Clinton

Clinton, former county seat of DeWitt County, was located on the west bank of the Guadalupe River five miles southwest of the site of present Cuero. The first settlers of the area were members of DeWitt's colony; the Richard Chisholm family settled in January 1829 and the Andrew Lockhart family later that March. The town gained notoriety during the Sutton-Taylor feud. Life in this area was rugged and perilous, despite DeWitt's settlements to the north and De León's colony to the southeast. In the fall of 1829 Comanches kidnapped young Matilda Lockhart and three visiting companions as the children were gathering pecans in the Guadalupe riverbottom. The Lockhart girl was rescued, but she died from the effects of the ordeal; the other three children were never found. About 1839 Richard Chisholm began operating a ferry across the Guadalupe River about 3½ miles below the confluence of the river and Sandies Creek. He soon opened a store and a horse-driven gristmill that was used by settlers from as far away as Meyersville.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.