News from the Lake Creek Settlment-First Post Office in Montgomery County

MONTGOMERY, TX -- In a previous article, I mentioned that early colonist, businessman, land speculator, and Montgomery town founder, William W. Shepperd, performed the first wedding in what is today Montgomery County. Shepperd officiated the wedding of his daughter Julia Shepperd and Charles B. Stewart on March 11, 1836, at his house in the Lake Creek Settlement. The Lake Creek settlement was the earliest Anglo-American Settlement in what is today Montgomery County. This wedding also appears to be the first wedding in the Republic of Texas for which there is a written record.

As they used to say, Shepperd was a man of many parts. A colonist, originally from Surry County North Carolina, he arrived in Austin’s Colony in 1831. He was a member of a very successful family. His brother was a United States Congressman from North Carolina, Augustine Henry Shepperd. Before coming to Texas, his son, Jacob Shepperd, had attended the United States Military Academy West Point. His first cousin was Jared Ellison Groce, the wealthiest colonist and one of the largest landowners in Austin’s Colony. The Coushatta Trace connected Shepperd’s trading post/store to Jared Groce’s Bernardo Plantation. His niece, Mary Frances Shepperd, later married Confederate General William Dorsey Pender who was mortally wounded fighting in the Battle of Gettysburg.

As we will see in the coming weeks, Shepperd seems to have been involved. one way or another, in just about every “first” in the early history of Montgomery County. This week, we will look at another Montgomery County first accomplished by W. W. Shepperd. On May 17, 1837, Shepperd became the first postmaster, and his store became the first post office in what is today Montgomery County. Not just one, but two Republic of Texas mail routes passed through his store.

Mail was carried by horseback 100 miles from Houston to New Cincinnati via Shepperd’s store on Republic of Texas mail route No. 1. Route No. 1 left Houston on Monday at 8 a.m. and arrived in New Cincinnati on Wednesday at 8 p.m. The mail left New Cincinnati on Thursday at 8 a.m. and arrived back in Houston on Saturday at 8 p.m. On Republic of Texas mail route No. 14, mail was carried by horseback from Shepperd’s store to the La Bahia Crossing on the Colorado River via the Fanthorp Inn (Anderson, Texas today), and the towns of Washington and Independence. The mail left Shepperd’s store on Wednesday at 12 a.m. and arrived at the La Bahia Crossing on Saturday at 8 p.m. The mail left La Bahia Crossing on Sunday at 8 a.m. and arrived at Shepperd’s store on Tuesday at 8 p.m.

There was a post office before there was a town or a county named Montgomery. The establishment of the post office at Shepperd’s store on May 17, 1837, preceded the founding of the town of Montgomery in July of 1837 by about two months. The establishment of the post office preceded the creation of Montgomery County on December 14, 1837, by about seven months. Shepperd served as the first postmaster for three years, from 1837 to 1840. Following his sale of the town of Montgomery to James McCown, Shepperd turned his position as postmaster over to his son-in-law, Charles B. Stewart, who was appointed on April 5, 1840.

In the next article, we will look at W. W. Shepperd’s role with regard to Montgomery County’s first courthouse. As a teaser, it will be shown that Montgomery County did not own Montgomery County’s first courthouse. Cash-strapped Montgomery County could not afford a courthouse building, so Montgomery County rented its first courthouse from someone. Guess who?
Kameron K. Searle is a member of the Montgomery County Historical Commission, a regular contributor to The Handbook of Texas Online, and the author of The Early History of Montgomery, Texas. He also served as the historian for the Texas Historical Commission marker for the "Lake Creek Settlement" located at the Nat Hart Davis Pioneer Complex and Museum in Historic Montgomery, Texas.

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