DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, one mile east of the landing where it all began. April 1836 — and five pioneers are riding a steamboat called the Rover up the Red River. Now, the Red River wasn't exactly a welcoming highway.
Snags and bends and every manner of obstruction stood between that boat and its destination. But the Rover was one of the few steamboats to make it through, pushing around those snags and bends all the way into this corner of what would become Fannin County. On board were Richard Locke, Dr.
Daniel Rowlett, Daniel Slack, and two brothers — Edward and John Stephens. Four states of the Old South had sent these men, and together they put down the first settlement in Fannin County that April. They were barely getting their bearings when Jabez Fitzgerald and Mark Roberts arrived — families in tow — having come the whole way overland.
The settlement was growing. But if you're looking for the man who shaped what came next, you keep coming back to Dr. Daniel Rowlett.
Planter, lawyer, and doctor all at once — the kind of man a new country seems to need more of than it ever has. Rowlett was instrumental in the creation of Fannin County itself, in 1837. He served the Republic of Texas in the army.
And then he went and served it in Congress too — the 2nd, the 4th, and the 8th. One steamboat, five pioneers, a river full of snags — and that's how Fannin County got its first foothold.
What the marker says
(1 mile east of landing) Established April 1836 by five pioneers moving to Texas on the "Rover," one of few steamboats to pass around snags and bends of Red River to this area. The colonists -- from four states of the "Old South" -- were Richard Locke, Dr. Daniel Rowlett, Daniel Slack, Edward and John Stephens. They were soon joined by Jabez Fitzgerald and Mark Roberts and families, who traveled overland. Leader of settlers was Rowlett, planter and lawyer as well as doctor, instrumental in creation of Fannin County, 1837; he served Republic of Texas in army and in 2nd, 4th and 8th Congresses.