Fannin County, Texas -- Because of rapid population growth along Red River, Daniel Rowlett presented a petition to the Texas Congress on October 5, 1837, requesting that a new county be formed from a section of Red River County west of Bois D'Arc Creek. The county was originally to be named Independence, but during the course of opening debates over the bill the name was changed to Fannin, in honor of James Walker Fannin, Jr., a martyred hero of the Texas Revolution.

The legislation, approved on December 14, 1837, designated the residence of Jacob Black the state house until a more suitable location could be found. The most significant act passed at Black's cabin was to approve the building of the first county road, from Rocky Ford Crossing to Daniel Montague's plantation. The road passed through Fort Warren and bridged Bois D'Arc Creek. Other important legislation dealt with attempts to end Indian hostilities.

On November 28, 1839, another act was passed by Congress to define the boundaries of Fannin County, which at the time included land that later became Grayson, Collin, Cooke, Denton, Montague, Wise, Clay, Jack, Wichita, Archer, Young, Wilbarger, Baylor, Throckmorton, Hardeman, Foard, Knox, Haskell, Stonewall, King, Cottle, and Childress counties, as well as parts of Hunt and Collingsworth counties. The present-day boundaries were established and approved on March 14, 1846.

Rowlett died in 1847 and is buried in the Inglish Cemetery in Bonham, Texas, which is the city's oldest cemetery, located near the original Fort Inglish site. He is one of several prominent pioneers interred there, along with early settlers like Bailey Inglish and Texas Revolution veteran James Tarleton.