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 57

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 57
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 57
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 57
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 57
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 57
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 57

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).

Unfortunately no records of the com- missioners' court remains to us back of 1873, as all previous to that were destroyed by the fire of 1885. William B. Middle- ton was the first sheriff, and his first work was on soine manslaughter cases of prom- inent citizens, on account of killing due to the bitter feud growing out of the county- seat fight; but this will be noticed in another place. A log courthouse was built

and both county and district court were held there for about five years. As it is now recalled, the first representatives of the new county were Judges Adams and Jewett.

Unfortunately the courthouse fight would not down; a strong element were deter- mined that the county's capital should be no- where else than the center of the county; and they were destined to win. In 1850 the campaign was vigorously prosecuted for it, and the center was chosen. The old lioness,-Leona,-however, was true to her name, and the fight was carried to the su- preme court of the State. The law proved to be against the vigorous little fighter, and Leona had to give in to a central point, which was located in 1851 and given the appropriate name of Centreville, the pres- ent capital.

A number at once moved to the new town which was laid out, and the contract for a new courthouse was let out to the present venerable county judge, Mr. Pru- itt, then a young man who had just reached his majority. He took the contract for a square two-story frame structure, forty feet each way, and with projections on each side, for the sum of $2,200. This was used until the winter of 1857-'58, when it was decided to build one just like it in brick, as more likely to resist destruc- tion by fire. This was built by a Mr. Jones for $8,000.

It would be natural that the on-coming war of the nation should have quieted the smaller war over the county seat, in which the later question seems to have been buried.

That new courthouse lasted about twen- ty-seven years, when, from some undis-

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coverable course, it was burned during the year 1885. Preparations were at once made to replace it with the present strong brick and stone structure, which was com- pleted during the winter of 1886-'87, at a cost of $28,000, in bonds, sold to the school fund now, and are being steadily taken up year by year. The brick jail is a re- modeled private building and cost the county $2,500.

Other county business has been largely routine work. Her valuation is now $1,- 804,275, and she receives and disburses about $12,000 a year.

In presenting to the readers of this vol- ume an unbiased and impartial history of the worthy representatives of the counties named herein, our attention is early di- rected to R. W. Stevens, Clerk of Leon county, a gentleman whose acts, public and private, are open to inspection, and naught can be said derogatory to his career as soldier, citizen or public official. He is one of those men who, though not born here, knows no place but Leon county. He came to it in 1848, being then only four years of age. His father was a farmer and stockman of Washington, Texas, where our subject was born. The latter found em- ployment for his youthful hands in looking after varions and sundry details necessary to a well regulated plantation. Because of the newness of the country, facilities for the education of the young were very poor, and our subject was one of the sufferers in consequence. The log-cabin schoolhouse, with mud-and-stick chimney, served as kindergarten, academy and college, but there have been instances of success with- out a college, or even commercial training,

and we point to Mr. Stevens as one of them.

When the Civil war burst upon the country, with all its horrors, our subject enlisted in Captain Dupree's company, Colonel DeBray's regiment of cavalry, and saw service on the coast of Texas, at the recapture of Galveston. Thence they were sent into Louisiana, participating in the battles of Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, Marksville and Yellow Bayou, and returned to Texas in the spring of 1865, and were disbanded at Hempstead, after four years of hard soldiering. Mr. Stevens accepted the surrender of Lee as finally deciding the issues between the North and South, and returning home he substituted a yeo- man's garb for his soldier uniform and re- enlisted in the cause of husbandry.

In 1873, desiring a change of occupa- tion, Mr. Stevens embarked in merchan- dising, at Marquez, that promising better profits for the same labor. This he con- tinued until 1878, when he became a can- didate for and was elected to the office of Tax Assessor of the county, being the sec- ond incumbent of that office. He was twice re-elected to that office, and after five years of faithful, efficient service he again sought the commercial field, having as partners Messrs. Mclendon, Lawrence and Fowler, respectively. In 1886, Mr. Stevens was again sought to stand for office, and, as in his foriner candidacy, he was again suc- cessful, and, in November of that year, was installed in the office of County Clerk, beating his opponent by 300 votes. In 1888 and 1890 he was re-elected without, opposition, but in 1892 came some oppo- sition, which he disposed of in the same manner as in 1886. Mr. Stevens is thor-

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onghly conversant with the duties of his office and performs them with marked abil- ity. The interests of his constituents are first and foremost, and all these things combine to make him one of the most pop- ular clerks that Leon county has ever had, and his numerous re-elections are fitting testimonials of the esteem in which he is held by the public. The social side of Mr. Stevens' nature displays itself and finds pleasure in being connected with two of the most popular fraternal societies, Ma- sonry and Oddfellowship. Of the former he has been a member eighteen years and of the latter for fifteen years.

