Collin Aldrich

Houston County was organized in 1837, and the Handbook of Texas lists its first officers: Collin Aldrich as chief justice, George Aldrich as county surveyor, James Madden as sheriff and Stephen White as clerk of the district court. Sam Houston signed the order establishing the county on June 12, 1837. It was cut from Nacogdoches County, and its first boundaries took in the land that later became Trinity and Anderson counties and part of Henderson County. Settlers also had to deal with attacks in the early years, and many built forts or blockhouses.

What the plaque says

Collin Aldrich San Jacinto Veteran First Chief Justice of Houston County, 1837-1841 Born May 2, 1801 Died in 1842. Erected by the State of Texas 1936

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Fort Boggy State Park — 25 mi
  A 1,847-acre park in Leon County named for a settlers' palisade of 1840, with a 15-acre lake, short trails and the story of Tennessee farmers, the Keechi and a Ranger captain.
• Caddo Mounds State Historic Site — 35 mi
  Three earthen mounds of an ancestral Caddo village and ceremonial center on the old El Camino Real, settled about A.D. 800 and still sacred to Caddo people, with a grass house and visitor center.

More markers nearby

• Captain Elisha Clapp — 1.4 mi
• William Calvert Hallmark — 2.1 mi
• Old Shiloh Methodist Church and Campground — 3.4 mi
• Porter Springs Community and Cemetery — 4.0 mi