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HISTORY NAVARRO COUNTY
Carpenter Love ..
1800
Class
F392
Book
NILS
Copyright N.ยบ.
Copy2
COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT.
HISTORY 2
of
Navarro County
By ANNIE CARPENTER (MRS. W. F.) LOVE 1
SOUTHWEST PRESS DALLAS, TEXAS
Copy 2
F 392 . NaLa Cappy 2.
33-1225
JAN -9 1933
CCIA 57827
Copyright, 1933 By ANNIE CARPENTER (MRS. W. F.) LOVE
Dedicated to my Father THOMAS W. CARPENTER and to my Mother ELLEN ISAPHINE (DICKSON) CARPENTER Navarro County Pioneers
PRINTED IN TEXAS
T
Navarro County was so called in honor of Jose Antonio Na- varro, a loyal Texan, who played a prominent part in the struggle with Mexico and who, by honesty and faith- fulness, won the enduring ad- miration of all true Texans.
-2-
Jose Antonio Navarro
ILLUSTRATIONS
Jose Antonio Navarro 9
Map of Early Texas 20
Dickson Home; Indian Springs 38
Early Map of Navarro County 62
"Old Town Plot" of Corsicana
66
Fifth Navarro County Court House
70
Post-War Corsicana
110
Map of Present Navarro County
116
Corsicana in the Eighties.
134
First Magnolia Petroleum Company Refinery,
Employes and First Oil Burning Locomotive.
154
Magnolia Petroleum Company Organizers and
Old Tank Car
156
Development of Gasoline Transportation.
158
Robinson Home at Dresden 184
Lisman Home at Chatfield 184
Hon. Marion Martin 202
Capt. and Mrs. A. Angus 248
Roger Q. Mills and Home. 260
George Jester
262
Mr. and Mrs. T. W. Carpenter. 268
CONTENTS
Chapter Page
I. EARLY TEXAS - 15
Introductory ... Spanish influence ... Mexican affiliation . . . The Republic of Texas ... Early colonies ... Land grants ... Homestead Law.
II. INDIAN TROUBLES - 29
An account by W. F. Henderson ... First attempt at sur- veying ... Second attempt at surveying ... Gen. Lane's account.
III. ORGANIZATION 59
Annexation of Texas . .. Formation of state constitution . .. County organized ... First county map by Senor An- tonio Navarro ... Election of first county officers ... Re- port of first Commissioners ... Old Town plot ... Immi- gration ... Court houses ... District and County Judges . . . Early jurors ... Early roads.
IV. YOUNG CORSICANA 79
Hotels ... Postmasters . . Business on the square . . . "Mesmerizer Creek" . . . Legal status of Corsicana . . . Grasshopper plague . .. Prairie fires.
V. THROUGH THE CIVIL WAR 95
Life of early settlers . .. Style of architecture ... Re- sourcefulness of Harvey Beeman ... Description of old settler ... First fair ... Prosperity followed by Civil War ... Rosters of military organizations ... Texas re- admitted to the Union.
VI. DEVELOPMENT 113
Farms begin to appear ... Camp meetings ... Culture de- velops ... Corsicana in 1880 ... Cattle industry ... Cot- ton production increases ... Early education and schools
.. . Present school system ... Financial history ... Or- phans' homes ... Military organizations ... Railroads ... Newspapers ... Fire department history . . Significant facts about oil industry ... Bar association ... Religious ' history . .. The Horse and his day . . . Medical history . .. Street railway ... Public library .. Commercial or- ganizations ... City government.
VII. TOWNS OF NAVARRO COUNTY 181
Spring Hill ... Dresden ... Raleigh ... Taos or Porter's Bluff ... Chatfield ... Wadeville ... Rural Shade ... Richland ... Blooming Grove ... Bazette ... Cryer Creek Kerens ... Dawson ... Frost ... Barry ... Purdon ... Rice ... Currie ... Powell ... Mildred ... Winkler ... Cook's School House and Corbet ... Retreat ... Pleasant Grove . .. Petty's Chapel ... Roane ... Emhouse ... Pinkston ... Eureka ... South Navarro ... Navarro ... Rodney ... Brushy Prairie ... Emmett ... Angus ... POPULAR NAVARRO COMMUNITIES: Round Prairie, Long Prairie, Alligator School House, Black Hills, Farmers, Buffalo, Cade, Birdston, Montfort, Pickett, Eldorado, Jes- ter, St. Elmo, White's Chapel, Drane, Hester, Tupelo, Pursley, Brown's Valley, Neil's Valley and Rushing.
