The Terrell Star
25 December 1883

KAUFMAN COUNTY

A Brief History of its Early Settlement
Personal Pen-Pictures of its Prominent Pioneers
The Rise, Progress and Present Prosperity of the County

Nothing interests mankind so much as the history of the first settlers or founders of a country.  The landing of the pilgrims on Plymouth rock has been commemorated for generations, and the history of their achievements amidst privations and sufferings has been the glory of American from its first settlement till the present day.  The story of William Penn forms the most interesting chapter in the history of Pennsylvania.  And who has not read of John Smith and of his rescue through the intervention of a beautiful Indian maiden?

Mankind, in all ages and in all countries, treasure up the history of their ancestry, and especially so if the pioneers of a new country.  Like the story of Romulus and Remus, the founders of the Roman empire, the history of Christopher Columbus will always be interesting, and it will be repeated as long as time lasts.  Tombstones may crumble and monuments may fail, but the deeds of Houston and their co-laborers will never fade from the memory of these people.

Knowing the general inclination of the human species to recount the history of old pioneers, we have hastily collected a few items in the history of the first settlers of Kaufman County.

The country now forming this county was for many years a part of old Nacogdoches County.  It, however, was an unknown and uninhabited wilderness until the Southern Land Association was formed in 1840.  The establishment of old Fort King, by private enterprise, at once brought this country into general notice and caused hundreds of men of capital and enterprise to immigrate to this part of the State.  For we believe we but speak the candid opinion of every one who has seen the fertile prairies of this county when we say that if this globe was searched from zone to zone and from pole to pole, that a more productive country could not be found than this.

The first settlers of this country were unlike those of any other county.  They were men of intelligence, enterprise, and of ample means.  Most of them had held high and honorable official position in the States from which they came.  Others were young men of promise, who were attracted top this county by its future promise.  They were not like most pioneers who follow up the wild game and pass on to new countries as it disappears.   They had an abundance of wealth, and came here to stay.  They were all buried here, and their descendents are still in the county.  We have space to give a very brief and imperfect account of only a few, and they as samples of all the others.  Among those who first settled in and around Kaufman, the county seat, were Col. William Nash, George Barnett, E. C. Tinnin, Mr. Love and Col. S. O. Gibbs, Col. Nash was an early pioneer to East Texas, and emigrated from there to Kaufman at an early day.  His old homestead is a few miles southwest from the county seat.  He was a successful man and left a fine estate for his children.  In 1860 he was a delegate to the constitutional convention that framed the constitution for the State.  He died amount the close of the war.  One of his sons, Nealy Nash, was one of the founders and projectors of the city of Terrell, and his enterprise and popularity did much to lay the foundation of one of the most flourishing and prosperous cities in Northern Texas.  He was a generous man, and a true to his friends as the needle is to the pole.  Another one of his sons, Jerry Nash, is one of the wealthiest men in the county.  He is a banker in Kaufman, and his magnificent residence, near town, is one of the finest buildings in the county.  His only surviving daughter is Mrs. Dr. Pyle.  The Doctor is perhaps the most influential citizen of the county.  He was Senator from this county several years, and was one of the most influential representatives the county ever had.

Col. S. O. Gibbs was from the State of Mississippi.  He was sheriff of Tishomingo County in that State for a number of years, and afterwards a member of the Legislature from that county.  He came to this county almost forty years ago, and soon after, he was elected sheriff of this county and held that office a number of years.  He built and kept the first hotel in the town of Kaufman.  The Gibbs house is still kept up by his surviving widow, though she has passed her three score and ten years.  Col. Gibbs has two sons still living in the county – J. W. W. Gibbs is a successful stock-raiser in the western part of the county, and John G. Gibbs is a merchant at the county seat, and if he lives he will be one of the wealthiest merchants of the county.  John like father, is universally popular, and has as much influence over the minds of those who know him as any living man.

(paper torn )  the first surveyor of the county and held that office nearly all his life.  His widow and children are all living in the county.

