USA > Texas > Cherokee County > A history of Cherokee county (Texas) > Part 11
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Colonel Cocke, a native of Kentucky and a graduate of the University of Mississippi, coming to Texas to recuperate his health and fortune lost in the Civil War, found a new field of service. For nearly fifty years, in some half dozen communities, his high ideals and his thoroughness as a teacher contributed largely to the successful career of many a Cherokee citizen. Quick to vision the possibilities of a boy, he gave himself unstintedly in school hours and out, to the task of his development. Mrs. Cocke, who taught with her husband for seventeen years, still lives in Jacksonville where Colonel Cocke died in 1914.
RUSK COLLEGE
Rusk College, a Baptist school existing for some thirty years, was opened under another name by means of funds subscribed for a school of another denomination.
In 1893 the committee appointed by the Methodist Conference to select a new site for the Methodist school, then located at Kilgore, rejected Rusk's offer of $10,000 for the construction of new buildings in the Cherokee county seat. Since the money had been pledged and the town sold on the idea of Christian educa- tion, local Methodist leaders invited the Baptists to sponsor the desired church school. The Cherokee Baptist Association secured
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a charter for the East Texas Baptist Institute. Mrs. Georgiana Bonner donated a site, a brick building was erected and school opened in September, 1895, with Reverend J. H. Richardson of Tennessee as president. To the vision, faith and persistent effort of Reverend J. H. Thorn, pastor of the Rusk Baptist Church, was largely due the institution's initial success. After becoming a part of the Baptist correlated school system, the name was changed to the Academy of Industrial Arts, a school for girls, in 1907, Rusk Academy in 1916, and Rusk College in 1918. Ten years later, because of lack of money, because of the oversupply of junior colleges in its territory, and because the Baptist system included too many schools of its type, its doors were closed.
Doctor A. J. Armstrong of Baylor-Browning fame was once a faculty member. Among its presidents, in Institute and Academy days, were two Rusk citizens, the late B. W. Vining and Charles H. Thompson, who still lives near Rusk. James M. Cook was the first College president.
LON MORRIS COLLEGE
Outstanding in Jacksonville's skyline are the twin towers of Lon Morris College. In 1873 Reverend Isaac Alexander opened a private school in Kilgore. Two years later it passed under the control of the East Texas Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. In 1886 it was chartered as Alexander Institute. Demand for a more central location in a more populous town led to removal of the school to Jacksonville in 1894. Its name was changed first to Alexander Collegiate Institute, then Alexander College and finally, in 1923, to Lon Morris College, in honor of the man who endowed it, Reverend R. A. (Lon) Morris of Pittsburg, Texas.
Doctor Alexander served as president until 1890. His successors include G. J. Nunn, E. R. Williams, W. K. Strother, F. E. Butler, John M. Barcus, J. B. Turrentine, M. L. Lefler, Roy G. Boger, J. F. Winfield, E. M. Staunton and Reverend H. T. Morgan, who now holds the office. The college plant has grown from one to eight buildings. In 1934 J. C. Beard is president of the board of trustees.
JACKSONVILLE COLLEGE
In 1899 the East Texas Educational Society chose Jacksonville as the site for its proposed school. Jacksonville College was chartered and opened its doors in September. Until the present three-story administration building could be completed, classes
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were conducted in the Templeton building on South Bolton Street. Reverend J. V. Vermillion was the first president. B. J. Albritton and Miss Emma Long constituted the first graduating class. Beginning in 1904 the former served five years as president. In 1918 he returned to the presidency, which office he has since held continuously. Other presidents include Reverend J. M. New- burn, D. C. Dove and J. W. Hoppie. Collins Hall, a dormitory for girls, and a modern gymnasium are recent major improve- ments, the college plant now being valued at $125,000. Reverend Morris A. Roberts, pastor of the Jacksonville First Baptist Church, is president of the 1934 board of trustees.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The three decades 1870-1900 witnessed the beginning of the forward movement in educational affairs which has characterized Cherokee County's 20th century public school policy.
In 1871 the commissioners court ordered that the one-fourth of one per cent direct ad valorem tax on all personal and real property authorized by the legislature be collected for the purpose of building schoolhouses in Cherokee County. This, supplemented by the legislative act of 1876 permitting the use of state school funds for building purposes, provided a community furnished the site and shared the expense of construction, led to the rapid erection of substantial school buildings. The next milestone in the development of the Cherokee County school system was the voting of local school taxes authorized by the law of 1883.
