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 31

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 31
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 31
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 31
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 31
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 31
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 31

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Mr. Me Means has taken an active part in politics, attending all the county, district

and State conventions as a delegate. He is a prominent Democrat, and has served one terin on the State executive com- mittee. Mr. McMeans is a leading spirit in all local enterprises and public move- ments. As a member of the Masonic order he is well-known, and is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Ancient Order of United Workinen.

Our subject was married in October, 1883, to Miss Nellie M. Howard, a niece of Colonel George R. Howard, an old citi- zen of Palestine.

Hon. Adolphus Sterne, deceased .- This memorial sketch is written of a distin- guished old Texan, a native of Germany, born in the city of Cologne, April 5, 1801. He left his native place at the age of six- teen, running away to escape military serv- ice. He came to the United States, stop- ping first at New Orleans, where he re- mained in the city and locality until 1824, when he came into Texas. He was then an adventurous, rollicking young fellow, full of fun and delighting in the dangerous life which then prevailed in this State. He had been very well educated up to the time of leaving home, and, possessing a bright inind he picked up a large fund of information, becoming especially proficient in the languages. He spoke French, Ger- inan, Spanish and English fluently, and after coming to Texas he learned various Indian dialects. These accomplishments rendered him a useful man to liave around in those days when the population of the country was divided between French, Spanish, English and Indians, with a pretty good scattering of Germans.

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LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.

With the impulsiveness characteristic of his nature our subject joined the English settlers in their early struggles in this State against the Mexicans and took part in the Fredonian war. He shared to some extent the fate of the other insurgents. The particular act for which he was called to account was that of supplying flint and powder, the implements of war in those days, to the insurgents. He was sentenced to be shot by Mexican authority, and pend- ing the time between the date of sentence and execution (two weeks) he was chained in an old building in Nacogdoches. The staple to which he was chained remained in the old stone honse for many years after- wards, and there are men now living who remember having seen it.

After taking the oath of allegiance to the Mexican government, he became a trusted employe, and was awarded the con- tract to furnish clothing to the Mexican soldiers. Later lie engaged in the mercan- tile business at Nacogdoches, where he con- tinued for a long time, and there he was living when took place the fight known as the Nacogdoches battle in August, 1832. The oath of allegiance which he had taken prevented him taking part against Mexico in that fight, but his sympathies were all with the settlers and he offered no objec- tion to the use they chose to make of his premises or property.

Mr. Sterne became one of the public characters of eastern Texas and his name was known even through the scattered settlements. He studied law so that he could give legal counsel to those around him, and was Alcalde for a considerable time at Nacogdoches. He served as inter-

preter for the government and the citizens for years. After Texas won her independ- ence he was called upon to serve in both upper and lower houses of Congress in the days of the Republic. He was an eminent Mason, a member of the first Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas.

The marriage of our subject was to Miss Rosine Ruff, a native of Eslinger, Wurtem- burg, Germany, who was born July 23, 1810, and brought to this country when she was a child. She was reared in the family of a distinguished French gentle- man, a Louisiana planter, and the marriage took place June 2, 1828, at Natchitoches, Louisiana. Mr. Sterne brought his wife at once to Nacogdoches, and this attractive lady is still living, hale and hearty, at the age of eighty-two years. She is a woman of superior intelligence and an exceedingly beautiful old lady, retaining many of those graces of person which must have been of extreme attractiveness in youth. Her mind is as clear as ever, and her memory wonderful, making her companionship delightful.

Adolphus Sterne was a genial compan- ion and a universal favorite. Full of life, with a fine sense of humor and was a fluent talker. One of his ways of amusing his friends was that of imitating an auctioneer and of bidding off the articles at a public sale in English, German, French, Spanish, Mexican and Choctaw. Once, while he was serving in the Legislature of the Republic, when the House had been bored with long-winded harangues over some incousequential matters, he arose and de- livered a very solemn address of a few minutes' length in Choctaw. The effect,

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

as may be imagined, awoke the sleepers and relieved the monotony, bringing the mem- bers back to business. He was the life of the lobbies and the wayside taverns and stage-coach parties. and knew all of the old-timers, many of whom were frequently his guests at his home. General Sam Houston made liis home with our subject both before and after his marriage. Mrs. Sterne lias a beautiful diamond ring pre- sented her by General Houston.

