Texas Historical Marker: # 5089001193

Located on Washington Street (Corner of Bowie & Washington) in Columbus, Texas.

William B. DeWees - (1799-1878) Early Texas settler. Came here from Kentucky, 1822, when Texas was part of Mexico. Received a large land grant in 1824 as one of Stephen F. Austin's "Old 300" colonists. Worked as blacksmith and trader.

After Columbus was burned in Texas Revolution, 1836, he laid out new (present) town and gave land for courthouse and school. His correspondence, published (1852) as "Letters from an Early Settler of Texas to A Friend," provided valuable eyewitness accounts of the "Runaway Scrape" of the revolution, and life in colonial Texas.

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William Buford DeWees was the son of WILLIAM DeWEES & Mary Polly Buford. William married (1)Lydia Beason) There was one known child from this union: EMILY DeWees. Marriage (2) Angelica Besch on March 7, 1847, in Colorado County, Texas. There were 2 known children: Lydia (DeWees) Smith Kerr and William Buford DeWees II.

William Buford DeWees first visited Texas on a keelboat excursion up the Red River in 1819.

In 1821 he traveled with other families from Arkansas and are documented as stated below.

William Buford DeWees documented his journey's in a book entitled "Letters From An Early Texas Settler."

Letter #V:Colorado River/Coahuila and Texas: March 15.1923

"Dear Friend: "About six months in company with two families I came to this river. We struck the river at crossing of the old La Bahia Road. Here were no

traces of Civilization.......around was all wild and silent. ..........On our arrival at the settlement we found five or six families among whom was my old friend JESSE BURNHAM."

**Note, this book is a must read for any historian. Mr. DeWees documents the land, the settlements and the people and their struggles with the Indians. He gives a detailed sketch of what happened in the RUNAWAY SCRAPE..

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August 3, 1824, DeWees and his partner, James Cook, received title to a league of land on the Colorado River in the southern part of what is now Colorado County, about ten miles below Columbus. April 28, 1831,William Buford Dewees

received title to a second half league on the west bank of the river at the site of the Columbus township.

DeWees traveled in Mexico in 1826 and 1827; afterward he lived in San Antonio for 2 years and then returned to his home on the Colorado.

Beginning in 1837 he held a series of public offices in Colorado County, including justice of the peace, associate land commissioner, and associate justice of the county court. In 1865 he was again elected justice of the peace

for Precinct 1 of Colorado County. Later that year he was appointed to a term as county treasurer by provisional governor A. J. Hamilton.

William B. DeWees shows as JUSTICE OF THE PEACE/Colorado County, Texas 1830 in several marriage books.