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 35
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 35
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"Come, craftsmen assembled our pleasures to share, Who work by the plumb and remember the square; While traveling in love, on the level of time, Sweet hope shall light us lo a far better clime.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON
" We will seek in our labors the Spirit divine Our templo to bless and our hearts to retine, And thus lo our altar a tribute we'll bring, While joined in true friendship our anthem we sing.
" See order and beauty rise gently to view,- Each brother a column so perfect and true! When order shall cease and when temples decay, May each fairer columns immortal survey."
The cost of this building was about $11,- 000, not counting the lot or furnishing. Fifteen-year bonds were issued by the city for the means of building. In it are six recitation rooms. For the want of room at present, some of the primary schools are kept in church buildings. The colored school building has three rooms.
There is a taxable valuation of property in the city of $1,500,000, on which the levy for school purposes is twenty-five mills on each $100; and this, with the State and county funds, yields abont $6,800. The schools are continued ten months in the year.
The course of study more than reaches the freshunan course at college; but the high school here is not yet formally connected with the State University. There are in Hillsboro three courses of study,- the regular classical, the Latin and seioutifie and the normal. The latter includes psychology and Brooks' Nor- mal Course in Teaching.
The enrollment for 1891-'92, including white and colored, is 641, between the ages of eight and sixteen; but pupils are admitted of all ages from six to twenty. Ineluding "overs" and " unders," there are about 850 who ean be admitted. The actual attendance is probably about 450 in the white schools
and 125 in the colored. The present (Janu- ary, 1892) attendance is about ninety-five per cent. of the enrollment; it has been over that, but the " grip" has recently interfered se riously with school attendance.
In June, 1891, there were five graduates in the high-school course, namely, John Rush Powell, Miss Sallie T. Harriss, Sherwood P. Harriss, Turner F. Roberts and Miss Leona Knox. Some of these entered the junior class of Baylor University.
.In 1890-'91 the school passed from the con- trol of the city council into the charge of a board of school trustees, with the mayor as president ex officio. The present board com- prises M. D. Knox, chairman; A. L. Lowrey, secretary; G. D. Tarlton, T. S. Johnson, C. Moorman, L. A. Carlton and J. G. II. Buck.
Sinee September 17, 1891, Prof. P. S. Halleck has been the city superintendent of schools, and he is also the principal of the high school, with nine assistant teachers; will soon have two more assistants.
CHURCHES.
Hillsboro is well supplied with the principal Christian churches and auxiliary organiza- tions, the partienlars of which, we are sorry to say, we failed to obtain in time for this edition. Of the churches there are the Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptist, Chris- tian, etc.
The first organization of the Baptist church in the county was at Hillsboro, in 1853. It organized with fourteen members. In 1866 it was reorganized on Jack's branch, with Rev. James MeGrand as moderator, and C.
AND HELL COUNTIES
N. Brooks as clerk, and in a short while was moved to Peoria, where it took the name of Peoria church. This church has since sent ont abont a thousand members to different portions of the State.
The first Methodist church was organized at the residence of Harrison Abels, on Jack's branch, with about fifteen members, and was moved to Peoria in 1854. The present mem- bership of that church is about seventy-five, und it has sent out between 500 and 700 members.
The Seventh-Day Adventist was organized in 1878, with Rev. R. M. Kilgore as pastor, und now has a membership of about eighty.
The Christian church was organized in 1887: Rev. J. F. Grubbs, pastor. It has a membership of about thirty-five.
SOCIETIES.
The secret or fraternal orders are well rep- resented in Ilillsboro by the best and most responsible citizens, as the Masonie, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, ete.
Many other societies, of a miscellaneous character, have also been organized from time to time, as dramatie, social, musical, etc.
