Grayson County TXGenWeb

Preston Road

The Sherman Democrat
July 4, 1976
American Always Edition

OLDEST TRAIL WINDS HERE
The oldest trail in Texas, Preston Road, which lies west of Sherman, was first started by large herds of buffalo hundreds of years ago.
The trail ran from the Red River to just south of Austin - almost entirely along a ridge of white rock.
After the buffalo herds, then came the Indians who used the trail for several years.
The Indians constructed mounds of stone for lookouts and guideposts.
After Texas became a state and cattle became one of the major sources of income, Preston Road served as a major cattle trail from South Texas to Kansas and Missouri.
One small town, Lebanon, began in 1840 where the first survey of what is now Preston Road was made. The survey was conducted by a company of soldiers under the command of Colonel William G. Cooke.
Cooke had been sent from Austin by Albert S. Johnston. The purpose of the survey was to lay a military road from the Brazos on the south to the Red River on the north. Small forts were established along this military road to protect the new settlers from the Indians.
Today across the farms one can find broken strips of the depressed road bed of the original route of Preston Road.
In 1841 the Republic of Texas was to authorize the government to have a contract made with the Texas Emigration and Land Company of Louisville, Ky., with hopes of bringing in a large group of settlers in the North Texas area.
The Republic accepted William Peters and his associates to start an impresario between the Trinity River on the south and the Red River on the north. The agreement made by Peters was to settle 600 families within a three year period. Peters was to receive 10 sections of land for 100 families that he settled. The area selected for settlement covered 18 North Texas counties. (Map)
William Peters gathers settlers from Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Illinois. Though the settlers complained of poor surveys, cabins and supplies, the majority were to stay and make it their permanent home. The new settlers came into a raw new country but they had new log cabins, supplies, seeds, a gun with ammunition, all waiting for them.
The head of the family received 640 acres while a single man received 320 acres. Only after the land had been lived on and farmed for five years could full ownership be given.
The town of Lebanon was started in the 1850s. Z.T. Rainey owned the first general merchandise store in Lebanon. He opened his door in 1858 and closed after a few years to join the Confederate army. The first post office was established March 1, 1860.
After cattle began to use Preston Road, the town of Lebanon grew in population. Since this was one of the largest stops before reaching the Red River, the droves "tied one on" at one of the saloons in Lebanon. In 1889 Lebanon had four general stores, two blacksmiths, a hotel, two grocery stores, a drug store, school, church and the saloon.
Today the town is much smaller and about the only activity is the registered herds of cattle that are raised on the field of pastures.