Wood County History

By LOU MALLORY — Chairperson, Wood County Historical Commission

William Buford Plemons (1844-1901)   5-27-06

William Buford Plemons, judge, was born on June 2, 1844, in Macon County, North Carolina, and spent his early years on his father’s farm.

When the Civil War broke out he enlisted in the 16th North Carolina Regiment and served as color-bearer. He was later promoted to sergeant and assigned to line duty. He saw action in almost all the major action campaigns fought by the Army of Northern Virginia. He was wounded three times and was present at the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox in April 1865.

After the war, Plemons returned home and in 1867 he married Mary Elle Kelly of Mesic County, North Carolina. His bridge died the following year after giving birth to a son. Soon afterward Plemons decided to move to Texas, where he planned to establish a colony of settlers from his home state. On the way, he met a group of people from Alabama who were also journeying to Texas. Among them was Mary Elizabeth “Mittie” Martin, whom Plemons married soon after their arrival in Wood County, Texas. Their first home was at Winnsboro. The couple had four children.

Plemons exchanged his colonization scheme for the study of law and began a lifelong friendship with James Stephen Hogg, who later became governor of Texas. After his admission to the bar in 1872, he moved to Henrietta, in Clay County, where he established his practice. He was elected judge of Clay County in 1876 and served two terms. He then moved to the Panhandle in 1886 and settled on the section which became the Plemons Addition in Amarillo.

His oldest son, Barney, filed on land in Hutchinson County that became the site of the town of Plemons, the first county seat. Barney also bought a section in Potter County. W.B. Plemons was elected the first county judge of Potter County in 1887. Two years later he purchased from John Merchant a section of the former Frying Pan Ranch pasture on Amarillo Creek northwest of the townsite. The marriage of his daughter Belle Helen to James R. Gober, first sheriff of Potter County, is said to have been the first wedding in Amarillo.

As a pugnacious criminal attorney who worked zealously on behalf of his clients, Plemons became judge of the 47th District in 1890. He was elected to the Texas Legislature in 1894. He served on the judiciary committee where he was an advocate of land legislation to benefit the Panhandle area.

He was instrumental in the passage of the Four-Section Act, which was designed to allow settlers sufficient land for stock raising in a semi arid environment.

Plemons declined reelection to the legislature and formed a law partnership with John W. Veale in Amarillo, an association continued until Plemon’s death. He died of apoplexy on the morning of December 14th, 1901. Plemons was buried in Amarillo.