VIII. PIONEER FAMILIES
. 252
Readers can appreciate that it has been impossible to col- lect the name of every pioneer family of Navarro County. Therefore any which might not be included have been names which did not appear during an exhaustive search for all information about Navarro County and its early history.
PREFACE
The sources from which this work has been compil- ed are varied. Information has been gleaned from such publications as the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, official records of Navarro County and in the archives of the State of Texas at Austin, the Dal- las Morning News, the Corsicana Daily Sun, copies of the old Corsicana Observer and Navarro Express, Ful- more's History, sketches of Navarro and other coun- ties.
An expression of appreciation is made for the as- sistance given by T. P. Kerr and J. D. Hamilton (de- ceased) and an acknowledgement of the invaluable co- operation of my brother, John W. Carpenter.
Much assistance also came from an appeal by Coun- ty Superintendent Andrew K. Steele to county teach- ers to assist in securing historical data. The appeal was responded to by Mr. Brinberry of Rural Shade and pupils Opal Harris and Ethel Stucker; Maurice Keathly, teacher at Jones School and pupil Ona Bell Ramage; Miss Christine Woodring, teacher at Em- house, and pupils Edward Anderson and Eunice Way; J. K. Brim, at Angus, and pupil Corinne Caffy; J. C. R. Sanders, at Rice, and pupil Grafton Goodwin; Mrs. Mabel Boltz, at Petty's Chapel; Mrs. Dale Owens, of Kerens, and Ellis Head, student.
Many individuals have furnished authoritative in- formation. Most sincere thanks are offered to all of these.
CHAPTER I
EARLY TEXAS
T HE chief incentive to the writing of this history of Navarro County has been a wish to preserve, in permanent form, a record of the past that it may no longer be clouded in ignorance or perplexed by fiction; to rescue from oblivion the memories of the pioneers, whose heirs we are.
Much of the prosperity and happiness that we now enjoy is due to the struggles and tribulations of our forefathers. Every worthy descendant of those gal- lant and adventurous spirits should feel a strong de- sire to become more intimately acquainted with their history and character.
A veneration of what has gone before and anticipa- tion of what is to come are the main factors by which man differs from lower animals. It behooves citizens of today to teach their children love and respect for the pioneers who opened up this great country.
The State of Texas approximates one thousand miles from North to South and about the same distance from East to West and its historical romance is further en- hanced by its physical variations, since within the con- fines of this great State may be found extremities of
HISTORY OF NAVARRO COUNTY
climate from the frigid plains of the Northwestern Panhandle to the tropical climate of the Rio Grande Valley. No other state possesses such a variety. The geographical description of Texas is within itself a ro- mantic volume and the resources are apparently with- out limitation.
The name "Texas" is derived from an old Indian tribal designation, "Tejas", or "Tecas", and authorities agree that the word meant "friendly" or "friends". The term was not applied to any specific tribe of Indians but embraced ten or twelve tribes, each with a distinc- tive name, who inhabited the region which now com- prises approximately the Counties of Cherokee, Rusk, Houston, and Nacogdoches. Records indicate there were about eight hundred heads of families who culti- vated the soil, lived in wood houses, and possessed a higher order of intelligence than surrounding tribes of Indians and these outstanding tribes were generally re- ferred to under the appellation of the Tejas Indians.
In 1680 DeLeon and Father Massenet arrived at Ne- badache village in what is now the Northeastern part of Houston County at the junction of San Pedro Creek and the Neches River and established the Mission "San Francisco De La Tejas." DeLeon wrote to the Viceroy in Spain, "The Tejas are a well governed people and plant large quantities of maize, beans, calabashes, can- teloupes and watermelons."
The region inhabited by these friendly Indians soon became known as the Province of the Tejas and, after exploration of about a quarter of a century, this desig-
16
EARLY TEXAS
nation had become so firmly implanted that later desig- nations did not seem to apply and what is now Texas is the outgrowth of the term as originally given to the small section of the State inhabited by these friendly tribes. At one time Spain endeavored to name the ter- ritory North of the Rio Grande "New Philipinas" in honor of King Philip, but "Texas" had become so fixed in the minds of the inhabitants that the name "Nuevas Philipinas" soon fell into disuse. The name of Texas has come down, not only as a geographical name, embrac- ing all of the original territory of Texas, but following the changes, political and otherwise, has attached it- self to all of the territory within the present boundary of the State.