In personal appearance, Mr. Sterne was a gentleman, about five feet nine inchies in height and weighed abont 160 pounds, dark complexion and of a quick, nervous temperament. He had a pleasant address, and was always fond of good company. His death occurred March 27, 1852, while on a visit to New Orleans. His remains were brought to Nacogdoches where they were interred with Masonic honors. As stated, he was an eminent Mason, having become a member of the fraternity at the age of twenty-one, in New Orleans. He had taken all of the degrees, even the thirty- second of the Scottish rite. He left sur- viving him a widow and six children, as follows: Mrs. Eugenia Barrett of Austin; Charles Adolphns of Palestine; Joseph Commodore, who died in Mariposa county, California, in March, 1892, he having moved to the Pacific coast in 1854; Placide Rusk, now a resident of New York city; Mrs. Laura Cave, wife of E. W. Cave, treasurer of the Houston & Texas Central Railroad at Houston; and Rosine, the wife of William A. Bryan, of Austin.

C. A. Sterne, son of the preceding, is the proprietor of Burkitt Hotel and the veteran liotel-keeper of Palestine, Texas. He was

born in Nacogdoches, Texas, October 10, 1830. The advantages of education in the early days of the Republic of Texas was limited. Mr. Sterne, after two years' schooling, at the age of fourteen, engaged in clerking and so continued until his ma- jority, when he went to Rusk in Cherokee county, and engaged in the mercantile business; in 1856 moved to Angelina county, and engaged in farming and stock- raising; in 1860 he entered the Confederate army, resigning his position as brigade commissary with rank of major in the Third Brigade Texas State Militia, and enlisted in the Thirteenth Texas Cavalry. When his regiment was dismounted in Arkansas he transferred to the First Texas Indepen- dent Cavalry, commanded by Colonel John P. Border. Mr. Sterne served until the close of the war, doing valuable service as a bonded quartermaster's agent in General Magruder's department, and was honorably discharged May 23, 1865.

After the close of the war, Mr. Sterne, finding his slaves were freed, returned to his former business, and began a success- ful mercantile business at Milligan and Bryan, the then terminus of the Texas Central Railroad, suffering a severe loss by fire at Bryan. In 1872 he moved to Palestine, where after two years in his favorite busi- ness he entered his present calling, a hotel keeper, in which he has made a success, accumulating some valable property, and now stands at the head of social and political inatters in Palestine. Mr. Sterne is espe- cially prominent in public school matters: he has filled the position of trustee and secretary of board for ten years. He is an enthusiastic Mason and received the thirty-

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second degree, Scottish rite, conferred upon him in 1878, by General Albert Pike. Mr. Sterne has served as Recorder of Palestine Commandery, No. 3, Knights Templar, for six years. He is also a Knight of Honor, and formerly an active member of Knights of Pythias and Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in him the Methodist Church has an active member and faithful stew- ard. Mr. Sterne married a daughter of Hon. E. Mallard, an old settler of Chero- kee county. Mr. and Mrs. Sterne have ten children, one son and nine daughters.

ANDERSON COUNTY ORGANIZED.

When the people of Fort Houston and its surrounding settlements, then a part of Houston county, found that the annexation of Texas was in 1845 and 1846 increasing their numbers so rapidly, they were among that vast number of similar communities- thirty-one in number -- who petitioned for a county. It was acted favorably upon, as were the other thirty, and on July 13, 1846-midsummer-the new county was erected.

In looking about for a name it was not unnatural that attention should be attracted to that of its old colonizer, David G. Bur- nett, and certainly Fort Houston would be the temporary capital. Mr. Burnett was born in New Jersey. His New York count- ing-house life did not prove attractive enough to prevent his joining the General Miranda expedition of 1806, and he finally located at Natchitoches, Louisiana. His health led to his living with the Indians for awhile, but he was at Cincinnati when in 1826 he became interested in colonizing Texas-a venture not so successful, because

of the failure of the company to which he intrusted his interests. He advanced rap- idly in civil favor in Texas, however, and had been president (pro tempore), vice- president, and was now secretary of State when the county was organized.

It was but a short time before this, how- ever, that an incident occurred calculated to arouse a desire to perpetuate and honor. the name of another great Texan instead.

