John Wortham 1804-1867

• Born 10 May 1804 in North Carolina
• Died 12 November 1867 in Houston County, Texas
• Buried Wortham Family Cemetery, Houston County, Texas; findagrave

John Wortham - A pioneer area landowner and farmer, John Wortham (1804-67) was a petitioner for the creation of Houston County in 1837. He later served as a captain of an independent ranger company, as major in the Republic of Texas Army and as quartermaster of the Texas Militia. In addition to his military service, he was a trustee of Trinity College and was appointed to the first Board of Land Commissioners for the Texas Republic. He also owned a local sawmill and gristmill. Twice married, Wortham was the father of 12 children. He was buried on this land (2.3 miles SW). 

MAJOR JOHN WORTHAM FAMILY GRAVES. Some five miles north of Crockett off US-287 then two miles more on FM-2160 is the one-time John Wortham Plantation of 1830-1860s. Access road is across from the Spring Creek Country Club entrance. Spring Creek was once a part of the Wortham plantation. Mrs. Rose Skalicky and sons Joe Charles and Larry are present owners. Along with the family burial plot is the original Wortham log cabin, now used as a barn. At the burial site, a granite marker presented in 1935 honors Major John Wortham, as an independent Ranger commanding officer of the 1830's and a member of the Texas Army. On his marble grave stone is listed:

WORTHAM
• Major John; b: 5-10-1800; d: 11-12-1867

Two other gravestones are:

WORTHAM
• John Jr.; b: 1-29-1846; d: 4-11-1886; s/o John & Carey Ann Vaughan Wortham
• Melchijah; (also Bud) b: 8-4-1852; d: 9-12-1875; s/o John & Carey Ann Vaughan Wortham

A further Texas Historical Marker was placed at the US-287 intersection with the FM-2160 to John Wortham in 1981. This tells of his contributions as a pioneer developer of Houston County and as commander of an independent Ranger Company for the Republic of Texas. A maternal great grand-daughter Eliza H. Bishop sponsored the Marker so that the inaccessible Wortham plantation site and burial grounds might become public knowledge to the highway travelers.