Lake Creek Township History

Lake Creek Township, numbered by congress town 8 south, range 3 east, did not receive the general early settlement of the area to the east and south. “The Lake Fork of Pond Creek” often spread over the country with its yellow waters in fair imitation of a lake. Barrens in the northwest and a maple swamp in the southeast made uninviting stretches, although only 560 acres of swamp lands were sold in this township, much less than in other townships.

The first purely local road in the county crossed the township, going from Jordan’s fort through William’s prairie and on west to Humphreys ford. Worthen trail ran diagonally through the township from Squat Church to the northwest corner.

Robert Worthen made the first land entry in 1830, along the north line of the township. He worked in Robert’s prairie road district. Jacob Sanders entered land in 1833. James Goddard, father of James T. Goddard the merchant at Bainbridge and Marion, came from Virginia and settled on land he entered in 1836. William Pike, on part of whose land Johnston City was built, began his land entries in 1837. Jacob Hunter came to the township in 1826 and made his land entry in 1837. The same year Thomas Sanders took out part of section 36, where the first church in the county was built in 1819. George W. Binkley, who was named assessor of the eastern district when the Williamson county commissioners’ court organized the county offices, entered some Lake Creek land in 1837. Two years later, Samuel Beasley made legal his claim to a homestead from which Beasley’s branch drained.

The school lands of the township were managed by Francis Bearden, William Pike, and Royal Farmer at the time of the county division.

John Gambrel was named road supervisor when the Williamson county commissioners’ court named one man to oversee the roads of each congressional township. Earlier the greater part of the township lay in Pond Creek road district.

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(Extracted from Pioneer Folks and Places, Barbara Barr Hubbs, 1939 which is on sale at the Williamson County Museum)