USA > Texas > Montgomery County > A History of Montgomery County, Texas > Part 7
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Security, Texas, was a sawmill town, and about all that remains today is the name. It is a community that has suffered untold difficulties. Prior to 1910 Security was called Bennette's in honor of J. O. H. Bennette who owned a sawmill along the Santa Fe railroad track. In 1910 the Security Land Company bought Bennette's holdings and the community was renamed Security in honor of this
82 Conroe Courier, loc. cit.
83 Texas Almanac 1950, op. cit., p. 568.
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company. 84
The Security Land Company desired to develop the vicinity, so the company sent land agents up North to sell to prospective immigrants, sight unseen, land in the new community. The agents, John Booth, W. E. Wrenn, and J. G. Hannagen traveled through the northern states and parts of Canada, selling the land to almost a hundred families. The agents had a patented sales talk, for they described the Security area as a Garden of Eden or a Hanging Garden of Babylon. The agents stated to the Northerners that about Security wild oats grew shoulder high, wild cabbage two feet across, and a profusion of luscious citrus fruits, grapes, and wild figs could be picked the year around. These agents produced pictures which had been cut from magazines and enlarged, to give evidence to their stories. Each prospective immigrant, upon purchasing land, was given a map and a picture of his tract. 85
The land agents also described to the immigrants what to expect of the old settlers at Security. The agents pictured them as being unfit neighbors and advised the immigrants not to associate with them. They stated that the men were so lazy that they sat on
84 Personal interview of author with Lawrence Mann, Security, Texas, June 12, 1952.
85 Personal interview of author with Dora Powers, Security, Texas, June 13, 1952.
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their front porches most of the time; and, occasionally, went out and killed a deer or bear for meat. Thus the immigrants formed the opinion that the Texans were quire rugged people. 86
In the winter of 1912 the new comers arrived at Security on a long train with all their household belongings loaded in box cars. All the old settlers were gathered around the depot with the intention of welcoming their new friends to be, but to their surprise the crowd that got off the train seemed to be in a very haughty mood. With their maps and pictures of their land in hand, they scattered about the country side searching for their "Garden of Eden, " but to their disappointment all they found was a low, grassy swamp in a button willow thicket. 87
One man had brought his dairy of fifty fine milk cows with the intention of grazing them on the wild oats, but he found no cats to graze. The woods had burned off the previous fall and his cows almost starved that winter for lack of green foliage. Dora Powers, a citizen of Security who came as one of the immigrants, stated that many thought of turning the train around and going back North that very first day, 88
It might have been well if they had departed immediately,
86 Loc. cit.
87 Mann, loc. cit. 88 Powers, loc. cit.
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because at the end of the next year and after suffering untold hard- ships, due to their lack of familiarity with the new environment, they pooled their money and caught the train back North.
The local citizens say that there was much contention between then and the "Yankees". Both sides were as insulting to each other as they could possibly be. The citizens laugh today in telling how they. played a trick on the Yankees, by harvesting a part of their sweet potato crop early and causing the Northerners to lose all of theirs. The Yankees watched the settlers closely, because they did not know the farming methods of the area. Having followed the ex- ample of the local farmers by digging their potatoes, that winter the newcomers saw their crop destroyed by rotting. 89
Security at its zenith had one hotel, several business houses, a barber shop, ice cream parlor, post office, school, depot, and a population of several hundred people. 90 After the timber in the area was exhausted the sawmills shut down, and when state highway 105 was constructed through the county, it by-passed Security about two miles, causing most of the residents to move, and today only a very few of the citizens are left.
89 Loc. cit.
90 Loc. cit.
105
The community of Cut 'n Shoot, Texas is located in the northeastern-central part of Montgomery County. It had its usual beginning and acquired its peculiar name in July, 1912. Prior to 1912 the Missionary Baptist, Hardshell Baptist, and Methodist citizens of the Cut 'n Shoot community went together and built a combination church and school house. They erected the structure with the understanding that all denominations were privileged to preach there except the Mormons and Apostolics. This building was called the Community House, because it was the place where all the people of the community met for their church and social activities.
91
In July 1912, it happened that a Preacher Stamps of the Apostolic belief appeared in the community, and some of the local brethren invited him to hold a meeting at the Community House. Preacher Stamps seemed not to have been a very reputable person, since it was claimed by some of the citizens that he occasionally visited saloons and went dancing. When the people heard of Preacher Stamps' intention the community immediately paired off into two sides, those who thought the Community House should be used for all denominations, and those who thought it should be 9Ī Personal interview of author with Frank Plunk, Cut 'n Shoot, Texas, June 11, 1952.
