"Birthplace of Hutchinson County" Isaac McCormack Cottage
Stinnett, Hutchinson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built 1899 with materials hauled at great peril across the Canadian - then without a bridge. Mr. McCormick, his wife Capitola, and 8 children lived in a covered wagon and a tent while they put up their house. Home became cradle of county government when it was site of first meeting to plan separate organization of Hutchinson County (which previously had been joined to Roberts County for judicial purposes). In 1901 it was one of polling places in first county election. Moved to town, 1928; donated by Edgar Britain, 1964, for a museum. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1967
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Isaac McCormick built this house in 1899 from materials hauled at great peril across the then-bridgeless Canadian River, while he, his wife Capitola, and their eight children lived in a covered wagon and a tent. The home soon became the cradle of Hutchinson County government, hosting the first meeting to organize the county apart from Roberts County and serving as a polling place in the 1901 county election. Moved into Stinnett in 1928, it was donated in 1964 to serve as a museum.
Why it matters
The cottage embodies the raw beginnings of Panhandle county government, where the machinery of self-rule was first set in motion around a settler family's kitchen table.
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Related people
- · Isaac McCormick
- · Capitola McCormick
- · Edgar Britain
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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Fifteen miles to the Site of the Battle of Adobe Walls
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Fifteen miles from this marker lies the site of the first Battle of Adobe Walls, fought on November 25, 1864, when Kiowa and Comanche warriors met U.S. troops led by Colonel Christopher 'Kit' Carson. Carson attacked the villages but, badly outnumbered, was forced to withdraw in what proved to be the famous scout and frontiersman's last fight. The clash was one of the largest engagements between the Army and the Southern Plains nations.