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 55

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 55
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 55
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 55
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 55
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 55
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 55

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There are but two other denominations besides these older ones, namely, the Chris- tian or Disciples, and the Associate Re- formed Church, and these have been more recent arrivals. Of course this refers to the white race; the colored people are al- most entirely Methodists and Baptists.

The two denominations which have mul- tiplied the most rapidly, by far the most rapidly, are the Baptists and Methodists, who have been close rivals for first place in numbers from the earliest foot-hold here. The Baptists, however, seem to have a little the greater number, both of organizations and members, there being abont twenty societies and above 600 members. These are in the old Prairie Grove Association, which has for many years included the churches of both Lime- stone and Freestone counties. The Methi- odist Episcopal Church, South, comes a close second, however, and even in 1890 scored thirteen organizations and 530 members, and mnay now equal or even surpass the Baptist members. These are in the Northwest Conference and Corsi- cana District.

The next two denominations in size in the county are the Cumberland Presbyte- rians and Christians, both with four socie- ties eachı, although the former had at the last census a few more in membership, being 212, to 185 for the latter. The Christians were quoted with three build- ings, valued at $900, and the Presbyterians with two, rated at $2,000.

The " old-school " Presbyterians would come next in size, and the Associate Re- formed denomination have one society at Bonner.

A great feature of these country churches is that of having a union church for two or more denominations and a school and often a Masonic lodge. In the towns, however, each denomination has a separate building, and this is second, in the buildings of the county, only to the courthouse itself, or the public schools of the largest towns. These are usually of frame, though often of brick, and are the pride of the community.

This is especially true of a rural county like Freestone, where the absence of much that arises to distract and attract attention in urban counties allows the greater part of the social life to center more easily and effectively about the church services and those of the Sabbath-school. These are also generally the centers for lectures, de- bates and literary events of the neighbor- hood, all in the good old American style of our forefathers. This is the healthful, free life in which the most of our strongest and most American leaders have been trained, and many of its features will yet be reverted to as a sane reaction from the rush and bustle of our nerve-exhausting life of to-day.

437

LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.

CENSUS ITEMS.

The best statistical epitome of Freestone county that has been issued recently is from the office of the Texas State Statistician at Austin, and is here given.

Freestone county was formed from Lime- stone county, in 1850. It is situated on the Trinity river, which forms its eastern boundary. Leon county joins it on the south, Limestone on the west, and Navarro on the north.

The general surface of the county is level; the southern and eastern portions, however, are gently rolling. The larger portion of the county is covered with the leading varieties of timber. The different varieties of oaks grow on the upland, while in the bottoms, in addition, grow pecan, walnut, hackberry, elm, cottonwood, etc.

The soil, both of the upland and bottoms, is productive. That of the upland is a gray sandy and chocolate. The river and creek bottom soil is mostly alluvial.

Cotton and corn are grown in great abundance, which yield especially well in the bottoms. The other cereals common to the State do well, and fruits and vege- tables are raised with moderate success.

The county is watered by the Trinity river, Richland, Tehuacana and Keechi creeks, and other smaller streams.

The Houston & Texas Central Railroad passes across the northwest corner, and the International & Great Northern its soutlı- east corner. These two roads have a mile- age in the county of nine miles, with prop- erty valued at $71,457.

The Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian

and Christian churches are each repre- sented by church organization.

The county was organized in 1851, and contains an area of 883 square miles.

Population .- United States census 1880, 14,921; 1890, 15,987; increase 1,066.

Fairfield is the county seat: population 499. The other principal towns in the county are: Cotton Gin, population 125; Wortham, population 401; Butler, popula- tion 115.

Value of Property .- The assessed value of all property in 1890, $2,661,538; in 1891, $2,863,651; increase $202,113.

Lands .- Improved lands sell for from $5 to $12 per acre, unimproved for from $2 to $5 per acre. The average taxable value of land in the county is $3.05 per acre. Acres State school land in county 6,103.

Banks .- There is in the county 1 na- tional bank, with a capital stock of $50,000.

Marriages .- Number of marriages in the county during the year 187; divorces 21.

Schools .- The county has a total school population of 4,501, with 26 schoolhouses, and gives employment to 93 teachers. Average wages paid teachers: White- males $57, females $36; colored -- males $40, females $27. Total number of pupils enrolled during the year was 4,384, aver- age attendance 1,950, and tlie average length of school term 3.78 months. The es- timated value of schoolhouses and grounds is $859. Total tuition revenne received from the State $18,004.

