The home of the Orcoquisac Indians. An East – West trail across the region traveled by Alonso De Leon in 1690 became the “La Bahia” or “Lower Road” of the 18th century and the Opelousas Road of the 19th. At the point . . . — — Map (db m117041) HM
Virginia native Edward Thomas Branch came to Texas in 1835 and settled in Liberty. As a First Sergeant in the Texas Volunteers, he participated in the Battle of San Jacinto, and remained in the army as a Second Lieutenant until October 1836. He . . . — — Map (db m243127) HM
A trail across this region traveled and described by Alonso de Leon in 1690 became the "La Bahía" or "Lower Road" in the 18th century. First settlement, Atascocita, established in 1757. The town established May 5, 1831 as the "Villa de la Santísima . . . — — Map (db m121260) HM
Pioneer, lawyer, statesman, and leader of the Texas victory over Mexico at San Jacinto, General Sam Houston began a relationship with Liberty County in 1833 that was based on land ownership which continued until his death in 1863. During those years . . . — — Map (db m117002) HM
Edward Bradford Pickett was a war veteran, lawyer and State Senator who resided in Liberty County. He was born in 1823 or 1824 in Statesville (Wilson Co.), Tennessee. In 1848, he enlisted as a private, serving in the U.S.-Mexico War. By 1851, . . . — — Map (db m117038) HM
Tennessee native Milton Hardin moved to Texas in 1828 with his parents, settling in present day Liberty County. In 1835 he fought at the Battle of Concepcion and the Siege of Bexar and secured a land grant for his service. He later sold the land . . . — — Map (db m195850) HM
In the early twentieth century, Texas experienced several devastating floods and droughts. The Texas Legislature in response established the concept of river authorities designed to steward water resources for public use. In the 1930s, local . . . — — Map (db m310087) HM
Texas statesman Price Daniel (1910-1988) was born in nearby Dayton, the son of M.P. and Nannie Partlow Daniel. His career in state and national politics spanned six decades and included service in all three branches of state government.
After . . . — — Map (db m195710) HM
Burton B. Tarkington (1790-1861) and his wife Sarah Berry Tarkington migrated with their family from Indiana in the mid-1820s to the Mexican state of Coahuila. They settled west of the Trinity River in present northwest Liberty County, and began . . . — — Map (db m179151) HM
Late in 1840, the Rev. Hugh Fields, migrating to Texas from Mississippi, preached the first Methodist sermon in Liberty in the log courthouse. Liberty was one of 17 communities in the Republic of Texas to receive a ministerial appointment from the . . . — — Map (db m116826) HM
The town of Liberty served as the seat of government for the municipality of Liberty, one of 23 territories in Texas established by Mexico in the 1830s. The first courthouse was erected here in 1831 and was made of hewn logs. Municipalities were . . . — — Map (db m116709) HM
Joseph Dunman
Republic of Texas
Early Humble Pioneer
Born 1794 Louisiana
Died 3 April 1859 Harris County Texas
Born in Louisiana in 1794, Joseph Dunman served as a private in De clouet's Regiment in the Louisiana Militia during the . . . — — Map (db m123003) HM
Delegate to the Second Convention of Texas, 1833 Alcalde of Liberty Municipality, 1835 First Judge of the Municipality Born in Franklin County, Georgia March 25, 1801 Died in Galveston June 28, 1839 — — Map (db m195713) HM
The community of Stilson traces its origins to the arrival in the 1890s of the Texas and New Orleans Railroad. Out-of-state developers O.H. Stilson and Rodney Hill bought land in 1896 and immediately began planning a town. They advertised the new . . . — — Map (db m195678) HM
Born in Franklin County, Georgia
January 25, 1803 Died at Liberty, Texas, April 20 1878 An officer at the Siege of Bexar and at San Jacinto 1837 appointed by Congress Surveyor of Liberty County 1841, Colonel of the 2nd Regiment of the 2nd . . . — — Map (db m195844) HM
Formed as a channel of the meandering Trinity River, Old River rises in southwestern Liberty County and flows to the southeast, joining the Trinity in northwestern Chambers County. During the 1820s and 1830s the tributary was the center of early . . . — — Map (db m190780) HM
Created January 22, 1858 Organized August 9, 1858 Named in honor of the Hardins of Liberty County, five brothers - Benjamin Watson, Augustine Blackburn, William, Franklin and Milton A. who came to Texas in 1825 County seat, Hardin, 1858-1887 . . . — — Map (db m44982) HM
The Catholic church in Ames owes its establishment to natives of New Iberia, Louisiana. Several prominent families including the Wickliffs, Trahans and Cormiers purchased farmland in the area. Attending the church in Liberty was difficult because of . . . — — Map (db m206571) HM
The town of Cleveland traces its beginnings to 1878, when local attorney and politician Charles Lander Cleveland (1824-1892) deeded land to the Houston East and West Texas Railroad stipulating the building of a railway depot and the establishment of . . . — — Map (db m206624) HM
The families of Benjamin and Hannah (Weed) Abshier and Benjamin and Sarah (Hanks) Weed came to this area of Texas from Louisiana in 1843. The extended families purchased land and established farms in this vicinity.
