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 Marking
History:
Pioneers final Resting Places, Home sites
highlight West County Historical Markers
by
Sondra
Hernandez
One
would have to go looking to find most of the historical markers in far
West Montgomery county.
With the exception of downtown Historic Montgomery, where the markers
are within walking distance, most of the others located around Lake
Conroe and near Dobbin are scattered and tucked into quiet graveyards,
hidden back on winding country roads.
Then, there are two stark exceptions to the stillness. Two that most
people pass frequently on one of the county’s most traveled roads and
never notice.
A historical marker recognizing the home site of early settler
Joseph L. Bennett stands at the entrance to the Lake Conroe
Wal-Mart on Texas 105
A historical marker for Joseph L. Bennett is at the entrance to the Lake
Conroe Wal-Mart on Walden Road.
A historical marker for the San Jacinto River is situated at the
start of the Lake Conroe Dam behind the U.S. Coast Guard
Auxiliary on Texas 105.
And at the start of the Lake Conroe Dam, a marker is hidden just behind
the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary building. It pays homage to the San
Jacinto River that was there long before the lake was a source of
recreation for the area.
However, all the markers offer a glimpse into the lives of the people
who settled in this area and made Montgomery County their home.
Bennett, whose marker highlights his home site, came to Texas in 1834
and settled in this area, joining the Texas army in early 1836. As
captain of a company of local volunteers, he left this area about March
1, 1836, to lead his troops to aid Texan forces at the Alamo.
He soon joined with Sam Houston’s main army and in April was elected Lt.
Colonel of the 2nd Regiment of Volunteers, the company he commanded at
the Battle of San Jacinto. Bennett received land grants in payment for
his military service, and in 1837 President Sam Houston appointed him to
command a frontier defense unit. Elected by Montgomery County voters to
the Republic of Texas Congress, he served for two terms, 1838-1840.
Bennett also was active in local civic affairs, serving as mail carrier
from Houston to Montgomery, county commissioner and supporter of area
schools.
A historical marker highlighting Telegraph Road along FM 149 is situated
in the Sam Houston National Forest.
A pioneer trail connecting the towns of Montgomery, Houston and
Huntsville, in use as early as 1845, became an important transportation
and freighting route for early settlers.
After the Texas and Red River Telegraph Company was established in 1854,
wires were strung along the historic trail to extend service to
Montgomery and Houston. The route soon became known as the “Telegraph
Road.”
In a printed passage from Cissy Boulware, a Montgomery historian who
passed away last year, she said Montgomery had telegraph service since
1854 when the telegraph came to Texas from Louisiana via Marshall.
When the telegraph wires were strung along the railroad tracks, this
removed the original wires that were attached to the trees along the
road.
The train depot served as a telegraph office, she wrote. The use of
telegraphs in connection with the railroad continued until the 1920s.
Near the small community of Dobbin on Texas 105, the Jacob Montgomery
Shannon Evergreen cemetery is located on Mt. Mariah Road.
The gravesites of two members of the Shannon family who were
Confederate veterans. The graves are in the
Jacob Montgomery
Shannon Evergreen Cemetery near Dobbin just off of
Texas 105 on Mt. Mariah Road
Born in Georgia, Jacob Montgomery Shannon, who lived from 1804-1878,
came to Texas at the age of 17, while the region was under Mexican rule.
He married Catherine “Kittie” Yoakum in 1823, and in 1831 Shannon
received a league of land in this vicinity, where he built a home and
settled with his family. The community that grew up near his plantation
became known as Shannon’s Prairie.
Many members of Shannon’s family members are buried here, as are some of
his slaves and their descendants. The graveyard also contains the
burials of several war veterans.
The Texas Historical Commission approves historical markers once a year,
said Sarah McClesky, historian for the commission’s marker program. The
submitted location must be at least 50 years old and have historical
significance and/or be architecturally significant.
To date, there are about 15,000 historical markers across Texas,
McClesky said, with nearly 275 applications submitted annually.
A historical marker for
Mt. Pleasant
Cemetery northwest of Lake Conroe and on the edge of
the Sam Houston National Forest. Many pioneers are interred
here.
“People can learn a lot about people who live in that area before them,”
McClesky said about why people should visit the historical markers. “If
you didn’t stop at that marker, you might not know it even existed.”
Some information from Texas Historical Commission and a portion from
Lonnie and Sonya Clover
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