USA > Texas > Johnson County > A memorial and biographical history of Johnson and Hill counties, Texas : containing the early history of this important section of the great state of Texas together with glimpses of its future prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens of the present time, and full-page portraits of some of the most eminent men of this section > Part 25
USA > Texas > Hill County > A memorial and biographical history of Johnson and Hill counties, Texas : containing the early history of this important section of the great state of Texas together with glimpses of its future prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens of the present time, and full-page portraits of some of the most eminent men of this section > Part 25
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44
llill county is situated near the geographi- cal center of the State, on the thirty-second parallel of north latitude, and ninety-seventh meridian of west longitude.
TOPOGRAPHY.
Topographically the county may be divided into four parts, and for convenience we will begin on the west.
The first subdivision embraces all that part of the county lying east of the Brazos river and west of the Cross Timbers, amounting to about 160 square miles. This includes the rich yellow sand and chocolate lands of the river valley, than which no more fertile soil
is found on the globe. Leaving the valley going east, we ascend the " breaks," which are merely the rough, uneven lands that separate the valley from the table lands above. The "breaks" furnish fine grazing for horses and sheep, and also an abundance of cedar timber. The table land is for the most part level prairie, though.dotted here and there with groves of oak and mesquito. The soil of the table land varies from a gray and sandy loam to the stiff, waxy land of black and chocolate color. Corn, cotton, wheat and oats are the staple products of this part of the county, all of which give good returns to the industrious farmer. This see- tion is in most parts abundantly supplied with good water. Noland river runs through the northern part of it, and its clear, crystal waters teem with every variety of the finny tribe. Along the "breaks" of the Brazos numerous bold springs send their sweet waters over pebbly beds, to mix with the turbid waters of the Brazos. Several flowing wells of soft artesian water gladden the hearts of the enterprising farmers who be- lieve the "earth and all things therein were made for man." Whitney is the principal town of this subdivision. It is situated on
208
HISTORY OF JOHNSON
the Texas Central railroad, a branch of the Houston & Texas Central. It has a popula- tion of about 700, and commands a large trade from the surrounding country. It has live, energetic and enterprising merchants and business men who are worthy the eonti- dence of the people. Blum, on the Noland, is also a fine town, and has many of as elever citizens as can be found anywhere. It has a population of several hundred, and does a fine business.
The second subdivision embraces the Cross Timbers. This is a belt of timber land which passes through the county from northeast to southwest, from six to eight miles in width, and contains about 200 square miles in Ifill county. The timber is principally post oak, but is interspersed with hickory, ash, elm, black jack and some other varieties of oak. Aquilla ereek, which has its source in Jolin- son county, courses its way through the "timbers" and empties its waters into the Brazos in MeLennan county. The soil of this seetion, while sandy, varies in color from dark to gray. The greater part of it is very fertile. Corn and cotton flourish, as also do peas, potatoes, melons and fruits of all kinds. The people are generally prosperous and happy. Water is not so abundant as in the first enbdivision, but a fine quality is usually found at from twenty to forty feet beneath the surface, and in some parts natural springs are found. The principal trading points of this section are Covington, Woodbury, Peoria and Aquilla, all of which get a fair local trade from the surrounding county.
The third subdivision embraces that part of the county from tho eastern edge of the Cross Timbers to the " Mountain." While this section is several feet higher than the Cross Timber belt, it is yet a valley. This valley varies from eight to twelve miles in width. It has its beginning on Red river, in Grayson county, and embraces the eastern part of Grayson county, the western part of Collin, the eastern parts of Denton, Tarrant and Johnson counties, the western parts of Dallas and Ellis counties, and passes throughi the center of Ifill, into McLennan, and on to the Colorado at Austin. It is questionable whether there can be found anywhere on the face of the earth a body of npland equal in extent, in richness and fertility of soil, in abundance of yield and variety of products, to be compared with this valley. Hill county comes in for her full share of this magnifi- eent and beautiful belt, which embraces about 250 square miles of her territory, of which there is scarcely one aere but that is suscepti- ble of cultivation. Here corn, cotton, wheat, oats, millet, sorghum, the native and culti- vated grasses, luxuriantly grow and yield a bountiful harvest. There are numerous springs in this belt, but a large majority of the inhabitants get their water supply under the earth at a depth of fifteen to thirty feet. Almost this entire valley is enclosed in farins and pastures. Ifillsboro, the county seat, is the principal town of this belt and of the county. It is located a little cast of the een- ter of this valley, within one mile of the geo- graphical center of the county, on an ele- vated ridge or plateau, that is bounded by
209
AND HILL COUNTIES.
ravines which furnish splendid drainage.
