Daniel Howell played an important part in the settlement of Collin, Denton, and Wise Counties. Prior to 1845 he settled on a 640 acre grant from Peter's colony, just east of present day Celina. The marriage records of Old Fannin County shows that he was married in March of 1845 to Mary Ann (Polly) Bradley Ellis, the widowed daughter of Edward Bradley, another Peter's Colonist. In 1850, Daniel, Mary Ann, and their children were living in McKinney.
Record of Daniel Howell's activities in Texas are abundant. Soon after 1850 he and his family were living in Old Alton, the old county seat of Denton County, where he established himself as a merchant. As he watched the stream of immigrants moving west he reasoned that this would necessitate the formation of a new county (Wise) to the west and the establishment of a county seat. Realizing that a new county seat would need a merchandising establishment, he surveyed a likely spot where the new county seat would doubtless be located. He located his trading post at the edge of the timber near a flowing spring and this later proved to be the center of the newly formed Denton Co. Virtually all business was transacted in this trading post; it served as a post office where mail was brought in once a week from old Alton. Along with the settlers, a tribe of Delaware Indians lived nearby and came to the post to trade hides and furs for calico, tobacco, brown sugar, and whisky. In 1857 Taylorsville, later Decatur, was formed and he moved his store to the new town.
The Civil War brought hard times and great problems to the Howells as well as other families. With no federal troops to protect them, Indian attacks were commonplace. The Commanches were especially fierce, even wiping out the friendly Delawares. The Howells sent the women back to McKinney for safety. When Daniel brought his family back to McKinney, he built a house on a 27 acre tract awarded to his wife from the estate of her father, Edward Bradley. Daniel's granddaughter, Bennie Parker West, lived in the house for years. The house is on Howell St., named for Daniel and is one of the oldest homes in McKinney. Howell Street was the old McKinney-Denton Road then and the house set back from the road. In 1865, Daniel Howell, as a Confederate, was suspended from his position as Chief Justice of Wise County to make room for the Reconstruction group. He sold his store and came back to McKinney where he began again by establishing a store in one of the three brick buildings on the north side of the square.
Record of Daniel Howell's activities in Texas are abundant. Soon after 1850 he and his family were living in Old Alton, the old county seat of Denton County, where he established himself as a merchant. As he watched the stream of immigrants moving west he reasoned that this would necessitate the formation of a new county (Wise) to the west and the establishment of a county seat. Realizing that a new county seat would need a merchandising establishment, he surveyed a likely spot where the new county seat would doubtless be located. He located his trading post at the edge of the timber near a flowing spring and this later proved to be the center of the newly formed Denton Co. Virtually all business was transacted in this trading post; it served as a post office where mail was brought in once a week from old Alton. Along with the settlers, a tribe of Delaware Indians lived nearby and came to the post to trade hides and furs for calico, tobacco, brown sugar, and whisky. In 1857 Taylorsville, later Decatur, was formed and he moved his store to the new town.
The Civil War brought hard times and great problems to the Howells as well as other families. With no federal troops to protect them, Indian attacks were commonplace. The Commanches were especially fierce, even wiping out the friendly Delawares. The Howells sent the women back to McKinney for safety. When Daniel brought his family back to McKinney, he built a house on a 27 acre tract awarded to his wife from the estate of her father, Edward Bradley. Daniel's granddaughter, Bennie Parker West, lived in the house for years. The house is on Howell St., named for Daniel and is one of the oldest homes in McKinney. Howell Street was the old McKinney-Denton Road then and the house set back from the road. In 1865, Daniel Howell, as a Confederate, was suspended from his position as Chief Justice of Wise County to make room for the Reconstruction group. He sold his store and came back to McKinney where he began again by establishing a store in one of the three brick buildings on the north side of the square.
Daniel Howell played an important part in the settlement of Collin, Denton, and Wise Counties. Prior to 1845 he settled on a 640 acre grant from Peter's colony, just east of present day Celina. The marriage records of Old Fannin County shows that he was married in March of 1845 to Mary Ann (Polly) Bradley Ellis, the widowed daughter of Edward Bradley, another Peter's Colonist. In 1850, Daniel, Mary Ann, and their children were living in McKinney.
Record of Daniel Howell's activities in Texas are abundant. Soon after 1850 he and his family were living in Old Alton, the old county seat of Denton County, where he established himself as a merchant. As he watched the stream of immigrants moving west he reasoned that this would necessitate the formation of a new county (Wise) to the west and the establishment of a county seat. Realizing that a new county seat would need a merchandising establishment, he surveyed a likely spot where the new county seat would doubtless be located. He located his trading post at the edge of the timber near a flowing spring and this later proved to be the center of the newly formed Denton Co. Virtually all business was transacted in this trading post; it served as a post office where mail was brought in once a week from old Alton. Along with the settlers, a tribe of Delaware Indians lived nearby and came to the post to trade hides and furs for calico, tobacco, brown sugar, and whisky. In 1857 Taylorsville, later Decatur, was formed and he moved his store to the new town.
The Civil War brought hard times and great problems to the Howells as well as other families. With no federal troops to protect them, Indian attacks were commonplace. The Commanches were especially fierce, even wiping out the friendly Delawares. The Howells sent the women back to McKinney for safety. When Daniel brought his family back to McKinney, he built a house on a 27 acre tract awarded to his wife from the estate of her father, Edward Bradley. Daniel's granddaughter, Bennie Parker West, lived in the house for years. The house is on Howell St., named for Daniel and is one of the oldest homes in McKinney. Howell Street was the old McKinney-Denton Road then and the house set back from the road. In 1865, Daniel Howell, as a Confederate, was suspended from his position as Chief Justice of Wise County to make room for the Reconstruction group. He sold his store and came back to McKinney where he began again by establishing a store in one of the three brick buildings on the north side of the square.
Record of Daniel Howell's activities in Texas are abundant. Soon after 1850 he and his family were living in Old Alton, the old county seat of Denton County, where he established himself as a merchant. As he watched the stream of immigrants moving west he reasoned that this would necessitate the formation of a new county (Wise) to the west and the establishment of a county seat. Realizing that a new county seat would need a merchandising establishment, he surveyed a likely spot where the new county seat would doubtless be located. He located his trading post at the edge of the timber near a flowing spring and this later proved to be the center of the newly formed Denton Co. Virtually all business was transacted in this trading post; it served as a post office where mail was brought in once a week from old Alton. Along with the settlers, a tribe of Delaware Indians lived nearby and came to the post to trade hides and furs for calico, tobacco, brown sugar, and whisky. In 1857 Taylorsville, later Decatur, was formed and he moved his store to the new town.
The Civil War brought hard times and great problems to the Howells as well as other families. With no federal troops to protect them, Indian attacks were commonplace. The Commanches were especially fierce, even wiping out the friendly Delawares. The Howells sent the women back to McKinney for safety. When Daniel brought his family back to McKinney, he built a house on a 27 acre tract awarded to his wife from the estate of her father, Edward Bradley. Daniel's granddaughter, Bennie Parker West, lived in the house for years. The house is on Howell St., named for Daniel and is one of the oldest homes in McKinney. Howell Street was the old McKinney-Denton Road then and the house set back from the road. In 1865, Daniel Howell, as a Confederate, was suspended from his position as Chief Justice of Wise County to make room for the Reconstruction group. He sold his store and came back to McKinney where he began again by establishing a store in one of the three brick buildings on the north side of the square.
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Age 57 years, 10 months, 8 days
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