Gainesville and Cooke County

Cooke County, Texas, located in the north central part of the state, has a richly varied history. Those who first entered the area-Native Americans, gold seekers headed for California, army officials, and settlers-discovered a raw, unspoiled land. Eyewitness accounts speak of "grass that was as high as a man's head," and indeed, the land was rich for farming and ranching. In 1841, W.S. Peters and associates signed their first contract with the Republic of Texas, which provided that within three