Farm and Crop Statistics .- There were 31 mortgages recorded in the county dur- ing the year, the amount of such mort- gages being $37,603.90. There were re- corded 1,076 chattel mortgages to produce

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, ETC., COUNTIES.

crops, the total amount of such mortgages being $105,721.57. There are 1,177 farms in the county; 921 renters on farms; 301 farm laborers were employed on the farms of the county during the year; average wages paid $9.50 per month. Value of farm implements $15,274.

The farmers of this county purchased during the year 162,427 pounds of bacon, 7,463 pounds of lard, 13,968 bushels of corn, 7,080 gallons of molasses.

The products and value of the field crops for 1890 were:

Cotton - 43,190 acres, 15,369 bales, $652,688; cotton seed-7,684 tons, $61,- 472; corn-27,116 acres, 302,167 bushels, $223,712; wheat-36 acres, 640 bushels, $473; oats-1,398 acres, 23,525 bushels, $15,445; sweet potatoes-301 acres, 35,- 173 bushels, $17,580; Irish potatoes -- 17 acres, 225 bushels, $217; peas-64 acres, 274 bushels, $264; cultivated hay-33 acres, 74 tons, $720: prairie hay-56 acres, 171 tons, $1,711; millet-118 acres, 218 tons, $1,368; cane sugar-1 acre, 1 hogs- head, $82; cane syrup-206 acres, 254 barrels, $13,708; sorghum molasses-90 acres, 97 barrels, $1,842; sorghum cane- 6 acres, 15 tons, $150.

Fruits and Garden .- Acres in peaches 310, value $550; in apples 532, value $73; in plums 9, value $58; in pears 3}, value --; in melons 2}, value $81; in garden 1682, value $12,657; number of grape vines 250, value $25.

Bees .- Stands of bees 899; pounds of honey 8,850, value $1,170.

Wool .- Number of sheep sheared 303; pounds of wool clipped 1,578, value $299.

Live Stock .- Number of horses and mules 7,200, value $291,875; cattle 25,- 768, value $135,721; jacks and jennets 76, value $8,010; sheep 1,229, valne $1,- 267; goats 865, value $782; hogs 10,614, value $12,733.

County Finances .- The rate of county tax on the $100 valuation for 1890 was 72g cents. On December 31, 1890, the total county indebtedness was $5,000.

The county expended during the year $50 for repairing public buildings; $4,- 082.50 for roads and bridges; $806.25 for support of paupers; $711 for grand jury; $1,060 for petit jury. Total amount ex- pended for the support of the county gov - ernment $6,709.75.

Criminal Statistics .- There were incar- cerated in the county jail of the county during the year 46 persons-males 43, females 3; white 6, colored, 40, -- on the fol- lowing charges: Murder 2, theft 12, arson 1, forgery 1, assault to murder 9, assault and battery 17, rape 1, all other charges and crimes 3.

Miscellaneous .-- There are in the county 11 lawyers, 1 dentist, 20 mercantile estab- lislunents, 1 sawmill, 2 fire brick and tile manufactories, 4 retail liquor dealers.

LEOR COURTY.

NATURAL FEATURES.

F one will consider Freestone-the beau- tiful, elevated lake county of Texas-as the center of a star, whose five points are Anderson, Henderson, Navarro, Lime- stone and Leon counties, the Tertiary star of the middle Trinity valley, Leon will be the one pointing to the sonth, the one which touched the old king's high- way from Nacogdoches to San Antonio, the great Texas thoroughfare of the tinies of the Republic, the great international road that prefigured its great successor of iron which. was decades later to cross this county from end to end and join the great Mexican and American commercial capitals. Thus Leon is an especially inter- esting county from its position on the great national thoroughfare, the nearest of these counties of the Trinity star to the scenes of early Texas centers of population.

Travelers along the old highway beheld the edge of a woodland of post oak, black jack, pine and hickory, growing on a white sandy and red loamny soil almost all along the road from the time it emerged from the Trinity bottoms on the east until it struck the Navasota to the westward. It was much the same all between these two rivers north ward, at least to the extent of covering 1,049 square miles,-a big re- gion. It was found a region of good creek

supply, draining-if any draining could be needed in such a sandy-loamy region -- into the two mentioned rivers; they found springs, too,-lots of them, -- and a few small spring-fed lakes, in a region of very sim- ple topography. It is. diversified but not strikingly so, just enough to make a pretty woodland landscape, especially if it was seen draped in the many-colored foliage of November days. If sand roads were found a little heavy in July, certainly no trouble was experienced with mud in Oc- tober.

