History of the Indian Trading PostandThe Founding of the Town of Montgomeryin July, 1837(From: The Early History of Montgomery County, Texas)by: Kameron Searle "There were at that time a few of the descendants of the original settlers of this county who came with their parents to this section as colonists, but were altogether ignorant of the organization of the old 'principality' of Montgomery...W. W. Shepperd was the first to have a store at the old town of Montgomery under the hill...I am enclosing to you for your inspection the original draft of the flag of the Republic of Texas. The work was without question the work of my father..."
Northwestern-most Corner of the John Corner League Bounded by the Owen Shannon League and the Benjamin Rigby League
The Indian Trading Post that Became the Town of Montgomery This is the history of the Indian trading post founded in the Lake Creek Settlement that preceded the town of Montgomery, Texas. This article also includes many details regarding the origin of the "old town" of Montgomery below the hill and the "new town" of Montgomery on top of the hill.
First Settlers Received Mexican Land Grants - 1831 The first settlers, in what would later become western Montgomery County, received their Mexican land grants in 1831. These settlers included John Corner, Mary Corner, William C. Clark, Owen Shannon, Zachariah Landrum, Jacob Shannon, William Atkins, William Landrum, Benjamin Rigby, Raleigh Rogers, etc. These settlers received their Leagues of land from Empresario Stephen F. Austin. These Mexican land grants were located in Austin’s Second Colony.
William C. Clark Purchased 600 Acres from John Corner - January 1, 1831
Image by Kameron K. Searle On January 1, 1831, William C. Clark purchased six hundred acres of land in the John Corner League from John Corner. This deed reads in part: Deed John Corner to William C. Clark, Montgomery County Deed Vol. B. p. 317
See John Corner to William C. Clark, Montgomery County Deed Vol. B. pp. 317-319. It is very important to notice that this land description begins in the northwest corner of the John Corner League and runs south a half mile. William C. Clark paid John Corner $250.00 on January 1, 1831 for these six hundred acres of the John Corner League before John Corner actually received the title to it. Given the fact that this purchase pre-dated Corner's receipt of his land grant, it appears that William C. Clark helped to pay John Corner's costs and fees to clear his title out of Stephen F. Austin's land office at San Felipe.
John Corner Received Mexican Land Grant - May 10, 1831 On May 10, 1831, John Corner finally received his Mexican land grant for one League of land [League No. 27] from Empresario Stephen F. Austin in Austin’s Second Colony. As shown above, John Corner had already sold six hundred acres of land out of the John Corner League to William C. Clark on January 1, 1831. See Deed - Government to John Corner, Montgomery County Deed Vol. A, pp. 32-35. Also see, Deed - John Corner to William C. Clark, Montgomery County Deed Vol. B. pp. 317-319. See partial transcription of this deed above.
Lake Creek Settlement Soon after the first settlers arrived, the lands between the West Fork of the San Jacinto River and the stream called Lake Creek became known as the Lake Creek Settlement. The area was also commonly referred to as the District of Lake Creek, Precinct of Lake Creek or simply Lake Creek. For an early example of a document using the term Lake Creek Settlement, see 1833 Articles of Agreement, Jacob Shannon to Rutha Miller, Montgomery County Deeds, Vol. N, page 254. Click here for more information about the Lake Creek Settlement. The Lake Creek Settlement article currently lists more than 70 different primary documents (with digital scans) proving the existence of the place known as Lake Creek Settlement, Lake Creek District, Precinct of Lake Creek and Lake Creek.
