Abraham (Abram) Roberts (1773-1850), a native of Georgia, came to Texas as a widower in 1827 and settled on Spring Creek about 1829, where his home stood at a prominent crossroads in the sparsely populated community of New Kentucky about three miles east of his neighbor Samuel McCarley. On March 21, 1836, the interim government of the Republic of Texas stayed at Roberts' home overnight while enroute to Harrisburg to establish the Republic's new capital. On April 16, 1836, the Texas army under Sam Houston left McCarley's home and arrived there about midday, then paused at the crossroads as soldiers, worried that Houston might continue retreating east to the Trinity River while the Mexican army advanced on Harrisburg, asked Roberts to show the way to Harrisburg. As Roberts, standing on his gate, pointed southeast, a great shout arose, and Houston took the Harrisburg Road; on April 21 his army defeated the Mexicans at the Battle of San Jacinto, and the decision to take that road became famous as a turning point in the campaign for Texas independence.