Peter Whetstone
Encyclopedia
Peter Whetstone was an early pioneer
leader in the Republic of Texas
most remembered for founding the city of Marshall, Texas
with Isaac Van Zandt
.
Whetstone married Dicey, or Dicy, Webster in 1816 in Arkansas
. He may have left Arkansas for Texas in 1829, when he transferred land to a Charlton Thompson in Lovely County, Arkansas, in what is now Oklahoma
. When he settled in Harrison County, Texas
in 1838 he received
first-class certificate grant, which were only issued to married-men who were in Texas
when the Texas Declaration of Independence
was ratified, indicating he was in Texas before March 2, 1836.
In 1841 a new seat
was sought for Harrison County, and Whetstone offered some of his land in central Harrison County to build a church and a school on and subsequently divide the remainder into 190 lots. Commissioners were initially concerned that the water in the area would not be good, the reason from moving the county seat from site on the Sabine River
like Pulaski was that they had poor water and were prone to disease and flooding. Whetstone is supposed to have convinced the commissioners that the water was good by pulling a jug of whiskey out from a hollow in an oak tree in what is now downtown Marshall. He passed around the jug, and convinced the commissioners to build on the site; either by convincing them that the whiskey (and water) were good, getting them drunk, or both. Some historians view this account as embellished or untrue.
Despite being attributed with founding Marshall, Whetstone's friend Isaac Van Zandt, laid out the city and named it in honor of John Marshall
. Whetstone soon became entangled in the Regulator-Moderator War
as a Moderator. He is attributed with having killed over twenty people and was described in his obituary as a "noted freebooter who for many years has been an object of terror and hatred on the eastern frontier of Texas". In November 1843, Whetstone was shot and killed by a Regulator, Col. William T. Boulware, on Marshall's city square, later named Whetstone Square. His estate remained unsettled by his executor, his widow Dicey, for some years after his death. Whetstone's grave is unmarked, although he is traditionally believed to be buried at a site off what is now Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
Ironically, Whetstone who was illiterate, is often attributed with establishing Marshall as an educational center by helping to finance early schools and academies.
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
leader in the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
most remembered for founding the city of Marshall, Texas
Marshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523...
with Isaac Van Zandt
Isaac Van Zandt
Isaac Van Zandt was a political leader in the Republic of Texas. Van Zandt County, Texas, was named in his honor....
.
Whetstone married Dicey, or Dicy, Webster in 1816 in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. He may have left Arkansas for Texas in 1829, when he transferred land to a Charlton Thompson in Lovely County, Arkansas, in what is now Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. When he settled in Harrison County, Texas
Harrison County, Texas
Harrison County is a county of the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 62,110. It is named for Jonas Harrison, a lawyer and Texas revolutionary. It is located in the Ark-La-Tex region...
in 1838 he received
first-class certificate grant, which were only issued to married-men who were in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
when the Texas Declaration of Independence
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day after errors were noted in the...
was ratified, indicating he was in Texas before March 2, 1836.
In 1841 a new seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
was sought for Harrison County, and Whetstone offered some of his land in central Harrison County to build a church and a school on and subsequently divide the remainder into 190 lots. Commissioners were initially concerned that the water in the area would not be good, the reason from moving the county seat from site on the Sabine River
Sabine River (Texas-Louisiana)
The Sabine River is a river, long, in the U.S. states of Texas and Louisiana. In its lower course, it forms part of the boundary between the two states and empties into Sabine Lake, an estuary of the Gulf of Mexico. The river formed part of the United States-Mexican international boundary during...
like Pulaski was that they had poor water and were prone to disease and flooding. Whetstone is supposed to have convinced the commissioners that the water was good by pulling a jug of whiskey out from a hollow in an oak tree in what is now downtown Marshall. He passed around the jug, and convinced the commissioners to build on the site; either by convincing them that the whiskey (and water) were good, getting them drunk, or both. Some historians view this account as embellished or untrue.
Despite being attributed with founding Marshall, Whetstone's friend Isaac Van Zandt, laid out the city and named it in honor of John Marshall
John Marshall
John Marshall was the Chief Justice of the United States whose court opinions helped lay the basis for American constitutional law and made the Supreme Court of the United States a coequal branch of government along with the legislative and executive branches...
. Whetstone soon became entangled in the Regulator-Moderator War
Regulator-Moderator War
The Regulator–Moderator War was a nineteenth century feud in East Texas during the Republic of Texas years. It was called the Regulator-Moderator war, for the two sides: the Regulators wanted to "regulate" the activities of rivals and the Moderators wanted to "moderate" being...
as a Moderator. He is attributed with having killed over twenty people and was described in his obituary as a "noted freebooter who for many years has been an object of terror and hatred on the eastern frontier of Texas". In November 1843, Whetstone was shot and killed by a Regulator, Col. William T. Boulware, on Marshall's city square, later named Whetstone Square. His estate remained unsettled by his executor, his widow Dicey, for some years after his death. Whetstone's grave is unmarked, although he is traditionally believed to be buried at a site off what is now Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
Ironically, Whetstone who was illiterate, is often attributed with establishing Marshall as an educational center by helping to finance early schools and academies.