A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 23

Author:
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 954

USA > Texas > Henderson County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 23
USA > Texas > Freestone County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 23
USA > Texas > Leon County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 23
USA > Texas > Anderson County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 23
USA > Texas > Limestone County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 23
USA > Texas > Navarro County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 23

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).

It was when the war and reconstruction were ahnost over that the colored churches

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arose with their newly gained freedom. They proceeded at once to divide up, too, as their masters liad done before them. Far the larger number became Methodists, especially, and Baptists. They did not hesitate to make more than one kind of Methodism; these differences were based chiefly upon their relation to the whites, however. The colored religious life, how- ever, was and is a kind by itself as a rule, and it will one day be written up as one of the most interesting of the phenomena of our country's religious life.

Before noting the comparative strength of the denominations in Navarro county, a glance may be taken at the early settle- ment of one of the oldest and probably the largest, and let that suffice as an illus- tion for the planting of all three of the earliest societies. Reference is of course made to the Baptist society. The Method- ists and Cumberland Presbyterians came almost equally early; but aside from these nearly all the other denominations that are now in the county came after the war, at least as organized societies. Those now in the county besides the above are the Methodist Protestant, the Presbyterian (O. S.), the Roman Catholic, the Chris- tians or Disciples, the Protestant Epis- copal, the Associate Reformed, the Seventh- Day Adventists, the Jewish society, the Methodist Episcopal, and the colored churches. There is also a strong Young Men's Christian Association in Corsicana, begun in 1885.

Now as to the early organization of the Baptists above referred to:

" The clouds that hung so heavily around that region of country adjacent to

the falls of the Brazos in 1837," writes Elder T. N. Morrell in his reminiscences of early religious life in Texas, " when I cultivated my first crop in Texas, under a guard of soldiers, and from which I was driven at an early day by the Indians, were now all brushed away by the success of our arms and the advance of civilization. The af- fections of my heart had always lingered around that spot. during all the years of my banishment, and early in 1846 I left the churches organized in 1845, to be cared for by other pastors, and, under a commission from the domestic mission board of the Southern Baptist convention, accepted, as missionary, the field north of the old San Antonio road, between the Brazos and Trinity rivers. The salary agreed upon was $250, to be paid quarterly.

" North of Anderson and Huntsville, in 1846, there was not a Baptist preacher to co-operate with me in the organization of churches, in all the vast territory lying be- tween the Trinity and Brazos rivers, to the farthest limits of Texas, except Elder N. T. Byars, who then lived on Richland creek, in Navarro county, about eighty or ninety miles from where I settled in Milam county. There was a small organ- ization of anti-missionary Baptists in the vicinity of Springfield, with two brothers by the name of Dorsey preaching among them. Elder Byars and I met occasion- ally, and conferred together with reference to the interests of our Master's cause in the midst of this wide destitution.

"My first trip across the county was made in January, 1846, preaching first at Leona, and then at Springfield, pursu- ing my old custom of asking, at the close

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of the sermon, if there were any Baptists present. This I did to make their ac- quaintance and prepare for organization. Both at Leona and Springfield I found a few Baptists, where I left appointments for February. On my second trip, with- out the aid of any minister, I constituted the church at Leona, on the first Sunday in February, with eight or nine members,and the second Sunday in the same montli the church at Springfield, with six or seven mem- bers. Elder Byars lived in the heart of the territory, now occupied by Richland Asso- ciation, and in the territory now (1886) covered by the Trinity River Association. There was no ministerial aid given me un- til the arrival of Elder R. E. B. Baylor.

"Brother Baylor served as judge of the district court under the Republic of Texas; lived first at La Grange; resided later near Independence, where stands Baylor Uni- versity, that bears his name, and around which his heart's warmest affections have always gathered. He was now elected under the State administration, with a district ex- tending farther east, and embracing the counties of Leon, Limestone, Falls and Rob- ertson. For about twenty years he held the public trust, and no man could be found that could compete with him on election day, when the popular vote was cast for district judge. At all his courts he preached whenever opportunities were given.

" Brother Baylor came to my relief on the Colorado in 1838, and now, in 1846, we entered the same territory. While in his official position he was rendering to Cæsar the things that were Caesar's I. de- termined to so arrange my appointments as to catch him at our regular meetings,

thus giving him a good opportunity to render unto God the things that are God's. He always arrived at the place to hold his courts on Saturday evening, sometimes earlier. This gave us an opportunity to preach together on Sunday, and it was quite common for us to have preaching at night through the week.

