TXCASS-L Archives

From: "Jean & Glenn Gilley" <>
Subject: [TXCASS-L] CASS/DAVIS Co. Texas
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 00:37:29 -0600

Hello Everyone:

Hope I can help in answering some earlier question about the name of
Cass/Davis County, Texas

FIRST: From the book East Texas-Its History & Its Makers (pg 838):

"The legislature changed the name of the county to Davis on Dec. 17, 1861
and it retained that name until May 16, 1871 when the name was changed back
to Cass. One version is that the name Davis was in honor of Edmund J.
Davis the carpetbag governor, but it appears by the date just recited that
this is an error. The first change was made by the Confederate legislature
and was doubtless in honor of the Confederate president. The second
change--back to Cass--was made by the reconstruction legislature during
Edmund Davis' administration as governor--a typical radical political
gesture."

SECOND: I am looking at a reference by someone else to the
Handbook of Texas Vol. 1 page 471, and here is what they had copied.

Cass County was originally created in 1846 and named in honor of Senator
Lewis Cass of Michigan. It existed under the name of Davis County between
1861 and 1871 in honor of Jefferson Davis. It was renamed Cass County in
1871.

Hope this helps.

Jean G.

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• [TXCASS-L] CASS/DAVIS Co. Texas by "Jean & Glenn Gilley" <>