Wood County Historical Commission, Quitman, Texas

08/06/2026

Here’s the old oak tree referenced in the organization of Wood County on August 5, 1850. Photos courtesy of Joyce Alexander Williams.

08/06/2026

AN IMPORTANT DATE TO REMEMBER…
Wood County, Texas, was organized on August 5, 1850, under a large post oak tree on George (Gaines) Greer's farm, roughly four miles east of present-day Mineola on FM 49. About 25 men, including appointed commissioners Reuben Elledge, Joseph Fisher, George Greer, Henry Stout, and Gilbert Yarbrough, gathered there to hold the county's first election to officially organize the local government, divide the territory into precincts, and lay out the county seat of Quitman.

First Election Results:
County Judge: D.C. Norton
County Clerk: Ambrose Fitzgerald
Sheriff: Henry Stout
Tax Assessor/Collector: Gilbert Yarbrough

(Historical Context: Wood County was created by the Texas Legislature on February 5, 1850, and was carved from Van Zandt County.)

07/29/2026

Ron Schell, WCHC Cemetery Committee Chair, is working with the City of Winnsboro and the Johnston Unit to level and reset gravestones at Winnsboro City Cemetery. Work began on Tues., July 28 and will continue through Thurs, July 30. Preservation in Progress!! Sue Hamm

07/19/2026

The following Wood County Monitor article from Sept. 15, 2022, provides some background information about Common Schools and the WCHC interviewing project. Interviews are posted separately on the WCHC YouTube channel.

The Wood County Historical Commission recently conducted a project on the history of the Wood County Common School System. The first part of this article gave the history of the Texas common school system that was established in 1884 and continued until 1967 in Wood County. Research found that eight...

07/19/2026

Joe Dan Taylor’s Interview on May 21, 2026: Taylor Homeplace

Recollections of the Taylor House at Pleasant Grove in Wood County ...

07/19/2026

Fred Morrow’s Interview on May 21, 2026: Bailey Brick House

Recollections of the Benton-Denton-Bailey House at Squash Hollow. A...

07/19/2026

The following link is to the Wood County Historical Commission’s YouTube channel where you will find various items of interest such as interviews from former Common School students, Fred Morrow’s interview at the Bailey Brick House, Joe Dan Taylor’s interview at the Old Taylor Homeplace, etc. WCHC has had a YouTube channel since Sept. 22, 2021.

https://youtube.com/?si=VPifLKqoDJFF9vLf

07/18/2026

The Wood County Historical Commission was formally recognized today, Friday, July 17, 2026, by the Commissioners Court upon receiving the 2025 Distinguished Service Award for their efforts in preserving Wood County history! WCHC is one of 62 counties out of 254 counties in Texas that earned this honor. This was WCHC’s 19th year to receive this special award.⭐️🤩

The Texas Historical Commission (THC) established the Distinguished Service Award (DSA) to recognize above average County Historical Commission (CHC) preservation efforts and promote CHC accomplishments to the public.

Much appreciation to Judge Kevin White and Commissioners, Precinct 1: Justin Bowring;
Precinct 2: Jerry Gaskill; Precinct 3: Mike Simmons; and, Precinct 4: Russell Acker, for their continued support of the WCHC.

WCHC appointees shown in photo are left to right, Saundra Burge, Sherry Finney, Sue Hamm, Rosa Davis, Jim Phillips, Logan Thompson, Fred Morrow, and Joyce Williams. Not pictured are Tracey Calvert, Rita O’Hara, Ron Schell, Jerry Tinney, and Shannon White.

07/17/2026

The Wood County Metal Detecting Club will be participating with three other East Texas metal detecting clubs at the “East Texas Treasure Show” on Sat., Aug. 8, 2026, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., at the Civic Center in Gilmer, TX. Relic Hunters of Texas will host this year’s event. Come enjoy a day of family fun, learn more about metal detecting, and enjoy the hundreds of artifacts and bottles on display. Jerry Tinney