W. W. Shepperd Purchased 200 Acres from William C. Clark - September 15, 1835
Image by Kameron K. Searle On September 15, 1835, William W. Shepperd (hereinafter W. W. Shepperd) purchased two hundred acres of land from William C. Clark in the northwestern most corner of the John Corner League. These were the two hundred western most acres of the six hundred acres that William C. Clark purchased from John Corner on January 1, 1831. See Deed from William C. Clark to Wm. W. Shepperd, Montgomery County Deed Vol. A, pp. 29-32. Deed William C. Clark to Wm. W. Shepperd, Montgomery County Deed Vol. A. p. 29
[Scan of land description]
It is here in the middle of the Lake Creek Settlement on the two hundred northwestern most acres of the John Corner League that W. W. Shepperd will found the first trading post. Here, he will trade with the Indians and the early settlers. Known as “the store of W. W. Shepperd on Lake Creek,” this is the Indian trading post that preceded the town of Montgomery. And it is exactly where historians said it was supposed to be – about a half mile north of the town under the hill on the creek that would later be known as Town Creek. See the numerous deeds and other records at “the store of W. W. Shepperd on Lake Creek" at the Lake Creek Settlement link on the TexasHistoryPage.com. Texas founding father C. B. Stewart will marry Julia Shepperd on these two hundred acres of land at “the house of W. W. Shepperd on Lake Creek” on March 11, 1836 while serving as delegate to the Convention at Washington. See Deed Book A-1, Washington County Clerk, pp. 240-243. And, the town of Montogmery will be founded on these two hundred acres in July of 1837.
Town of Montgomery Founded - July 8, 1837 "Old Montgomery" or the "Old Town Below the Hill" On July 8, 1837, “Montgomery” and the “town of Montgomery” appear in print for the first time in the Telegraph and Texas Register newspaper. The town of Montgomery was founded in Washington County by W. W. Shepperd in association with J. W. Moody. J. W. Moody was the First Auditor of the Republic of Texas. The town is founded on the 200 acres of land W. W. Shepperd purchased from William C. Clark on September 15, 1835. Shepperd had previously founded his trading post or store here. Later historians will refer to this town as “the old town under the hill” or “old Montgomery.” July 8, 1837, Telegraph and Texas Register Newspaper (Houston, Texas)
W. W. Shepperd and his wife Mary Steptoe Shepperd, lived there in a house with their minor children. There adult children also lived there. By July 1837, Charles B. Stewart was living there as well. The blacksmith was named Thomas Adams and he had built a house. W. W. Shepperd owned a number of slaves. His wife, Mary Steptoe Shepperd, owned at least eight slaves that she had inherited from her father. Of course all of these slaves would have lived in houses there as well. Following the July 8, 1837 advertisement in the Telegraph and Texas Register, W. W. Shepperd would begin selling lots on these 200 acres. As an example, Charles Garrett, the son in law of Owen Shannon and Margaret Montgomery Shannon, purchased a lot from Shepperd here in 1837. See Deed of William W. Shepperd to Charles Garrett, Montgomery County Deed Vol. B, p. 304.W. W. Shepperd and his partner, J. W. Moody, named the town Montgomery after Montgomery, Alabama where J. W. Moody had been the Clerk of the County Court of Montgomery County, Alabama, for many years before coming to Texas. Montgomery, Alabama was named for Brigadier General Richard Montgomery of the American Revolution.
Montgomery County Created - December 14, 1837 Five months after the Town of Montgomery was founded the Congress of the Republic of Texas creates Montgomery County out of the territory of Washington County. President Sam Houston signed this act into law on December 14, 1837. The county is named after the town. The Act creating the County of Montgomery on December 14, 1837 included the following language providing for the appointment of nine commissioners to search for a suitable seat of justice:
See Laws of the Republic of Texas, In Two Volumes, Printed by Order of the Secretary of State, Volume II, Houston, Printed at the Office of The Telegraph, 1838, p. 33. Though no document has been discovered to show when these nine commissioners selected the town of Montgomery to be the seat of justice, it is obvious that they did so quickly.
The "Old Town" of Montgomery Was First County Seat A number of deed records and court records prove that the "old town" of Montgomery "under the hill" was the first seat of justice or county seat of Montgomery County. This was the original town of Montgomery founded by W. W. Shepperd in July of 1837 on the 200 acres of land that Shepperd purchased from William C. Clark on September 15, 1835.