It became from the first a stock-raising and farming county, to have, in later years, a lumber interest, and, possibly, when the geologist has made known his more ex- haustive investigations of this Tertiary region, still other new industries may be aroused. So far, however, it has attracted a population of a dozen or so thonsand, of which considerably over a third are colored cotton-farmers, and about 8,000 or more quiet, intelligent, agricultural Amer- icans, chiefly descendants of the early set- tlers.

Leon is a large county-third in size among the counties of the Trinity star; Anderson is the largest with 1,088 square miles, Navarro is second by thirty-three square miles less, or 1,055, and makes Leon follow a close third by only six square miles

440

HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

less, or 1,049 square miles. It is consid- erably larger than Limestone, Freestone or Henderson, and is touched by seven coun- ties-Limestone and Freestone making its northern boundary, Anderson and Honston dividing the Trinity with it on the east, Madison dividing the old San Antonio road with it on the sonth, while Robertson and a slight touch of Brazos stand with it on the banks of the " Navasot," as popular parlance dubs the historic river.

Such is sylvan, sandy Leon, with her oc- casional praires and rich bottom lands.

INDIANS AND PIONEER TIMES.

"Of the numerous Indian tribes that once inhabited the territory of Texas," said a writer in the Texas Almanac of 1869, " some have become entirely extinct, others are almost so, and those which are still respectable in numbers are passing away. The Alabamas, Cosliatties and Cad- dos, were once inhabitants of Louisiana, but have been for many years sojourners in Texas. The first two tribes live in the southeastern part of the State; and are en- gaged in cultivating the soil and in raising stock. The State has granted them a small amount of land, and has made a limited provision for an agent to act as a friend and protector of them. It is understood that they number less than 500 of all ages.

" Several years since, the Caddos were settled upon lands granted to them on the Brazos river. They were afterward moved to a new reservation on the Wichita river in the Chickasaw nation. These Indians have made considerable progress in civiliza- tion. They cultivate the soil, and raise horses, hogs and cattle. They entered into

treaty stipulations with the Confederate government, and with other bands re- mained during the Civil war of 1861-'65, in the Indian Territory, near Fort Ar- buckle. They now, with other tribes, re- side on the reservation known as the Wi- chita Agency. The Wichitas were once a powerful tribe, inhabitating the country on the Red river, above and contignons to the Upper Cross Timbers. They are a warlike and athletic people, once the greatest scourge of northern Texas, but are now nearly extinct.

" The Wacoes, Anadarkoes and Kecliis," the last mentioned one being of most in- terest to this sketch, " have but few if any representatives," this being said in 1869. " If any number of these tribes still sur- vive, they have become incorporated with other tribes. The Tonkawas once inhab- ited the country on the lower Colorado and its tributaries. They have receded toward the plains as the white settlements have advanced. It is said of this tribe, and it is believed with truth, that they have always remained steadfast in their friendship to the people of Texas. They were moved with the Caddos and others to the Wichita, and entered into treaty stipu- lations with the other branches and tribes of that agency, with the Confederate au- thorities as above stated. Shortly after these relations were established, disaffected Indians attempted to frustrate the alliance, at which time the Tonkawas seemed to be singled out for destruction. In the attack made upon them, many of their warriors, and children as well as women were killed. Among the victims was the gallant old chief, Placido, who had enjoyed the confi-

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LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.

dence of General Ed. Burleson during the lifetime of the latter, and had also been regarded with friendship by General Sam Houston, as well as by other eminent men of Texas. After the attack upon the Tonkawas, the survivors fled for refuge to Texas. They assisted the frontier troops during the war against the hostile Indians. They were subsisted by the people and the State anthorities until 1867, when they were taken in charge by the officers of the United States Army, and are now on the frontier near Fort Richardson. They number about 160 souls. The Lipans were once quite numerous, inhabiting western Texas. The tribe is now divided, one part living on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande. These Indians, together with a band of Kickapoos, 'a nation who had a village on the Garza leagnes in Leon county,' commit most of the depredations on the western frontier. The remainder of the tribes live upon the Staked Plains, and in the Pan-handle region of Texas. They are and have generally been hostile to the people of our State. The Co- manches, so long the terror of our frontier counties, are the most numerous of the Texas Indians. They roam over the whole extent of the Staked Plains, between the Canadian and the Rio Grande. During the summer they follow the buffalo still farther north, and some of the band claim the valley of the Arkansas as their home. The western limit of the territory occupied by them extends to the regions inhabited by the Navajoes, Utes and Apaches. Fre- quent efforts have been made by the gov- ernment to reclaim them from their wan- dering mode of life. Through the efforts