A novel entertainment was given at Ilills- boro May 24, 1889, at the Ball Park, in the evening, by the young ladies, who presented a great variety of exhibitions for the purpose of raising money for a publie enterprise. Long rows of Japanese lanterns enclosed a large portion of the grounds devoted to the entertainment, and, together with numerous toreles, gave the scene a brilliant and phan- tastie appearance. Rebekah and her well
were there, and the amount of lemonade sold proved that this modern Rebekah was as charming as the one of Scriptural fame. In a brilliantly illuminated tent three ladies were finely dressed up to represent the " Three Little Maids" of legendary fame. The admis- sion fee to this side show was freely paid by many. One young lady represented a Mex- iean girl selling a variety of notions, in which she had great success.
The fortune-tellers' tent, before which was a eamp kettle over a bright little fire, was a center of attraction. The young lady read the future for all who deposited 10 cents in advance. Two young ladies represented gipsy maidens, wearing appropriate costumes and engaging smiles that disposed of a bushel basket of sandwiches. Cigarette girls, min- strel girls parading the grounds, fruit vending girls, and a variety of other kinds, were active on the premises, and of course the entertain- ment was financially a signal suceess.
ATTORNEYS.
The present members of the bar at llills- boro are: Jo Abbott (now a member of Con- gress), J. G. Abney (the present county judge), Il. W. Young (retired), S. C. Up- shaw, George I. Jordan, W. L. Booth, David Derden (member of the legislature), G. D. Tarlton, B. D. Tarlton (now judge of the State commission of appeals), W. C. Mor- row, Clifford Moorman, R. M Vaughan, T. II. Dixon, W. E. Spell, W. C. Wear, Thomas Ivy, J. M. Johnson, L. A. Carlton, G. T. Jones, J. S. Bounds, A. P. Mckinnon, R. P. lodge, T. S. Smith, J. J. Stoker and T. P.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON
Whipple. No name has been intentionally omitted.
Among the first lawyers at Hillsboro who are not here now were William Veal, an ex- cellent man, now in Breckenridge, Stephens county, this State; he was once a member of the legislature; Joseph P. Wear, a most ex- cellent gentleman and a good lawyer; very careful. He raised a company of Conteder- ate infantry and was killed at Yellow Bayon; Turner & llendricks, both decea-ed; Ilueleson, now judge of a district court out West somewhere; William HI. (" Howdy ") Martin, who has been State senator seven or eight years and member of Congress; a re- markably good man. but too confiding in the pretended honesty of people; V. II. Ivy, de- ceased; E. Pendleton, now living in the vieinity of Fort Graham; - Jasper; John E. Clarke, now city attorney of Itasca; F. P. Smith, M. F. Wingfrey, moved to Memphis, Tennessee; and others.
Possibly this is the best juneture in our history to give a more extended notice of one of the most marked characters in Texas, Col- onel William 1. Booth, especially on account of his having been a pioneer in Hillsboro, and is still a resident. Ile was born in Livingston county, New York, February 17, 1818, a son of Isaae Booth, of Connecticut. Ilis father, a tanner and shoemaker by trade, moved in 1833 to Sandusky county, Ohio, where he followed farming until 1836, when he died. Colonel Booth's mother's name before mar- riage was Jane MeElhany, and she was a native of Pennsylvania.
When about twenty-one years of age, Col. onel Booth located at liner's Mills, Indiana; afterward he taught school near Hillsdale, Michigan, but soon returned to Indiana, settling in Lawrence county and resuming teaching. In 1845 he removed to Jackson county, that State, where he was admitted to the bar in 1546. The next year he went to Whiteside county, Illinois, and engaged in farming, mainly to regain his health; but soon he moved into the town of Fulton, that county. on the Mississippi river, and engaged in law practice. In 1832-'53 he was in California prospecting, ete., from Placerville to the southern mines; and in November, 1853, he arrived with his family in Hillsboro; and he has ever since been a resident of this county, excepting 1874-'81.
