Childress County, TX - People-Named Places on Waymarking.com

The Place:

This waymark is centered on the Childress County Courthouse in Childress, Texas. Both were incorporated four decades after the death of their namesake, George Childress. Most of the seven thousand residents of the county live in Childress. The county was organized in 1887 with the arrival of the Fort Worth and Denver Railway. At that time there were two towns in the area, Childress and Henry; an election determined that Childress would be the county seat, and the county was named accordingly. The town of Henry eventually faded away as its residents moved to Childress.

The Person:

Both the town and the county are named for George Campbell Childress (1804-1841). Childress was born in Nashville, TN and eventually became editor of the Nashville Banner. He became one of many from Tennessee to support the Texas Army and eventually immigrated (illegally) to Texas. in 1836 he was named chairman of a committee appointed to create a Declaration of Independence, a task they completed in a single day. It is believed that Childress brought a draft of such a document with him, and is is acknowledged as the primary (and likely sole) author of what is now known as the Texas Declaration of Independence. The document is modeled on the U.S. Declaration of Independence and draws heavily on the writings of John Locke and Thomas Jefferson. Childress met a sad end; his law practice in Galveston failed and he committed suicide.

Year it was dedicated: 1876 Location of Coordinates: County Courthouse Related Web address (if available): [Web Link] Type of place/structure you are waymarking: County

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