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closed to the Apostolics. The ones who thought the house should be open to all and who wanted to have Preacher Stamps hold his meeting were the families of George A. King, L. J. Powell, Joe Thompson, Malcome Foster, and W. A. Gandy, The ones who were opposed to the meeting were the families of R. B. Mann, R. C. Mann, and A. J. Walker. Each side declared their intentions; one claimed that it was going to have the meeting and the other claimed that the meeting would not be held. 92
On July 20, 1912, the day before the meeting was to take place R. B. Mann sent his son, Clark Mann, to the home of Archie Vick, who was one of the school trustees, to get the keys, so that the doors of the building could be locked. When the Apostolic element heard of this move they quickly informed the opposite side that they would break the doors down if necessary, to gain entrance to the building; whereupon R. B. Mann saddled his horse and rode through the community and notified the people to bring their guns to the Community House the next day. The opposite side heard of this gesture and Joe Thompson saddled up and rode through the community to tell the people who were sympathetic to-
92 Personal interview of author with Charles Atkinson, Cut 'n Shoot, Texas, June 12, 1952.
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ward his side to do the same. 93
Cn the morning of July 21 the group who wanted to hear Preacher Stamp gathered at the Community House. They had come in their wagons and buggies and had brought their lunches with the intention of staying and having an all day preaching and a dinner on the ground. Under their wagon and buggy seats they had their guns and knives rolled up in quilts. On their arrival they found the door of the building locked, and soon after the anti-Apostolic group arrived with their weapons. This faction immediately inspected the door and declared that the lock had been jammed, whereupon all grabbed their guns and a hot argument pursued between the Kings and Manns. While the accusations of both sides flew back and forth, Jack King, an eight year old son of George King, became frighten- ed at the disturbance and said, "I'm scared!" "I'm going to cut around the corner and shoot through the bushes in a minute !" 94 Thus the name of Cut 'n Shoot was coined.
Actually no cutting or shooting occurred that day. The arguments continued, however, and finally to avoid a shooting scrape the followers of King withdrew to some shade trees and
93 Atkinson, loc. cit.
94 Personal interview of author with Jack King, Conroe, Texas, June 12, 1952.
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Preacher Stamps delivered his sermon standing on the ground while the citizens sat in their buggies and wagons. After that a brush arbor was built near Joe Thompson's house and Preacher Stamps held a protracted meeting there for the rest of the summer. Thompson's house was hear the Mann's residence, and it has been stated that the preaching was loud enough so that the Manns could hear. 95
The next day after the threatened outbreak of violence at the meeting house, on July 22, both sides appeared in Conroe and indicted each other at the Justice of the Peace Court for disturbing the peace, assault, and the use of obscene language. Both R. C. Mann and George King were tried and fined. 96 The dispute was carried on between the Kings and Manns for over a year, each indicting the other on the smallest pretense. 97
In one of the trials Archie Vick was a witness, and upon being asked by Judge C. T. Darby where the fusshad taken place, Mr. Vick, who had not been at the scrape and not knowing what to call the community, since it did not have a name, replied, "I suppose you would call it the place where they had the cutting and 95 Plunk, op. cit.
96 Montgomery County Courthouse records, Justice of the Peace Criminal Docket 1912, p. 119.
97 Ibid., p. 150.
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shooting scrape. "98 This was the first indication that the new community might be called Cut 'n Shoot. At any rate, the name Cut 'n Shoot stuck to the community, partly through the jests of C. P. Thomas, who always enjoyed telling his friends about the incident that had occurred there. 99
New Caney, Texas was settled by Captain John Robertson in 1866. He built a grist mill, steam cotton gin, and a general store on the banks of Caney Creek. Robertson's settlement grew and soon he petitioned to the post office department for a post office and sent in the name of Caney for the place. There was already a Caney, Texas; therefore the post office department added the New to Caney and the community took the name of New Caney. Today, New Caney is a sawmill town of considerable size. 100
Fostoria, Texas, formerly known as Clinesburg, is a mill town named for the owner of the Foster Lumber Company. In the late 1800's the Arnold and Perkins Company built a sawmill and soon they were bought out by the Foster Lumber Company. Fostoria 98 Personal interview of author with Archie Vick, Cut 'n Shoot, Texas, July 10, 1952.
