1837 Petition to Create Houston County

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?]

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.”

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.

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.

The petition above is also listed on pages 7 and 8 of The History of Houston County, Texas.

“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:

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.

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.

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 51^st 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.

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)