|
Photo Courtesy of Texas Highways
|
Welcome to Texas Genealogy Trails!
*Volunteers dedicated to putting free data online.*
The Camp County Website is available for adoption.
If interested in joining our group, view our Volunteer Information Page and
contact Kim.
[Basic webpage design knowledge and a desire to transcribe data is
required]
|
|
Handbook of Texas Online,
s.v. ","
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/CC/hcc5.html
(accessed May 15, 2007). (NOTE: "s.v." stands for sub verbo,
"under the word.")
Anglo settlement
began in the late 1830s, with most of the early settlers
coming from the southern states of Georgia, Alabama, and
Tennessee. The earliest communities in the area were
Pittsburg, near the center, and Lilly and Pine, in the
southwestern and south central part. There were probably some
early settlers along Big Cypress Creek in the northern portion
also, but no information is available about their activities.
The first post office, established in 1848, was located in the
community known now as Pine, and was called Pine Tree. In 1855
a post office was also established at Pittsburg, and by 1860
this town had become the most important supply center for
northern Upshur County farmers. |
|
These early,
predominantly southern settlers brought with them their
southern heritage and institutions. Most of the early settlers
were Protestants, especially Baptists and Methodists. A number
of the settlers were also slaveholders, who used the fertile
soils of the county to grow the two most important southern
crops, cotton and corn. Although precise figures are not
available, the proportion of the population who were blacks
held as slaves probably exceeded the 1860 statewide average of
about 30 percent. |
 |
|
Camp
County was separated from Upshur County in 1874 and named for
John Lafayette Camp,qv
who was serving as state senator from Upshur County and
presented the petitions that led to the action of the
legislature. A county seat election was held, and Pittsburg
won with 500 votes. Leesburg, to the west, received 228, and
Center Point, in the southeastern part, received sixty-nine.
Following the election, a courthouse was constructed of
locally manufactured brick on a lot donated by William Pitts.
Since the 1874 election the choice of county seat has never
been contested. |
Cities and towns
Pittsburg
Rocky Mound
|