lle and the present Senator Coke were attorneys for J. M. Steiner, whom Captain Robert Anderson, of the United States Army, came here to arrest on charge of killing Major Arnold, at Fort Graham. The civil court acquitted Steiner, but during the seuflle wherein Anderson and his men undertook to obtain possession of Steiner, the crowd, aided by Booth, ingeniously kept the parties sepa- rate until Steiner was safely away. There were at least 300 citizens in the county well armed and ready for the fight. Booth warned Anderson of the facts, and some rongh lan- gnage passed between them. Anderson finally gave up the contest and turned his troops toward Anstin. Steiner himself subsequently moved to Austin, where the governor told him he would protect him. Ile practiced medieine there, and also dealt largely in
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lunds, ete., and finally moved to Georgia, where he died.
In 1555 Col. Booth was elected county treasurer for three years. When the war vatne on he joined the Confederate army and made a good fight for Southern independence; Unt during the bitter era of reconstruction he was a Republican and his life was several times exposed. lle is as true a Texan, how- ever, as any man in the State.
The colonel was first married in 1838, and by that marriage had two children,-Charles Thomas, who became quite a prominent at- torney under President Grant, and William L., Jr., now a practicing attorney. Mrs. Booth died in 1842, and a year or so after- ward the colonel married Hannah Conn, and by this marriage there have been five children : R. R., who was killed in Waller county in 1879; Frank, killed in a duel; Connie, who died yonng; Elizabeth, now deceased; and Annie, now the wife of II. F. Attaway.
PHYSICIANS.
The physicians now praetieing at IFills- boro are Drs. N. B. Kennedy, R. and M. D. Knox, E. L. Sessions, J. Buie, J. W. Miller J. II. Wysong (all these have their offices, in the rear portion of the Eagle drug store on the east side of the square), George D. Bond, W. M. Drake, II. W. Dudley, J. T. Harriss, J. J. Robert and S. M. Carlton (eclectic).
The first physician in Hillsboro was Dr. Doe, who after a few years went to Mexico. Among other early doctors here were J. M. Griffin, who is still living in the county; Dr. 10
Stewart, who practiced with him for a time; Dr. William Craig, in 1856, was residing a mile and a half from town; Dr. Fellows (eclectie) was here four or five years, and is now in Brownwood, Brown county, this State, doing well; R. F. Attaway (vitopathie), here two or three years, died of consumption; J. W. Smith, now in Bell county, this State; J. F. Mckenzie, who came in 1885 and died June 25, 1891, aged sixty-eight years, was a leading physician; J. R. Smith, who moved to Seymour, Texas; J. W. Hunt, who died in February, 1887; W. J. Pollard; W. A. Craig deceased; Alexander Campbell, also a Presby- terian clergyman and school-teacher, moved away; B. II. Vaughan, now living at Vaughan, in this county; B. F. Smith, who prac- tieed here four or five years and is now practicing at Bentonville, Arkansas; J. G. llendricks, who did well here for a time, and is now in eastern Texas, etc., etc. We can- not name all the physicians who have prae. ticed here in Ilillsboro; but it is somewhat remarkable that there are so few " irregulars " in the South generally, as well as in Texas; not a homeopathist in this eounty, although they constitute about a fourth of the medical profession in the North and in Europe.
The Hill County Medical and Surgical As- sociation was organized June 9, 1886, when there were present Drs. B. F. Smith (presi- dent), M. D. Knox, John Buie (secretary), G. W. Benton, S. R. Cates, B. HI. Vaughan, N. B. Kennedy, A. L. Wiley, A. J. Hamilton, A. J. Weatherred, R. A. Williamson and R. A. Miller. Also, in 1889 the " Hill and Me- Lennan County Line Medical Association "
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON
was organized: W. E. Menefee, president for the year 1890-'91.
FIRES.