" At our first meeting after the organi- zation at Leona, a very remarkable negro boy approached me on Saturday morning, and asked permission to join the church. Upon being asked if he believed that God for Christ's sake had forgiven his sins, he promptly answered in the affirmative; and after giving the clearest evidences of deep conviction and joyful deliverance, I told him to confer with his owner and present himself to the church. Jerry was prompt to the hour, and wlien an opportunity was given he presented himself for menber- ship. In the hearing of the congregation he told his simple story, in a few but earnest words. There was no dream, no voice and no miraculous manifestation re- hearsed; but with plain and heartfelt utter- ances he convinced the congregation, al- ready in tears, that he not only had a soul, but that his spirit had been moved by the power of God. I baptized him with others, and very soon he expressed an anxiety to learn to read the Bible. In this he was en- couraged, and in his aptness to learn soon acquired what he sought. He was granted permission and encouraged by the church to preach to his people. Up to the war, and during the struggle, he deported him- self with Christian propriety, and althoughi a quarter of a century has passed since I

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baptized him, he still lives to declare the good news of salvation to his race."

It would be most interesting to give his account of the racing sermon to the racers and gamblers that hung around Spring- field in 1846, and how this led to the con- version of one of them; but space forbids.

"On Friday," he continues, " before the third Sunday in July, 1848, messengers from six churches-Leona, Society Hill, Springfield, Union Hill, Corsicana, and Providence-met in convention with the Providence Church, Navarro county, to consider the propriety of organizing a new association." This resulted in the Trinity River Baptist Association.

In addition to this let a few reminis- cences of the planting of early Corsicana churches from the pen of Mrs. C. M. Winkler be given, for they show the Bap- tists, with their fellow pioneers, the Meth- odists and Cumberland Presbyterians, taking part in the first plans for the new county seat.

"The owners of the land, upon which the town was originally laid off, donated to the Baptist, the Cumberland Presby- terian, and Methodist denominations, each half a block of land to be used in erecting houses of worship. The Cumberland Pres- byterians were the first to set about utiliz- ing their property, and after using the academy for two or three years, they de- termined to build on their lot (which was situated on Third avenue, near the Acad- emy), a union church, the funds contrib- uled by the other denominations as well as their own members. Two Sundays were set apart by mutual agreement, for the Presbyterian minister to preach, one

for the Methodist, one for the Baptist. A union Sunday-school was also held here. The bell, ringing clear and cheerfully to call worshippers to this sanctuary, where true hearts and Christian souls gathered Sunday after Sunday, continuing this social mixture of denominations until 1871, when, at a meeting in the spring of that year, the Methodists decided to begin the erection of a church upon their property, which was commenced the following fall, resulting in the present house of worship.

"The following year the Cumberland Presbyterians sold their lot and purchased another on Third avenue, where they built a brick church, which became unsafe from cracking, was taken down and the present handsonie building was then erected and dedicated January, 1892. The old-school Presbyterians were organized with only five members. Some twenty-one years ago the cornerstone was laid with imposing Ma- sonic ceremonies by Grandmaster John B. Jones, of this county, afterward Adjutant General of the State.

" The Episcopalians built their church, the present edifice, in 18 --.

" Both the old-school Presbyterians and Episcopalians used the Methodist church through courtesy, until their buildings were completed.

"The first and only members of the Catholic Church at Corsicana were Mr. John Noonan and his wife. They had a secluded existence, accumulated a fine property and became so anxious for a church of their own, in 1872 lie offered to donate a lot if the bishop of the diocese would procure the funds necessary. This was accepted, the lots where stands the

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church and priest's home were deeded by this devout inan to the Catholic Church, and the building was put up as soon as possible. The old man has been dead a number of years, but had the satisfaction of enjoying his form of religion some years before he passed away. His wife and only son live at San Antonio, but his gift still blesses the people of his faith."

The Baptist society in Navarro county is thought to be the largest, but sufficient notice of that lias been given already.