Of all the old pioneers to this county, Uncle George Barnett is the only survivor.  He has reached a good old age, loved and respected by all of his neighbors, and if the prayers of the Star will avail, he will be spared many years of usefulness.  He has two sons, Mack and Robert, both successful merchants at the county seat.

Abner Johnson, a merchant of ample means, was from Kentucky.  he first settled Johnson Point, from which place takes its name.  He was a man of energy and enterprise, and was the first merchant in the town of Kaufman.  He left three sons, Rev. A. B. Johnson, for many years president of the conference cause in Texas; John R. Johnson, a merchant at Prairieville and who perished in a steamboat disaster on the Mississippi Rive in 1876, and William O. Johnson, who resides near Prairieville, near S…rry, in this county.

Dr. Morrow was one of the first settlers in the southern part of this county.  his old homestead is on the road leading from Kaufman to Canton, near Cedar Creek.  He was the first county judge of this county, and the first election ever held in this county was held at his residence.  He has three sons living in the county, all of whom are men of integrity.  One of them is our present popular county attorney.

Andrew H. Henry and Mr. Beck were the first settlers at College Mound.  They were successful farmers, and perhaps Mr. Henry has done as much for the county by his upright course and thrifty habits as a farmer as any person in it.

John R. Reierson, a popular and enterprising Norwegian, laid out the present town of Prairieville, and by his exertions and influence a large colony of his people were brought to Texas, who have made it their home and done much to develop this great state.  He was noted for his integrity and correct business habits.  He has one son living at Prairieville, John H. Reierson and a brother at Athens.

Among the early settlers near Prairieville, were James Shaw and William Erwin, both of whom are dead.  Mr. Shaw was a planter in the state of Mississippi, but came to this county at an early day.  One of his sons, Mr. A. B. Shaw, was sheriff of this county for many years; another son is a planter on Red River in this state and was a representative in the legislature from Red River County.

William Erwin was from Alabama to Texas.  he died since the war, and has two sons, Henry and Obe.  Henry is the present county clerk and is an efficient and popular officer, one of his sons-in-law, Isreal Spikes, was a delegate to the constitutional convention in 1876, and assisted in framing the present constitution.

John Pyle came to Texas when it was a Republican province, and his headright of a league and labor is located on Pyle´s prairie in the southern part of the county.  All his descendants live in the county and are worthy citizens.

William H. McBee, Andrew Sullivan and William Gobbart (should be Gibbard) were the first settlers at Cedar Grove.  Mr. McBee was one of the first county commissioners of the county, and one of Mr. Gibbard´s sons is a leading merchant at Wills Point in Van Zandt County.

John G. Moore and Captain H. T. Moore came to this county in 1844.  Their old homestead is on Rock Creek, near the line between this and Hunt County.  John G. Moore was one of the original proprietors of the city of Terrell, and his enterprising turn of mind contributed largely to its success.  His brother, H. T. Moore, is now living near Kaufman and is a wealthy and successful stock raiser.

John O. Heath came from Kentucky and was one of the first colonist in Mercer´s colony.  He is now living in Rockwall County, and one of his sons is the present county judge of Rockwall.

Captain R. A. Terrell, for whom the city of Terrell was named, came to this county in 1842 and was one of the surveyors who come with Dr. King.  He originally surveyed most of the leagues in King´s block.  His old homestead is within the corporate limits of the city.   All his children still live here and are worthy of their father´s name.  One of his sons, John L. Terrell, and a son-in-law, Joseph Huffmaster, are popular men and prominent lawyers.

Jonathan Terrell was a merchant and one of the early settlers on Ceder Creek.  He lived at the time of his death on the old homestead, near the forks on Rocky Cedar.  One of his sons, J. O. Terrell, is a successful lawyer and a brilliant orator.  His son-in-law, Mr. H. C. Ables, is one of the most promising young merchants of North Texas.

This article has already exceeded its allotted length, but at some future tine we will renew the subject, and show that the early settlers of this county were a superior class of men, whose claims to veneration cannot be ignored by the present generation without being false to themselves and everything enobling to the race of man.