The July 31, 1975, issue of "The Clarksville Times" conatianed a Bicentennial Feature from which was taken an article published in "The Dallas News" in 1955 and based on records which have been accepted widely as accurate. A portion of one of the paragraphs of this feature reads as follows:

    While the terrain features have, of course, changed, the applicants have insofar as is practical, retraced these directions and find they terminate at the site of the "Ward House", the old Becknell home.
    Memories of individuals in the community which stretch back some ninety-odd years also recall being advised by their parents and grandparents that this house was indeed the Captain Becknell structure, which is completely compaible with the style of architecture, materials and methods of the construction used.~
    All these factors convince the applicants taht this house is the oiginal Becknell home.

HISTORICAL MARKER
for the Home of
WILLIAM BECKNELL

Becknell emigrated to Franklin, Missouri, about 1816, where he was engaged in trade and made a noted trip to Santa Fe in the fall of 1821. Finding American trade welcome, he returned to Franklin and conducted a wagon train to Santa Fe the next spring, following aproximately the route later called the "Santa Fe Trail".
    He trapped in Western Colorado in 1824, returned to Franklin in June, 1825, and merchandized until the fall of 1835 when he led a party of Missourians to the area of Red River County ro partisipate in the Texas Revolution. He recruted a company of mounted riflemen called the "Red River blues" and took them to the South Texas area in 1836.

    Becknell returned to Red River County and ran for Congress of the Republic against Collin McKinney. At first it was thought that Becknell had won, but a recount showed McKinney to be the winner. However a payment warrant from the Republic dated October 13, 1836, showed that Becknell was paid for eleven days service in the House.

    Becknell again returned to Red River County and settled down on his land grant of 3,536 acres about six to eight miles West of Clarksville and remained there until his death on April 30, 1865. (The Handbook of Texas, The Texas State Historical Association, Austin, 1952, page 134)
    He acquired the land in Red River County by a headright (Veteran's reward) from the Republic of Texas rewarding him for bringing volunteer soldiers to fight in the Batt;e of San Jacinto. This land which becae the William Becknell Survey passed to his wife Mary, at his death.

    Other documents dated August 15, 1853, show that Becknell was paid for three months at $75.00 per month, a total of $225.00 as Captain of a Texas Ranger Company.

    Mary Becknell was a remarkable woman herself. She died in 1870 leaving a will which is an extraordinary document and recorded in the County Clerk's office, Red River County, Texas.
    The original house was built by Becknell and was later modified and repaired by the Ward Family, becoming known as the "Ward Place" or the "Ward Home". The house only was purchased in 1967 by its present owners, Mr and Mrs, Harold S. Wallace, the applicants, who moved the building to its present location a few miles East, near the Mabry Community on U.S. Highway 82 West of Clarksville and about four milesfrom downtown Clarksville.

    Perhaps the most authentic mention of the Becknell place is in "The History of Clarksville and Old Red River County" by Pat B. Clark, Mathis Van Nort and Company, Dallas, 1937. On page 17, Clark relates an interesting story involving the company of Red River County soldiers under the command of Captain Becknell and Lt. James Clark arriving at the battleground of San Jancinto a few hours after the battle. The wounded General Houston related to Becknell and Clark the details of the encounter and asked that the Red River County soldiers guard Santa Anna, as these men had not been in the heat of battle, and General Houston said, " I must preserve the life of Santa Anna by all means at any cost".

    One of the guards was "Old Man" John Stiles, an early Red River County settler in the Whiterock area, ten miles Northeast of Clarksville. Stiles reportedly obtained the Masonic apron of Santa Anna and a case of the General's razors, which he kept as war souvenirs.
    Clark, early in his book beginning on page 10, tells of Dayy Crockett's entry into Texas into Red River County across the Red River at Jonesboro and met his friend, John Stiles. But he was also desirous of seeing another old friend, Captain Becknell, and according to Clark:

"Mr Stiles went with him out to the edge of the praire and pointing out a clump of blackjack trees standing on the praire to themselves, he directed Crockett to go just North of those trees and thence on West until he crossed two creeks near Clarksville and one creek two or three miles West, and thence on West until he struck a round praire surrounded by skirts of timber, thence to a house, very easily seen from the edge of that praire, which was the home of Captain Becknell".

        "Stiles directed Crockett to the new home of Becknell, says the Clark account; and Davy set out to visit him".
Later, on page 12, Clark says:
        "David Crockett, being a great hunter, was prevailed upon by Captain Becknell to stop a few days and rest his horse".