The general face of the county is what would ordinarily be termed " level;", there are no considerable elevation or depressions. The " Mountain," from which the county took ita name, is the water-shed or dividing ridge between the waters of the Brazos and Trinity rivers, and is a mere prairie ridge of an ele- . vation of abont 150 feet above the general surface of the country, and passes from north to south through the country, about two and one half miles east from its center. The "lower cross timbers," a belt of post oak and hickory timber in the main, but occasionally interspersed with other oaks and swamp tim- bers, ranging in width from four to eight iniles, passes through the county about paral- lel with the " Mountain," at a distance of about six miles west from the center of the county.
The Brazos river, a never failing stream of considerable size, borders the county on the west. Noland's river, a most beautiful stream, passes through the northwest portion of the county; the Aquilla, a large ereek, meanders the eross timbers, while its tributaries drain the section between the " Mountain " and the cross timbers. East of the dividing ridge, Richland, a large erecek, and its tributaries, White Rock, Ash and other sinaller ereeks, drain the eastern portion of the county. The Brazos river, Noland's river, Ash creek, Aquilla creek, and some smaller ereeks sup- ported by springs, are perennial, the other streams Failing in dry seasons.
The prairies are the consequents of this periodicity and the rather peculiar confor-
mation of the country. Underlying the soil, on the prairies, is a stratum of lime, sand and gravel closely approaching concrete, ranging in thickness from ten to twenty feet, which is incapacitated to support vegetable life. Under this stratum is a stratum of sand and gravel, varying in thickness from ten to twenty feet, and underlying this is a stratum of soft slate, which constitutes the " water bed."
During the periods of drought, evaporation exceeding the rain fall, the moisture necessary to the support of vegetable life is exhausted from the surface or soil stratmin, and to a con- siderable depth below, and no vegetation ex- cept that which can be sustained by surface moisture, produced by occasional showers of rain and the precipitation of moisture from the atmosphere in the shape of dew, ean exist. The conformation of the timbered portions of the county is similar to that of other tim- bered seetions. The climate, for equability as to heat and cold, will compare favorably with other sections of the same latitude, the thermometer very seldom marking above 95 degrees-Fahrenheit-or 10 degrees below zero. The mueh dreaded " norther " is sim- ply the result of intense cold North, which occasionally forees the " aretie waves " down here, for about four months in the year. Owing to the levelness and openness of the country for a long distance North, the change of temperature is frequently sudden-chang- ing from mild to the extreme degree of cold within from twelve to twenty-four hours. The extreme cold, however, continues only for a few days. During the summer months
210
HISTORY OF JOHNSON
cool breezes from the South are almost con- tinnous, rendering the nights especially de- lightful.
The altitude of Hillsboro above the level of the sea is 627 feet, while Woodbury is 700, Blum 622, Hubbard 638, Fort Worth 550 to 650, Temple 682, etc.
For the geology of this section of Texas, see page 50, and for time sce page 47.
TIMBER.
.
The timber in this portion of Texas is generally inferior to that of southern and eastern Texas, or other timbered countries. In Ilill county it offers no exception to this rule though fully answers for all ordinary nses, and there is an abundance for all de- mands. Formerly it was used for building and until a few years ago many of the resi- dences were built of lumber from the native timber. Since the advent of railroads, how- ever, lumber has become sufficiently cheap to dispense with the local manufacture and the use of native timber. The varieties of tim- ber are post oak, burr oak, black jack, chin, hackberry, mulberry, pecan, walnut, cotton- wood, mesquite and several others, including cedar, which, however, is in the main confined to the western section near the Brazos. The belt known as the cross timbers consists mainly of post oak, burr oak and hickory, though it is interspersed occasionally with other varieties of trees. The Brazos and other streams are bordered with growths of timber, and there are also some groves of post oak and other trees in the interior prairies.
Timber constitutes about one-fourth the area of llill county.
