Van Zandt County, Texas
Van Zandt County is located on Interstate Highway 20 fifty miles east of Dallas in the Claypan Area of northeastern Texas. It is bordered by Kaufman and Hunt counties to the west and northwest; Rains county to the north; Wood and Smith counties to the northeast and east and Henderson county to the south.
Cities, Towns, & Communities
Ben Wheeler | Canton – county seat | Edgewood | Edom | Fruitvale | Grand Saline | Martin’s Mill | Myrtle Springs | Sand Flat | Van | Wills Point
History
Van Zandt County 1858. This is a new county, above the line of the Pacific Railroad reserve, containing nearly all good land, and is well watered ; the face of the country is level, with timber on the streams, and small prairies between. The land is easy to cultivate, and produces sure and abundant crops of wheat and Indian corn. The climate is healthy. Land can now be bought for $1 per acre, which would be worth $50 per acre if there were facilities for getting produce to the coast. The Henderson and Galveston Railroad, now in progress of construction, will develop this beautiful region of county. Distance from Canton, the county-seat, to Galveston, 200 miles.
Courthouses
Sabine Lake (Jordan’s Saline) was named the county seat in 1848 when the county was built. A crude log courthouse was built, and court was held for the first time in December 1848. In 1850 the county seat was moved to Canton, where it has remained. A log cabin courthouse was built in 1850, followed by in 1856 by a two-story brick building. In 1896 a grand 3-story courthouse with a bell tower was built. In 1939 the present courthouse opened.
History
Some History of Van Zandt County, 1919; reprinted,1977, by Wentworth Manning.
A History of Van Zandt County, 1976 by Margaret Elizabeth Hall.
History of Van Zandt County, 1950, by William Samuel Mills.
History of Van Zandt County, 1984, by the Van Zandt County History Book Committee.
Location
Canton, TX 32° 33′ 23.4864″ N, 95° 51′ 47.88″ W
See map: Google Maps, Yahoo! Maps, MapQuest