Kenneth Lewis Anderson was a North Carolinian, who had come to Texas in 1837 from Tennessee, and became prominent as a member of the Texan Congress, and as vice-president in 1844. He was on his way home from Congress at Washing- ton, Texas, July 3, 1845, when he died. He was buried at Fanthorp's (now Ander- son) in Grimes county; and it was him that the Fort Houston people chose to celebrate in naming their new county An- derson. The site of the county seat chosen was named with the familiar old title of the land of the Bible, Palestine, in a man- ner elsewhere explained, and almost im- mediately the Houston county court put the organization on foot, and a called session of the new county's court was at once ordered.

Anderson's first county court record be- gins with the July term of 1846, the first term held in the new county. It reads: "The State of Texas, Anderson county: County court called session, July term, A. D. 1846. At a called session of the county court of Anderson county held at the county seat of said county, on Thursday, the 30th day of July, A. D. 1846; present, the Hon. D. H. Edens, chief justice; and William Might, James W. Gardner, Allen Killough, gentlemen, commissioners; Jolin

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

Grigsby, clerk, and Payton Parker, sheriff," proclamation being made by the sheriff. William Gibson gave his bond as assessor as the only business of the first day. Later James E. Box was authorized to sell the county seat land, and the treasurer elected was Thomas Hanks. V. S. Anglin appeared as commissioner at this session. In Oc- tober the justice precincts arranged by the Houston county court in organizing, were adopted, and election precincts were ar- ranged as follows: At Camp Ground, H. Weberville; at Joseph Parker's school- house; at Palestine, J. W. Gardner; at William Wolverton's, E. D. Hanks; at James Hanks' schoolhonse, A. K. W. Jones.

The first road ordered was from Palestine to the Neches river at Ledbetter's crossing ; next from Palestine to Fort Houston and Parker's Bluff; the next to Cannon's ferry, and the next to Kingsboro in Henderson. One or two lesser ones were ordered.

James E. Box and D. H. Edens were au- thorized to build court quarters, the former being superintendent and the latter repre- senting the court. A jail was ordered, " 20 feet square," to be part dungeon under- ground. Houston Shelton was to lay off the town, and reserve a lot for a tempo- rary courthouse.

A joint session of Anderson and Hous- ton courts was held in December, 1846, to apportion the old debt of Houston county.

The first ferry license issued was to John Shipler, for the Magnolia crossing of Trin- ity river.

In January, 1847, a courthouse 20x 82 feet one story high, was ordered to be com-

pleted before the following May. The rest of the business for many years was chiefly road business.

The first map of l'alestine was drafted by Johnston Shelton, the surveyor, under the direction of the commissioners of location -M. Main, J. E. Box and John Parker- was laid ont about the courthouse square, about six blocks square, and is what is known now as "Old Town."

The chief improvements effected by the county in roads and bridges have been made in the last six or eight years; good wooden bridges have been put up on Coperas, Catfish, Beaver, Keechi, Box's, Elkhart, Ioni, and other creeks.

The first courthouse, a frame on the northeast corner of the square, opposite Hunter's Hotel, gave way to a brick struc- ture, on the site of the present one, in 1855-'56, costing about $6,000. The next important move of the county was in 1872, when $150,000 in bonds was voted as a subsidy to secure the railway. The last of these bonds were paid off in 1892. The decade of the '80s had just begun when a new jail was ordered-the present one-at a cost of about $22,000. It was in 1885-'86 that the present beantiful courthouse was erected, at a total cost of $40,500, which led to that amount being issued in bonds on May 15, 1885, with part in 1886. Up to the present writing about $7,000 of these have been paid, leaving the county with a bonded debt of but a little over $33,000.

The total valuation on which the county bases her taxes is $4,142,455, with but $261,085-the value of nearly eighteen miles-of railway property counted in, as

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the main bulk of it is exempt. The county receives and expends annually something over $25,000. Her total railway property would probably reach about $700,000 or more.

Among Anderson's county judges have been D. H. Edens, A. G. Cantley, J. B. Mallard, G. W. Tuggle, J. W. Gardner, W. Alexander, Elisha Pettit, I. N. Gar- ner, W. G. W. Jowers, J. N. Link, T. L. Rogers and Z. A. McReynolds.

The county's exact boundaries are de- scribed as follows:

"Beginning at a place in the county of Houston, known as Houston's mound, about one mile north of Murchison's prai- rie; thence westwardly, by a direct line running through old Ionia village on the North Elkhart creek, to the east boundary line of Samuel C. Box's headright league; thence south with said line to the soutli- east corner of said league; thence west- wardly with the south boundary line of said league, to the Trinity river; thence beginning again at Houston's mound, continuing said line eastwardly to the Neches river; thence up said river, with the meanderings thereof, to the northeast corner of John Ferguson's league of land; thence by a direct line parallel to the first above-named line to the Trinity river; thence down said river, with the meanders thereof, to the intersection of said first- named line with the Trinity river.".

