Collin County, Texas History Beginnings
Collin County was created out of Fannin County in April of 1846 when Texas became a state. Fannin County was created from Red River County in 1837 when Texas became a Republic.
Any Collin County marriages or deeds between 1837 and 1846 are in the courthouse in Bonham, Fannin County.
The ruling to create the new counties in Texas stated that the counties should be about thirty miles square with the county seat within three miles of the geographic center of the county.
This ruling made the county seats of Dallas, Sherman, Denton, and Greenville all about thirty miles from the Collin County County Seat of McKinney.
Collin County was created out of Fannin County in April of 1846 when Texas became a state. Fannin County was created from Red River County in 1837 when Texas became a Republic.
Any Collin County marriages or deeds between 1837 and 1846 are in the courthouse in Bonham, Fannin County.
The ruling to create the new counties in Texas stated that the counties should be about thirty miles square with the county seat within three miles of the geographic center of the county.
This ruling made the county seats of Dallas, Sherman, Denton, and Greenville all about thirty miles from the Collin County County Seat of McKinney.
FORMED FROM FANNIN COUNTY
CREATED ORGANIZED
APRIL 3, 1846 JULY 13, 1846
NAMED IN HONOR OF
COLLIN MCKINNEY
1766 - 1861
LAND SURVEYOR
SIGNER OF THE
TEXAS DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
MEMBER OF CONGRESS,
REPUBLIC OF TEXAS
MEMBER OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE
COUNTY SEAT, BUCKNER 1846-1848
MCKINNEY, SINCE.
CREATED ORGANIZED
APRIL 3, 1846 JULY 13, 1846
NAMED IN HONOR OF
COLLIN MCKINNEY
1766 - 1861
LAND SURVEYOR
SIGNER OF THE
TEXAS DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
MEMBER OF CONGRESS,
REPUBLIC OF TEXAS
MEMBER OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE
COUNTY SEAT, BUCKNER 1846-1848
MCKINNEY, SINCE.
(1936) Republic of Texas Centennial Historical marker.
Moved to McKinney to the southwest corner of courthouse square in 1998
Moved to McKinney to the southwest corner of courthouse square in 1998
SETTLEMENT
The earliest settlers to the county lived predominately near the middle of the county along the major creeks.
Collin County was settled in two parts. The eastern part was settled by people coming from the eastern counties and states and by bounty land claims for the Texas Revolution. Each soldier who fought in the revolution was given land, some as much as a league and a labor of land (4605 acres). Many settlers moved to this area after the Civil War They were predominately from East Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi.
The western part of the county, starting just east of McKinney was in the Peters Colony. A single man was given 320 acres of land and a married man was given 640 acres. Many of these settlers were from Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky.
If you were to look at a head right map of Collin County, you would notice that the claims on the eastern part of the county are irregular in shape and size, some of them being rather large. The large claims were the bounty land claims for the Texas Revolution. The claims on the western part of the county are in squares, all about the same size. These were the claims of the Peters Colony.
Early settlers came either up the Red River to Jefferson and across to Collin County in wagon trains or in wagon trains through Oklahoma and Arkansas, crossing the Red River at various places. The Red River was un- navigable due to a large logjam north of Shreveport, Louisiana. The logjam was dynamited during U. S. Grant’s presidency, making the river navigable.
After the Civil War many families moved to Collin County, especially to its eastern side. Some of the land in the county was given as Bounty Land for fighting in the war.
The earliest settlers to the county lived predominately near the middle of the county along the major creeks.
Collin County was settled in two parts. The eastern part was settled by people coming from the eastern counties and states and by bounty land claims for the Texas Revolution. Each soldier who fought in the revolution was given land, some as much as a league and a labor of land (4605 acres). Many settlers moved to this area after the Civil War They were predominately from East Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi.
The western part of the county, starting just east of McKinney was in the Peters Colony. A single man was given 320 acres of land and a married man was given 640 acres. Many of these settlers were from Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky.
If you were to look at a head right map of Collin County, you would notice that the claims on the eastern part of the county are irregular in shape and size, some of them being rather large. The large claims were the bounty land claims for the Texas Revolution. The claims on the western part of the county are in squares, all about the same size. These were the claims of the Peters Colony.
Early settlers came either up the Red River to Jefferson and across to Collin County in wagon trains or in wagon trains through Oklahoma and Arkansas, crossing the Red River at various places. The Red River was un- navigable due to a large logjam north of Shreveport, Louisiana. The logjam was dynamited during U. S. Grant’s presidency, making the river navigable.
After the Civil War many families moved to Collin County, especially to its eastern side. Some of the land in the county was given as Bounty Land for fighting in the war.
