This information was found in the vertical files of the genealogy department of the Longview Public Library.

THE AVINGER CITIZEN
Special Historical Edition
June 18, 1954

LINDEN TOWNSITE CHOSEN IN 1852

The townsite of Linden was selected in 1852, and the county seat of Cass County moved from Jefferson to near the center of the county to better serve all the people.

A contract was made with T.J. Foster, Sr., one of the county's early settlers to build a court house. He built a log pit where the lumber for building the court house was made by hand power. It required some time to manufacture the lumber and build this structure. The court house was the first building in Linden. It was a two-story with all finished work done by hand, even the shingles.

The first court was held in 1852 on the lower floor. There were four offices up-stairs. Mr. Ed Story gave the land in order to locate the county seat at Linden. As soon as the court house was completed, lots were sold and business houses soon sprang up around the court house, as it now is.

HOTEL BUILT

Bob Graham and John Moore were the first to open a place for business both of which as general mercantile establishments. The first hotel in Linden was built by John Ligon. It was a modern structure then made of hewed logs.

The first physician in Linden was Dr. Ligon. Dr. Phillips was next. He erected a building for the first drug store.

The first newspaper was edited by the late Judge H.F. O'Neal and was called the Linden Times, about 1858.

FIRST JAIL

David Carpenter built the first jail about the time the first wooden court house was built. The bricks were made on the same branch south of town by hand. A small log house built by Adam Sheffield housed the first saloon. The counters were made of slab boards and he served his drinks in tin cups sweetened with brown sugar and stirred with little wooden paddles.

The first Methodist Church in Linden was located in the northwest part of town and William Hill was the first pastor. He was killed in the Civil War.

LINDEN

The town of Linden was incorporated in 1858. John Stewart was first mayor and John Meeks the first city marshall.

In 1859 the court house was put up and sold to the Baptists as a church and plans made for the erection of a larger court house of brick which is enclosed in the present building. The old court house was moved to the Baptist Church lot and was blown away in the cyclone of 1909. Nelson Poerterfield was the first pastor of the Baptist Church.

The contract for the brick court house was let to Thomas Veal in 1859 as plans were made for the larger one. In 1860 he started work on it working until 1861 when the Civil War broke out. The building was not completed until after the close of the war.

The first person to be buried in Linden was a man named Moreland who died soon after the town was started. He worked at Foster's saw pit mill.