Montgomery County Clerk, Deed Book A, p. 15 From Mary Corner to Julia T. Stewart, Montgomery County Deed Book A, pp. 11-15
The county seat of Montgomery County was already located in the Town of Montgomery (the so-called "old town of Montgomery under the hill) on February 26, 1838. Vol. A, p. 20 From Government to Mary Corner, Montgomery County Deed Book A, pp. 16-20
Montgomery County Chief Justice, Jesse Grimes, and Montgomery County Clerk and Recorder, Gwynn Morrison, were conducting business in the "old town" of Montgomery as early as January 31, 1838. As an example, see John M. Springer to Jeremiah Worsham, Montgomery County Deed Vol. A, pp. 3 and 4. This deed was recorded on January 31, 1838 - a full month before the first Montgomery County Commissioners Court meeting. Deed Book. A, p. 38-39 From William C. Clark to John Corner, Montgomery County Deed Book A, pp. 36-39
Chief Justice Jesse Grimes was very clear in this document as to his exact location and his acitivies on behalf of Montgomery County. He was acting in his "...official capacity as Chief Justice and Ex Officio Notary Public in and for the County of Montgomery, Republic of Texas, In open Court, on the 28th day of February 1838... in the Town of Montgomery." Court was being held in the town of Montgomery on February 28, 1838. W. W. Shepperd had only purchased the 212 acre Tract No. 4 from John Coner on February 26, 1838 and he would not donate a one half undivided interest in Tract No. 4 to Montgomery County until the next day on March 1, 1838. The County Commissioners Court would not move the place of the town until March 1, 1838, so Jesse Grimes was conducting county business in the old town of Montgomery under the hill on February 28, 1838. W. W. Shepperd did not have to give the county the half undivided interest in the town of Montgomery to the county to induce the Commissioners to locate the county seat in the Town of Montgomery. The county seat was already in the the old town of Montgomery under the hill before the first Montgomery County Commissioners' Court meeting on March 1, 1838. As I locate deeds and other county records that have earlier dates, I will include them here to try and pinpoint the earliest date Montgomery County began to conduct business. I believe I have seen a document dated in December just days after the county was created on December 14, 1837.
W. W. Shepperd Purchased 200 Acres from John Corner - February 26, 1838 On February 26, 1838, just three days before the first Montgomery County Commissioners Court meeting on March 1, 1838, W. W. Shepperd purchases four tracts of land containing 2,426 acres from John Corner on the John Corner League. One of these tracts was Tract No. 4 which contained 212 acres of land. These 212 acres of land are located immediately south of the two hundred acres Shepperd had purchased from William C. Clark on September 15, 1835. Deed John Corner to Wm. W. Shepperd, Montgomery County Deed Vol. A. p. 21
See John Corner to Wm. W. Shepperd, Montgomery County Deed, Volume A, pp. 21-28. The tract described as Tract No. 4 in this deed is important. On March 1, 1838, W. W. Shepperd will donate an equal half undivided interest in 200 of these 212 acres of land to Montgomery County. Tract No. 4 will later be known in future deeds and documents as the “Town Tract” or the “Montgomery Town Tract.”
