Gideon Smith (b. 1815), a native of Alabama, moved to Fannin County in 1851 and purchased a 3000-acre tract. He deeded half of the property to his brother John C. Smith, who joined him in 1855. Gideon smith served one term in the Texas Legislature (1857-1858) and participated in the Civil War as a colonel in the Confederate Army. John Smith became a doctor and practiced medicine in the area. Both men were successful planters. Part of the plantation, one of the earliest in the area, has been continuously in production of grain and cattle since 1851.