The next in size is undoubtedly the Methodist Episcopal Church South, of the Northwest Conference, whose churches in this county are in the Corsicana district. The census of 1890 gives this denomina- tion twenty-eight organizations in this county, with fourteen buildings, aggre- gating a value of $17,600. Its member- ship in the county is quoted at 2,366. This is the largest quotation for Navarro that has yet been published by the census de- partment, the Baptist census being among those not yet made public. Corsicana is the only independent station in the county.

Probably the Methodist Protestants come next in size with fifteen churches, the first one planted in the county being that at Blooming Grove in 1867, and its first building built in 1869. Cryer Creek also is an old one, organized in 1869 by Rev. G. P. Miller. Its fifteen churches are now well distributed over the county in almost all the towns and villages.

The Cumberland Presbyterians come next in size with ten churches and five buildings, valued at $13,000. Its member- ship in Navarro is quoted at 577.

The Christians or Disciples follow with nearly the same membership, 527, which is distributed among seven societies. These owned five buildings in 1890 that were valued together at $6,300. Its oldest church is that at Blooming Grove, organ- ized in 1874. Rev. T. F. Driskill is one of the oldest workers in this denomination.

The Presbyterians (O. S.) were organ- ized on May 30, 1868, at Corsicana for their first effort in the county. They have but two churches, these belonging to Cen- tral Texas Presbytery.

The other denominations have one so- ciety each in the county: The Roman Catholic, planted in 1870, and with a con- vent built in 1879; the Protestant Episco- pal, about 1874, by the Northern Texas diocese; the Seventh-Day Adventists; the Associate Reformed Church, and a few others that scarcely have established or- ganizations. -

MISCELLANY.

These are days in which no picture of anything is complete without the statistics upon which it is based. Especially is this true of the account of a country. It is for this reason that the States have bureaus of statistics. The Texas bureau's figures of Navarro are given.

Navarro county is one of the group of central Texas counties, and is situated on the west bank of the Trinity river. It was named in honor of Jose Antonio Navarro. It was formed from Robertson county in 1846, and embraced originally a large terri- tory extending from the Trinity to the Brazos rivers. The country is watered by

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the Trinity river, Chambers' and Richland creeks, and a number of smaller streams which flows into them.

The surface of the county consists largely of gently rolling open prairies and wide creek valleys, the latter covered with a dense forest of timbers indigenous to the section. The soil is a rich, black, sandy loam on the water-courses, and a black waxy and sandy on the uplands, and is well adapted to the growth of cotton and corn. The smaller grains also grow well, particularly oats.

The Houston & Texas Central Railroad passes through the county from south to north. The St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas runs through the county from east to west. The latter road also has a branch running from Corsicana to Hillsboro, in Hill county. These roads have a mileage in the county of 108 miles, with property assessed at $759,235.

The Methodist (Northern and Southern), Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Episcopal, and Christian Churches are each repre- sented by church organizations.

The county was organized in 1846, and contains an area of 1,055 square miles.

Population .- United States census, 1880, 21,702; 1890, 26,373; increase, 4,671.

Number of votes cast for governor in 1890: Democratic, 4,174; Republican, 1,117; Independent, 27; total, 5,318.

Corsicana is the county seat, population 6,285. The other principal towns in the county are: Kerens, population 503; Daw- son, population 365; Blooming Grove, 175; Chatfield, population 100; Dresden, popu- lation 151; Pursley, population 180.

Value of Property .- The assessed value

of all property in 1890, was $9,580,898; in 1891, $9,864,999; increase, $280,216.

Lands .-- Improved -lands sell for from $10 to $30 per acre; unimproved for from $3 to $15 per acre. The average taxable value of land in the county is $6.78 per acre. Acres State school land in the county, 160.

Banks .- There are three national banks in the county, with a capital stock of $525,000; and a surplus of $103,510.

Marriages .- Number of marriages in the county during the year, 452; divorces, 29.

Schools .- The county has a total school population of 5,545, with 38 schoolliouses, and gives employment to 77 teachers. Average wages paid teachers: White -- males $45, females $37.50; colored -- males $45, females $42.25. Total number of pupils enrolled during the year was 5,240; average attendance, 2,686, and the average length of schoolterm 4.3 months. The estimated value of school houses and grounds is $13,550; school apparatus, $3,817, -- making a total value of school property $17,367. Total tuition revenue received from the State, $22,180.

