First Panola County Commissioners' Court
Pulaski, Texas September 1, 1846"Know Your Heritage"
By Leila B. LaGrone
It is interesting to try to picture what the very first meeting of Panola County Commissioners' Court was like. No records are available to verify when a log Courthouse was constructed at Pulaski; but it likely was not ready at the beginning of the county's business.
There was a ferry established before Panola County was formed and evidently a few pioneer houses were there. Perhaps the meetings of the Court began in one of those log houses.
The area of Pulaski had formerly been in Harrison County and it had for a time been tried as Harrison County Seat. Though it was on one side of the county, Pulaski even held court for Harrison before the permanent seat of justice was established at Marshall in 1842.
This historical experience gave the people of the village enthusiasm for being the new Panola County Seat in 1846 when our county was sliced off the two adjoining counties, Shelby and Harrison. (Harrison had been created from part of the large East Texas area known as Shelby County, in 1839)
Pulaski was situated on a bluff on the East side of the Sabine. The old roadbed and ferry can still be distinguished. The village that grew up was in the shape of a triangle between the River and a creek. The Courthouse was erected of logs-evidently one large room with a fireplace-in the center of this triangle. There was also a cemetery which has been destroyed by vandals.
Minutes of the first Panola County Court help some in understanding the situation. Officers present for the September 1, 1846, court were: JOHN ALLISON, Chief Justice or County Judge, and four Commissioners-RICHARD GOLDEN, JAMES WILLIAMS, TERREL HENSON and CHARLES MOORMAN. Some of these men had to come almost entirely across the county through the forests to attend the court sessions.
Several interesting items of business were conducted:
1. It was ordered and adjudged "that Pulaski be the County Site, pro tem, until a county site could be established by law." This law required that the permanent site chosen must be as near the center of the county as possible.
2. Ferriage for crossing the river at Pulaski was set as follows:
Man and Horse when river was within banks ..... 1 dime
But when out of banks .................................2 dimes
Wagon Crossing when River was within banks ... 50 cents
But when out of banks ........................ $1
Carriage Crossing ............................ 25 cents
Footman Crossing ............................. 5 cents
Loose Horses and Cattle .................. 5 for 3 cents
A great deal of time and study was given to improvement of roads; but that will be covered in a later column.
The second meeting of this first court was January 18, 1847. At that time bonds were approved for further officers for the county. County Judge JOHN ALLISON, and Commissioners RICHARD GOLDEN and JAMES WILLIAMS were present, along with J.H. ANDERSON, clerk, and H. SWEARENGEN, Deputy Sheriff.
They approved bonds for ANDREW ROBE as the first treasurer; JOSHUA T. GILL as tax assessor-collector; F. HOUGH and STEPHEN ALLRED, justices of the peace; and CHRISTOPHER BARBEE as constable.
Certain bills were paid at this second meeting of Panola County Court. S.D. MCJIMSEY was granted $200 for surveying the county and L.H. DILLARD was paid $25 for organizing the county.
Pulaski did not have a U.S. Post Office until 1847; so it was the County Seat for two counties without a post office.
The 1850 U.S. Census gave the population of Pulaski as 33. Perhaps it was fewer than 100 while it was Panola County Seat, 1846-1848.
Panola Watchman, Carthage, Texas, April 20, 1975