The Sherman Courier
Wednesday, August 15, 1917
pg. 15
Fiftieth Anniversary Edition

Geo. Dickerman Tells Who Were First County Officers, and also about the Old Court House
One of the most familiar figures around the Grayson County court house for more than 40 years was George A. Dickerman.  Mr. Dickerman was one of the first owners of The Courier, and no man who has ever lived in Grayson County had more friends than George Dickerman.  Mr. Dickerman joined his friends on the "other side" a few years ago, and the following interview given by him to The Courier a year or more before his death will revive memories dear and sacred to thousands who will read it in this, our 50th Anniversary number:

"I came to Sherman in 1852.  John R. Odneal was the first county judge of Grayson county, and the county judge was then called the Chief Justice.  Joshua West was the first sheriff of the county and M.G. Cotton was really the first clerk, but W.D. Fitch was the first active clerk of the county.  George R. Reeves was the first assessor and collector.  At the time I came here the court house was then a log cabin with a dirt floor that stood over in the northeast corner of what is now the court house yard about where that band stand now is, but I don't think but one term of court was held in that house.  They then had a two-story frame house built on the north side of the square where the Crenshaw building now is, and there was a store below and the court was held upstairs.  They then built a small brick house where the present court house stands, but the foundation was no good and it cracked and spread out and was condemned.  After that they built a long, keen slim box house just north of where the court house now is, and they used it for quite a while.  The present court house was built in 1875.  I was elected clerk of Grayson county in 1873.  I was clerk of the county for 13 years and deputy clerk for 18 years since the war, and I was deputy for six years before the war.  The first election held after I came here was in 1852 and there were then less than 400 voters in the county, and I guess there mus be over fifteen thousand now.
 

Sherman History
Susan Hawkins
© 2024

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