Farm and Crop Statistics .- There were 193 mortgages recorded in the county dur- ing the year, the amount of such mortgages being $325,205. There were recorded 3,864 chiattel mortgages to produce crops, the total amount of such mortgages being $52,117.63. There are 1,479 farms in the county; 941 renters on farms; 782 farm laborers were employed on the farms of the county during the year; average wages paid, $14.20 per month. Value of fari implements, $33,038.

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The farmers of this county purchased during the year 212,503 pounds of bacon, 18,122 pounds of lard, 16,717 bushels of corn, 17,113 gallons of molasses.

The products for the year 1890 were:

Cotton-acres, 83,514; product, 31,889 bales; value, $1,384,604. Corn-acres, 40,987; product, 651,145 bushels; value, $468,679. Wheat-acres, 164; product, 2,220 bushels; value, $1,261. Oats-acres, 2,135; product, 43,270 bushels; value, $22,546. Barley-acres, 5; product, 175 bushels; value, $120. Rye-acres, 1; prod- uct, 30 bushels; value, $15. Potatoes, sweet-acres, 242; product, 30,348 bush- els; value, $16,827. Potatoes, Irish- acres, 8; product, 725 bushels; value, $788. Peas-acres, 23; product, 416 bushels; value, $666. Hay, cultivated- acres, 122; product, 140 tons; value, $999; Hay, prairie-acres, 2,733; product, 2,472 tons; value, $16,180. Millet -- acres, 712; product, 804 tons; value, $8,146. Sugar cane-acres, 42; product, 118 barrels syrup; value, $2,515. Sorghum cane-

acres, 21; product, 42 barrels molasses; value, $844. Sorghum cane-acres, 5; product, 8 tons: value, $80. Tons cotton seed produced-acres, --; product, 15,944; value, $127,572. Broom corn-acres, 7; product, 3; value, $195.

Fruits and Garden .- Acres in peaches, 451, value, $7,027; in apples, 30, value, $425; in plums, 32, value, $35; in pears, 4; in melons, 10, value, $1,872; in garden, 14, value, $1,080; in grapevines, 60}, value, $5,400.

Bees .-- Stands of bees 1,685; pounds of honey, 20,295; value, $2,461.

Wool .-- Number sheep sheared, 1,802;

pounds of wool, 8,416, value, $21.04.

Live Stock .-- Number of horses and mules, 19,561, value, $672,085; cattle, 38,955, value, $224,795; jacks and jennets, 165, value, $20,250; sheep, 1,755, value, $2,425; goats, 105, value, $85; hogs, 11,- 178, value, $18,404.

County Finances .- The rate of county tax on the $100 valuation for 1890 was 40 cents. On December 31, 1890, there was a balance in the county treasury of $4,869.90. The indebtedness on December 31, 1890: Outstanding courthouse bonds, $4,500; road and bridge bonds, $9,000; total county indebtedness, $13,500.

The county expended during the year $5,500 for erecting public buildings; $743.43 for repairing public buildings; $20,769.25 for roads and bridges ; $7,950.15 for support of paupers; $1,162 for grand jury; $3,543 for petit jury. Total amount expended for the support of the county government, $60,431.52.

Criminal Stastistics .- There were in- carcerated in the county jail of the county during the year 263 persons-males 249, females 14: white 108, colored 155-on the following charges: Murder 11, theft 46, arson 1, robbery 6, burglary 4, forgery 2, assault to murder 11, assault and bat- tery 15, rape 8, all other charges and crimes 159.

Miscellaneous .- There are in the county 42 lawyers, 5 dentists, 150 mercantile es- tablishments, 1 wholesale liquor dealer, 11 beer dealers, 2 flour mills, 2 saw mills, 1 ice factory, 1 fire brick and tile mann- factory, 18 retail liquor dealers, 1 foundry, 1 bottling establishment, 1 cotton-seed oil mill, 1 gin factory, 1 compress.

HERDERSOR COURTY

HE Trinity and Neches rivers take a most interestingly parallel course in east Texas in a southeasterly direc- tion, and are so close together that it seems the most natural thing in the world to let the surveyor clip off a piece of the long strip, whenever a county is wanted, by drawing his pencil across from one river to the other. There's Trinity county, Houston, Anderson and Henderson, that this especially applies to, -the counties that may be called the western fringe of east- ern Texas. This is the eastern region of sandy land, and Henderson, with its some- what oblong eastern and western propor- tions, with a long point extending its northwest corner, has carved out a good- sized lot of it, covering 960 square miles. This makes it one of the larger counties, at least slightly above medium; not like such extremely small ones as Delta with 260, or excessively large ones like Crockett with its 3,510 square miles, almost as large as Montenegro in Europe. It divides the Neches on the east, as a bound, chiefly with Smith and slightly with Cherokee county, and the Trinity on the west al- most entirely with Navarro and slightly with Ellis, while the Anderson line on the south, clipped off in the old fashion, diverges to the west from the Van Zandt

and Kaufman line on the north lying on a latitude parallel.