of the late Major R. S. Neighbors, the legislature of Texas made ample donations of lands for Indian reservations. Four leagues were to be selected on the Pecos for southern Comanches and Lipans; four on the Clear fork of the Brazos, where a portion of the northern Comanches were induced to settle; and an equal quantity on the main Brazos, below Fort Belknap, where were located the Caddos, Kechis and Tonkawas. But the constant invasion of Kiowas and other wild bands and the jealousy of the frontier settlers toward these reserve Indians frustrated this well intended policy, and previous to 1860 the Indians were moved to a new reservation on the Wichita, near old Fort Cobb."

Says J. H. Kuykendall in the Almanac of '72: " Both history and tradition pre- serve the names of several tribes of In- dians, which had become extinct or blended with other tribes, before the State was colonized by Anglo-Americans in 1821, at which time the tribes with which the set- tlers came in contact were the Comanches, Wacoes, Tehuacanas, Ionies, Kechis, Lipans, Tonkawas and Carankawas."

From these outlines there may be seen the position which the Kechi and Kicka- poo Indians held in the general life and career of the Texas Indians, and, in a measure, it will suggest how the Kechis and Kickapoos removed from the wood- lands of Leon territory before the white advance.

Of course, no effort was made to perma- nently oust the Keechis-now spelled with a double letter in the first syllable-and Kickapoos until the lands were surveyed. This was done for the first time from

442

HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

1831 to '35, inclusive, under the innch tangled operations of the Robertson colony grant, beginuing in 1825, and the counter- grant of Austin and Williams in 1831, the tortnous course of which need not be con- sidered here, since it is fully dealt with in the settlement sketch of Limestone county. Let it suffice to say here that the first sur- veys were made on May 7, 1831, near the Kickapoo village, a tract of twelve leagues inade over to Ramon de la Garza, and an- other-an eleven-leagne tract-made over to Jose M. Masquiz. On the next day, the 8th, another eleven-league grant was made to Fernando del Valle. One more grant was made before 1835-when most were made-namely, that to Simon San- chez, near Commerce Crossing on July 20, 1833, and one to Fr. Ramirez on Novem- ber 30 of that year.

Before giving the surveys of 1835, it will be of interest to see what the Keechis thought about these men with "land. stealers," as they called the compass, for the Kickapoos seem to have withdrawn except for hunting before this time. For- tunately an old citizen of Anderson county-W. Y. Lacy, now deceased-has left us an excellent picture of the situa- tion, it is believed, heretofore unpublished. After telling of the old salt-works settle- inents near the Neches river just across the river from Henderson county, from 1830 on to the "runaway scrape " of 1836, for the purpose of trading with the Chero- kees, Shawnees, Kickapoos, Delawares, Caddos, Ionies and Anadarcoes, he speaks of one trader there named James Hall. " In 1834," he continues, "James . Hall moved his stock of goods from the Saline

to a point on the west side of Trinity river, then called Hall's Bhiff (now West Point). thirteen miles west of this place (Pales- tine), for the purpose of trading with the prairie Indians, viz., the Comanches, Wacoes, Tehuacanas and the Kechis. The Trinity river was considered a line of de- markation for hostilities between the white and red man. Indeed, it was the Rubicon of Texas. I never heard of an ontrage by the Indians until after hostili- ties commenced in 1838," of course refer- ring to Anderson county.

Now, as early as April, 1835, the snr- veyors were at work in Leon territory: grants were made to Jose M. Sanchez on July 16, 1835; to S. M. Marshall on Oc- tober 2; to K. Midkiff on April 21; to Isaac J. Midkiff on the same date; to Shel- ton Alphin on June 27; to Adeline Jaques on May 6; to William Johnson on April 24; to N. S. Allen on April 20; to Allen Dimery on the same date; to Mannel Skin- ner on July 13; and to Alse Garret on April 20.