During the Spanish dominion, the whole population of Texas, exclusive of Indians, did not exceed 5,000 souls, nor did it exceed that at the time that Anglo American settlement began in 1822.
The Spanish explored and gave names to all of the conspicuous features along the gulf shore from Sabine Pass to the Rio Grande; islands, bays, passes, all streams emptying into the Gulf of Mexico and to many of the tributaries as well as to the mountains, trees, birds and fishes.
We have no sounds, inlets, straits, capes and lakes, but have passes, points, bayous, lagoons, matagordas, and mingled with these are many Indian names. Among the trees, we have the Mesquite and Huisache and Yu- pon, and among the birds are the Chaparral.
17
HISTORY OF NAVARRO COUNTY
The names of several counties in Texas were hoary with age before Texas began to develop into geographi- cal significance. These names were probably here be- fore Columbus discovered America. At any rate Coron- ado and the followers of DeSoto found them here, with a well established identity, fifty years after that event.
Nacogdoches, Pecos, and Pueblos, are among these prehistoric names. The Pecos tribe of Indians had a village at the head of the river which now bears that name. When Coronado made his expedition the tribe had a tradition that it had never been conquered.
Upon entering Texas the Spanish, being desirous of erecting a barrier against the French, English, and Americans tried to secure the allegiance of the Indians, and introduced to them the customs of civilization.
As the priests were not able to control the savages, missions under the protection of the presidios, thought to inspire awe, were built.
These measures failed to secure the desired result and from 1772 to 1783 military discipline was tried.
For almost twenty years, the Spanish tried to hold the Indians to their promised allegiance by a syste- matic distribution of presents and special trade privi- leges but at the opening of the nineteenth century the Indian problem was more complicated than at the be- ginning of Spanish occupation.
After Mexico became a republic the policy toward immigration became more liberal and the great current
18
EARLY TEXAS
of oncoming settlers began. As stated before Texas had few inhabitants other than Indians and, in the years immediately succeeding the Mexican Revolution, colonies sprang up and Texas assumed great import- ance.
There have been many opinions expressed and many explanations made of the various causes which led to Texas Independence but the final and vital reason was that Texans considered that they were alien subjects to an inferior race.
The revolution passed through two phases: first, a defense of Mexico's Republican Constitution of 1824 in an effort to secure the cooperation of Mexican Liberals who opposed military despotism. The Texas leaders earnestly tried to be loyal to the Mexican government. The second was a struggle for absolute independence.
There were many in the United States who censur- ed the Texans, but the majority of prominent citizens of Texas were former citizens of the United States, of Anglo-Saxon origin, and of course had many sympa- thizers.
There were many Mexicans opposed to military despotism of the leaders, who exerted every effort to secure for Texas and Coahuila the rights and privileges to which they laid claim but they were unable to turn the scale. When it became evident, after repeated failures to secure the rights of a state, that the inter- ests of Texas were secondary and subject to those of Coahuila the Texans felt there was no other course pos- sible, than the one which was pursued.
19
HISTORY OF NAVARRO COUNTY
When the revolution by Texas against Mexico began there were no political divisions such as counties. There were departments and municipalities. There were three departments: Bexar, Brazoria, and Nacog- doches.
There were eighteen municipalities: Austin, Bexar, Brazoria (formerly called Bevil), Liberty, Matagor- da, Milam (formerly called Viesca), Mina (afterwards called Bastrop), Nacogdoches, Refugio, San Augustine, San Patricio, Shelby or Teneha, Victoria, and Washing- ton. Five additional were created by the Provisional Council in 1835: Coronado, Jackson, Jefferson, Red River, and Sabine.
The department was ignored as a political unit in several conventions, being unsuited to a representative form of government.
Representatives came from the various municipali- ties, and they were the nucleus of the counties created by the First Congress of the Republic of Texas.
The province from which Navarro County was final- ly formed, was called Viesca, later Milam, and still la- ter, Robertson County.
Texas became a Republic in 1836, and the trickle of immigration became a steady flow, which now, almost one hundred years later, has not ceased.
With indomitable spirit the early arrivals hewed homes from the wilderness, established a semblance of order. Towns were built, roads opened, justice, regu-
20
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EARLY TEXAS
lated by law, was administered, and education to the utmost extent encouraged, freedom in religion and con- science was allowed.