WATER.
This subject has already been referred to in connection with the three subdivisions of tho county. It may be added as a fact gen- erally conceded that no county in this portion of the State is better favored in this particu- lar. The Brazos and Noland rivers, Aquilla creek and several other streams are perennial, while still others furnish water at all times except in the dryest seasons. Besides these streams there are, in many portions of the county, springs of pure limestone water, which fail only in extremely dry seasons. The water-courses are so located as to supply the various portions of the county with drainage and water facilities. The Brazos river, which forms the western boundary, is one of the principal rivers in the State and affords a never failing flow of water. Noland, a bean- tiful stream, passes through the northwest portion of the county. Aquilla ereck, a stream of considerable importance, rises near the Johnson county line and flows south through the county, meandering the cross timbers and emptying into the Brazos in McLennan county; it also has a number of tributaries which drain the western and cen- tral portions of the county, among them be- ing Hackberry creek, which rises near the northern boundary of the county and flows south parallel with the cross timbers, empty- ing into Aquilla near the south boundary of the county and draining all the valley west of the mountain. In the eastern portion, Rich-
211
AND HIILL COUNTIES.
Lund, a large creek with two main branches, atudl its tributaries, White Rock, Pecan, Ash, Post-oak and other smaller creeks, afford drainage and water supply. Together, these streams afford abundant stoek water, and the Brazos furnishes water power which has to some extent been utilized for milling pur- podes. Aside from the flowing streams and bountiful springs, water may be obtained for domestic purposes almost anywhere by dig- ging or boring to depths ranging from ten to thirty feet, at but small expense. Tanks or artificial ponds are used for stock where streams are not at hand. Artesian wells are also coming into fashion in this section of the State.
Water for drinking and culinary purposes is obtained almost anywhere in the county at a depth of twenty to thirty feet. But the best method of obtaining and keeping good water for house purposes is to eatch rain- water in cisterns blasted out of the shaly rock near the surface of the ground.
A. II. White, near Aquilla, has a mineral well, yielding the following analysis, the figures denoting the number of grains to the gallon of water; Common salt, 23.75; sodium sulphate, 6.84; ferrous sulphate, 43.87; fer- ric sulphate, 18.10; aluminum sulphate, 83.91; magnesium sulphate, 116.63; ealcium sulphate, 124.38; ealeium carbonate, 10.20; silica, 4.11; carbonie aeid gas, 121 enbic inehes to the gallon. Of course such water tastes very decidedly of iron or eopperas, and it is considered by some physicians here as a good combination of chemieals for mnedieinal purposes.
A number of artesian wells have been sue- cessfully drilled in ITill county,-notably in Files' valley, Whitney, and near llillsboro, ete. Near Whitney, C. M. Carver had one sunk on his place to the depth of 1,640 feet, which runs abont 3,000 gallons a minute, of pure soft water. Recently there was sunk at Lake Mills, by Robert II. Deering, on the place of Mrs. . N. A. Ilaley, just west of Hillsboro, a well which first yielded water at a depth of 121 feet and eight inches. Pure water was reached at a depth of 170 feet, which rose to the surface, and if piped would probably have arisen about thirty feet. Itasea has an artesian well under headway, and Ilillsboro one contracted for.
SEASONS.
The severe drouths which prove so disas- trous elsewhere seldom affect the farmers here to any serious extent, and it rarely oc- eurs that the farming interest in Hill county suffers materially from an extended failure of rainfall. Even in the driest seasons those whe eultivate carefully and industrionsly pro- duce what would in many of the old States be deemed good erops. Aside from the bene- fit derived from our more favorable seasons it is a fact beyond all question that this soil stands drouth better than that of most other counties, and that when erops are planted here in season, which is a month or two ear- lier than in other States, they are far less liable to injury from drouths, and the farmer ean rely with more certainty on being amply rewarded for his labor.
As is well known, deep plowing will ena-
219
HISTORY OF JOHNSON
ble the soil to hold more water, so that the effects of the drouth, which usually succeeds from about the first of June until November, will be little noticed. Besides, the dry- weather crevasses permit the rains to wash down nutrient material to a good depth and thus insure permanent fertility.
