Highlights from an early history of Wood County  4-14-07

The following is a portion of a narrative by Margaret Bogan Brey. (Undated)

Wood County has its beginning as a result of Austin’s Colony in 1821. It was in that group of pioneers that Martin Varner came – the first settler of Wood County. He came from Ohio with his wife and eleven children. His daughter Martha is said to have been born in Austin’s Colony. She married a Moody and reared a family in Wood County.

The Varner family, on their journey, stopped for a time in Brazoria County, later moving to an old fort on North Sulphur where Elizabeth was born. On coming to Wood County in 1841, Varner camped on his first night at what we know today as Haines Lake. He established a home for his wife and children at Medland.

Varner had been there about one year when a Mexican tenant went to his home late one afternoon to tell Varner he could not make the payment on a debt he owed. The Mexican had been friendly so the family was not concerned. When Varner turned to enter his house, the Mexican shot him in the back. His only son Steve ran to his aid. When the Mexican saw him he fired a shot which killed him instantly.

Realizing that his only son was dead, and he was mortally wounded, Varner sent his slaves after the Mexican telling them to cut the killer’s Achilles tendons in both legs and lay the man beside him.

The slaves did as Varner asked and the dying man slashed his assailant into small pieces then had him thrown into the hog pen. The killer was shot the next day to put him out of his misery.

Varner was buried on a hill in front of his home. Just one oak tree over 200 years old is all that remains of the first home in Wood County. Varner’s wife and five girls carried on where he left off.

Several Newfoundland dogs which the Varners brought with them from Ohio proved to be very brave and faithful to their master’s widow. They could jump to the top of the high picketed barricade that surrounded all pioneer homes. The barricade prevented raiders and other intruders from entering the homes. Many a time after an Indian raid, Mrs. Varner picked arrowheads from the flesh of the dogs.

Five of the Varner girls lived to marry and raise a family. Only two, Molly and Elizabeth, lived to be very old.  Elizabeth married Chris W. Haines at the age of 15 and they settled five miles east of Mineola at the place that bears his names to this day – Hainesville. Two children survived. They were Frank Haines and Mrs. J.M. Puckett of Mineola. Mrs. G. Haines created a monument at the graves of her father and mother.

In Clarksville, Texas, there is a document containing Varner’s own signature written on heavy parchment in which he sued Ninabeau B. Lamar, president of the Republic of Texas, in a friendly suit clearing a land title. The land he settled in Brazoria County is today owned by heirs of Gov. Stephen Hogg.

The large Varner school was named in honor of this county’s first settler. Two land surveys near Hainesville also bear Varner’s name.

P.N. Gunstream was the first settler to build a water mill in this county. There is a more modern mill standing on the very spot where Gunstream constructed his mill. At the time of this writing, two logs of the old foundation can still be seen in the creek and the circle part of the old wheel, but it is not in use. Gunstream was a native of Sweden, a religious man, a mechanical genius and an excellent citizen. The home he built, at the time of this narrative, was still standing a short piece from the mill and just a few miles from Winnsboro.

Henry Stout was also among the early settlers. He was a typical pioneer frontiersman, an adventurer and explorer, in the spirit of Daniel Boone. Long before Austin colonized Texas, Stout was ranging in and around Nacogdoches, where it is said he raised corn in the very early part of the 19th century. He was the county’s first sheriff, a man of great strength and something of a wrestler. He was known to have said, “The man doesn’t live that can put my shoulders to the ground.” However, he had a quiet and friendly disposition. The little community of Stout bears his name and his descendents were believed to live near Big Sandy.

Immigrant moved in rapidly during the 1850s, coming from Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas and Mississippi. A few well-to-do people settled in this area, but largely, the settlers were a hardy class of pioneers who came seeking to create homes for themselves and their families. There were hard years, especially during the Civil War, but the range was excellent and wild game of every sort was plentiful.

When the number of inhabitants of the area was sufficient, approximately 25 voters met in the front yard of George Greer, about four miles from Mineola on the Hainesville Road. The oak tree under which the election to create a county was held, was still standing, at the time of this narrative.

The present site of Quitman was chosen as the county seat for the new county, to be known as Wood County. The county was created by an act of the Texas Legislature in 1850.

The county was named in honor of Governor T. Wood, a native of Georgia who came to Texas in 1836. His subsequent career in Texas was a very successful one. He became a member of the Texas Congress in the days of the Republic of Texas and was a member of the constitutional convention of 1845. He was a volunteer in the Mexican War and was elected governor in 1847. He served just one term and retired shortly after Wood County was organized.