Our subject's father, J. J. Stevens, was born in Georgia, in 1800. In early life he emigrated to Missouri, where he mar- ried and resided until 1836, when the at- tractions and struggle of Texas drew him hither. He made a stop in Brazoria county, but only to rest his family, while he hastened on and joined the Texan army and a few months later shared in the glories of Texan independence. He removed his family to Washington county and engaged in farming, and in 1848 he came to Leon county and pursued the same vocation un- til his death. He was a successful busi- ness man, amassing a competency of $20,- 000. Mr. Stevens married Miss Nancy Kigans, and her family came to Texas with him. By this marriage there were: Mary A., deceased, wife of W. E. Love; Eliza- beth T., deceased, wife of H. H. Jones; Sarah E., wife of J. E. Springer, deceased; W. C., deceased; C. C., died in the Con- federate army, in Texas; John D., de- ceased; James D .; subject; and Mack, de- ceased. After Mr. Stevens' death his

widow married G. W. Watson, and one child resulted from this marriage, who is Frank P. Watson, of Texas.

Our subject married, in 1869, Miss M. E. Hargraves, the daughter of Joseph Har- graves, and seven children have been born of this union, namely: Jennie, deceased; J. D .; F. E .; A. D .; Willie O .; Pruitt and Eula. Mr. Stevens' family are identified with the Presbyterian Church.

W. P. St. John, the present Tax Col- lector of Leon county, was born in Franklin county, Tennessee, in 1848. Four years later his parents removed to Texas and settled in this county, where our subject was reared and educated. His father, Harmon St. John, was born in Tennessee, in 1824, and died in Leon county, in 1874. He was a farmer by profession and the country schools offered our subject the only opportunity for an education. This advantage he accepted and made use of, in the absence of something better. He has always followed farming as an occupation and has never missed making a crop until elevated to his present office.

Harmon St. John was a popular man in Leon connty, being Chief Justice of the county when he died. He served four years in the Confederate army, in Major's brigade, in the Transportation Department, of the Army of the Mississippi. He par- ticipated in Banks' campaign. The grand- father of subject, Martin St. John, also was a farmer and an early settler in Tennessee. The mother of subject was Martha, the daughter of William Bates, of Murfrees- boro, Tennessee, and there were born of this union: W. P .; Sophia, who married

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LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.

J. G. Burleson; Horace, who resides at Dallas, Texas; Ulysses; Frank Harmon and Susan.

In 1888 Mr. St. John was elected Col- lector, receiving nearly as inany votes as both his opponents. In 1890 he had no opponents, but in 1892 two candidates de- veloped some strength, but not enough to prevent his beating them both, 240 votes. Mr. St. John has connected himself with the Masonic fraternity, being a member of the blue lodge.

In 1869 Mr. St. John married Miss Annie, the daughter of Willis Selman of Cherokee county, Texas, and his children are: Sophia, Willis, Engene, Berta, Jeff, Charles and Frank. He and his wife are prominent members of society in the place in which they reside.

JUDICIAL.

Leon county has been much more for- tunate in preserving the early records of her district court than in saving those of her legislative court. All are preserved from the first down to the present, thanks to a good vault able to resist fire!

More than usual interest attaches to the story of this district court, because it began its first duties at Leona, on a manslaughter case due to the " lioness " fight over the " lion's " county seat. The record reads in these words: " Be it remembered that on the second Monday in October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-six, the twelfth day of said month, there was begun and holden at the district conrt for the said county of Leon at the conrthouse thereof in the town of Leona.