The recognition of Texas as a republic, was acknowl- edged by the leading nations but many difficulties were confronted. It was impossible, with affairs in the chaotic state which then prevailed, to do more than to meet issues as they arose. In the President's message, to the First Congress of the Republic, he said that the Indian situation was very critical and that the mili- tary forces in the field were far outnumbered by the host marching against them, and "were it not that there is a vast discrepancy between the military capa- cities of the opposing armies, the subjugation of Tex- as would be inevitable, but that discrepancy had con- stituted an important ground of confidence in their success, and it was worthy of all estimation, for it was a discrepancy not only of military power, but of moral attributes and of political knowledge."
Houston's policy with the Indians was firm yet con- ciliatory, for while he was opposed to aggression against the Indians, he was in favor of sure protection of the frontier. In the years following the Texas Rev- olution many settlements and colonies appeared in the new Republic of Texas.
The year of 1821 saw Mexico throw off the yoke of Spain and grant to Moses Austin the right to settle a colony in the Province of Texas.
Four years later, Robert Leftwich was sent from
21
HISTORY OF NAVARRO COUNTY
Nashville, Tennessee, to procure a contract to settle eight hundred families. The territory sought for the settlement of the colony was embraced in the follow- ing bounds: beginning on West bank of the Nava- sota Creek at the upper crossing of the San Antonio Road, thence Westward with said road to the divid- ing ridge between the Brazos and Colorado Rivers; thence to the ridge of hills Northward to strike the old Comanche trail leading to Nacogdoches; thence to Na- vasota creek and down the said creek with its mean- ders to the beginning. It embraced parts of what is now Burleson and Brazos Counties, all of Williamson, Milam, Falls, McLennan, Bell, Coryell, Limestone, Na- varro, a part of Hill and small parts of other Counties. The date of the contract was April 5, 1825. Leftwich died and Sterling Robertson took charge of the com- pany's affairs, reorganized the work and established his headquarters at a place near where the city of Marlin now stands. Robertson County was created from Milam December 14, 1837, and as the creating of other counties became advisable survey parties were sent out and divisions made. In 1838 a party of sur- veyors were sent out to survey what is now Navarro and some adjoining Counties. An account of this sur- vey will be given further on.
Since Texas embraces such a wide expanse of terri- tory it is not surprising that the growth was very slow for a number of years. There were no good roads; only a few passable trails, no navigable streams of any great length; only three good harbors and the means of transportation were by sail boat on the gulf or by cart
22
EARLY TEXAS
or wagon. Those who endeavored to travel overland found it necessary to cut their way through the wilder- ness mile after mile or traverse Indian-infested terri- tory for hundreds of miles. Immigration must of ne- cessity, therefore, have been slow and tedious and de- manded from those hardy pioneers a high order of patience and fortitude. During the early days of the Republic the six hundred miles of Texas border was open to attack from Mexico and the frontiers were be- sieged by the savage Indian but in spite of these hard- ships and the necessity for building homes in a new country and procuring a livelihood from tilling the soil, the settlement of Texas continued apace and how much was achieved in spite of terrific hardship and constant danger ! Due no doubt, in part, to the great ex- ertion necessary to establish a homestead under such adverse conditions, the Homestead Law was enacted first in Texas, during the Third Congress of the Repub- lic. This Bill was introduced in the House of Repres- entatives by *Louis P. Cooke of Brazoria County and was first read on December 29, 1838, again on January 2, 1839, and passed the final reading on January 22, 1839 without opposition. The author of this law was extraordinary in many ways and appears to have been a courageous, although somewhat wild and reckless, man but his name deserves to be kept from oblivion since it is seldom that a man leaves such a broad and
*Louis P. Cooke was born in Tennessee and was in the Texan war during the years 1836 and 1837. Later was made a lieu- tenant colonel and elected a member of Texas Congress in 1838. Both he and his wife died of cholera in Brownsville in 1849.
23
HISTORY OF NAVARRO COUNTY
deep mark upon jurisprudence during so brief a term as legislator.
Between the years of 1842 and 1845 two settlements were made in the vicinity of what is now known as Navarro County and were designated as Peter's colony and Mercer's Colony. Peter's Colony, twelve miles square, was opened up in 1842 with a settlement on Waxahachie Creek, now Ellis County. Several fami- lies moved there including those of John and William R. Howe, Col. J. M. Riggs, James Patton, the Billings- leys, Sutherlands, Mayfields, and others. W. J. Stokes said that with his mother he moved to Texas in 1839. His uncle, Thos. I. Smith, who had participated in the Revolution of Texas, joined them at Yellow Prairie but the Indians stole all of their horses and they came to the home of W. R. Howe, who was Smith's brother-in- law. This was in 1844. Wm. Howe must have been an energetic man. He hauled his "bread stuff" from Buck-Snort, on the falls of the Brazos, eighty or nine- ty miles away. He was known to have on hand always a good meat supply. When finally the committee to organize a new county met at Austin his home was chosen to house the court until a county seat should be selected. Court was held there until 1848 when Wm. Howe died. A site was then chosen.