Said a local writer recently: "About nineteen-twentieths of the county is tim- ber land, including the following varie- ties: oak, hickory, blackjack, and pine. About one-twentieth is prairie land. Its soil is sandy loam, red-iron, and black rich bottom lands." Taking this with the fact that its two boundary rivers make a water- shed through the county with innumerable creeks, and "a perpetual spring to every square mile in the county," it will be seen that it is not a county that would respond as quickly to a large agricultural settle- ment as would those of the central prairie region of Texas. That does not mean that it has not superior qualities, for it has; its career has been something like that of the State of Arkansas-or will be -- a State that to the superficial observer was of little promise, but with the later scrutiny of the geologist and fruit-grower has proved a veritable mine and garden.

Henderson has shown excellent powers as a fruit county in grapes, pears, apples, peaches, plums, apricots, strawberries, and the like; and in lumber out-put from twenty mills; but her greatest quality has been revealed by the geologist in the ground beneath her forests and cotton- fields-iron, clays and coal. It is of such

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importance that geologist William Ken- nedy's excellent account of it is here given at some length:

GEOLOGY.

Crossing the southeast corner of Van Zandt county, the western boundary of the East Texas iron-ore fields enters Henderson county near its northeast corner. The first deposits found lie npon the north side of Battle Creek, on the Juan M. Martinez headright. On the south side of the creek, and on the same survey of land, another deposit of ore of the same quality occurs. This region consists of high, broad, flat- topped, steep-sided hills, having a general elevation of 140 feet above the level of Battle Creek. The general trend of these hills is northwest and southeast, or in the same direction as the creek. The whole area of this field does not exceed 1,200 acres.

The next deposit of ore found lies in the neighborhood of Brownsboro Station, on the St. Lonis, Arkansas & Texas Railway. This deposit occurs in a long, narrow range of flat-topped hills, having a general course of from a few degrees west of north to southeast. The general elevation of these hills does not exceed 140 feet above the level of the bottom lands of Kickapoo creek on the north and of Flat creek on the south. This deposit begins on the south side of the Dickers Parker headright, and the east side runs east of sonth to near the center of the north side of the J. Car- ver headright, whence it turns east to the west side of the J. N. Gaines headright, thence south to near the southwest corner of the Gaines headright. From this the

line turns west to the east side of the Susan Head headright, and from there turns west of north to the Dickers Parker survey. The area of this field comprises about 1,800 acres.

Crossing the broad, flat bottom lands belonging to the Flat creek drainage area, the next iron-ore field, and by far the most extensive ore region in Henderson county, lies in the district between Mulberry creek on the north and Caddo bayou on the south. Toward the east this field is limited by the broad bottom lands of the Neches river, and on the west by a series of deposits of yellow sand. The boundary of this field, beginning at the southeast corner of the James McDonald headright, passes sonth through the Maria Trinidad Equis head- right to the north side of the Juan Jose Martinez survey, then turns east to near the west side of the Thomas Chaffin head- right. From this point the line curves around to the northeast corner of the E. Cazanova headright, and thence with a gentle curve southwesterly to the southeast corner of the A. H. Caldwell headright. From there the ridge turns southeastward and crosses the Anderson county line on the Alfred Benge headright. The western boundary of the field passes northwesterly through the A. Benge and D. M. Dicker- son headrights into the east side of the Isaac Burton headright. Turning north- east it reaches the southwest corner of the Juan Jose Martinez headright, and thence southwest to the southwest corner of the W. L. Scott headright. From here the ore boundary passes north along the W. L. Scott and Simon Boon headrights to Boon mountain, on the northwest corner of the

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

A. K. Jones headright; thence northeast to the southwest corner of and along the south side of the James McDonald headright to the southeast corner. The total area of this field is nearly fourteen square miles.

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Author: Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 954

Author:
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 954