Other surveys were Manuel C. Rejon, an eleven-league tract on November 18, 1833; Maria de la C. Marquez, an eleven- league grant, about the site of the present town bearing this name, on December 15, 1833; an eleven-leagne grant on the 17th of that month to Pedro Pereira, Jose de Jesns and Mariano Grande; another of like size to Jose M. Viesca, on June 3, 1835; a grant to John Scritchfield, on July 24, 1835; one on July 8 before, to Thomas H. Garner; on July 6, to Elam W. Gilliland; one on March 21, to Allen O. Bullock; on the 19thi, to James Riley; on July 10, to M. B. Thomas; on the 23d, to Mark Cope-

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LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.

land; on May 23, to Robert Rogers; on June 4, of the same year, to Benjamin F. Whitaker, and one other. Of course some of the latter were on parts of the large tracts, tor Leon's land did not escape the early miasma of shady titles with the rest of Texas.

" In August, 1835," continues Mr. Lacy, "I. W. Burton, with four others, I being of the party, started from the Saline, be- fore spoken of, on a surveying tour. We passed through this county [referring to Anderson county], stopping in two vil- lages, viz., the Caddoes and the Kickapoos, for the purpose of buying dried buffalo meat and other articles of food as might be wanted. We crossed the Trinity at Hall's Bluff, stayed with Hall two or three days, and then started up the river and com- inenced our work about eight miles above Hall's Bluff," in what is now Freestone county, of course. "We made two sur- veys, and were on the third when we were surrounded by about 100 Kechi Indians. We had stopped to eat dinner when they came up. They informed us that they had come to kill us; that the Brazos peo- ple [probably the Robertson colonists from Viesca at the Brazos falls] had come into their village two days before, had killed three of their men, two or three women and a child or two, had burned their town and driven off all their horses, and that we had to pay the penalty. Bur- ton called for the chief, told him that he wanted to talk a little before we were killed; that we were not Brazos people; that we belonged to Nacogdoches; that we had crossed the river to steal some of that good land that the Brazos people claimed;

that we had the land-stealer along with us, pointing to the compass. He also ex- plained the use of the chain to measure the land; his field-book, to write it all down; the hatchet, to mark the trees; and that we had no guns; did not want to hunt any, and had just come over there only to steal the land, and would refer them to Jim Hall as security for the truth of what we then told them. They held a council among themselves for about an hour, which seemed to me much longer. I thought that our time had come, as we could see no possible chance for escape. Finally we were told that we must go with them to Hall, and that if he would tell them that we had told the truth we might go. Of course we went, but were not permitted to see Hall first. Perhaps thirty minutes had elapsed when the chief came to us, giving us his hand, and the balance of the whole tribe followed suit. Then the chief told us that we were free, and could stay with them as long as we pleased, or we could go. We remained two or three days at the trading-house, and then left for home. We did not want any more land on that side of the river."

The Keechis are not seen in so gentle a guise in their operations of 1835, by an- other writer, whose account of Colonels Coleman and Moore chasing them out of Leon's territory is given in " Indian Depre- dations in Texas," in the following caustic style:

"Colonel Coleman was one of the early settlers in Texas, and was well known in the section of country where he lived. Whenever Indians or Mexicans made their raids in his vicinity he was always ready to

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

lead where any dared follow. In the sun- mer of 1835 the Keechi nation were living on the Navasota river. They pretended great friendship for the whites, but they were in fact most consummate thieves, and were constantly depredating upon them. They kept up their robberies for years on the credit of other tribes, but at length the settlers became satisfied of their guilt, and Colonel Coleman was authorized, in the year 1835, to raise a company to go to the Keechi village and induce them, if possi- ble, to discontinue their thefts. The In- dians had notice of Colonel Coleman's ap- proach, and, knowing they were guilty, they took it for granted that his intentions were hostile. They therefore selected a strong position and fortified it by digging pits in the ground, to which they could retreat when attacked.

" When Colonel Coleman and his men came in sight, without waiting to have a talk with him, they opened fire upon them as soon as they were within range. Colo- nel Coleman and his men were in open ground, and much exposed to the fire from the Indians' guns, whilst they were well protected in their pits. They made every effort to dislodge the Indians, and fought them for several hours, but their position was too strong to be taken without great sacrifice of life.

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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