In Mercer's Colony there were twenty-five or more families living around Spring Hill, Melton or Dresden, Pisgah Ridge and Bazette. These communities were compact in order to secure protection from Indians and rough characters.
24
EARLY TEXAS
The first surveys that were made in the vicinity of the present County of Navarro were made by Thomas Jefferson Chambers, who, at that time, was superior of Texas for Mexico. His salary for the years of 1834 and 1835 was five sitios of land. Chambers Creek was named for his brother who was a lawyer. Several oth- er large surveys were made at that time in this vicinity and the overlapping of claims gave rise to many dis- putes as to boundaries. These land trials were the chief cause of litigation in Navarro for many years and were finally settled in 1866 with the Rachel Leach case on trial.
Many land grants were made in Texas after Mexico became a Republic. Some of these claims included tracts in what later became Robertson County. Others were made during the period in which Texas was a Re- public.
Owners of some of these claims lived in other states but many of them lived in Texas and besides all these, hundreds and thousands were turning their thoughts and hopes toward Texas.
As rapidly as the population justified other counties were formed.
Of the groups of settlers in the area of the present County of Navarro some were one hundred and twen- ty-five or more miles from Franklin. With no roads or bridges, and the dangers from savages, they began to consider ways and means of changing these conditions.
25
HISTORY OF NAVARRO COUNTY
Of the following names and claims, some were signed in Austin and some in Franklin, Robertson County.
Some of those who had claims in Navarro County in those days were as follows:
John DeArman, 320 acres, headright certi- ficate, ten miles Northeast of Corsicana, 1850.
Survey for George W. Dougherty of 1280 acres, situated on Chambers Creek, a branch of Trinity River, being the quantity to which he is entitled by virtue of Bounty Land Certi- ficate No. 6050, issued to him first day of Jan- uary, 1839, by A. Sidney Johnston, Secretary of War. (Page 15, Book A, County Clerk's Office.)
Others who received land grants on Cham- bers Creek were:
John Nelston, 1280 acres, 1839.
Jacob Hendrick, 1280 acres, 1839.
Joseph Young, 1280 acres, 1837. G. A. Allen, 1280 acres, November, 1838. Edward Campbell, 1280 acres, August, 1838.
William Gibson, 1280 acres, 1839.
Simon Garcia.
John Carpenter, 960 acres, November 11, 1837.
26
EARLY TEXAS
Richard Newman, 1280 acres, West bank of Trinity including Bazette Bluff in 1840.
Robert Porter, 1-3 of a League on Trinity, January 6, 1838.
Micajah Autry, 1920 acres on Richland Creek, 1839.
N. H. Carroll, 640 acres four miles West of Trinity, December, 1837.
William M. Love, 1-3 of a League, March 16, 1838.
Some of the early land warrants made were:
Robert R. Goodlow, 2-3 of a league of land, February 21, 1638; William F. Henderson, 1-3 of a league West of Trinity River, 1838 ; David Clary, 26 labors of land August 21, 1838, West of Trinity and on Richland Creek; Rob- ertson County school land 25 labors of land by virtue of an act of Congress of the Repub- lic, entitled "act appropriating land for the establishment of a general system of educa- tion," Jan. 26, 1839; John Kerr 1/3 of a league of land on Chambers Creek, March 19, 1839; David Love 640 acres on Richland Creek, "be- ing the quantity to which he was entitled by being in the battle of San Jacinto," July 28, 1858; John Pevehouse 640 acres for "being in the siege of Bexar," July 18, 1838; Alphon- so Steele 640 acres for "being in Battle of San Jacinto," November 14, 1838; Ethan Melton
27
HISTORY OF NAVARRO COUNTY
640 acres on Richland Creek, donation land warrant; John White 640 acres on Pin Oak Creek, Headright certificate; John Tread- well, Headright certificate; William Mayfield, 1280 acres, one mile North Bazette crossing, December, 1839; Thomas Wright on Richland, 22 labors, March 8, 1838; Jefferson Mckinney paid $2,000 cash to Joseph West for land on Richland Creek May 3, 1838.
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