Historical Markers in
Navarro County, Texas

15th Texas Infantry Companies E and G Air Activities of Texas, Corsicana Field Alexander Beaton Alva Everett Taylor American Well & Prospecting Company Angus Schoolhouse Annie Carpenter Love Ash Creek (Pelham) School Baptist General Association of Texas Barry Barry Baptist Church Battle Creek Burial Ground Bazette Baptist Church and Cemetery Beauford Halbert Jester Home Birdston Community and Cemetery Birdston Valley Blooming Grove School Blooming Grove United Methodist Church Britton Dawson Home Brushie Prairie Methodist Church Campbell-Elrod Cemetery Capt. Charles Henry Allyn Chatfield Baptist Church Chatfield United Methodist Church City of Blooming Grove Col. Clinton McKamey Winkler Collin Street Bakery Colonel Roger Q. Mills Conner Cemetery Corsicana Corsicana City Jail of 1908 Corsicana Hebrew Cemetery Corsicana in 1860-1872 Corsicana Newspapers Corsicana Public Library Corsicana State Home Courthouse, Site of First David Reed Mitchell David Wilson Campbell Davidson Family Cemetery Dr. George Washington Hill Dr. Will Coleman, Sr. Dresden Cemetery Dresden United Methodist Church Dunn-Johnston Cemetery Dunn-Ransom Home Early Texas Natural Gas Pipelines Emhouse Baptist Church Eureka Cemetery Eureka Methodist Church Fire Station No. 2 First Baptist Church of Corsicana First Baptist Church of Rice First Independent Baptist Church of Corsicana First Methodist Church First Methodist Church of Richland Former Site of Liberty Hill Settlement Francis Marion Martin Frank Neal Drane Fred Douglass - G. W. Jackson School Frost Frost Baptist Church Frost Methodist Church General Lucian K. Truscott, Jr. George Taylor Jester George Washington Shelton Grange Hall Cemetery Grape Creek Cemetery Hamilton-Beeman Cemetery Hamilton-Bragg Cemetery Haynie Memorial Methodist Church Henry G. Damon Holman Home Home of Whitney Montgomery, Poet Hopewell Baptist Church Hopewell Cemetery Indian Trading Post J. A. Megarity Homestead James Clinton Neill James Emerson Whiteselle James L. Collins Jester-Butler House Johnson-McCammon House Jose Antonio Navarro Joseph S. Cullinan, Pioneer in Texas Oil Josiah Martin Daniel Judge E. J. Simkins House Judge John S. Callicutt Kerens Kerens Presbyterian Church L. P. Hodge Home Last Review of the Confederacy Lawrence Family Cemetery Lemon-Edens House Long Prairie Cemetery Love-Anderson Feud Magnolia Oil Refinery Midway Cemetery Navarro County Navarro County Courthouse Navarro Mills Community Navarro Rifles Oak Valley School Odd Fellow and Rebekah Children's Home Oil City Iron Works Old Welding Shop of H. C. Nicol Pelham Cemetery Pelham Community Petty's Chapel Pinkston Pisgah Ridge Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church Prairie Point Church and Cemetery R. N. White First County Clerk-First Corsicana Postmaster Raleigh Cemetery Rex Ingram Rice Rice Cemetery Richland Cemetery Roane Baptist Church Roger Q. Mills Home Rosenberg Family Rural Shade Samuel R. Frost Samuel Wistar Johnson, M. D. Senator James H. Woods Home Site of Merchants Opera House Site of the First Courthouse Site of Tuckertown Site of University Training School - Central Texas College Smith-McCrery Home Spring Hill Squire Josiah Daniel Home St. John's Episcopal Church State National Bank of Corsicana Stephen Augustus Pace Tatum Home Temple Beth-El The Birthplace of the Petroleum Industry The First National Bank of Corsicana The Fortson Family The Joseph Burleson Family Cemetery The Molloy Hotel The Powell Oil Field The Scales-Fortson House Thomas Ingles Smith Town of Dawson Trading Post of Dr. G. W. Hill Trading Post of Dr. George Washington Hill Wesley Chapel Methodist Church Westminster Presbyterian Church Winkler YMCA of Corsicana Younger Cemetery
The first oil well in the United States was drilled in Texas in 1859. The discovery of oil transformed the economy of the state and helped to make Texas one of the wealthiest states in the nation.
Texas random facts
Navarro County, located in the northeastern part of Texas, has a rich and diverse history that dates back thousands of years. The area was originally home to Native American tribes, including the Caddo and Comanche, who settled along the Trinity River. European explorers and settlers arrived in the 18th century, with Spanish explorers such as Domingo Terán de los Ríos making expeditions through the region.

During the 19th century, the area that is now Navarro County became part of the Republic of Texas and later the state of Texas. In 1848, the county was officially established and named after José Antonio Navarro, a prominent Tejano leader and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. The county seat, Corsicana, was established in 1848 and quickly grew due to its location along the railroad.

Corsicana became known as the "Oil City" in the early 20th century when significant oil discoveries were made in the county. The discovery of the Corsicana oilfield in 1894 brought an economic boom to the area, leading to the establishment of numerous oil companies and refineries. The county's economy flourished as a result, with Corsicana becoming a prosperous industrial and manufacturing center.

In addition to its oil industry, Navarro County has a strong agricultural heritage. Cotton farming was widespread in the county during the 19th and early 20th centuries, with large plantations and slave labor playing a significant role. Today, the county continues to be an important agricultural region, with cattle ranching, corn, and wheat farming being key industries.

Overall, Navarro County's history is marked by its Native American roots, European settlement, oil discoveries, and agricultural prominence. Today, the county retains its historical significance while also embracing modern industries and attractions.

This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Navarro County, Texas.

  • 1846 - Navarro County established as one of the original counties of Texas
  • 1848 - Corsicana chosen as the county seat
  • 1850 - First courthouse built in Corsicana
  • 1861-1865 - Navarro County heavily impacted by the American Civil War
  • 1868 - Construction of the second courthouse in Corsicana
  • 1871 - Corsicana becomes an important trading center for cotton
  • 1881 - First discovery of natural gas in Corsicana leads to development of the oil industry
  • 1894 - Construction of the third and current courthouse in Corsicana
  • 1900 - Corsicana becomes the first Texas city to establish a municipal airport
  • 1930s - Navarro County affected by the Great Depression; agriculture and oil industries suffer
  • 1942-1945 - Corsicana Naval Air Station plays a significant role during World War II
  • 1956 - Corsicana becomes the birthplace of the Collin Street Bakery fruitcake
  • 1960s-1970s - Navarro College is established and begins to grow
  • 1980s-1990s - Corsicana becomes a popular filming location for movies and TV shows
  • 2005 - Hurricane Katrina evacuees temporarily housed in Navarro County
  • 2010 - Corsicana celebrates its sesquicentennial anniversary
  • 2017 - Corsicana locates one of the largest oil fields in Texas in Wolfberry Trend
  • 2020 - Navarro County impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic