Taken from Van Zandt County Texas Biographies 1848-1991 Vol. II. Thanks to Kitty Wheeler for the original information and for permission to use it on the web site. The information that is included in this document is transcribed portions of information that appear in the above referenced book. Additions, corrections, comments, complaints and compliments concerning this page should be submitted to Betty Miller and Patsy Vinson.
The town of Stone Point was located eight miles west of Canton almost a mile south of State highway 243. It lies along the prairie, at the base of a rock hill from which it received its name.
Matthew M. Norman, the first postmaster, was one of the earliest settlers in the community. he was born in Lincoln Co., Tennessee, and married Amanda Jane Park on 24 Dec 1854 in Lawrence co., Tennessee. Around 1858 this family migrated to Texas and settled in the Stone Point area. On the postal application in 1879, he stated the population as 150. Mack Norman returned to Stone Point after his service in the Confederate Army to resume his farming activities and was an active member in 1886 of the Farmers' Alliance. They met the Saturday before the second and fourth sunday, in each month, at 1 o'clock, with G. W. Phipps, president; a. J. hargrove, vice-president; A. J. Teel, secretary; H. West, Chaplain; B. F. hargrove, treasurer; M. M. Norman, lecturer, Jack Stone, door keeper.
Another early settler, Lawrence Mcdonald Norman, son of Finley Norman and Julia Berry, was reared on a farm in Tennessee. He came to Texas in 1869 and became a teacher. On 25 Feb 1885, he married Dora lee herrin and raised their family in a comfortable home in Stone point. He owned and operated a gin and store with a good variety of stock. It seemed to his customers that he bought his goods with a special view to their needs.
the citizens of Stone point were indeed fortunate to have a most prestigious and competent physician and surgeon to attend them. Dr. William Brutus Watkins was reared in the antebellum condition in Monroe Co., Alabama. He was of one of eight children born to John Watkins. William, as he was called, was educated in the common schools and at the University of Alabama. Immediately at the close of the Civil War he entered upon the study of medicine and graduated from that is now Tulane University in New Orleans, after having taken one full course in the College of Physicians in New York City. His opportunities in clinics, two full years, were unsurpassed in his most excellent alma mater. he began the practice in alabama, where he remained two years, but in January 1874 he came to Van Zandt County. On 16 Feb 1876, he married Miss Calodonia A. Harrison, a daughter of Judge J. M. Harrison, one of the oldest settlers in the county.
Trip by the Van Zandter Editor - "15 Dec 1899 - Stone Point. Before reaching Stone Point we were near Dawson school house and so we drove by there and saw as fine a crowd of boys and girls as can be seen anywhere, all under the direction and instruction of Mr. W. D. harris whom we found in the school room helping some of the pupils over hard places in their lessons like the true teacher does frequently. The rest of the school were out at play, it being the hour of th eafternoon recess. Mrs. Harris has held this position now several terms which proves her worth to hold it.
"Now we are in Stone Point. We first went to the store of the Wills Point Merchantile Co. and found the manager of same, Calvin Graham, our ex-sheriff, as pleasant as ever. We went down Main Street to the next place of business where the firm of Davenport & Herrin are also doing a good general merchandise business. Mr. Davenport is also postmaster here. Mr. L. M. Norman, the owner of the gin here, another of the enterprises of the place, was also here and busy writing deeds and taking acknowledgements. he seems to be a very useful and very necessary man to th eprogress of the place.
"Stone Point has two fine schools in a mile or two of each other, Dawson and the Stone Point or Watkins school, west of the place, and presided over by Prof. A. B. Dawson, a Van Zandt boy. He is assisted by Ms. Paschall."
Though the town of Stone Point as described here has long since been gone the memories are precious to the ones who knew Stone Point.
~ Van Zandt County ~
Patsy
Finley Vinson