Kerr was a soldier, attorney, politician, and early settler in Texas. Born in Kentucky in 1790, his family moved to Missouri where he worked as a county sheriff and was elected to two terms as a Congressman and one term as Senator in the Missouri Congress. He moved to Texas in 1825 to survey the lands for Dewitt’s Colony. He joined Austin’s Colony and continued his surveying work, laying out plans for the establishment of the town of Gonzalez and surveying the lands of Benjamin Milam. Kerr was active in Texas politics, serving as a delegate to the various conventions and consultations that met from 1832-1835 to discuss issues with Mexico. After independence, Kerr moved to Jackson County where he practiced medicine and served one term as a congressman. He died in 1850, and Kerr County is named in his honor.