As to the weather in this part of Texas, see page 56. Here in Ilill county, the prinei- pal local weather phenomena within the last few years have been the following: October 15, 1586, there was a very heavy rain, with wind and hail, in this section. Near Leba- non church honses were unroofed, small buildings blown over, and so much timber thrown across the roads that they were ren- dered impassable. One old citizen, when asked if he had any hail in his section, re- plied, " No; it just came down in a sheet of ice and broke up when it strnek the ground!" We have often heard of " eloud-bursts," but this is the first instance of an " iee-burst" to our knowledge. Another farmer said that when on his way to Aquilla after the stormn, as he was crossing a branch near the lower side of his cotton-field, he saw his last loek of cotton calinly floating down the stream, apparently bound for the Galveston market!
April 3, 1891, water froze to the thickness of a " dollar."
CLIMATE AND HEALTHI.
By comparing our tables of temperature with those of the more northern States, an important fact will be demonstrated, namely, that our elimate is far more uniform through- out the year. We are equally exempt from
the extreme summer heat and the extreme winter cold of the north, and it is an admit- ted fact that this uniformity of our elimate is more favorable to health, other things being equal. While at the north thousands perish by sunstroke every summer, there oe- enr very few well authenticated instances of sunstroke in Texas. The delightful gulf winds from the south prevail in the summer and extend this far into the interior, greatly mitigrating the heat of that season. The prevailing diseases of the North, such as con- sumption and other diseases arising from the severe winters, are quite unknown in Texas. Miasmatie diseases are unknown here, there being no natural causes to produce them. The ordinary summer temperature varies from 80 to 85 and the extreme heat seldom ex- ceeds 104. The influence of the gulf breezes is so marked that the average temperature is much lower during the summer months than it is in the higher latitudes of the North. The actual winter weather here is generally confined to a period of less than three months, commencing in December and extending to the first of March. Freezes oceur at intervals during the winter, but as a rule the freezing temperature does not continue long. The snow falls are light and infrequent. Some- times there is a sleet for a day or two. Under this head it may be well to notice also what are called " Texas northers." The " norther" constitutes an important feature of Texas elimate, but one by no means fraught with such portentous meaning as people abroad have been taught to believe by sensational writers. The "Texas norther" is nothing
.
013
AND HILL COUNTIES.
more than what it is elsewhere known as a cold north wind.
THE COUNTY ORGANIZED.
Going first far back into independent Texan times, we find that Robertson county was created December 14, 1837, as follows: " Be it enacted, ete., That all that seetion of country lying and situated in the follow- ing boundaries be and the same is hereby set apart and constituted a new county, to be known and called by the name of Robertson, viz .: The line beginning on the Brazos river at the county line of the county of Washing- ton, and running on that line easterly to the Trinity river; thence up that river to the northern edge of the Cross Timbers; thenee due west to the Brazos river; thenee down that river to the beginning point."
Navarro county was created April 25, 1846, thus:
" SECTION 1. Be it enacted, etc., that all that portion of the county of Robertson in- eluding within the following bounds be and the same is hereby erected into a new county, to be called and known by the name of Na- varro, to wit: Beginning on the east bank of the Brazos river at the northwest eoruer of Limestone county, and thence with the line of said county to the Trinity river; thence up said river to the line of Dallas county; thence west to the corner thereof; thence north with the line of said Dallas county to the southern boundary line of Fannin county; thence west to the Brazos river; and thence down said river to the place of beginning.
as to right of representation, shall be con- sidered as a part of the county of Robertson until entitled by munubers to the right of separate representation.
" SkerioN 3. That until the seat of justice shall be permanently established as hereafter provided by law, the temporary seat of just. iee shall be at the residence of W. R. Howe, and all courts shall be held thereat."
The first act of the legislature referring to fill county was approved February 7, 1853, and described its boundaries as follows:
" That all the territory comprised in the following limits, to wit: Beginning on the southwest line of Ellis county at a point twenty-two miles from its northwest corner; thence with the southwest line of said county of Ellis to its south corner; thenee to the ox- treme north corner of Limestone county; thence with the boundaries of Limestone and McLennan counties as now defined, to the Brazos river; thenee up that river with its meanders to a point south seventy five de- grees west from the place of beginning, thenee north seventy-five degrees east to the place of beginning,-be and the same is hereby con- stituted a new county, to be known by the name of the county of Hill."
