
| Jacob Masters |
Willard Standley |
George Hallmark |
Collin Aldrich |
| John Box |
William Cheairs |
Thomas R. Townsend |
Henry P. Crowson |
| Stephen Crist
|
John Cheairs* |
Jowell Clapp |
Isaac Parker |
| Reasoon Crist |
John F. Cheairs* |
John E. Clapp |
Thomas Garner |
| William Anglin |
Elijah Cheairs* |
John Adams |
Dickerson Parker |
| Robin Brown |
Frances Cheairs* |
Samuel Phillips |
J. Haley |
| Richard Eaton |
John Denson |
Joseph Cason |
Benjamin Parker |
| Thomas Denson |
Joseph M. Masters |
George Allbright |
H. Barrett |
| Nelson Box |
William Leagon |
Joseph R. Yarbrough |
Peterson Tate |
| P. O. Lumpkin |
John H. Holder |
Frances Bettict** |
J. D. Parker |
| John C. Moore |
Enaske Lapus |
Shedrick Denson |
George W. Robinson |
| John Allbright |
Albert Allbright |
William Riley |
A. E. Gossett |
| Jacob Allbright |
Ira C. Shute |
John Allbright |
George Hallmark |
| Barton Clark
|
James Barns |
Solomon Allbright |
Daniel Parker, Jr. |
| James L. Gossett
|
William Johnson |
Joseph Lapus |
H.
P. Walker |
| E. Gossett
|
William H. Pate |
W. M. White |
|
| John L. Hall |
Peter Gallahery |
Martin Murchison |
|
*Probably John Francis Cheiars born about 1788, John Francis Jr. born 1812,
William Harrison born 1816, Elijah born 1761 or Elijah born 1820, and Francis born 1823.
**Frances Bettict could be Francis
Bittick. If he was a Bittick, he could have been Francis Bittick born 1759. This Francis
sold his land in Missouri in 1816 and has not been found in Missouri
records after that date. He could have gone to Arkansas and later to Texas with his daughter
Eleanor and her husband John Francis Cheairs, Jr. He would have been 78
years old in 1837. It is also possible that Francis Bittick born 1809 could
have signed this petition. This Francis appears in various Arkansas
records until 1850, and according to his son, Samuel Guinn, moved to Texas in
1852. Although there's no evidence he was in Texas in 1837, it is possible
that he signed this petition.
[petition
courtesy
of Lavinia Nance]
The
History of Houston County, Texas
by
Armistead Albert Aldrick
The
Naylor Company - 1943
Publishers
San Antonio
It’s Creation and Organization
The petition above is also listed on pages 7 and 8 of The History of Houston
County, Texas.
pages 8 and 9:
The above petition contains the
following endorsement:
“Petition of Eredel Reding and others
for a new county [p9] Presented by Mr. Arnold,
May 16, 1837. Refd. To Com. On
County
Boundaries. County of Houston Co. No. 15, Box 38-H.”
The Senate Journal of the First
Congress of the Republic
of
Texas
contains the following account of the proceedings on the above petition.
“Mr. Grimes, chairman of the
Committee on County
Boundaries, having obtained leave, introduced a bill to create a new county to be known as
‘Houston.”
The rules being suspended, the bill
passed a first and second reading and was ordered to be engrossed for a third
reading. On motion of Mr. Horton, the senate adjourned until “tomorrow
morning,
10 o’clock
”.
The following action in the House of
Representatives of the First Congress of the Republic, is taken from the House
Journal:
Wednesday, May 17, 1837
On motion of Mr. Branch the house took
up the bill creating the County
of
Houston; and On motion of Mr. Arnold, the bill was referred to the Committee on County
Boundaries.
Tuesday, June 6, 1837
On motion of Mr. Arnold it was Resolved
that the bill establishing the County of Houston, with the accompanying
petition, referred to the committee on County Boundaries, be withdrawn from that
committee and referred to a special committee of three, with instructions to
report tomorrow morning. The speaker appointed Messrs. Arnold, Wharton and White
the committee, and on motion, Mr. Gant was added to it.
Wednesday, June 7, 1837
Mr. Arnold, from the select committee
to which the subject has been referred, reported a bill establishing the County
of Houston, which being read, on motion of Mr. Arnold the 51st rule
was suspended and the bill read a second time. Mr. Gant offered an amendment in
relation to the
County
of
Washington
, which was rejected. The rule was then further suspended, the bill read a third
time and passed.
[courtesy of Sandra Perry]
Further information on the
history of Houston County
