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Little is known about this Anderson County pioneer until he married Elizabeth Van Winkle in Crawford County, Illinois, in 1820. The Mains lived in the Illinois township of Palestine until 1833, when, drawn by a favorable change in the Mexican colonization laws, they moved their family to the Nacogdoches District of what is now Texas. Micham Main applied for a land grant in David G. Burnet's colony and received property in what is now Anderson County in 1835. He farmed the land, as was required under the terms of his grant, and joined the Republic of Texas army for a brief tenure in 1836. Ten years later, the first Texas legislature created Anderson County, and Micham Main was appointed as one of three men to establish a site for a county seat and to give it a name. Along with James Box and John Parker, also from Illinois' Palestine township, a 100-acre tract of land was selected and accepted by the Anderson County commissioners court. Early histories of Anderson County credit Micham Main with naming the new Anderson County seat Palestine for his former residence in Illinois. Later accounts, however, recognize John Parker for this action. Primary source materials that could verify either claim have not surfaced. Nevertheless, Micham Main remains an important part of Anderson County's early history. He died at his home in 1847 and is buried in the Swanson Cemetery. (2002) |
