PANOLA COUNTY, THE BEGINNING

Gloria B. Mayfield

When the European powers raced for claims in the New World early in the seventeenth century, Spain secured the claim to what is now called Texas, boundaries were set from the Sabine River to the South and West. Spanish explorers had crossed Texas but the as long as no one challenged Spain for possession, they did not feel it necessary to make settlements in the area. When the French explorer LaSalle, miscalculated his bearings and landed at Matagorga Bay, his small fort on Texas soil disturbed the Spanish officials. They sent Ponce De Leon with an expedition to warn the French. When the armed expedition reached the French settlement, it was in ruins and the French were gone.

For years Southerners had been turning speculative eyes toward the expanses of Mexico, its Gulf sands and its rolling plains extending from the Louisiana border. Uneasily the weakening Spanish rulers attempted to halt individuals or small bands that crept across the line, forcing out some of the land-hungry intruders, shooting others.

But the Yanquis could not be stopped: soon after the Louisiana Purchase a New Orleans man commented "that people from the United States were spreading out like oil upon a cloth." Then in 1821 Mexico fought her way to freedom from the Spanish overlords, and a year later, after some hesitation, the new nation admitted the first of some carefully screened colonists to the Brazos River with the pioneer, Stephen F. Austin as leader.

In 1847 Panola County had three hundred sixty eight voters and 2, 023 white population. In fact, East Texas counties had nearly 72% of the entire population of the state when it joined the union 1845.

Early in the settlement of Shelby and Harrison Counties, from which a part became Panola County, the roads blazed through the forest. A mail route developed from Marshall to SanAugustine, covering most of the mileage from North to South of the territory.

By the time Panola County was formed, Grand Bluff had become a connection link between Shreveport and Nacogdoches. Many of the Settlers entered Texas and traveled on the Trammel Trace.

Three major settlements in the area were 1. The Daniel Martin Settlement in the spring of 1833. 2. The Rev. Isaac Reed’s settlement was the second oldest in the area that became Panola. 3. The LaGrone settlement was the third Anglo settlement in the area known as Deadwood.