99 Atkinson, op. cit. 100. "Vick, op. cit.
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is still the site of one of the largest sawmills in the country. 101
Splendora, Texas, in the 1880's was known by the name of Section Four. It acquired this name from the narrow gauge Houston, East and West Texas Railroad. The initials for this rail .. road were H. E. W. T. and the local citizens interperted them to mean "Hell Either Way You Take It", and the frequency of stations along its track caused the line to be designated the "Cottontail Limited", because it was claimed that the train stopped behind every stump just like a rabbit. The name, Section Four, was changed to Splendora by C. C. Cox, when he petitioned the post office department for a post office. 102
Magnolia, Texas which is located in the western part of Montgomery County, had a hard time in getting a name that would stick. In the 1850's the town went under the name of Mink, since the particular site of the town was in the early days known as Mink's Prairie. In 1902 the Ft. Worth division of the International and Great Northern was built through the western end of the county and the name Mink was changed to Melton, in honor of Jim Melton, who at that time had rather large land holdings in the western part
101 Loc. cit.
102 Loc. cit.
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of Montgomery County. Scon this name was found to be frequently confused with that of Milton, Texas, causing considerable diffi- culty in routing the mail. Officials of the railroad and the post office department discussed the matter with the residents of Melton, and a decision was reached to call the town Magnolia, due to the fact that a great many magnolia trees grew in that vicinity. 103
Cther active towns and communities of Montgomery County today are Porters, Dobbin, Keenan, Wigginsville, Granger, and Pinehurst.
103 Conroe Courier, April 8, 1932.
CHAPTER VI
IMPORTANT EVENTS, ISSUES, AND PEOPLE Montgomery County contributed her share of participants in the early struggle for the independence of Texas. In November, 1835, the municipality of Washington, along with the municipalities of Austin, Columbia, Matagordia, Harrisburg, Mina, Gonzales, Viesca, Nacogdoches, San Augustine, Bevil, and Liberty, sent seven delegates to the Consultation Convention for the purpose of forming a provisional government. 1 Three of the delegates from Washington, Jesse Grimes, Elijah Collard, and William Shepperd, later became citizens of Montgomery County.
As for the Consultation, Montgomery County was well repre- sented by the future citizens at the writing and signing of the Decla- ration of Independence of March 2, 1836. Four of her prospective citizens, namely, Charles B. Stewart, Jesse Grimes, George W. Barnett, and B. B. Goodrich signed the document. Charles B. Stewart had the honor of being the first signer of the famous document. Stewart had, in 1834, served as Secretary of the Supreme Court of Mexican Texas; in 1835 he had served as Executive Secretary and Clerk of Enrollment of the permanent council of the provisional
1 Louis J. Wortham, A History of Texas (Fort Worth: Wortham- Molyneaux Company, 1924), Vol. II, p. 403
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government which was held at San Felipe. 2
In the spring of 1836, after the signing of the declaration of independence, the newly appointed commander-in-chief of the army, Sam Houston, sounded his call for the men of the Republic to rally together to repulse the advancing army of the Mexican President-General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Montgomery County's citizens were among the first men to answer Houston's summons. They joined his army and followed his leadership to and through the battle of San Jacinto.
Some of the men who were in Houston's army and had fought at the battle of San Jacinto, and who later became citizens of Montgomery County, participated in practically every category of his army. Serving in the artillery corps were John M. Wade, Joseph Floyd, George Cumberland, and Seneca Legg. John M. Wade had the honor of helping fire the famous Twin Sister cannon. It was Wade's gun which carried away the water bucket of the Mexican's long-nine. 3
The men from Montgomery county who served in the
-
2 W. M. Martin, "A History of Montgomery, " (unpublished Master's thesis, Sam Houston State Teachers College, Huntsville, Texa 1950), p. 79.