Present the Hon. R. E. B. Baylor, Judge of said court, William Keigwin, Clerk of said court, William B. Middleton, Sheriff. On motion of Thomas Johnson, Esq., Dis- trict Attorney, and it appearing that the venire facias returnable to the court was issued without the seal of said court or the private seal of the clerk of the same, it is ordered by the court that the same be quested; and it was further ordered by the court that a venire facias issue returnable instanter; " and it was done. The first grand jury was chosen as follows: Thomas Middleton, Thomas Thorn, Granville Nel- son, Madison Langham, Albert Rogers, George Allen, George Service, James Johnson, Jacob Langston, Onesimus Evans, John Copeland, Marvel McFarland, Willis Wallace, George Toby, Zoroaster Robin- son, Joseph Copeland, Thomas R. Thur- man, Christopher T. Dotson, Robert Ro- gers and Stokely Clioat. Mr. Evans was chosen foreman. The only bills they brought in were two-one for manslaugh- ter against William Pruitt and one against Ambrose G. Grayson for assault and bat- tery,-and a few cases of card playing, ille- gal slave burying, and a challenge to fight a duel.

The first petit jury was composed of Aaron Kitchell, Clay Cobb, James Blood- worth, John Kinney, William Murrahly, Jackson N. Jones, William King, Wash- ington C. Barfield, Paschal C. Langham, James M. Langham, Samuel Duckworth, and Martin D. Taylor.

Of course the court was held at Leona as long as that was the county seat, and in 1851 was removed with it to Centreville, where it has since been held. Those were

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the days when the court and the lawyers almost lived on horseback, the limited number of lawyers and the comparatively small number of cases in a county.

For the most part the occupants of the bench have been able and well-known men, some of them furnished by Leon county. The first one was that far-seeing Baptist educator, or promoter of education, Judge R. E. B. Baylor, in whose honor two large Texas Baptist educational institutions are named. Judge Jewett, a mnost able judge, furnished by the lion-hearted county itself, who has honored one of her towns with his name, was another. That well-known ante- bellum congressman, John Gregg, whom Leon gave to the State, and whose gallant service in the earliest actions in the Vir- ginia campaign of 1861 cost him his life, was another. Then followed James C. Walker, General Shields, of Falls county, J. C. Thurman, and N. Hart Davis. Then Leon again brought forward some ex- cellent judicial timber in the person of Judge R. S. Gould, whose ability took him to the State's chief-justiceship. C. M. Winkler, of Corsicana, came next, followed by John B. Rector, when Leou again fur- nished a man-Judge W. D. Wood, of Centerville. Others have been John B. Kennard, Benton Randolph, and N. G. Kittrell, whose resignation has, at this writing, been landed in, and returns indi- cate the election of Judge J. M. Smithers as his successor.

Among these judges furnished by Leon county, Judge Gould has been advanced to the highest State judicial position ; Judge Gregg to the national legislative body; and Judge Wood to the highest

State legislative office-that of senator. Of course both bench and bar have fur- nished representative timber, as they do in all counties.

The legal talent resident in the county has not been so remarkable in number of members as in the excellence above noted. Among those who became residents before the war are Judge Gregg, Judge Henry J. Jewett, Judge R. S. Gould, and Judge W. D. Wood, already mentioned, besides whom there were John Homan, J. W. Durant and A. H. Wier. Among those who began practice here soon after or during the war were Henry Wier, Aaron Barnes, N. R. Barnes, and W. M. John- ston, the last mentioned being now the senior member of the bar, and living at Centreville. The present bar of the county includes, besides Mr. Johnstou, at Centre- ville, S. W. Dean, John A. Newson, Robert Reeves and W. B. Durant; at Jewett, J. J. Dotson, B. D. Dashiel, L. T. Dashiel and W. B. Moses; at Oakwood, F. B. Looney; and at Middleton, W. M. Watson.

The court's practice began, as has been indicated, with one of the most important cases before the war,-that growing out of the county.seat fight, in which William Pruitt, the father of the present honored county judge, was led to shoot one man and wound another. He was honorably acquitted, however, of all blame. Mr. Pruitt stood among the most honored and respected citizens Leon liad.

