D. B. Cleveland and Mary Mullins were the first couple to be married in the newly organized Palo Pinto County.  Mr. Cleveland had been named county clerk and the first act he preformed was to issue his own marriage license, and they were married October 14, 1857.  Mr. Cleveland was a native of Alabama and was a Methodist.  He settled in Dark Valley north of Palo Pinto soon after his arrival here in 1856.  He took part in a number of Indian fights and in addition to being the first clerk of the county, was also county surveyor.  He died in Hill County in April of 1869.

A grandson of the D. B. Clevelands is Jack H. Cleveland of Mineral Wells and a granddaughter, is Christine Cleveland Jordan of Palo Pinto; great-grandchildren are Evelyn Cleveland Bearse and J. H. Cleveland Jr., now with the Untied States Marines.