Martin Varner (March 3, 1785 – February 14, 1844) was one of the original American settlers in

Mexican Texas Mexican Texas is the historiographical name used to refer to the era of Texan history between 1821 and 1836, when it was part of Mexico. Mexico gained independence in 1821 after winning its Mexican War of Independence, war against Spain, whi ...

, known as the Old Three Hundred, and was a veteran of the

Texas Revolution The Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835 – April 21, 1836) was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos (Hispanic Texans) against the Centralist Republic of Mexico, centralist government of Mexico in the Mexican state of ...

Early life

Born in German Township,

Fayette County, Pennsylvania Fayette County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in southwestern Pennsylvania, adjacent to Maryland and West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 128,804. Its county seat is Uniontown. The county wa ...

, he moved with his family to

Warren County, Ohio Warren County is a County (United States), county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 242,337. Its county seat is Lebanon, Ohio, Lebanon and largest c ...

in 1791. In 1815, Varner moved to

Arkansas Territory The Arkansas Territory was a organized incorporated territory of the United States, territory of the United States from July 4, 1819, to June 15, 1836, when the final extent of Arkansas Territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the ...

and joined with a group of like-minded individuals who moved on to the land south of the Red River. They established the town of Jonesborough in what is now

Red River County, Texas Red River County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,587. Its county seat is Clarksville. The county was created in 1835 and organized in 1837. It is named for the Red River, which forms its ...

. Varner married Elizabeth Inglish (English) at Jonesborough on September 26, 1818.

Texas

In 1821, many of the Spanish colonies in the Americas gained independence. Among the new countries created as a result of the revolutions was

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. Varner heard of Stephen F. Austin's colony on the

Brazos River The Brazos River ( , ), called the ''Río de los Brazos de Dios'' (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 14th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater ...

, and he went to see him, signing with the Old Three Hundred. Varner settled in

Independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...

temporarily. In 1824, Varner was given Mexican land grants in Brazoria and Waller

counties A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

. His Brazoria County property was located outside of what is now West Columbia, at what is now known as the Varner–Hogg Plantation State Historical Site. Varner raised

sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

on the property, and built a

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...

distillery Distillation, also classical distillation, is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more chemically discrete substances; the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixt ...

there. In 1834, Varner sold the property to Columbus Patton. Varner participated in the Battle of Velasco in 1832. He later served in the Army of the Republic of Texas from April through July, 1836. He was awarded of land in Wood County for his service, but he and his family were forced to abandon their land during the Runaway Scrape. For his service during the

Battle of San Jacinto The Battle of San Jacinto (), fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day La Porte and Deer Park, Texas, was the final and decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Samuel Houston, the Texan Army engaged and defeated General A ...

, he received a further in Wood County. He later joined his family in Lamar County, where he bought near Fort Lyday. He later moved back to Wood County, where he and his family became the first permanent settlers. He used the money from the sale of his plantation in Brazoria County to buy up the lands of other San Jacinto veterans.

Death

During a land dispute with a neighbor, Varner was shot in the back and his son, Stephen F., was shot and killed by a Mexican named Gonzales. Martin Varner died three days later. A marker has been placed on the Wood County property by the

Texas Historical Commission The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the U.S. state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas. The commission also identifies Recorded Texas Histor ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Varner, Martin Army of the Republic of Texas personnel People from Fayette County, Pennsylvania People of the Texas Revolution 1785 births 1844 deaths People from Wood County, Texas People from Brazoria County, Texas American emigrants to Mexico