3 Texas Almanac for 1872 (Galveston:Richardson and Company, 1873), p. 99.
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cavalry corps under Mirabeau B. Lamar were Benjamin Fort Smith, Hugh Henderson, William S. Taylor, and George W. Mason. 4 Matthew W. Cartwright served under Lamar in the cavalry corps until his horse was killed under him in a skirmish with the Mexicans the day before the main battle. He then joined the company that had organized from Montgomery County, led by Captain William Ware. 5
. In the First Regiment, Texas Volunteers, commanded by Colonel Edward Burleson, the men who served from Montgomery County were William H. Wood, Captain of Company A, James Greenwood, James R. Pinchback, and Joseph Rhodes, privates. 6
Enlisted in Company C of the same regiment were privates Jefferson Barton and Thomas P. Davy, and in Company K, privates James Connor and E. P. Halstead from Montgomery County. "
All of the Second Company of the Second Regiment, Texas Volunteers were from Montgomery County. Joseph L. Bennett was Lieutenant-Colonel; William Ware, Captain; Jacob S, Collard, First Lieutenant; George A. Lamb, Second Lieutenant; Albert Gallatin,
4 Wortham, op. cit., Vol. III, pp. 437-440.
5 Texas Almanac 1872, loc. cit.
6 Wortham, op. cit., p. 441.
7 Ibid., pp. 441-443.
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First Sergeant; William C. Winters, Second Sargeant; John F. Winters, James W. Winters, Cristoval Edenburg, Lewis Cox, Matthew W. Cartwright, G. W. Robinson, G. W. Lawrence, William Cartwright, John Sadler, James Wilson, James Deritt, Matthew Moss, and Jesse Thomas were privates in the Second Company. 8
H. R. Williams and Edward Gallager served as privates in the Third and Fourth Companies of the Second Regiment, respectively. 9
The men in the Sixth Company, Second Regiment from Montgomery County were James Gillaspie, Captain; Matthew Finch, First Lieutenant; John Montgomery, Andrew Montgomery, Alphonzo Steele, Robert Henry, and Elijah Votaw, privates. 10 James Collard, Jonathan Collard, Ben C. Franklin, Phillip C. Martin, and James Powell from Montgomery County were in unidentified companies. 11
Soon after Montgomery County was created congress took into consideration the need for a permanent location for the seat
8 Ibid., pp. 444-445.
9 Ibid., pp. 445-446.
10 Ibid., p. 447. 11 Ibid., p. 448.
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of government. On Wednesday May 9, 1838 in an adjourned session of the Second Congress which had met at Houston, the president of the Senate appointed William J. Russell, J. D. Rains, and Albert C. Horton on a committee to inform the House of Representative that the Senate would meet them in the represen- tative hall that evening at half past three o'clock in compliance with their resolution for the purpose of selecting a suitable site for a
permanent location of the seat of government. 12 After the com- mittee from the Senate informed the House the Senate proceeded, at the time agreed upon, to the hall of the representatives and went into a joint session with the House to select a site for the future seat of government.
When the question was put before the meeting, motions were in order for the suggestions and the procedure began. George Sutherland suggested Eblin's League on the Colorado River. 13 J. W. Burleson suggested the town of Bastrop on the Colorado River. Robert Wilson suggested Black's Place in Montgomery County. Thomas J. Gazley suggested the city of Houston in Harris- burg County. Anson Jones of Austin County suggested the town of
- 12 Journals of the Senate of The Republic of Texas, Adjourned Session of the Second Congress (Houston: Telegraph Power Press, 1838) p. 52.
13 Ibid., p. 53.
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San Felipe on the Brazos River. John Boyd suggested the town of Nacogdoches in Nacogdoches County. Robert Wilson suggested Groce's Retreat in Montgomery County. S. H. Everitt suggested the town of Comanche on the Colorado. Anson Jones suggested the Mound League in Washington County. Thomas J. Gazley withdrew his suggestion for the city of Houston. 14
After the suggestions had ceased a vote was taken to deter- mine the choice for the capital site. When the ballots were counted it was found that Eblin's league on the Colorado River was first with nineteen votes and Black's Place in Montgomery County was second with five votes. The rest of the votes were scattered for the other suggestions. The whole number of votes cast were forty-three, but the necessary majority for a selection had to be twenty-two. 15
The speaker declared that Eblin's League did not have a majority of votes, so he declared that there was no choice and the two houses proceeded to a second vote. At the end of the second count Eblin's League was first again with twenty-seven votes and
Black's Place second with ten votes. 16 Eblin's League on the Colorado River had the majority; therefore it was selected over 14Loc. cit. 15 Loc. cit. - 16 Loc. cit.
