Inventory of the County Archives of Texas: Number 62, De Witt County (Cuero) Page: 5

5iHistorical
Sketch (First entry, p. 25)
Kerr left Missouri and came to Texas, bringing with him De Witt's first
settlers. In August 1825, he established the first settlement on the
De Witt grant, near where the town of Gonerales now stands. This village
was destroyed by Indians12 in July 1826, and many of the colonists fled
toward their original port of entry, the mouth of the Lavaca River. About
six miles above tidewater they found a small group of De VTWitt's settlers
who had just arrived in Texas, and who were camping for a short rest period
before journeying to the inland center of the colony.13 These later
arrivals and the refugees from Gonzales formed a temporary settlement
which came to be known as the Old Station. Gonzales was rebuilt a little
later, however, and gradually became the most important point in the colony.
For many years the colonists in the outlying portions of the grant
were harassed by the Towakana Indians from the interior, and by the
Karankawas, who seldom bothered the main settlement.14
Neither the Old Station nor Gonzales was in the limits of what is
now De Witt County, nor was a settlement established within those limits,
But many of the late settlers, who arrived in Texas between 1829 and 1832,
took un lands along the Guadalupe River in the territory under consideration.
Among these earliest Anglo-American inhabitants to De Witt County
were:
. W. Barton July 11, 1831 Byrd Loclkhart May 24, 1831
Si Bateman Apr. 23, 1831 Charles Lockhart May 10, 1831
Valentine Bennet Nov. 8, 1831 George W. Lockhart Sept. 10, 1831
Arthur Burns July 9, 1831 John B. Lockhart Dec. 2, 1831
Squire Burns July 10, 1831 Sal'l Loclhart July 9, 1831
R, H. Chisholn Sept. 7, 1831 John McCoy May 5, 1831
Joseph Clements Feb. 9, 1831 Samuel McCoy July 9, 1831
Daniel Davis May 1, 1831 John :cCrabb July 13, 1851
George T. Davis Sept. 6, 1831 Samuel P. Middleton Sept. 12, 1831
William Derduff Nov. 5, 1831 Thomas R. Miller Sept. 20, 1831
Green DeWitt NLov. 181, 187 Davis G. Hills June 15, 1832
(premium land)
Patrick Dowlearn Julyl 25, 18a31 Robert Mills Sept. 13, 1831
John Fennel Sept, 13, 1832 Zlihu Moss Nov. 24, 1831
Benn. Fullshear Apr. 24, 1831 Hephzibeth Taylor July 26, 1831
Churchill iFu.llshear Apr. 24, 1831 Peter Teal May 29, 1831
Graves Fulshear Apr. 24, 1831 J. J. Tumlinson June 15, 1831
James Hughes June 6, 1832 Joseph Tumlinson Aug. 8, 1851
Joseph Kent June 10, 1352 Tobias WIenthworth May.18, 1832 15
Andrew LocCkhart t Sep. 14, 1831
12. The settlers reported that the Indians were liacoes.
13. Rather, 'De-;fitt ," 104, 120-125.
14. "DeWitt County," in Naylor's 3_pic Century, July 1936, 70; -Iolley,
Letters, 149; Johnson, History, I, .154; Rart;her, "DeWitt," 133; Louis
J. Wortham, A History of Texas, 5 vols. (Ft. orth, 1924), 165-167.
15. This list was prepared by Mary Fall Clec. It is based on Mrs.
Rather's article and maps from the General Land Office. Joseph
Clements received his grant directly fromi the Government.