The county has furnished a goodly num- ber of citizens to prominent positions above that of representative. There is national Senator Reagan, Supreme Court

Judge Reeves, and four State senators, J. Y. Gooch, A. W. Gregg, Colonel T. J. Word and E. Pettit.

Dr. M. B. Welborn, who came to Ander- son county in 1879, and is one of her most representative men, was born in South Carolina in 1836, a son of Joel E. and Martha A. (Bowen) Welborn.

The Welborn family came to America long before the war of Independence and were among the early settlers of the State of South Carolina. Joel Welborn was born in 1810 and married Miss Bowen in 1832. Moved to Mississippi in 1842 and settled in Jones county, and from there moved to Clark county, where he now resides. He has filled the offices of justice of the peace, county surveyor, county clerk, district clerk, and was in official life before the war. Since that time he has devoted him- self principally to agriculture, and now. resides in the town of Shubuta in Clark county. At this place he has filled the position as mayor and as justice of the peace for four years, and was re-elected in November, 1891, to the same position. This is remarkable as he is in his eighty- third year.

Mr. Joel Welborn has been married twice; the first marriage was to the mother of our subject and to this union were born nine children, all of whom lived to be grown. Thomas is deceased; M. B. is our subject; Martha A., deceased, was the wife of D. C. Welborn; Susan E., de- ceased, of Churchville; Deason; Mary J., wife of E. M. Devall; Nancy C., widow of Dr. H. S. Pounds; Cevilla C., wife of Ab- ner Bass; Julia, the wife of Judge John- son; and William P., who resides in Pales-

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

tine, Texas. Mrs. Welborn died in 1881, and then Mr. Welborn married Miss Buf- fington. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M. For eighteen months he served in the Confederate army, entering the service in 1861 as First Lieutenant, but after a short time resigned and came home. By request he was then elected Major of the Seventh Mississippi Battalion, and took part in the battles of Iuka and Corinth, and then resigned and came home on account of poor health. He had eleven negroes liberated at the close of the war. He owned quite a great deal of pine land, but had to begin his farming operations under great disadvantages. In the main he has been very successful.

Our subject, M. B. Welborn, received only a common education, and at the age of twenty-four years entered the medical .school at Mobile, Alabama, from which he graduated in the spring of 1861. Lo- cating in Jones county he opened practice, remaining a short time, with every reason to suppose that a successful medical career was opening up before him. However, the war came and he left his quiet home and entered Company C, Seventh Missis- sippi Battalion, and he was elected lieu- tenant of this company and attached to the Army of the Tennessee. Dr. Welborn saw some hard service, taking part in the battles of Iuka, Corinth. siege of Vicks- burg, where he was captured and sent to Parole Camp at Enterprise, Misissippi, with his command after being paroled. He was then sent to north Georgia, under General Johnson, and took part in the cam- paign from Adairsville to Atlanta, and took part in the struggles around that city.

He was wounded in the left arm on Au- gust 19, 1864,-by this accident of war losing a great portion of the bone of the arm which is now sustained only by the flesh and skin, being only a useless member.

Dr. Welborn was in command of the company from March, 1864, to the time when he was wounded. He returned home, and as soon as able resumed the practice of medicine, although his arm did not get into any condition for him to use it until the fall of 1865. However, under all of these discouragements, our subject contin- ned the practice of his profession until Jannary, 1879, in Jones county, Missis- sippi, and then he came to this State, locating first in Bradford, in this county, where he remained for two years, and in 1881 he removed to Fosterville and there continued in practice until 1891, when he was obliged to give up the work in which he had been so successful, on account of rheumatism. The Doctor cultivates a small farm and owns some timber land.

In the spring of 1892 our subject re- ceived the nomination of the Democratic party for county clerk and was elected at the November election to succeed Mr. Z. A. McReynolds, a man who had held the office for five consecutive terms, and has been one of the most popular men in the county.