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Black's Place in Montgomery County. The speaker announced that Eblin's League was duly chosen as the site for the future location of the seat of government. ent. 17 17
The political importance of Montgomery County was indi- cated the fact that two places from Montgomery County were sug- gested for the capital site, one of which ranked second in the voting. It is also noteworthy that Montgomery County had one of the most thickly populated areas in the Republic at this time.
Another important event that Montgomery County took part in was the expedition against General Adrian Woll in 1842. Mexican forces had been giving the new Republic of Texas con- siderable touble ever since Texas had won her independence. Previous to Woll's invasion, a father from Alabama, in 1840, wrote to his son at Montgomery and expressed gladness that Mexican depredations had ceased for that year. He also asked for information concerning Texas. Part of his letter is quoted as follows:
. . . I am glad to find as your health improves, the Rawhead and Bloody bones in Texas vanish, and I shall not be surprised if in your next letter you say, "Pa come ahead and don't wait 12 months longer as here is a fine prospect for you to make your fortune and enjoy your health and better, far better society
17Loc. cit.
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for intelligence at least than can be found around Pond Mountain. "
. . . Self government by our recent example is fully guaranteed to Texas and thousands of our most virulous and honorable citizens will soon find their way into that most inviting Republic. By this time you ought to know what counties are increasing fastest in wealth and population and where I would have the best chance to school my children. I am induced to think La Grange in Fayette County will be a thrifty town.
. . . Read the Constitution of Texas carefully and compare it with our U. S. or Alabama constitution and say if it smells of Liberty as it should, or whether the land monopolists will have sufficient influence to convert it into an African Colony as our own unfortunate states are. GOD FORBID. Suffer none but bonifide emi- grants to bring in slaves and it will be the happiest country under the sun. The profits of capital would soon be invested in railroads, manufactories, and the creation of towns, the invariable symbols of wealth and independence. In your next speak of the towns at the mouth of each of the three principal rivers and how far boats can and run up each of them. I must live the balance of my time near some lively trading town where I can get papers to read and men, not fools to talk with . . . Everybody is giving Texas the preference over all other new countries. 18
The "rawhead and bloody bones" had not disappeared entirely, for within the next two years the Mexicans dealt Texas a lot of trouble. Things came to a head, however, when on September 11, 1842, while the district court was in session at San Antonio,
18 Letter of Nathaniel Davis to Nat Hart Davis, November 15, 1940, in Addison Collection.
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General Adrian Woll and a force of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, about fourteen hundred strong, appeared before the town and de - manded its surrender. 19 News of the intrusion soon reached the executive, Sam Houston, and orders were issued by him to the Texas militia west of the Brazos River to repair to the point of attack and to the militia east of that river to hold themselves in readiness until further instructions. Brigadier-General A. Somer- vell, the senior officer of the western militia was ordered to report to the frontier and take the command. 20
On October 13, while the Mexicans still stayed in Texas, a further and special order was issued to General Somervell directing him to select an eligible point for a rendezvous, and proceed to the organization and drill of all such volunteers as should report to him. He was further directed to establish his camp some distance from San Antonio and if necessary to cross the Rio Grande to pursue the Mexicans. 21
To increase the army for this expedition to Mexico, Presi- dent Houston ordered out two regiments of militia east of the Brazos River. One regiment from Montgomery County was under
19Wortham, op. cit., Vol. IV, p. 96.
20H. Yoakum, History of Texas (New York: J. H. Redfield Company, 1855), Vol. II, p. 364.
21 Ibid., p. 367.
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Colonel Joseph L. Bennett, who had been in the battle of San Jacinto, and another from Washington County was under Colonel Jesse B. McCrocklin. Both groups in due time proceeded to Gonzales, the rendezvous point. 22
The order calling out the Montgomery County militia is quoted as follows.
3rd. Regiment Attention !!! Head Quarters, East Bank Guadalupe Gonzales, October 15, 1842
Additional Order
Maj. R. Smithers:
Dear Sir: - You are hereby commanded to crder into service the remainder of the Ist and 2nd classes of the Regiment of Montgomery County forthwith, to join my command now rendezvoused one mile north-west of Gonzales, but will march in a few days for some other point west. You will take command of, and march the troops in haste. You will get such supplies of beef as the hospitality of the good citizens will furnish, and receipt for the same.
Every confidence is assured me that the expedition will be carried on with that discipline and subordina- tion so anxiously wished for, and recommended by his Excellency Sam Houston, to renumerate the tried pa- triotism and promptness of the citizens of Texas.
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