In 1882 the commissioners court sold the four leagues of school land in Clay and Wichita counties, reserved for Cherokee County in accordance with the legislative act of 1850. Only $22,000 was realized from this sale.
In 1893, through the vision of Judge F. B. Guinn, ex officio county superintendent, Cherokee County led the state in the adoption of a uniform system of textbooks. Observation of the success of the Cherokee plan hastened the establishment of a similar state-wide system.
Outstanding 20th century advancement includes the establish- ment of ten independent school districts-Jacksonville, Rusk, Mt. Selman, Blackjack, Summerfield, Gallatin, Dialville, Alto, Wells and Maydelle, the creation of the office of county superin- tendent in 1907, the establishment of a county school board, the raising of the maximum school tax to one dollar, the establish- ment of standard high schools and the organization of the Inter- scholastic League Meet.
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In 1934 County Superintendent E. S. Erwin reported the county had 12,171 scholastics, cared for in ninety-one public schools with an average term of seven months. Nineteen school buses transported 994 children to seventeen consolidated schools. Only thirteen one-teacher schools existed, all of which were colored. Only two districts retained the minimum tax rate of fifty cents.
Although not strictly connected with public school work, 4-H clubs and Boy Scout troops, whose membership is made up of public school students, have promoted education outside the schoolroom.
ADULT EDUCATION
Typical of the adult literary organizations which flourished in the '80s was the Rusk organization with the classical name, "Euclian Society," composed of some of the most influential men and women of the town.
From a printed defense against the charge that the society was attempting to establish a social aristocracy one learns that it originated in a desire to escape the two extremes of social life, the dance and the "sociable," neither of which benefited the par- ticipants. "Sociables," according to the Euclian writer, were often made half ridiculous by grown young ladies and gentlemen engaging in children's games or the most commonplace topics of conversation just to pass the evening.
Until increased membership made "the parlors of the town" too small, the Euclians met each Monday evening in the home of a member. Debates, essays, music and readings afforded a varied program. In 1886 they were rejoicing over the acquisition of a hall which not only supplied more room but a place where those on the program might practice their parts.
Whether due to pressure of business or some other cause, membership in literary organizations of today seems limited to the women of Cherokee County. The oldest literary club is the Library Study Club of Rusk, organized as the Bachelor Girls Library Club, October 4, 1902. Mrs. A. S. Moore is its 1934 president. Two years later Jacksonville ladies organized the Shakespeare Club, with Mrs. Alfred Fontaine Kerr as president. Mrs. T. E. Acker now holds this office.
The Parent-Teacher associations, active in many rural com- munities as well as in the towns, have largely contributed to adult education in the past decade. Since 1932 Cherokee County has had one of the few East Texas county councils of Parent-Teacher
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associations. Mrs. Larue Cox of Jacksonville was the first pres- ident. Mrs. L. L. Rogers of the Central High community now holds the office.
CHEROKEE AUTHORS
Among Texas authors one finds a number of Cherokeeans. In 1872 Thomas E. Hogg, the oldest brother of Governor Hogg, published a volume of poems entitled, "The Fate of Marvin and Other Poems," the title poem being a war story. After the Civil War, in which he had served as a captain, Thomas Hogg practiced law in Rusk. Later he continued his law practice in Denton where, for a time, he also edited the Denton Review. He died in Denton in 1880.
In 1878 Robert McEachern (McCann) sent to press "Youthful Days and Other Poems," a collection of his pictures of Cherokee life. The scrapbooks of many Cherokee citizens contain copies of McEachern poems clipped from various publications. "Bobbie" McEachern, as he was known to his host of friends, was reared in Rusk. Despite his blindness, he was not only a poet but a talented musician. As a teacher of music he was largely responsible for making Rusk young people musically-minded.
In 1885, Reverend S. C. Alexander, then a Rusk Presbyterian minister, published "The Stone Kingdom; or, The United States and America as Seen by the Prophets," in which he undertook to show that the Bible foretold why America was not discovered earlier ; that Spain would discover it: that it would be set up in thirteen states and would extend from ocean to ocean.
"Margaret Ballantine; or, The Fall of the Alamo," published in 1907 by Frank Templeton, is a novel "founded upon facts, em- bellished with beautiful scintillations of poetry, wit and pathos, evidencing a mind replete with knowledge of the early days of the Texas Republic." Thus a fellow-soldier paid tribute to his com- rade's work. After serving the Confederacy, Frank Templeton practiced law and was elected Cherokee County representative in the 17th Legislature. He died soon after his novel was published.