Dr. Welborn was married in 1867 to Miss Melvener L. Pool, a native of Miss- issippi, a daughter of Joseph and Eliza- beth (Lyon) Pool, natives of Mississippi and South Carolina. Mr. Pool was one of the earliest settlers of Mississippi and he reared a family of seven children, as

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follows: Mary, deceased, wife of Dr. A. M. Dozier; Nancy, deceased, first married J. C. Moot, and after his death she married Eli McCrory; Melvener L. became the wife of our subject; Alfred G. resides in Mis- sissippi; Elizabeth, deceased, was the wife of Herndon McCrory; Samuel is a physi- cian in Green county, Mississippi; Joseph; and Josephine is the wife of Henry Allen, of New Orleans. Both Mr. and Mrs. Pool are deceased, dying in 1860 and 1888, re- spectively.

Dr. and Mrs. Welborn have become the parents of six children, the following five surviving: Magnus B., Melvener, Leona, Mary Alla, Martha Elizabeth and Joel J. The Doctor and family are members of the Christian Church, and since his twenty- second year he has been a member of the A. F. & A. M. He is now a demitted mem- ber of William Foster Lodge.

B. F. Durham (deceased), at one time a farmer and public officer of Anderson county, Texas, immigrated to the country from Kentucky in 1852. He settled in the place now owned by James Hamlett, and here he resided and bartered in stock in addition to his successful agricultural interests for a number of years. The abil- ity and true worth of our subject soon be- came apparent to the populace of Ander- son county and in recognition of these gifts, in 1858, he was elected to the office of sheriff of the county, and in 1860 he was re-elected. He was no less popular as an official than as a private citizen, and when he had served faithfully four years as sheriff he was called upon to qualify for the office of county clerk.

In 1864 our subject retired from public life and for the remainder of his days he carried on the business of auctioneer in Palestine. His death occurred in 1882. He had been born in Kentucky in 1822, and was the son of one of the five brothers who emigrated here from England to Vir- ginia and North Carolina before the Rev- olutionary war. Thomas, his father, was a soldier in the war of 1812, and the old flint lock carried by him during those years is now in possession of the family of our subject.

B. . F. Durham married Miss Nannie, daugliter of Samuel Hacker, a large farmer of the "Corn-cracker " State. The fruits of this union are: B. A., born in 1851 at Danville, Ky .; T. D., died; S. H., died; B. F., died; W. J. and E. E. are engaged in clerking in Palestine, and E. F. is a bricklayer by trade. The eldest son, B. A., received the most of his education in a printing office, which he entered just after the war. From the office of the Trinity News he went into the office of the Advocate, his services upon both papers covering a period of three years. He was employed upon the official organ, a paper doing the printing for both Anderson and Henderson counties. He then kept bar for a man until 1874, when he went on the police force of Palestine as patrolman, where he remained until April 5, 1892, when he became a candidate for and was elected to the office of city marshal, a position which he fills admirably. He succeeded W. J. Pierce, now the nominee for sheriff of the county.

Mr. Durham is yet a single man and has not at the present fraternized with any order.

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

THE COURTS.

It was with the fall term that the An- derson district court began its existence in 1846; so wrote the clerk in a fine feminine hand, saying: " Be it remembered that on the 9th day of November, 1846, at the district court begun and held in and for Anderson county, State of Texas, at Pales- tine, the legally constituted county seat of said county, on the second Monday in No- vember, A. D. 1846, present the Hon. William B. Ochiltree, Judge Sixth Judi- cial District of the State of Texas, presid- ing. Alexander E. McClure this day produced in open court a certificate from D. H. Edens, Chief Justice," to the effect that he was clerk of the court, and Peyton Parker showed in a similar manner that he was manager of the jail. Then the grand jurors were chosen on the next day, re- sulting in the selection of Thomas Wol- verton, foreman, Isaiah Barty, Ransom Rucker, Hansford Hanks, John Morgan, James Knox, P. W. Hanks, Martin Pruit, Daniel M. Crist, John Murchison, David R. Woods, George Galloway, M. Main, Lasa McKinzie and B. W. Douthit. Wol- verton proved to be not a citizen: so Mur- chison was chosen. Then a petit jury was selected: Lewis B. Jones, G. H. Duncan, W. P. Smith, Jacob S. Morrow, W. H. Fitzgerald, John Hofil, Jr., Mark Roberts, S. M. Warden, W. Holt, Henry Wright, W. Hopkins, Solomon Hopkins and W. T. Marshall. The first cases were nearly all civil cases in regard to land or slaves. The first bill brought in by the grand jury was against G. H. Duncan for assault and

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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