First Election in Wood County

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the first election in Wood County, Texas. Now settle in, because this one starts under a tree. Not just any tree, mind you.

A large post oak, standing three hundred feet northwest of where you'd find Gaines Greer's farm. That oak was there on August fifth, eighteen fifty, when Wood County got itself organized, right there in its shade. Five commissioners showed up that day: Reuben Elledge, Joseph Fisher, George Greer, Henry Stout, and Gilbert Yarbrough.

They brought twenty other men with them, and together that group had two items of serious business on their hands. First, pick a site for the county seat. Second, elect the first officials this brand-new county would ever have.

So they did exactly that. When the votes were counted, D. O.

Norton had been chosen chief justice. Ambrose Fitzgerald would serve as county clerk. Henry W.

Norton came away as treasurer. Gilbert Yarbrough, who'd ridden in as a commissioner, rode out as the tax assessor-collector on top of it. Henry Stout, same story, arrived a commissioner and left as sheriff.

And filling out the new board of county commissioners: Daniel Center, P. M. Gunstream, William Rice, and Peter Rozell.

All of that decided, all of it done, under the canopy of one old post oak. That tree kept standing long after every man in that clearing was gone. It was still there, roots deep in Wood County soil, well into the twentieth century.

Then, sometime in the nineteen fifties, lightning found it. And that was that.

What the marker says

Under a large post oak (300 ft. NW) on Gaines Greer's farm, Aug. 5, 1850, Wood County was organized. Commissioners Reuben Elledge, Joseph Fisher, George Greer, Henry Stout, and Gilbert Yarbrough met with 20 other men to choose site for county seat and elect first officials. Elected were the chief justice, D. O. Norton; county clerk, Ambrose Fitzgerald; treasurer, Henry W. Norton; tax assessor-collector, Gilbert Yarbrough; sheriff, Henry Stout; and county commissioners, Daniel Center, P. M. Gunstream, William Rice, Peter Rozell. Historic oak survived until it was killed by lightning, 1950s. (1973)