W. W. Shepperd Makes Donation to Montgomery County - March 1, 1838 "New Town" of Montgomery At the first meeting of the Montgomery County Commissioners Court on March 1, 1838, W. W. Shepperd, through his agent, C. B. Stewart, donated an equal half undivided interest in the Town of Montgomery (200 acres) and sixty acres of pine land adjoining the town to the county. "[I]t being put to question whether said donation should be accepted it was unanimously received - and the question being also whether the place of the Town presented by C. B. Stewart as agent for W. W. Shepperd should be received the same was also unanimously received and adopted.” Below are the original minutes of the first Montgomery county Commissioners Court meeting and the deed record of Shepperd's Donation to Montgomery County. Minutes of First Montgomery County Commissioners Court Meeting March 1, 1838 Page 1
Accepted Donation Montgomery From W. W. Shepperd Montgomery County Deed Vol. E, p. 285 Accepted Donation Montgomery From W. W. Shepperd
The site selected by the Montgomery County Commissioners Court on March 1, 1838 as the location of the county seat is the same land purchased by W. W. Shepperd from John Corner three days before on February 26, 1838. Later, historians will describe this as “the new" town of Montgomery to differentiate it from the "old town" of Montgomery under the hill. It is important to note that the first Montgomery County Commissioners Court meeting was actually held in the "old town" of Montgomery. The original courthouse was a house that belonged to W. W. Shepperd which was located in the "old town" of Montgomery. It would also appear the original county courthouse remained in the "old town" of Montogmery for a period of time until it was moved up to the "new town" of Montgomery.
Edmund B. Stewart Letter to Mrs. J. W. Brosig - July 7, 1922 On July 7, 1922, Edmund B. Stewart of Montgomery, Texas, wrote a letter to Mrs. J. W. Brosig of Navasota, Texas. Historians in the town of Montgomery and in Montgomery County have cited this letter for decades to prove the provenance (history of ownership) and authenticity of Charles Bellinger Stewart’s original drawing of the Lone Star flag of Texas. Edmund B. Stewart was the son of Charles B. Stewart and his second wife, Elizabeth Antoinette Boyd. This letter originally appeared in an article, “Original Flag of Texas Shown Here Tomorrow,” in the August 11, 1922, Daily Examiner newspaper in Navasota, Texas. This July 7, 1922 letter was the letter in which Edmund B. Stewart transferred the original drawing of the Lone Star flag drawn by Charles B. Stewart to Mrs. Brosig to display in her hardware store in Navasota. Edmund B. Stewart wrote,
See the Dr. Charles Bellinger Stewart Family Papers, Houston Metropolitan Research Center, [Texas Room, Julia Ideson Building, Houston Public Library, Houston, Texas. The Anna Landrum Davis history essay, Old Montgomery, was written in 1925. The Edmund B. Stewart letter to Mrs. J. W. Brosig pre-dates the Anna Landrum Davis history paper by three years making his letter the earliest account. It is the family history of a member of the C. B. Stewart household. There were only three men that had an active role in the founding of the trading post and the town of Montgomery: W. W. Shepperd, J. W. Moody and C. B. Stewart. Though this family history is a secondary source, it is reliable in that it is the family history of a member of the household of one of those intimate with the actual details of the earlier trading post and the founding of the town. C. B. Stewart was married on the two hundred acres where the trading post was located. Stewart was the son-in-law of W. W. Shepperd. C. B. Stewart's dry goods were sold a the store of W. W. Shepperd on Lake Creek. Stewart and his wife Julia Shepperd lived in the “old town” of Montgomery. C. B. Stewart acted as W. W. Shepperd's agent at the first Montgomery County Commissioners Court meeting on March 1, 1838 when the "new town" of Montogmery was selected as the county seat. Edmund B. Stewart's letter is also well corroborated by a large number of primary historical documents. Edmund B. Stewart was born June 26, 1852. E. B. Stewart was the son of Charles Bellinger Stewart and his second wife, Elizabeth Antoinette Boyd. When his father died in 1885, E. B. Stewart was 33. E. B. Stewart would also be the executor of his father's estate. The Willis Index January 29, 1886 - Probate Notice
See The Willis Index, Friday, January 29, 1886, Vol. III - No. 3, p. 2, "Mary Davis Collection", Albert and Ethel Herzstein Library, San Jacinto Museum of History. At the time E. B. Stewart wrote his letter to Mrs. J. W. Brosig, he was 70 years old. E. B. Stewart died on March 31, 1925. Later that year, Anna Landrum Davis will enter her essay Old Montgomery and the Montgomery Trading Post myth will begin. For birth and death dates, see Early Settlers of Montgomery County, Montgomery Genealogical and Historical Society, Conroe, 1991, p. 66, "Application of Virginia Stewart (Lindley) Ford" pp. 52-67.
