Isaac Best
Pattison, Waller County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1774-1837> One of the "Old 300" settlers of Stephen F. Austin's colony, Isaac Best spent his early life in Pennsylvania and Kentucky, where he built a mill and Best's Fort, a pioneer refuge during the War of 1812. He brought his wife Mary Margaret (Wilkins) (1776-1852) and some of their nine children to Texas about 1824. He received a land grant east of the Brazos River about 30 miles north of San Felipe. He later sold that tract of land and purchased additional land, eventually increasing his holdings to about 8,000 acres. Best Creek (one-half mile west) is named for him. (1973, 1995)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Isaac Best (1774–1837) was one of the 'Old 300,' the first families to settle Stephen F. Austin's colony. Before coming to Texas around 1824 he had built a mill and a fortified refuge, Best's Fort, on the Pennsylvania–Kentucky frontier during the War of 1812. In Texas he received a land grant east of the Brazos and steadily expanded his holdings to some 8,000 acres; nearby Best Creek still bears his name.
Why it matters
The Old 300 were the seed of Anglo-American Texas, and Best's life traces the westward push from the Appalachian frontier to the Brazos bottomlands.
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Related people
- · Isaac Best
- · Mary Margaret Best
Themes & tags
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