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The first permanent settlement in this area began in 1869 when eleven Presbyterian families migrated here from New York. Organized by Howard L. Parmele and others, including his brother-in-law Samuel F. B. Morse, the inventor of the telegraph, the colony was formed for the establishment of a Presbyterian U.S.A. mission. Land for the settlement was located near the site of Waller Wells, an early campground used by freight haulers operating between Sherman and the East Texas port of Jefferson. Named for a nearby stream, Valley Creek became a thriving community in the 1870s under the direction of Howard Parmele, who established a mercantile store, sawmill, and cotton gin here. The town also included a school, hotel, post office, drugstore, grist mill, barbershop, doctors, churches, and a blacksmith shop. With the assistance of dr. d. H. Dodson, an Iowa minister and educator, the local Presbyterian U.S.A. church was formally organized in 1875. Bypassed by rail lines in 1880, the town declined. Businesses were moved to Leonard (3 mi. S), where many former Valley Creek residents became prominent leaders. Only a church building and a cemetery remain at the site of the pioneer Valley Creek community. |