There has never yet been a case of capi- tal punishment inflicted by the court in Leon county, and few cases of life sentence. Like other parts of Texas, the early days

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LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.

of the occasional courts of "Judge Lynch" did not make Leon county conspicuous by their absolute absence; still they were not numerous. There is one sort of practice, however, that would make Leon county decidedly conspicnous if its absence was to be chronicled, and that is cases of land- title litigation. A Texan county of earlier days without a liberal supply of this sort of practice would be a decided curiosity in the legal annals of the State. Leon, how- ever, has had fewer cases of this kind than a great many counties.

One of the first of this kind to attract public attention locally, came up about 1865-'66, over the title of some land of the Del Valle, eleven-league tract. The case had several features of interest, but the essential feature was over the question of the forgery of a deed. This is one of the best known tracts in the county, and was granted to Fernando del Valle on the 8th of May, 1831, one of the first three tracts in the county ever surveyed.

A few years later another case arose over the occupancy of alleged squatters on the old Viesca tract, brought against the occu- pants by the Texas Land Company in 1872. This case has been fouglit with a good deal of vigor, and in certain forms is still pend- ing in the higher courts.

In the year 1877, a good deal of public attention was drawn to the attack upon the validity of a will in connection with the Warren estate. The will was vigorously attacked on the ground that the complain- ants alleged it to be a forgery. After a closely fought trial, however, it was con- firmed as a legal will.

It was during the '70s, that a man named Thomas, was arrested on the charge of killing his son-in-law, and was released under bonds. The case, however, never came to trial, because the defendant sacri- ficed his bondsman by making for parts unknown.

During the decade of the '80s, occurred one of the very life sentences, if not the only one, in the whole career of the court, covering within three years of a half cen- tury. It was a case of alleged assassina- tion of a man near Buffalo by several parties in conspiracy. A case was made against several parties, but only one, a man named Hughes, was brought to conviction, and given a sentence of imprisonment in the penitentiary for life.

What promises to be one of the most notable cases ever tried in this court is a case of killing, involving prominent and respected citizens of the county at Centre- ville, over the vote of a negro at the recent National and State election. It is not far enough progressed, at the present writing, to enter into its details with propriety, as its results must be left to pens of future chorniclers.

J. W. Powell, District Clerk of Leon county, is by birth a native of Tennessee, having been born in Manry county, in 1860. When only seven years of age, his father, E. A. Powell, located on a farm near Centreville. The country school af- forded about the only educational facilities, and here Mr. Powell attended during child- hood. He then went to the Jewett high school, under Captain Anderson, and pre- pared himself for the life of a teacher. He tanght school from 1882 to 1888, at which

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time he became a candidate for and was elected to the office he now holds, withont opposition. He was installed into office the same year, succeeding J. B. Botter. In 1890 some opposition developed, but it was easily disposed of. In 1892 no oppo- sition showed itself, and Mr. Powell re- ceived over 1,200 votes in the primaries. As an officer Mr. Powell is very efficient and popular, and the people know when they have a good thing and are keeping him there.

Mr. Powell's father was born in Tennes- see, in 1815, and was a man of only lim- ited means and education. He followed farming in Leon county until his death, with the exception of a term as Deputy Sheriff, under General Middleton. He also filled the office of Justice of the Peace, but resigned on account of bad health, in 1878, and died January 3, 1879. He served in the Confederate army as First Lieutenant of his company, and was wounded at Chickamanga, remaining a cripple for life. His father was John Powell, who came to Texas from Tennessee and carried on business in this State. Our subject's mother was Lucinda Tucker, and the children of this family were: W. E., W. K., Henrietta, deceased, and our sub- ject. Mr. Powell had been married before to a Miss Johnson, and the following are the children of that inarriage: Lonisa, be- came the wife of John Dowell; John; Lizzie became the wife of S. L. Ruther- ford, Sr .; and Josephine, wife of S. L. Rutherford, Jr.

Our subject was married June 30, 1889, to Miss Mary, the daughter of Bruno Durst, whose sketch appears in this book. Two

children have been boru to Mr. and Mrs. Powell, Edna and Mary. Mr. Powell is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Baptist Church.

THE CRUEL WAR.