February 18, 1886, a fire, supposed to have originated in a laundry, quickly threatened to become a conflagation, damaging the fine new Warren block, the lumber sheds of Page & Co., Iarpold Bros.' agricultural implement store, and totally destroying the office of Es- quire D. Overton, with all its contents, and also damaging the property of J. A. Ross and Ilawkins, Welborn & Co. There was no in- surance on most of the property mentioned .
May 16, 1887, the Warren block und n number of adjoining buildings were con- sumed by fire, with a fearful loss,-$118,300, -the principal losers being John D. Warren, building, office furniture, etc .; A. Fox & Bro., dry goods; E. L. Nicholson, dry goods; Mrs. N. L. Carmichael, building; T. S. John- son & Co., groceries; J. A. La Bryer, Pacific Express Co.'s office; W. II. Ellington & Co., dry goods; Thompson & Blakey, buggies and agricultural implements; J. R. Wheatley, building; llarpold Bros., agricultural im- plements, ele.
December 20, 1887, carly in the morning, a fire caused the following losses: Lewine Bros., dry goods, $10,000; estate of George F. Sturgis, 87,500; L. B. Brown, grocerl $14,000; L. Brin, dry goods, $16,000; W. II. McDonald, building, $350; Sturgis Nationa, Bank, building and furniture, 85,500; M. Lewis, saloon and restaurant, 81,800; E. B. Strond, $400; J. W. Golledge, furniture, $200, cte., total, about $57,000.
February 20, 1890, W. T. Collier's resi- dence in the western part of town,; 1088 about $1,200.
January 16, 1891, the "City Grocery," owned by C. D. Brown and managed by W .. W. Carter, along with some buildings adjoin -? ing, were burned, the total loss being about $17,000. Fire probably incendiary. The fire company did well on this occasion or the loss would have been inneli greater.
November 23, 18-, the residence of R. II. Edmondson, in the eastern part of the city, was consumed, with all the contents: loes, abont $1,400.
August 20, 1891, fire destroyed the estab- lishments of E. M. Turner & Co., J. R. Thompson, Stroud, Buck & Sturgis, Stroud Bros., Hawkins & Lary, R. S. Lumpkin, Thompson, Long & Co., Dr. J. T. Harriss and others, the loss aggregating nearly $70,000! This stirred up the people and the city coun- eil to hasten on with the contemplated arte- sian-well enterprise. For fire company, see a little further on.
HILLSBORO CORPORATION.
Hillsboro was first made a town as early as 1854, and continued a monotonous life, with scarcely any signs of growth until within a few years of the advent of the railroad iu 1881, --- the Missouri Pacific. In 1882 the . question came up for incorporation as a city, and February 24, that year, a vote was taken, with the result of seventy-three for incor- poration and eighty-four against it; but it seems that other action was taken, and the council proceeded to transact business until,
:
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AND ITILL COUNTIES.
in the spring of 1890, it was ascertained that it had been acting irregularly, as the town had not been legally incorporated as a "city." A disenssion therefore arose as to the best course to pursue. C. L. Carlton maintained that there was a remedy, as follows: Peti- tion the county court to order an election for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not the incorporation of the town should be nul- litied, and then vote it down, leaving the town without an incorporation of any kind; then, as soon as possible, petition for another election to see whether or not the place should be incorporated as a city. Ile be- lieved that within thirty days the place in this manner could become a " eity " within the meaning of the law, as was done pre- viously at Taylor, in this State, a town that had been similarly situated.
The council, coinciding with these views, appointed a committee to carry out the measure, and it reported favorably, and the plan satisfactorily carried out. A public meeting was held to consider the matter: 370 names were seeured to a petition to the county judge, requesting him to order an election, and he refused to order it, believing that there was a better remedy. The Board of Trade decided, May 30, to carry the matter to a higher tribunal. The question was dis- eussed and bandied about until finally a general law of the legislature was enacted enabling cities in such attitudes to legalize their transactions. This law, however, be- came such without the signature of the Governor.
