The first recorded white settler on Ellis County land - William Howe

William R. Howe came to Texas in 1839 from Lauderdale County, Tennessee. Howe was issued a conditional certificate, Number 1301, by the General Land Office Of the Republic of Texas on January 10, 1840. Howe claimed 640 acres on Chambers Creek between present-day Forreston and Italy. William Howe was a carpenter, blacksmith, shoemaker and a farmer. Constant attacks from "Indians" caused a delay in the building of his home. But after pushing the "Indians" west Mr. Howe could finish his house and by the spring of 1842 it was built.  It was a two-story house with two stone fireplaces. The house was built on the north side of Chambers Creek and close to the Military road surveyed by Gen. William G. Cooke. 77 and I-35 follow the basic path of the military road of 1841. I believe somewhere near the old rest stop may be where the Howe homestead originally sat. Today, there is a house and barn a little below the old rest stop. I am not sure if the property holds any remains of the Howe settlement. The rest stop has been taken down and is taped off as of today. The Howe cabin was a standout structure compared to many cabins you would normally see built by pioneers who needed to establish their homestead before a certain date. Mr. Howe ran the post office at one time for all of North Texas and his house became a stagecoach stop. The area was known as Chambers Creek after the nearby tributary of Trinity River. When William Howe settled his land he was in Robertson County in the Republic of Texas. After Texas was annexed in 1845 Navarro County was cut out of Robertson County on July 13, 1846. Chambers Creek became the county seat of Navarro County. Later, in 1849 Ellis County would be proposed then cut out of Navarro County in 1850 including William Howe's property. It was a true wildland when Mr. Howe settled on Chambers Creek. He also took in captured Native American children that would be used to trade for pioneer children captured by Native Americans. William Howe also brought the first slave to the Ellis County region named Reuben. Buffalo would hang out near the property so food was always available. Wild horses were there for the taking also. Native Americans would enter the properties claiming to be hunting but it was known they were likely there to steal horses the pioneers had collected. It was a time when a man could cut his own life out of the wilderness using his tenacity, skill, and pure will. For more info visit the Ellis County Museum in downtown Waxahachie where you can fund a small biographical sketch book on Mr. Willaim R. Howe for around $4. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~