Houston County Timeline

This is a timeline of events concerning Houston County.  We will add events as they are discovered!

1794 Early settlement in what would later be known as Houston County – may have been made on Wells Creek. (Stewart, Cook, Crouse, May, Graham, Brinson)
1798 Henry Edwards is believed to be first settler in what would later be known as Houston County.
1804-1805 First Settlements in Yellow Creek area. (Morrison, Hall, Dickson, Burton)
1804 First water mill built on Wells Creek (Brinson)
1805 Early road construction in what was to become Houston County.
1811 Dec. 16: The Great Earthquake. Left sink holes in county.
1830 Cumberland Presbyterian Church established at “old camp ground” as oldest church location in what would later be known as Houston Co., few miles south of Erin.
1845 Byron Iron Forge constructed four miles north of Erin.
1851 Ashland Furnace constructed about three miles northeast of Erin.
1853 Union Furnace constructed on Thomas Branch.
1860 In this decade, hundreds of Irish immigrants were in the county working on the railroads.
1860 Danville established. Stewart Station established.
1867 Erin was founded.
1869 Erin post office founded.
1871 January 21: Houston County was established by an act of the Legislature and named in honor of General Sam Houston. Arlington established as first county seat.
March 17:  Officers of county elected
April 3: first county court met.
September 18: Stewart Co. filed bill objecting to boundary lines.
October 14: Humphreys Co. filed objecting to boundary lines.
October first courthouse ordered constructed.
Erin was surveyed and platted.
1873 Asiatic Cholera epidemic.
1874 “Houston County Times” at Arlington by James Faxon.
1875 Iron industry begins to decline.
1877 “Houston County Review” founded by John L. Duff
1878 August 1: Election to determine removal of county seat from Arlington to Erin
November: courts moved to Erin
Yellow Fever epidemic.
1881 November: order for new courthouse
1882 First telephone in county
1883 April: order for construction of jail and sheriff’s residence
1895 November: Arlington Cumberland Presbyterian Church established.
1899 Arlington School built
1963 March 16:  First Wearing of the Green Irish Celebration