The government of this city is now con
dueted upon a conservative and economical basis. The rate of taxation, including the school tax, amounts to 75 cents on the one hundred dollars valuation. Expenses are eantiously guarded, and the present indebted - ness, excluding a small amount of floating claims does not exceed $15,000. The bulk of this indebtedness was incurred in the creetion of the publie-school building. The tax rate required to meet the sinking fund constantly grows smaller, and within a short while will be merely nominal. Of the entire amount of taxes, 25 cents on the $100 was recently levied by a vote of the people for the purpose of oxtending the school term to ten months.
Among the most interesting aets of the IHillsboro council are the following, which we have incidentally gleaned from the city papers.
In June, 1886, the city compelled all own- ers of pigeons to keep such birds caged.
August 17, same year, the business houses and residences were ordered by the city coun- cil to be numbered.
September 4, 1888, the council refused to permit the sale of fruits, soda water, ete., on Sunday, even when restricted to the early morning, by a vote of five against two.
In 1890 the council began by resolution to exempt certain private property from city taxation, for a stated period, in its philan- thropie zeal to foster local business enterprises; but the majority finally decided that such measures were unconstitutional. After vot- ing down the proposition to exempt the Hillsboro roller mill, they accordingly re
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HISTORY OF JOIINSON
seinded a former resolution exempting the opera house.
In 1890 the grand jury started in for a thorough investigation of the violation of the law prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liq- uors to minors. A certain young man was brought before it who testified that he was under twenty-one years of age, and that he had frequently bought intoxicating liquors in Hillsboro. Upon being questioned in de- tail, he admitted that he had bought liquors from every saloon-keeper in Hillsboro, and the foreman of the jury proceeded to make a a note of each case, with all material partieu- lars, dates, etc.
After having given his testimony at length and when the foreman had prepared data for a good batch of iudietments, the witness in- nocently remarked that in Navarro county, where he had formerly lived, ho had fre- quently bonght whisky, and that the authori- ties of that county had never seemed to con- sider it an offense to sell to him. This was a poser to the jury, and a desire was expressed to know why it was that liquor dealers could sell intoxicating liquors to minors in Navarro county without being held to account. Imagine the surprise of the jurors when the witness replied that although not twenty-one years of age he was the head of a family, consisting of a wife and two children! This was enough. The witness was told to stand aside, and the foreman destroyed the mem- oranda that he had prepared as a basis for indictments.
Hillsboro took place June 6, 1883, and called the " Hillsboro Hook and Ladder Company, No. 1;" the engine company was organized September 17, 1885; and the city fire depart- ment October 24, 1885.
For the use of the department a house was built on South Waco street, where the appa- ratus of both companies are well housed.
The first department officers were: Henry P. Harrington, chief; T. J. Holland, first assistant; O. M. Welburn, secretary; and M. D. Knox, treasurer. Tho first officers of the ITook and Ladder Company, No. 1, were J. W. Golledge, foreman; Ben French, first assistant; L. K. HIarpold, second assistant; G. W. Jonos, housekeeper; V. Il. Ivy, pres- idont; T. G. Hawkins, treasurer; and T. II. MeCollum, secretary. The members were 11. P. Harrington, Tom Bell, L. Brin, W. II. Bragg, Tom Couchman, D. Derden, S. W. Hancock, J. S. Kirk, M. Lewis, J. W. Patter- son, Seott Shook, B. D. Tarlton, S. J. Watel- sky, A. L. Blanchard, W. S. McFadden, P. F. Fox, C. E. Phillips, Ben French and J. W. Golledge. The company then had a very nice, handy and compact truck, with six ladders and thirty-six rubber buckets and other appliances, manufactured expressly for them. The trnek was a model of neatness, being so constructed that any lader could easily be taken from it, each being on rollers.
Engine Company No. 1 had one Silsby engine, No. 6, with two hose earts and 1,000 feet of Paragon hose. The officers were: James Harrington, foreman; O. M. Welbarn, FIRE COMPANY. first assistant; George Carmichael, second The first organization of a fire company in assistant; B. Sweeney, secretary; E. B.