Map Showing the Northwest Corner of the John Corner League
On the map above, Town Creek is north of the present town of Montgomery. Town Creek is on the John Corner League, not the Owen Shannon League. William C. Clark purchased these 200 northwestern-most acres from John Corner in 1831 (as part of the 600 acre purchase). W. W. Shepperd purchased these 200 acres from William C. Clark on September 15, 1835. Shepperd would establish the Indian trading post/store on these 200 acres. In July of 1837, Shepperd would found the "old town" of Montgomery on these 200 acres in the northwestern-most corner of the John Corner League. Where many Montgomery County historians seem to have made their mistake is in assuming that the two hundred acres of land the present town of Montgomery was founded on was the northwestern most corner of the John Corner League. Under this assumption, the land north of town would be the Owen Shannon League. But, as we have seen, this is not the case. The two hundred acres due north of the “Montgomery Town Tract” are on the John Corner League.It is extremely important to note here that Town Creek is located on the John Corner League and not on the Owen Shannon League. See map above. It is another detail repeated in almost every version of the Montgomery Trading Post myth that is completely wrong. See Montgomery County map 83 by Hodge Mason Maps, Inc. in the Montgomery County Appraisal District Office in Conroe, Texas. This map shows the City of Montgomery as well as the boundary lines of the John Corner League and the Owen Shannon League. Also see map 86 which shows that Town Creek is not on the Owen Shannon League for its entire length. To obtain you own copies of these maps, contact Hodge Mason Maps,Inc.
W. W. Shepperd Sells "Old Town" and "New Town" of Montgomery to James McCown October 21, 1839 [Scan of Deeds and Bonds Coming]
Conclusion W. W. Shepperd founded the Indian trading post or store on the 200 acres of land he purchased from William C. Clark on September 15, 1835. William C. Clark had purchased these 200 hundred acres as part of his 600 acre purchase from John Corner on January 1, 1831. W. W. Shepperd founded the trading post in the middle of the Lake Creek Settlement in 1835 When Shepperd created the town of Montgomery in July of 1837, the town of Montgomery was located on the same 200 acres he bought from William C. Clark on Septemeber 15, 1835. This will be referred to by later historians as the "old town", "old Montgomery'', "the old town below the hill" and "the old town under the hill." It is important to note that Montgomery County officials such as Chief Justice, Jesse Grimes, and Montgomery County Clerk and Recorder, Gwyn Morrison, had already been conducting county business in the "old town" of Montgomery located on the 200 acres that Shepperd had purchased from Clark in 1835. They had been doing so for several days before the first Montgomery County Commissioners Court meeting. Note: No one named Jacob Shannon, Owen Shannon, Margaret Montgomery Shannon, William Montgomery or Andrew Montgomery had anything to do with the founding of the trading post, the "old town of Montgomery" or the “new town of Montgomery.” W. W. Shepperd founded the trading post (1835), the "old town" of Montgomery (1837) and the "new town" of Montogmery (1838). Where Many of the Historians Made Their Mistake
As we surveyed the primary documents, we saw where many previous historians made a huge mistake. They assumed the 200 acres of land that the "new town" of Montgomery was founded on March 1, 1838 was in the northwestern-most corner of the John Corner League. That would make the lands "below the hill" part of the Owen Shannon League. This is not true. The Indian trading post and the "old town" of Montgomery were founded on the two hundred acres of land on the John Corner League due north of the present town of Montgomery. These two hundred acres were the two hundred northwestern-most acres of the John Corner League. It is also important to remember that Town Creek, which is almost always reported as the location of the Indian trading post by other historians, is in fact located on the John Corner League not the Owen Shannon League. |
