Young County Time Line

1851:	Fort Belknap established by U.S. Army
1852:	John Peveler and Will Peveler establish a ranch two miles below Fort Belknap
1853:	Archibald B. Medlan, Henry B. George, Phillip S. George and L.L. Williams move to Fort Belknap from Navarro County, Texas. They are joined by J. Sutton and William Marlin. They settle five miles below Fort Belknap.
1854:	Brazos River Indian Reservation is established. The Texas Emigration and Land Company [old Peter's Colony] land rights expire.
1854-1855:	Chesley S. Dobbs, Jonathan L. Dobbs, George Dobbs, Peter Harmonson, Pleasant Tackitt, George Tackitt, Arthur Chester Tackitt, James G. Tackitt, James Duff, William Matthews, R. Matthews, William H. Burkett, Elijah Skidmore, James M. Gibbons, George Bragg, Benjamin Bragg, A.C. Anderson, J. Anderson, Archie Ratliff, B. Whitten, A. Whitten, Dr. J.H. Swindells, Charles Barnard, and the Williams, Moses Johnson, John Standley, William Sutherlin, Roark and Washburn families settle in Young County.
1855-1856:	Charles Bernard opens the first store on the Lower Brazos River Indian Reservation. Shortly thereafter, James Duff and M. Roark open first store in city of Belknap.
1856:	On 2 February, Young County is organized. The new county is named for William Cook Young by the Texas Legislature. 18 August — The first county court is held at James Duff Store. Peter Harmonson, A. Johnson, H. George, William H. Burkett and James Duff are appointed as the first county commissioners. The town of Belknap is selected as County seat and a Courthouse is built. Peter Harmonson is elected as Chief Justice, William H. Burkett is County Clerk. Patrick Murphy is elected Sheriff. Thornton K. Hamby comes to Young County
1857:	17 February — County Court orders a well dug on the public square in the town of Belnap and authorizes a building 13 feet x 36 feet concrete building to be built on Lot #1, Block #9 for the office of Young County Clerk. William Kennedy settles near the present town of Eliasville
1858:	Proffitt, Timmons, Lewis P. Brooks, Brogdon and Woolfolk families arrive in Young County September - The Butterfield Stage arrives in Belknap on a weekly basis with passengers and mail. The telegraph is installed at Fort Belknap
1859:	The town of Belknap grows in population. There are five general stores, three hotels, a blacksmith shop, two wagon yards and a number of homes. One of the hotels is two story. August - The Federal Government makes a deicsion to move the Indians from the reservation to Fort Cobb, Indian Territory due to difficulties caused by the white settlers. September - Major Robert S. Neighbors is killed on the streets of Belknap. September - The Federal Government decommissions Fort Belknap. The Federal troops are moved away. Fort Belknap shuts down the local telegraph
1860:	Butterfield Stage Coach stops arrivals and departures to Belknap. The town of Belknap becomes isolated
1861:	Young County secedes from the Union. Fort Belknap is used as a staging ground for the Frontier Regiment The 1857 County Clerk's building is given to J.M. Peveler for upkeep. The County Courthouse and Jail are given to the Sheriff for upkeep. David "Dink" Allen moves to Young County
1864:	14 October - Elm Creek Indian Raid where a number of settlers are killed and several taken captive.
1865:	County Judge Martin Bower deems the Courthouse and County Clerk buildings are unsafe for county records. The records are moved to a Texas Ranger camp located at Flag Springs in Young County for temporary storage. Young County dissolves and is attached to Jack County. Young County records are moved from Flag Springs to Mesquiteville in Jack County.
1866:	P.L. Gibson comes to Young County
1867:	John W. Horner and Allen M. Horner come to Young County
1868:	Absalom B. Gant comes to Young County.
1869:	Salt Creek Prairie Indian Fight Col. Edwin S. Graham and his brother, Gustavous A. Graham purchase the Salt Works from Capt. Absalom B. Gant.
1871:	Britt Johnson and his two companions are murdered by Indians on the Salt Creek Prairie. 18 May - Warren Wagon Train Massacre by Kiowa and Comanche Indians Silas R. Jeffrey moves to Young County. Gustavous Graham and his family move to Young County
1872:	Town of Graham is established. Town lots sell for $1.25 - 3.00 per acre J.M. Fickling moves to Young County
1873:	J.M. Askew, George Washington Fore, John S. Fore, W.M. Fore, G. Harlan Bunger, A.J. Howard, John Hunt moves to Young County
1874:	Young County is re-organized. Graham townsite plat is filed in Austin by Col. Edwin S. Graham 11 November - Graham become County seat in an election race. Election returns were: Graham 101, Belknap, 4, County center, 2. A.C. Daws, F.S. Dozier, Augustus "Gus" B. Eddleman, J.F. Gilmore, W.I. Gilmore moves to Young County.
