Site of Smith Plantation
Bonham, Fannin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Gideon Smith (b. 1815), a native of Alabama, moved to Fannin County in 1851 and purchased a 3000-acre tract. He deeded half of the property to his brother John C. Smith, who joined him in 1855. Gideon smith served one term in the Texas Legislature (1857-1858) and participated in the Civil War as a colonel in the Confederate Army. John Smith became a doctor and practiced medicine in the area. Both men were successful planters. Part of the plantation, one of the earliest in the area, has been continuously in production of grain and cattle since 1851.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Gideon Smith, an Alabama native, moved to Fannin County in 1851 and bought a 3,000-acre tract, later sharing half with his brother John, who came to practice medicine. Gideon served a term in the Texas Legislature and went to war as a Confederate colonel, while both brothers built one of the area's earliest large plantations. Part of that land has stayed in continuous grain and cattle production since 1851.
Why it matters
The site records the plantation economy of antebellum North Texas and the planter class that supplied leadership to both the state legislature and the Confederate army.
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Related people
- · Gideon Smith
- · John C. Smith
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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