Historical MarkerCounty Seat War
Wills Point · Van Zandt County · Dedicated 1996 · THC Atlas #5467011392
The roadside stories worth pulling over for.
Marker Inscription
Due to a surveyor's error, the county seat of Van Zandt County was located on private property in 1850. An election was called 27 years later because of discontent with the site. On May 28, 1877, County Judge Cadwell Walton Raines ordered court records moved to Wills Point from Canton. Many citizens objected, and about 200 armed men from around Canton marched on Wills Point. Governor R. B. Hubbard assigned militia troops to maintain order and fighting was averted. The records were returned in October 1878 and the county seat ultimately remained in Canton. (1997)
About this site
County Seat War is a historical marker in Wills Point, Van Zandt County, dedicated in 1996. It is one of 84 historical markers documented in Van Zandt County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 169 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 32.7014, -95.9917 near Wills Point. The nearest cataloged historic site is Dallas-Shreveport Road (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Fin & Feather Hunting and Fishing Club, White Rose Cemetery, and McKain Family Home.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5467011392. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
