Abel Warren near the area
settled by Daniel Dugan. The post, also known as Fort Warren,
was not profitable and abandoned after a few years.

The Republic of Texas was established in 1836 and by 1840 had
established a fort of Texas Rangers commanded by William Preston in an
effort to settle its wide areas of Indian domain. A road
south to Elm Fork of the Trinity River was opened. The new
Ranger post was named Fort Preston. This new road was originally just a
cleared trail with the contract for its building stating that stumps
would not exceed twelve inches in height. The road became a
main artery of travel as settlers came in covered wagons across the
ford at Preston Road into the blackland prairies of Texas.

A settlement grew up near Colbert's Ferry - the haunt of
freighters,cowboys and buffalo hunters. This little town of
tents and shacks was located four miles north of what would become
Denison, Texas and was named Red River City.

Two railroads, the Missouri, Kansas and Texas from the north and the
Houston and Texas Central from the south, were building toward the Red
River crossing. The Grayson County seat of Sherman subscribed a bonus
to the Houston and Texas Central Railroad. Having not been
offered a bonus by Sherman, the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad
decided to develop a new town south of the Red River and extend its
lines east and west. The higher land, four miles south of Red
River City was selected by O. B. Gunn, chief engineer of the Missouri,
Kansas and Texas railroad, as the new townsite. Land was
purchased and the site was kept secret