1875:	Lower Brazos River Indian Reservation land opened for pre-emption. Mrs. J.V. Adair, W.C. Beckham, W.P. Beckham, J.T. Bennett, M.A. Brogdon, J.W. Burnett, J.G. Crow, Hiram A. Driver, A.M. Eddleman, John A. Gachter, Clark W. Johnson moves to Young County.
1876:	January - there are three log buildings in Graham December - there is a flour mill, cotton gin, saw mill, two brick kilns and numerous houses in Graham. John H. Wood's brick kiln turns out 2,000,000 bricks that year. Graham's first building is Wilson's General store which was located at the corner of Fifth and Pecan street. The first building on th square was located at 617 Elm Street. In this year, over 300 buffalo hides per day pass through Graham. County Court orders a building erected in Graham on a lot donated by G.A. Graham for the first temporary courthouse. This two story wooden building was 24 feet wide by 40 feet long. The courthouse was used until the stone courthouse was built in 1884. Rev. George W. Black, J.W. Bray, Miss Valerie Bunger, F.P. Burch, Francis M. Burkett, Henry Burnett, O.L. Campbell, R.H. Choate, W.O. Clark, Josh Clifton, T.K. Criswell, E.S. Cusenbary, H.E. Eddleman, J.S. Fisher, George Glasgow, Oakley D., Gohlson, Jonathan W. Graves, J.A. Harmon, L.H. Harris, W.T. Harris, J.W. Harty, C.M. Henderson, Francis "Frank" Herron comes to Young County.
1877:	Texas Cattle Raisers Association is founded in Graham under an oak tree located at 408 Fourth Street. Rev. S.D. Akin, Joseph W. Akin, J.H. Alford, James A. Allen, L.J. Bray, Tom Bunger, Ab Campbell, W.W. Coffman, Silas R. Crawford, P.G. Cunningham, E.B. Davidson, E.B. Donaldson, A.A. Donnell, Millard Donnell, Sam Dowdle, J.A. Driver, Ike N. Farmer, Homer M. Ford, Bomfort B. Garrett, W.M. Goode, Frank Goudy, J.W. Gregg, A.W. Hardy, Lee Hardy, Miss Sarah Hardy moves to Young County.
1878	W.C. Barnum, W.C. Bell, Martha Bell, W.B. Blackwood, Hoyt Brown, George W. Carlton, Will Davis, L.F. Evans, Charles Gay, J.G. Hawkins, J.W. Hawkins, O.D. Higgins moves to Young County
1879:	The Federal Court for North Texas and Indian Territory is established in Graham. Judge R.F. Arnold, Tom Beach, T.G. Black, J,C. Bower, J.J. Bray, Andrew J. Chandler, Mellie Chandler, W.L. Chandler, B.W. Drum, H.W. Drum, William R. Drum, A.J. Ernest, J.M. Garrett, Robert G. Graham, W.B. Gregg, L.D. Hawkins, George W. HInson, William B. Hinson, C.C. Johnson, Dr. J.M. Johnson moves to Young County.
1880	Miss Georgia Askew, W.C. Burns, J.W. Carlton, A.C. Casey, J.W. Casey, J.R.R. Cornish, E.A. Cox, Jake Cross, Baron S. Doty, C.B. Gant, Tom Gilmore, T.S. Hinson moves to Young County.
1881	L.M. Chambers, K. Chandler, J.W. Hawkins, Sr., moves to Young County
1882	R.J. Calvin, Matt H. Chism, Mary Brown Chism, Joe Clark, Emmett Cox, W.G. Gholston, George Gilmore, R.E. Groves, V.M. Hale moves to Young County
1883:	County decides to build a new stone Courthouse. This raises the question, "Where should the County Seat be?" An election is held and Graham wins by a vote of 465 for Graham and 411 for the County center. The new courthouse is built and used until the concrete courthouse built in the 1930s. J.C. Ardis, Frederick T. Arnold, E.L. Baldwin, T.O. Calvin, J.R. Cox, Jack Fawks, Ada Hargraves, Charles Holt, Sam Horton, Will Horton moves to Young County.
1884:	Josie Parsons, A.C. Anderson, W.W. Benson, Jack Blevins, M.M. Burris, A.I. Cunningham, W.H. George, W.P. Hargraves moves to Young County An election is held in the county to designate the location of the county seat for a third time since 1856. A new courthouse is built in the center of Commerce Park in Graham, the third in the county since 1856.
1885	J.W. Daws, R.D. Daws, T.B. Gilmore, D.M. Hargraves moves to Young County.
1886:	Mrs. Lota Allison, D.A. Ford, Jeff Hargraves moves to Young County