Seetions two and three of the aet refer to the organization of the county and the loea- tion of the county seat.
SECTION 4. "That the county court of said county shall have power to purchase if neces- sary 320 acres of land for the use of said county, and shall lay the same off into suit- able lots for a town; and after selecting and
"SECTION 2. That said county of Navarro, setting apart such suitable lots as may be
214
HISTORY OF JOHNSON
necessary for a courthouse, jail, clerks' offices, churches, schoolhonses and burying ground, they shall procced to sell the remainder, or such portion thereof as they may deem neces- sary, at public auction, at such time and npon sueli terms as will most conduce to the inter- est of said county, and shall apply the pro- ceeds thereof to the erection of necessary public buildings for the use of said county."
Section five provides for the compensation of the chief justice.
SECTION 6. " That all that territory situ- ated north of the county hereby created and which was heretofore ineluded within the limits of Navarro county, be attached to and from a part of the territorial limits of the said new county, and for all county and general purposes shall form a part of the same; and the location of the seat of justice thereof and the county hereby created shall be attached to and form a part of the Thir- teenth Judicial District."
Thus we see how that Ilill county was carved out of Navarro, the latter out of Rob- ertson, and the latter again from Washington.
The county was named in honor of George W. Ilill.
February 15, 1858, the Legislature passed the following act, defining the dividing lines between the counties of Ilill, Navarro and Limestone:
county, thence running southeasterly parallel with and at the distance of three miles from said line of Hill county, the entire length of said line, to a point which shall be the south- west corner of Navarro, the southeast corner of llill and the north corner of Limestone county ; provided that [lill county shall pay the expense of running and marking said line.
"SECTION 2. That the north boundary line of Navarro shall hereafter be as follows: Be- ginning at the northwest corner of Freestone county, thence in a direct line to the point designated in the preceding section as the mutual corner of the three counties named; thenee a line shall be drawn direct to the southeast corner of IIill county as heretofore existing, so as to complete the division be- tween Hill and Limestone counties."
Ilill county, according to article 810 of the Revised Statutes of 1879, is bounded as fol- lows: "Beginning at the northeast boundary of MeLennan county, thirty-eight and a half miles north thirty degrees west from the cast corner of Falls county; thence north sixty degrees east to a point bearing thirty degrees east from another point on the southeast line of Ellis county, three miles north sixty de- grees east from the south corner of said county; thenee north thirty degrees west of the said point; thence south sixty degrees west three miles to the south corner of Ellis county; thenee north thirty degrees west to a point on the Ellis county line, bearing south thirty degrees east twenty-two miles to the west corner of Ellis county, as estab-
"SECTION 1. Be it enacted, etc., that the dividing line between the counties of - Ilill and Navarro shall hereafter be as follows: Beginning on the upper line of Navarro county, three miles northeasterly from its junction with the northeast line of Hill | lished by the act of January 28, 1850; theuce
֏15
AND HILL COUNTIES.
with seventy-five degrees west to the Brazos river; thence down that river with its mean- ders to the northwest line of MeLennan county ; thence with said line north sixty de- grees east to its north corner; thence south thirty degrees cast to the place of be- ginning."
In February, 1858, John Flower was an- thorized by the county court to survey the county lines dividing Hill from Ellis, Na- varro and Limestone counties, and the dates were fixed and published in which each sur- vey was to be made. Mr. Flower made the survey, and the field notes are recorded in the first volume of the Commissioners' Ree- ords,. page 100 et seq.
According to the provisions of the legisla- tive act, Ilill county was duly organized by the election of the necessary officers in An- gust, 1853,-James II. Dyer as chief jus- tice, Thomas M. Steiner, Thomas Bragg, James R. Davis and J. M. Sanford as county commissioners, and C. N. Brooks as county clerk. No sheriff being elected at the or- ganie election, Haywood Weatherby was duly appointed sheriff by the Commissioners' Court at its first term.
Mr. Dyer was elected two or three times to office, and was living meanwhile abont four miles north of Hillsboro, where he was a farmer and stock-raiser. Moving from this locality he lived eight years in Steiner valley, this county, and is now living in Bosque county. IIe is an extraordinary man; is a philanthropist, but positive in manner, warmly loving his friends and equally cold to his enemies.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.