Garrett F. Lankford, born 1795 in Alabama, married Mahala Watts in Carroll County, Georgia on September 22, 1829.   His second marriage to Lucretia Womack in 1839 in Shelby County, Illinois resulted in the birth of his first son, Prior Lee Lankford (1815 - 1854). 
Just 4 years later, Garrett married Mary F. (unkown) in Lamar County, Texas.

William T. Lankford, the oldest son of Garrett F. and Mahala Watts Lankford, arrived in Texas in 1834 (White, Gifford.  Minutes of the Board of Commissioners, Fannin County, 1838-1840.  St. Louis, Missouri: Ingmire Pub., c1981) He received a grant of 1,400 acres of land along the Red River, 4.5 miles east of the future town of Denison, for his services in the Texas Revolution; he had enlisted September 8, 1841 and served with the Minute Men under Capt. J. Sowell; he was discharged September 20, 1841 (Texas. U.S. Muster Roll Index Cards, 1838- 1900).  He and his father owned most of the land in the Carpenter's Bluff area. The bluff overlooks the Texas-Oklahoma bridge across the Red River. 
Being divided from Indian Territory only by the Red River, the area where the Lankfords settled was subject to frequents raids by outlaws and hostile Indians crossing the river from Indian Territory.
In 1840 William T. Lankford married a daughter of half-Choctaw, Dr. William P. Hunter; the young married couple settled at Old Warren, the first seat of Fannin County, Texas  Mrs. Lankford died in 1847.


At the end of 1847 William married Martha Clark (1826-1903) in Sherman, Grayson County, Texas.  That same year he built their home 4-1/2 miles east of Denison.  The house was a single-story wooden plank home with a steep, high roof of wooden shingles.  The wooden planks were hauled to the site by oxen-pulling wagons from Shreveport, Louisiana. This was a 30-day trip to purchase for milledlumber.  Later, Jefferson, Texas became a closer and important source of lumber for northeast Texas.  The Lankford house is believed to be the first milled lumber house in Grayson County.

William T. Lankford (1819- 1856) built his home nestled among trees, thick bushes and tall grass on a hill, said to be the highest point in Grayson County, about six miles east of Denison; the house stood on what is now Gun Club Road. The sun provided light during the day and a dim yellow light from kerosene lanterns or a rippling fire cast a faint glow during the nights.  An outside brick chimney was built on one side of the house. A tin and wooden framed well provided sweet water for children and adults alike to drink.  The community that grew up around the Lankford home was known as "Shiloh".  The community had a one-room country store, a school, and a cemetery. 
The 1850 Agriculture Census for Grayson County listed William P. Lankford as owning 4 horses, 7 milch cows, 8 oxen, 28 cattle, 9 sheep, 50 swine - all at a value of $610. as well as 600 bushels of Indian corn.  "It appears that Dr. Jones acquired much of William Lankford's original land.   James W. was born on the farm and lived there his entire life.  He was the first pupil to enroll in the first free graded public school in Denison, Texas, then known as the Washington School.
He had grown up farming and over time he developed the land into highly productive cropland, planting much of it in cotton that was raised with the help of hired hands and tenatns.   Newspapers reported a cotton gin in operation on the farm as well.


The Lankford home belonged to the Lankford family and then the Lankford's great-great-great-granddaughter, Mrs. Ruth Duckett, for 124 years until it was moved to become a part of Grayson County's Frontier Village.  In 1870 an epidemic of cholera caused the deaths of at least 80 people.  Original ceilings were removed from the Lankford home to make coffins.

The Lankford Cemetery was located about 500 yards from the home site where William and Mary built; the location was chosen by William because he wanted to be buried near the old oak tree near his house. 

After the death of William, Martha married William J. Morris (1823-1866), a widower, whom she divorced; she later married John King Degraffenreid (1815-1875).  Martha Clark Lankford Degraffenreid continued to live at her homestead when she wasn't traveling alone to inspect her "claim" in Indian Territory east of Denison.  On August 31, 1903 at the age of 78, she passed.


Elwood and Ruth Duckett, a great-great-great-grandson of William Lankford, lived in the house located on 60 acres of the original land grant.  Ruth Duckett lived in the house until her death in August 1971.  The Gouge family then occupied the house until about 1976. In 1978 the house was moved to Frontier Village by Bobby West, who owned the house and property; as a youngster, he used to play baseball in the meadow near the house and attended the nearby Shiloh School.  

Bryant, Mavis Anne.  Health and Death: Denison, Texas, in 1900, c2017, pg. 92