In June 1852 the Abshiers' . . . — — Map (db m276028) HM
For well over one hundred years, the Tarver Abstract Company has provided real property title information to the citizens of Liberty County. Thomas Carey Tarver (1846-1925), a native of Tennessee, moved to Texas as a young boy. He served in the . . . — — Map (db m117062) HM
Also known as Ryan's Graveyard, this historic burial ground served the rural community of Tarkington since at least the 1860s. Named for early pioneer settler Burton B. Tarkington, the farming and ranching community also known as Tarkington . . . — — Map (db m179186) HM
Born in North Carolina
September 17, 1802
Moved to Liberty 1832
Died in Houston, November 22, 1839
Organized and commanded 3rd Co.
2nd Regiment Texas Volunteers
Battle of San Jacinto
First sheriff of Liberty County . . . — — Map (db m117004) HM
Isaiah Cates Day, for whom the town of Dayton is named, was born in Shelby Co. Tennessee on June 12, 1812. His family tradition says that he came to Texas in 1830 with Sam Houston, with whom he remained a life-long friend. Day married Alice D. . . . — — Map (db m206762) HM
This congregation traces its history to 1876 when the Reverend J.R.D. Taylor (1851-1882) established a Methodist Church named China Grove. Early worship services were held in a log church building located nearby.
A chapel was constructed in . . . — — Map (db m195821) HM
In 1943 Liberty County Agricultural Agent Gordon Hart and a rice farm labor committee consisting of J.M. Rich, Jimmy Trousdale, M. E. Peterson, Pat Boyt and J.F. Clark negotiated an agreement with the U.S. Army to deliver German prisoners of war, . . . — — Map (db m206569) HM
Formed from Jefferson and Liberty counties.
Created February 12, 1858. Organized August 2, 1858.
Named in honor of General Thomas Jefferson Chambers
1802-1865
The first and only superior judge of Texas before the Revolution. Member of . . . — — Map (db m121264) HM
In 1912, the charter for First National Bank of Cleveland was granted by the U.S. Treasury Department making it the oldest national bank in Liberty County. Property at 127 North San Jacinto Street was purchased in 1913 and the original bank building . . . — — Map (db m206620) HM
From September 1937 until August 2004, this red brick building housed the city's government, volunteer fire department, police department and public library in various combinations. Prior to 1937, the City conducted its business in rented quarters . . . — — Map (db m206724) HM
By 1883, Liberty County maintained 53 schools, including 19 African American schools. The average school term was three months for ages 8-14 but the only school for children in Dayton was located near the settlements of Stilson and Fouts.
In . . . — — Map (db m206767) HM
Following the War Between the States, planters in the area stocked their lands with cattle and horses. Ranching was the primary business around Dayton until the turn of the twentieth century when rice farming and lumbering became the big industries . . . — — Map (db m206756) HM
During its settlement, Dayton was called West Liberty and was considered part of the original town of Liberty, founded in 1831 on a four-league Mexican land grant known as Villa de la Santissma Trinidad de la Libertad. By 1837 it was called Liberty. . . . — — Map (db m206761) HM
Dayton suffered two devastating fires in the early decades of the 20th century. The first took place in 1913 on Railroad Avenue (Depot Street today). It burned or damaged many businesses that were constructed of lumber. A second fire in 1929 burned . . . — — Map (db m206765) HM
Around 1900, the farming community known as Eastgate began to develop west of Dayton. Czech families moved to the area to farm and make their homes. The Janacek, Vyoral, Kovalcik, Hajovsky, Buchta, Jarma, Kolarik and Fisher families were the first . . . — — Map (db m206560) HM
Also known as the Bryan-Williams Cemetery or the Kersting Cemetery, this family burial ground is the resting place for some of Liberty County's most prominent citizens. One of the oldest graves is that of Luke Bryan (1807-69), veteran of the Battle . . . — — Map (db m195836) HM
Henrietta "Yettie" Kersting was born in Giddings, Texas, on October 17th, 1863, daughter of Louisa (Johnson) and Henry Kersting, a German immigrant farmer. Yettie received a public education and early business experience in Lee County. At the turn . . . — — Map (db m206788) HM
According to local tradition, this cemetery derives its name from a group of French settlers who were killed and buried near the site sometime during the 18th century. Although no physical evidence of the French burials has been found, the name has . . . — — Map (db m195689) HM
Created from Liberty County
March 30, 1846
Organized July 13, 1846
with Livingston as county seat
Named for
James Knox Polk, 1795-1849
President of the United States
Who favored
the annexation of Texas
Early settlements were . . . — — Map (db m119269) HM
Thin black lines indicate changes in relevance. Between each pair of lines entries are ordered geographically but all have the same relevance.
* Inflectional forms of words are their plurals, singulars, and possessives as well as gramatical tenses and similar variations.
