John McGarrah
The McGarrah Family
Among the most prominent and influential citizens of Collin County from 1843 to the present are the descendants of John (Jack) and Polly McGarrah, who are probably more numerous in this county today than are the descendants of any other pioneer couple.
Colonel John McGarrah and his twin brother, George, sons of George McGarrah, were born in Tennessee on March 8, 1805. With his brothers, George, and William, John McGarrah moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas, from Missouri in 1823 and helped erect public buildings in that pioneer town. In 1820 he married Mary Pauline Graham, a one-fourth Cherokee Indian, in Missouri. Although neighter of them could read or write, both had great natural ability. He served two terms in the Arkansas legislature before moving to Texas. They were the parents of ten children.
The oldest child, Elizabeth, was born in Missouri on September 15, 1821. She married James Herndon in Arkansas before her parents moved to Texas. Sara, born in Fayetteville win 1824, married Tola Dunn at Buckner. Cynthia Ann, born in Fayetteville in 1826, married George Herndon there on April 6, 1841. Eliza Jane, born in Fayetteville in 1831, married Dr. G. A. Foote at Buckner on November 11, 1847. Randolph M. McGarrah was born in Fayetteville and came to Texas with his parents in 1842. On March 15, 1855, he married Nancy A. King of Denton County. He served in the Texas Ranger force under his father. Some of his descendants still live in the vicinity of McKinney. Seburn G. S. McGarrah and Conway McGarrah were born in Fayetteville in 1835 and 1838, respectively. Conway served in a McKinney company during the Civil War. He married Mary Ann Wilson and their descendants still live in and around McKinney. Mary Margaret, another daughter of Jack and Polly, was born in Fayetteville in 1841, and was married to Edward R. Stiff on January 1, 1856. Two other children died in infancy.
In 1843, soon after coming to Texas, Colonel John McGarrah opened a small store three miles northwest of resent day McKinney. The act which created Collin County on April 3, 1846, also appointed John McGarrah as the first judge. He, J. C. Hodge, Thomas Rattan, Ashley McKinney, and Pleasant Wilson were appointed as commissioners to locate two places within three miles of the center of the county and to call an election for the purpose of selecting one of these to be the county seat. Evidently without an election, McGarrah's place, Buckner, was selected. He donated fifty acres of land to the town-site to be used for public purposes. As the first postmaster at Buckner he served from November 25, 1846, to June 10, 1847. He was also the first man to represent Collin County in the state legislature.
The store at Buckner was operated until the county seat was moved to McKinney in 1848. During 1849 John McGarrah, G. W. Ford, Thomas J. McDonald, and Tola Dunn joined a caravan going to California to find gold. The long journey, hostile Indians, and disease took a heavy toll of the travelers. Colonel McGarrah died of yellow fever in Sonora, Mexico and Tola Dunn was a victim of the same disease in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Mary Pauline, wife of John, was buried in the old McLarry Cemetery, three miles north of McKinney.
Among the most prominent and influential citizens of Collin County from 1843 to the present are the descendants of John (Jack) and Polly McGarrah, who are probably more numerous in this county today than are the descendants of any other pioneer couple.
Colonel John McGarrah and his twin brother, George, sons of George McGarrah, were born in Tennessee on March 8, 1805. With his brothers, George, and William, John McGarrah moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas, from Missouri in 1823 and helped erect public buildings in that pioneer town. In 1820 he married Mary Pauline Graham, a one-fourth Cherokee Indian, in Missouri. Although neighter of them could read or write, both had great natural ability. He served two terms in the Arkansas legislature before moving to Texas. They were the parents of ten children.
The oldest child, Elizabeth, was born in Missouri on September 15, 1821. She married James Herndon in Arkansas before her parents moved to Texas. Sara, born in Fayetteville win 1824, married Tola Dunn at Buckner. Cynthia Ann, born in Fayetteville in 1826, married George Herndon there on April 6, 1841. Eliza Jane, born in Fayetteville in 1831, married Dr. G. A. Foote at Buckner on November 11, 1847. Randolph M. McGarrah was born in Fayetteville and came to Texas with his parents in 1842. On March 15, 1855, he married Nancy A. King of Denton County. He served in the Texas Ranger force under his father. Some of his descendants still live in the vicinity of McKinney. Seburn G. S. McGarrah and Conway McGarrah were born in Fayetteville in 1835 and 1838, respectively. Conway served in a McKinney company during the Civil War. He married Mary Ann Wilson and their descendants still live in and around McKinney. Mary Margaret, another daughter of Jack and Polly, was born in Fayetteville in 1841, and was married to Edward R. Stiff on January 1, 1856. Two other children died in infancy.
In 1843, soon after coming to Texas, Colonel John McGarrah opened a small store three miles northwest of resent day McKinney. The act which created Collin County on April 3, 1846, also appointed John McGarrah as the first judge. He, J. C. Hodge, Thomas Rattan, Ashley McKinney, and Pleasant Wilson were appointed as commissioners to locate two places within three miles of the center of the county and to call an election for the purpose of selecting one of these to be the county seat. Evidently without an election, McGarrah's place, Buckner, was selected. He donated fifty acres of land to the town-site to be used for public purposes. As the first postmaster at Buckner he served from November 25, 1846, to June 10, 1847. He was also the first man to represent Collin County in the state legislature.
The store at Buckner was operated until the county seat was moved to McKinney in 1848. During 1849 John McGarrah, G. W. Ford, Thomas J. McDonald, and Tola Dunn joined a caravan going to California to find gold. The long journey, hostile Indians, and disease took a heavy toll of the travelers. Colonel McGarrah died of yellow fever in Sonora, Mexico and Tola Dunn was a victim of the same disease in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Mary Pauline, wife of John, was buried in the old McLarry Cemetery, three miles north of McKinney.
