The first term of the District Court was held commencing September 29, 1873. The Minutes of the District Court read:

"THE STATE OF TEXAS DISTRICT COURT IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF GREGG, SEPTEMBER TERM, A. D. 1873.

Be it remembered that term of this District Court was begun and holden at the town of Longview within and for the County of Gregg, on the 29th day of September, A. D., 1873, being the last Monday in September as provided by law of holding said Court. Present, R. B. Levy, Clerk, M. L. Durham, Sheriff, E. P. Marshall, District Attorney, Hon. Z. Norton, Judge of the Ninth Judicial District being absent. The Court was regularly opened and adjourned by the Sheriff until tomorrow morning."

SEPTEMBER TERM, A. D. 1873.

"Court met this Second day of October, A. D., 1873, at nine o'clock A. M. pursuant to adjournment, and was only opened by the sheriff. Before the Hon. Z. Norton, Judge of the Ninth Judicial District. Present, R. B. Levy, Clerk, M. L. Durham, Sheriff, E. P. Marshall, District Attorney.

And upon the call of the venire the following named were duly selected, empaneled, tried and sworn and charged as the Grand Jurors for Gregg County, to-wit:

T. S. S. Young
J. R. Magrill
O. H. Methvin, Sr.
T. A. Flewellen
W. L. Welborne
S. F. Walker
Wilson Smelley
J. A. Williams
Silas Billups
W. W. White
W. J. Awalt
Jas. McCutchan
W. D. Fisher
Edwin Jeter
B. M. Bozeman
Jack Newsome

S. May and T. J. Turk were appointed and duly sworn as Bailiffs for the Grand Jury."

A committee of citizens tendered a building for use free of rent as a temporary Court House until such time as a regular Court House could be built, and the same was accepted by the County Court of Gregg County on September 20, 1873. The building tendered and accepted for use as a Court House was located on Lot #1, Block #14, "on Central Street" and fronting Tyler Ave. on the South. The minutes of County Court, Book "A", Page 30, called term September 20, A. D., 1873, reads:

"Ordered that the building located in the town of Longview on part of Lot No. 1, in Block #14 on Central Street and furnished by the citizens of Longview to the County of Gregg as a Court House and offices for the County officers, be and is hereby accepted and that said building on and after the 29th day of September, A. D. 1873, be and is hereby, designated as the Court House of Gregg County."
 

This document was found among loose papers, at the Gladewater Library, that had been donated by John Ben Shepperd.