In 1908, S. B. Barron published "The Lone Star Defenders," a graphic history of the first Cherokee County company to enter Confederate service. Barron was admitted to the bar at the out- break of the Civil War. After his return he served his county both as clerk and as judge. He died in February, 1912, while en route to Palestine for treatment.
While a citizen of Rusk, S. A. Willson wrote his famous "Criminal Forms." According to F. B. Guinn, this book has done
SAMUEL A. WILLSON
FRANK B. GUINN
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more to aid in law enforcement than any other ten books ever written in Texas.2
In 1930, J. L. Brown of Jacksonville published "Larissa," a valuable collection of source material dealing chiefly with the historic town and college bearing the same name. Mr. Brown is a recognized authority on local history, the collection of historical data having long been his hobby. Reverend Fred H. Ford, for- merly pastor of the Jacksonville Presbyterian Church, was a col- laborator in the volume on Larissa.
For lack of a more appropriate place, mention is here made of the "History of Cherokee County" read at the Fourth of July celebration in Rusk in 1876. President Grant had requested the citizens of every county in the United States to assemble at their county seats, with the oldest inhabitants as honor guests, and collect all available information concerning local history. From this data, which was to be forwarded to the Congressional librarian, a "Centennial History of the United States" was to be compiled. So few counties complied with the request that the history was never written, but Cherokee County did her part. S. A. Willson, W. T. Long, Asa Dossett, R. H. Guinn, Andrew Jackson, E. B. and W. J. Ragsdale collected the material for her contribution.
SOCIAL CHANGES
Copies of the newspapers of the '80s reveal interesting bits of social life. Croquet was in great favor. Pitching dollars was a masculine sport gaining editorial comment. Picnics, Sunday school and otherwise, were popular summer diversions. Chaly- beate Springs, some three miles east of Rusk, was a favorite picnic ground. According to enthusiastic visitors, the scenery rivaled Colorado. Fishing parties frequently made the social column. De Bonnaire's trapeze and gymnastic performers were always greeted by a large audience.
The day of electrically decorated living-room trees was not yet. The celebration of Christmas with a public tree on Christmas Eve, a practice begun in Jacksonville in 1874, was becoming a custom in Cherokee communities. Committees entrusted with staging this important event were appointed long in advance. At the appointed time gifts for one's own family, from grandfather to baby, as well as for sweethearts and friends, were laboriously carried to the appointed church or hall, ready for the tree-dressing
2For a biography of Willson, see the Appendix.
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crew to hang high or low as their bulkiness required. Burlesque presents always added to the fun, witty comments from the master of the distribution ceremonies increasing the gaiety. Tiny folk, blushing boys and girls in their teens, grown-ups of varying ages and sizes, all marched down the aisle and back again, bearing gifts. Tired but happy, families often drove miles in slow-going wagons before sleepy children could be put to bed. Morning brought a new joy; the household and its guests, whether chance comers or invited friends, sipped the Christmas egg-nog, an exhilarating beverage made by cooking beaten eggs with whiskey.
The '80s had their opera houses, but not until the late '90s could a young man stop at an ice-cream parlor for a chat with his best girl. Picture shows came with the present century.
By the 20th century social clubs had become popular. In 1904 the Suzaine Club, composed of Jacksonville's fashionable younger set, was holding semi-monthly meetings, the first Thursday after- noon for young ladies, the third Thursday night for young men guests. Its official personnel included Nella Douglas, president ; Laura Duke, vice-president; Mozelle Newton, secretary; Mittie Brown, treasurer, and Annie Mae Duke, reporter. Pink and green were its colors ; a pink carnation its flower. One meeting, doubt- less typical, was reported in the local paper as follows :
"When business was over a little green book of conundrums was given each member. Women's apparel furnished answers to each. This was a source of much merriment. Refreshments were served in the club colors and the dainty napkins forcibly reminded each one of the well-chosen flower, to say nothing of the weighty emblem-'Alas! My Poor Heart'."
Soon the matrons became "42"-minded. Rusk had its Wednes- day Club, Jacksonville its Twentieth Century Club, both of which are approaching thirtieth birthdays. Neither has fallen before the onslaughts of bridge. Even the smaller towns soon acquired the club habit. Ponta had its Modern Priscillas, a sewing club with "42" as a diversion.
