Did you know that Lamar County was almost named Calhoun County? I didnât until just recently.
Until 1840, what would become Lamar County was part of the Red River district of Texas, a chunk of land that included all of part of what would become 26 counties of the newly formed Republic of Texas. This was eventually whittled down to one big county known as Red River County. In December 1840, the Texas House of Representatives began consideration of a bill to divide Red River County into smaller counties.
According to âThe History of Lamar County,â by A.W. Neville, a long-time newsman in the area, and editor of what is now The Paris News, the name of one of those counties was listed as âLamar-Calhoun.â
David Crockett Painting by William Henry Huddle, 1889.
David (Davy) Crockett was one of the most famous figures of his day. Born in Tennessee in 1786, Crockett had many adventures in his youth as a frontiersman and military scout. In the 1820s, he entered Tennessee politics and eventually served two terms in Congress. His reputation as a sharpshooter, hunter, and storyteller grew with his success, and many fanciful accounts of his life were published, both by Crockett and by those seeking to capitalize on his fame.
By 1835, Crockett had become disillusioned with politics and set off to explore Texas, departing Tennessee with the famous quote: “You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas.” Crockett fell in love with Texas and joined the volunteers in the fight for Texas independence. He died at the Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836.