Daniel Howell
DANIEL HOWELL
Biography, written by the grandchildren..
Daniel Howell, born in Ohio in 1821, played an important part in the settlement of Collin, Denton, and Wise Counties. Prior to 1845 he settled on a 640 acre grand from Peter’s Colony, just east of present-day Celina. The marriage records of Old Fannin County shows that he was married in March of 1845 to Mary Ann (Polly) Bradley Ellis, a widowed daughter of Edward Bradley, another Peter’s colonist. Mary Ann, as a widow, received the 640 acre tract adjoining that of Daniel Howell. In 1850 Daniel, Mary Ann and their children were living in McKinney.
Record of Daniel Howell’s activities in Texas are abundant. Soon after 1850 he and his family were living in Old Alton, the old county seat of Denton County, where he established himself as a merchant. As he watched the stream of immigrants moving west he reasoned that this would necessitate the formation of a new county (Wise) to the west and the establishment of a county seat. Realizing that a new county seat would need a merchandising establishment, he surveyed a likely spot where the new county seat would doubtless be located, he located his trading post at the edge of the timber near a flowing spring and this later proved to be the center of the newly formed Denton Co. [I believe they meant Wise Co.] Virtually all business was transacted in his trading post; it served as a post office where mail was brought in once a week from old Alton. Along with the settlers, a tribe of Delaware Indians lived nearby and came to the post to trade hides and furs for calico, tobacco, brown sugar, and whiskey. In 1857 Taylorsville, later Decator, was formed and he moved his store to the new town.
The Civil War brought hard times and great problems to the Howells as well as other families. With no federal troops to protect them, Indian atrocities were commonplace. The Commanches were especially fierce, even wiping out the friendly Delawares. The Howells sent the women back to McKinney for safety. When Daniel Howell brought his family back to McKinney, he built a house on a 27 acre tract awarded her [his wife] from the estate of her father, Edward Bradley. Daniel Howell’s granddaughter Bennie Parker West, lives in the home now. This house is on Howell St., named for Daniel and is one of the oldest home in McKinney. Howell Street was the old McKinney-Denton Road then and the house set back from the road.
In 1865 Daniel Howell, as a Confederate, was suspended from his position as Chief Justice of Wise County to make room for the Reconstruction group. He sold his store and came back to McKinney, where he began again by establishing a store in one of the three brick buildings on the north side of the square. Daniel Howell died August 27, 1878 and his wife preceded him in death. She died April 18, 1878. Both are buried at Pecan Grove Cemetery in McKinney.
The children of Daniel and Mary Ann Howell were: John (1843), Nancy (1845), James Benjamin (1853), George R. (1854), Margaret (1856), and Mary (1860).
Biography, written by the grandchildren..
Daniel Howell, born in Ohio in 1821, played an important part in the settlement of Collin, Denton, and Wise Counties. Prior to 1845 he settled on a 640 acre grand from Peter’s Colony, just east of present-day Celina. The marriage records of Old Fannin County shows that he was married in March of 1845 to Mary Ann (Polly) Bradley Ellis, a widowed daughter of Edward Bradley, another Peter’s colonist. Mary Ann, as a widow, received the 640 acre tract adjoining that of Daniel Howell. In 1850 Daniel, Mary Ann and their children were living in McKinney.
Record of Daniel Howell’s activities in Texas are abundant. Soon after 1850 he and his family were living in Old Alton, the old county seat of Denton County, where he established himself as a merchant. As he watched the stream of immigrants moving west he reasoned that this would necessitate the formation of a new county (Wise) to the west and the establishment of a county seat. Realizing that a new county seat would need a merchandising establishment, he surveyed a likely spot where the new county seat would doubtless be located, he located his trading post at the edge of the timber near a flowing spring and this later proved to be the center of the newly formed Denton Co. [I believe they meant Wise Co.] Virtually all business was transacted in his trading post; it served as a post office where mail was brought in once a week from old Alton. Along with the settlers, a tribe of Delaware Indians lived nearby and came to the post to trade hides and furs for calico, tobacco, brown sugar, and whiskey. In 1857 Taylorsville, later Decator, was formed and he moved his store to the new town.
The Civil War brought hard times and great problems to the Howells as well as other families. With no federal troops to protect them, Indian atrocities were commonplace. The Commanches were especially fierce, even wiping out the friendly Delawares. The Howells sent the women back to McKinney for safety. When Daniel Howell brought his family back to McKinney, he built a house on a 27 acre tract awarded her [his wife] from the estate of her father, Edward Bradley. Daniel Howell’s granddaughter Bennie Parker West, lives in the home now. This house is on Howell St., named for Daniel and is one of the oldest home in McKinney. Howell Street was the old McKinney-Denton Road then and the house set back from the road.
In 1865 Daniel Howell, as a Confederate, was suspended from his position as Chief Justice of Wise County to make room for the Reconstruction group. He sold his store and came back to McKinney, where he began again by establishing a store in one of the three brick buildings on the north side of the square. Daniel Howell died August 27, 1878 and his wife preceded him in death. She died April 18, 1878. Both are buried at Pecan Grove Cemetery in McKinney.
The children of Daniel and Mary Ann Howell were: John (1843), Nancy (1845), James Benjamin (1853), George R. (1854), Margaret (1856), and Mary (1860).
