Anderson Co., TX
History
In 1826 empresario David G. Burnet received a grant from the Mexican government for colonization of the area that is now Anderson County. In 1833 members of the Pilgrim Predestinarian Regular Baptist Church settled at the site of Parker's Fort in Limestone County, and others settled near the site of present Elkhart, where they established "Old Pilgrim," reputedly the oldest Protestant church in Texas. On June 10, 1835, Willison Ewing and Joseph Jordan bought a tract of land, which is now the John H. Reagan homesite, about two miles southeast of the present city of Palestine, and erected Fort Sam Houston as protection from the Indians. In 1836 a settlement known as Fort Houston grew at this site. Source: TSHA - Handbook of Texas OnlineOnce part of Houston County, on March 24, 1846, Anderson County was formed and named after Kenneth L. Anderson, who was the Vice-President of Texas from 1844 until the state's annexation. Ft. Houston and Mound Prairie both wanted to be the county seat, but by law it had to be in the geographic center of the county, so the city of Palestine as the county seat was established. Source: Anderson County Genealogical Society