AND HILL COUNTIES
Stroud, treasurer; B. C. Brittain, engineer; 1. R. Blanchard, first assistant engineer; Charles Scholes, captain of hoso; T. J. Me- Kenzie, first assistant of hose; members - T. S. Smith, T. J. Holland, Clifford Frank- lin, W. L. Booth, J. F. Haynes, M. D. Knox, R. E. Harris, Abe Fox, Sidney Mills, J. J. Roberts, J. B. Hayes, R. S. Lumpkin, J. N. MeKenzie, J. R. Patty, W. E. MeLaughlin and J. E. Ballard.
At that time the city had two cisterns upon the square, connected by gutters with the surrounding buildings,-one on the west and one on the east. This supply was sufficient for a time. The department purchased a thonsand-pound bell, manufactured expressly for it at Cincinnati, and it was mounted on a tower forty feet high.
Until within the past year or two the city has been somewhat unfortunate as to fires, but it now has a fully equipped fire depart- ment, composed of some of its best citizens and leading business men. The department is a volunteer one, but a considerable portion of the expenses are provided for by the city government. The engine and all the appurte- mances are first-class and nothing is needed but n little better organization of the system in order to assure perfeet protection to prop- erty, and accordingly reduced rates of insur- anee.
Recently vigorous movements have been made for the establishment of eleetrie light- ing and for water-works; and for the latter bonds to the extent of 87,000 have been issued, to defray the expenses of digging an artesian well. It is not yet decided just
where it will be located, but the contract was let September 15, 1891, for the drilling of the well, to the MeLeod Artesian Well Com- pany of Keokuk, lowa, who are now busy in a similar enterprise at Itasca, and will take up the Hillsboro well next. The company guaranties a depth of 1,200 feet, five and five- eighths-inch aperture at the bottom, for 84,000; and if necessary, they will go 1,500 feet, at 83 per foot over 1,200 feet; and if still further necessary, 2,000 feet, at $4 a foot over 1,500 feet.
The ayes on issuing the bonds were Messrs. Martin, Bounds, Lary, Morrison, Knight and Ilolland; nays, Harpold and Dunham.
In the spring of 1892 the council con- tracted with the Texas Water-works and Construction Company of Dallas for the con- struction of water works, and selected the places for the fire-plugs, as well as for elce- trie-light poles, which are to be thirty feet high. There are to be forty-five hydrants, furnished at a cost of $50 cach, and the elec -. tric-lights are to be of 2,000-candle power, are, and set up at $100 each.
MISCELLANEOUS.
On hearing of the death of ex-President Jefferson Davis, the citizens of llillsboro held a meeting December 6, 1889, and passed appropriate resolutions. Those taking the lead at the meeting were Major J. Il. Little. field, Rev. T. W. Rogers, Hon. B. D. Tarlton, W. A. Fields, L. J. Thompson, T. II. Dixon, John D. Warren, W. E. Spell, W. 11. Young, Rev. B. M. Taylor, Sheriff J. P. Cox, W. C. Blair, W. 11. Clark, Isaac Green, J. II.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON
Wood, J. P. McConnell, J. S. Dickerson, C. D. Brown and J. R. Thompson. A number of these gentlemen, some of whom had been personally acquainted with President Davis, delivered appropriate specches. January 2 following, S. C. Upshaw was authorized to solieit and receive donations for the relief of the family of the deceased, and for the erec- tion of a monument to his memory. The books are still open (May, 1892) for sub- scription.
Several hundred citizens of Hillsboro, whose names appear in the Mirror of Jan- uary 1, 1890, for a Christmas gift to Miss Ellen Roberts, a paralytic, raised $78.50, with which to purchase a propelling chair, etc., For her use. Dr. Kennedy was the mov- ing spirit in getting up this charitable and most sensible present.
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