Settled as late as Leon county was, she had hardly passed a score of years as a set- tlement, less than that as a county, and barely a decade with the county-seat question settled, before her citizens were ronsed to respond to the great secession movement headed by the Carolinas. Leon was sure to be in touch with the movement from the first, for she had in her midst men who were the associates of leaders in that most terrible strife of modern times. They were meu possessed of large slave properties, many of them refugees from the older States, where their keen intuition had revealed to them the impending storm and caused to make a move to a State whose previous career of independence seemed to suggest that a similar career could be tried again just as successfully, if it was neces- sary, to preserve their property.

This property, as has been indicated in a preceding chapter, was immense. Indeed, in a large proportion of cases it was the great bulk of it. It has already been shown what a large bulk of it composed Leon's property-1,455 slaves, assessed at a total of $757,296, when her taxable land it- self was rated at but $437,400,-this too as early as 1855, while from that time on until the war's close in 1865 there was a constant influx of these refugees, as the large present colored population plainly indicates.

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LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.

It is not surprising then that Leon county was not only not among the follow- ers but among the vanguard of the move- ment itself. Judge Gregg was frequently spoken of over the State as commander for some regiment.

The county had many men, however, who counseled moderation, and a few who were strongly against secession. These lat- ter were represented by D. M. Whaley, the first man to take out a company after the die was cast. The county organs had counseled moderation. The first paper es- tablished in the county was that by Judge Wood in his early manhood in 1851, and, indeed, old men, who are good judges of such a matter, say it was the ablest the county has had; and this counseled a mod- erate course. Its successor, published at the opening of the war, by B. W. Campbell, was of like tenor.

Among those more prominent as mass- meeting orators in advocating secession was the lawyer, J. W. Durant, while Whaley spoke against it. When the vote came, however, on the election of delegates, it was practically unanimous for secession. Then the work of recruiting began in earn- est, and Captain D. M. Whaley, as has been said, was the first to move. Judge Gregg was one of the earliest men to go, and soon became a colonel and was killed on the field in Virginia. Captain J. P. Madison next took a company out, and Judge Gould in it rapidly rose to the po- sitions of colonel and major. Another company was soon formed, under Captain J. N. Black, and another under Captain G. H. Black; then came the former editor of the Leon Pioneer,-Judge W. D. Wood,

with a company. Captain D. C. Carring- ton formed one made up from both Leon and Madison and went to the field, and finally Dr. Wilson's company from about Bowling closed the list of companies, though by no means the list of recruits, for many went off into other scattered forces. It has been estimated, very mod- erately, it is thought, that at least 800 men were furnished from Leon county's borders.

Of these companies only one went east of the Mississippi river, that of Captain Whaley, a company which suffered by far the heaviest losses of all that left the county. Less than a score and but one officer were all that returned of those sons of the " Lion " county. Those west of the river suffered more in hardships probably, but probably two-thirds, it is thought, re- turned.

The close of the war and the dispersing of troops to their homes led to two inter- esting incidents connected with Leon county. One of these was in the appear- ance, sudden and unexpected, of about fifteen or twenty of the band of guerrillas, under the noted Quantrell on the public square at Centreville, and their equally sudden dispersing and probably final dis- banding. The other was an incident also connected with Freestone county: At the battle of Val Verde several cannon were captured by Lieutenant Nettles, of Free- stone county, with a band of young men who determined, rather than surrender, to go to Mexico. It is said that before finally starting for the Rio Grande, however, they concluded to go back to Freestone on a visit. They did so, and took their spoils

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with them. On the arrival at the old home the pressure was too great and they disbanded there. The cannon were secret- ly buried, and all but one remains hid- den yet; this one was dug up by those to whom Nettles revealed the hiding place of it -- in honor of Cleveland's first election. The brass piece was cleaned up and made to do loud shouting for the first post- bellum Democratic president. This came finally into the possession of the Oakwood people, of Leon county, who now hold it as a highly prized relic. This piece has recently been doing similar service for Mr. Cleveland, not only at Oakwood but in other cities and towns which stand in the favor of Oakwood.

During reconstruction days two com- panies were located at Centreville, but that period was far less troublesome in Leon than in many of her sister counties.

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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