Corsicanabr/Navarro County, Texasbr/32 05.888' N 96 28.439' Wbr/Address: Oakwood Cemeterybr/ br/Text: First permanent settler of Corsicana. Rev. Hampton McKinney (1796-1857), a Methodist preacher from Illinois came to Navarro County in 1846 first settling in the Dresden community. While on a return trip to Dresden from a religious camp meeting in the Bazette community, Rev. McKinney passed through the area where Corsicana would later be located. Being so charmed with this ldquo;beautiful part of the countryrdquo; he decided to locate his certificate on this land and make it the familyrsquo;s permanent home. He purchased a one room cabin and moved it onto land where the R.Q. Mills home now stands. When McKinneyrsquo;s land was chosen as the site for the county seat of the newly formed Navarro County, he lifted his certificate so that the town of Corsicana could be laid out. Rev. McKinney and family moved to dogtrot style cabin on the northside of the courthouse square. Later he built the first boarding house in the town on the square known as The McKinney Tavern. The McKinney Tavern served as the temporary home to many of Corsicanarsquo;s early notables.br/ br/Date Photographed: 21-05-06