Ponton Family
Shiner, Lavaca County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Virginians William (1772-1834) and Isabella (Moreland) Ponton came to Texas in 1829 from Missouri. With them were their children Andrew, Sarah Ann, and Mary Jane and son-in-law James Patrick. Their son Joel Ponton arrived in 1834. The families received land in DeWitt's colony. William Ponton was the first recorded settler killed by Comanche Indians in the area that became Lavaca County. Joel Ponton and a companion were attacked in the same area in 1840; Joel survived with two arrows in his back. Ponton Creek was named for William. The Pontons and their neighbors stood up against the Mexican Army in the Battle of Gonzales and later fled the area in "The Runaway Scrape" in the wake of Santa Anna's victory at the Alamo. After the Texan victory at the Battle of San Jacinto, they returned to rebuild their homes from almost nothing. They endured Indian attacks and lived through the eras of the Republic of Texas, statehood, the Civil War and Reconstruction. Exemplary pioneers, they were mothers and fathers, alcaldes, judges, tax collectors, commissioners, doctors, preachers, storekeepers, farmers, ranchers, and official peacemakers. The children and grandchildren of William and Isabella Ponton forged Lavaca County from a wilderness. The story of the Ponton family is a story of Texas. (1998)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Virginians William and Isabella Ponton came to Texas in 1829 and received land in DeWitt's Colony, where William became the first recorded settler killed by Comanche in what became Lavaca County; his son Joel later survived an attack with two arrows in his back. The family stood with their neighbors at the Battle of Gonzales, fled in the Runaway Scrape after the Alamo fell, and returned to rebuild after San Jacinto. Across the eras of the Republic, statehood, and the Civil War, the Pontons served as alcaldes, judges, doctors, preachers, and peacemakers.
Why it matters
The Ponton family's saga—frontier hardship, revolution, and civic leadership—compresses the whole founding story of Anglo Texas into a single lineage.
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Related people
- · William Ponton
- · Isabella Moreland Ponton
- · Joel Ponton
Related events
- · Battle of Gonzales
- · Runaway Scrape
- · Battle of San Jacinto
Themes & tags
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