CHAPTER XII
BANKS
IN EARLY days various receptacles-from sugar bowls to old stockings-served as the chief depositories for Cherokee County wealth. Thousands of dollars in gold were thus cared for in Cherokee homes. Merchants doing extensive business kept large sums on deposit with New Orleans and Galveston firms, on which they could draw in the settlement of bills. Gradually citizens acquired the habit of depositing their money with local mer- chants and lawyers to be kept in their iron safes.
In this manner F. W. Bonner, a Rusk attorney, added collection and exchange to his legal business, maintaining correspondents in Galveston and New York. Finally, in 1884, he opened Chero- kee County's first bank in a little frame building on the corner of College and South Second streets, built for S. A. Willson's law office and now used for a shoe shop. The bank first operated as F. W. Bonner & Son. Four years later a second son entered the firm and the name was changed to F. W. Bonner & Sons. It was later moved to the west side of the public square, the site now occupied by the Citizens State Bank. Branch banks were opened in New Birmingham and in Hearne.
Transportation of the cash necessary for banking operations was apparently no problem. Wade Bonner, the older son, fre- quently rode horseback to Tyler with thousands of dollars in gold in a cloth belt which his mother had made for the purpose. T. H. Bonner, the youngest member of the firm, who is still a citizen of Rusk, recalls many trips on the train, when he brought from the Tyler bank in which his father was also interested ten thousand dollars rolled in a newspaper, in the guise of a bundle of old clothes.
Caught in the panicky '90s with eighty thousand dollars out in loans, the bank was unable to realize on its extensive real estate assets. Consequently it was forced into bankruptcy in November, 1892.
Some four years after the establishment of the Bonner bank, Wettermark & Bagley, Henderson bankers, opened a bank in
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Jacksonville in a frame building on Commerce Street, later the site of the First State Bank. Wettermark afterward withdrew, leaving D. W. Bagley to continue the business until it went down in the general crash of 1893. Jacksonville's next banking experi- ence was even more disastrous. The Fleagers, father and two sons, came from Georgetown, about 1897, to open the C. N. Fleager & Company bank. For a time all went well. Suddenly, in 1903, one of the sons absconded with the deposits which, according to reports, he later lost in a Mexican mining venture. Jacksonville citizens were poorer by thousands of dollars.
This ends the story of Cherokee County's private banks. Only one bank was chartered prior to 1900. The First National Bank of Rusk was opened in the Acme Hotel building, now the Ford Station site, in 1890, with Captain E. L. Gregg as president and A. A. Simmons as cashier. Its capital stock was $50,000. In addi- tion to these officers, its first board of directors included B. Miller, Dr. W. G. Jameson, P. A. Blakey, M. J. Whitman, E. C. Dickinson, T. H. Cobble and J. W. Summers. Among out-of- town stockholders were D. L. Moody, Jr., of Galveston and Colonel George A. Wright, long-time mayor of Palestine. After the failure of the Bonner and the Bagley banks the First National Bank had the county banking field to itself. The business was moved to the building formerly occupied by the Bonner bank. Through the activities of Captain E. L. Gregg and E. C. Dickin- son its resources were used in the promotion of the iron boom of the '90s. In 1920 its assets were liquidated through the Farmers and Merchants State Bank, Alex Ford being the liquidating agent. The two banks then had as presidents two law partners, W. H. Shook and W. T. Norman. The pending organization of a third bank led to the liquidation.
The first two decades of the 20th century mark a significant expansion of the county's banking facilities. The oldest institution in the present system is the First National Bank of Jacksonville, organized in 1900 largely through the initiative of Edmund Key of Marshall.
When first approached on the subject of a new bank, Jackson- ville citizens refused to invest and the Marshall banker went home. Finally W. C. Bolton, by agreeing to buy them out when- ever they desired to sell, persuaded his brother, John H. Bolton, and Wesley Love to match his thousand dollars in stock. Thus the minimum local requirements were met, Key was notified and organization proceeded. The bank opened for business, October 1, 1900, with W. C. Bolton as president and A. G. Adams as
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cashier. Other members of the first board of directors were Edmund Key, P. A. Norris of Ada, Oklahoma, who had mer- cantile interests in Jacksonville, Wesley Love, J. H. Bolton and D. P. Jarvis of Troup. Its capital stock was soon increased from $25,000 to $50,000.
