Near Corsicana in Navarro County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Petty's Chapel
Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, August 31, 2026
1. Petty's Chapel Marker
Travelers across this area traversed nearby creeks at hardbottom crossings, including one north of here on Chambers Creek. They crossed Briar Creek on the way into Corsicana, established in 1848. The first road utilizing these two crossings was known as the Military Road. This part of the county was initially divided into four abstracts beginning with that of Jehu (John) Peoples in 1835. The remaining three were patented by 1851 to Wyley Powell, Thomas Morrow and Lewis Powell.
The first settlers believed to have established homes in the immediate vicinity were Elizabeth Hamilton and her seven children, and the Joseph Bragg family. Brought together by the marriage of Julia Hamilton and Joseph Bragg in 1849, the families lived on the north side of Chambers Creek near the hardbottom crossing that came to be known as Hamilton Crossing. Others soon came to the area, farming and settling on the preferred sandy land instead of the black clay soils found in the flood-prone plains along Chambers and Briar Creeks. In 1871, George Valentine Petty, for whom the community was named, conveyed land to the Houston & Texas Central Railway. In May 1893, local Baptists constructed the Petty's Chapel Baptist Church building. Although altered over the years, it continues in use for Sunday services over a century later.
Two events greatly altered Petty's Chapel. Discovery of the Corsicana oilfield and other deposits throughout the area in the late 19th century brought new residents and economic improvements. In 1890, the county located the County Poor Farm in the community, creating more jobs. The facility closed in 1944, but its cemetery across the road from the community burial ground remains as evidence of its brief existence.
Erected 2006 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 13438.)
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Location. 32° 7.388′ N, 96° 26.175′ W. Marker is near Corsicana, Texas, in Navarro County. It is at the intersection of Old County Road 3041 and County Road 0080, on the right when traveling east on County Road 3041. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1300 FM 3041, Corsicana TX 75110, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, and one of the Confederate States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Navarro County (approx. 1.7 miles away); Former Site of the Fred Douglass - G.W. Jackson School (approx. 2 miles away);
Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, August 31, 2026
2. Petty's Chapel Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2026, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 1, 2026, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
