The Collom family has to be the most interesting family that I have ever studied.  Have you ever wondered who was the first Anglo-American family was to come and settle here?  Well, this may be the ones.  Another point of interest is the huge amount of land that they owned.

Charles Collom and his family arrived here in June of 1819 as members of Wavell's Colony.  General Arthur Wavell obtained 20,000 pounds from English investors and a grant from the Mexican government.  He sent Benjamin R Milam to direct the settlement which was located in what is now Red River and Bowie Counties in Texas and Miller County in Arkansas.  These settlers were unable to get deeds for the land because the governor of Arkansas claimed the grant was in their territory.  About 120 families settled in the area between the Red and Sulphur Rivers.  A Colony Registration (1830/1) is given in "Bowie County Texas Historical Handbook, 1840-1976" which is in the Genealogy Department of the New Boston Library.

When Texas became a Republic on March 2, 1836, they gave a league and a labor of land to every married man and 1/3 league to ever single man that was living here.  A league of land is 4,428 acres and a labor is 177 acres.  So, Charles Collom received 4,605 acres which was located between New Boston and Hooks.  Charles's father and brothers and brother-in-law also received the same amount.  Seven members of this family received 4, 605 acres each because they were here.

Charles Collom was born in 1797 and married Elizabeth Katherine Hyder.  Charles was the son of George Collom, 1772-1843, and his wife Hannah Rosser 1773-1840.  George and Hannah came here from White County, Tennessee on a keel boat.  They landed at Lost Prairie, Arkansas on the Red River in 1821.  Collin Collom, a brother to Charles, arrived in August of 1819.  Jonathan arrived in 1827, and William in 1824.  Their sister, Elizabeth married Levi M Rice in 1829.  These families did bring slaves, therefore the first Afro-Americans also came to Bowie County at the same time.

Charles and Katherine Collom settled about 3 miles northeast of Old Boston.  They had fourteen children.  Their second child is believed to be the first white child born in Bowie County.  Two of their children died as babies and are not listed.
 1. Jacob Hyder, born 1818, married Ann Alford, second Elizabeth ____
 2. George Gaines III, born 1819 in Texas, died 1850
 3. Hannah, born 1825-1843, did not marry
 4. Seth, born 1827-1859, did not marry
 5. Miles, born 1829-1834
 6. Allen, born 1831-1853, married Mary Tidwell
 7. Spencer Rice, born 1833-1918, married Martha J Reed
 8. Nathan, born 1834, did not marry
 9. William Carroll, born 1835-1866, did not marry
10. Charles Collin, born 1838-1905, married cousin Mary Collom, and second Rebecca Courtney.  He is buried at Rock Creek Cemetery
11. Elizabeth, twin of Charles Collin, born 1838-1928, married Frank Eckols, second Robert Wommack, lived in Cass County
12. Jesse Lemuel, born 1841-1922, married Annie Crossland, second Nancy Jane ____

Probably the most well-known members of the Collom family are the doctors it produced.  Dr Spencer Allen Collom was the son of Spencer Rice Collom and Martha J Reed and his son Dr Spencer A Collom Jr practiced medicine in Texarkana until his death in 1955, where he was associated with Collom-Carney Clinic.

The Collin Collom land includes the western part of New Boston out to Highway 98.