The next Jacksonville bank was the Citizens National Bank. W. H. Sory was president and A. F. Kerr, formerly of San An- tonio, cashier. In 1904 this was consolidated with the First National Bank, the capital stock being increased to $75,000. Kerr became cashier of the consolidated banks. Bolton continued as president and Adams served as vice-president until he stepped into the presidency through Bolton's resignation. In 1912 Adams moved to Oklahoma and M. C. Parrish of Alto became the bank's third president.1 In 1914 the present five-story building was com- pleted. Its 1934 officials include Gus S. Blankenship, president ; F. D. Newton, vice-president, and John T. Lewis, cashier.
Prior to 1900 the Cherokee farmer was wholly dependent upon the old-time store-credit system for financing his farming opera- tions. The Jacksonville First National Bank should be credited with the first bank offer to lend him money to make a crop. One banker gave the institution two years to live. Such a policy, he predicted, would break any bank. When the First National con- tinued to prosper, other banks ventured to follow its example. Thus began the end of the credit store.
In 1902 the Continental Bank and Trust Company of Fort Worth established a branch institution at Alto. Seven years later this became the Continental State Bank, with J. G. Wilkinson, president; A. C. Harrison, vice-president; and Gus Rounsaville, cashier. Since 1920 Rounsaville has been president. J. A. Shat- tuck is the present cashier, M. J. Hogan the vice-president. On March 5, 1934, the Continental State Bank acquired the unsought distinction of being the only Cherokee County bank to make the front page of the newspapers with a bandit story. In the gun play which followed its attempted robbery, one bandit was killed and the other was captured as he fled.
In 1906 the Jacksonville State Bank was organized with $25,000 capital stock. Its directors were T. S. Hatton (president ), John Howard (cashier), F. Hufsmith, G. E. Dilley and Lucius
1 Although a Cherokee-trained banker, M. C. Parrish has continued his bank- ing career elsewhere. After some years' connection with the Texas Bank and Trust Company and the University Bank at Austin, during which time he promoted the establishment of banks in several small neighboring towns, he is now executive vice-president of the First State Bank at Overton.
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Gooch. Five years later this was absorbed by the newly-chartered First Guaranty State Bank.
In 1907 the Farmers and Merchants State Bank of Rusk was chartered with a capital stock of $25,000. Its first board of di- rectors included W. T. Norman (president), W. H. Shook, G. W. Gibson, J. P. Gibson, T. H. Nees, Alex Ford, J. E. Bagley, J. F. Mallard and Doctor A. H. McCord. W. T. Norman is still president, with E. B. Musick as cashier.
Dialville was the first of the smaller towns to have a bank, the Dialville State Bank being organized in 1907 with W. B. Cowan, president ; C. D. Jarratt, vice-president ; and J. D. Harris, cashier. Other directors included S. E. Acker, N. A. Slover and J. J. Dial. Afterward the bank was merged with the First State Bank at Jacksonville.
In 1909 a second bank was organized in Alto, giving each of the three most populous towns two banks. The Alto State Bank was chartered with M. C. Parrish, president; H. H. Berryman, J. E. Watters, E. A. Blount, E. M. Decker, C. C. Francis, M. E. McClure and N. H. Agnew, directors; F. F. Florence, vice- president; T. D. Miller, cashier. The bank failed in 1924 and the Guaranty State Bank was organized, partially with Houston capital. Three years later this also went to the wall. A new or- ganization was immediately perfected, known as Alto State Bank. The dropping of the definite article as a part of its name dis- tinguished it from the 1909 institution. Its officers included H. H. Berryman, president ; J. F. Smith, vice-president, and Mrs. Emma Berryman Yowell, cashier. In 1934 Alto State Bank became the First National Bank, with ex-Governor W. P. Hobby, president ; J. F. Smith, vice-president; and R. G. Underwood, cashier.
In March, 1911, the First Guaranty State Bank succeeded the Jacksonville State Bank. W. C. Bolton, who had been largely instrumental in its organization, was made president. Other di- rectors were Frank L. Devereux, vice-president; John Howard, cashier ; R. O. Watkins, J. D. Williams, T. S. Hatton and A. G. Adams. After the Banking Guaranty Law was repealed the name was changed to the First State Bank. In 1916 A. G. Adams re- turned from Oklahoma to become active president, with the fol- lowing board of directors: W. C. Bolton, J. M. Meador, J. D. Williams, F. E. Churchill, F. L. Haberle, Frank L. Devereux and T. J. Cunningham. In 1933, as a result of withdrawal from the Federal Reserve System, the bank was forced into liquidation.
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