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 60

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 60
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 60
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 60
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 60
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 60
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 60

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Among the large and successful stock growers of Leon county is R. M. Cole, who was born in Leake county, Mississippi, in 1849, and his father, T. A. Cole, was a farmer of North Carolina, as also was his father, Mason Cole, which State the grand- father left while his family was yonng, and removed to Mississippi, where he finally died. His son, T. A. Cole, se- cured only a fair English education in the early days in Mississippi. When he be- came of age he married Martha, the daughter of William Boone, a distant rela- tion of the famons Daniel, bnt coming originally from Georgia. The result of this marriage was fonr children, namely, W. T., living in Mississippi; onr subject; Charles A., deceased; and Ellen, deceased.

Our subject had only the opportunities offered by a country school for an educa- tion, and about the time he should have been starting to an advanced school or college the war came on and interfered.

He was young in years, but old in experi- ence, and in his enthusiasm he enlisted when just past thirteen years of age, in the Fifth Mississippi Cavalry, Colonel Perrin in command, and his first engagement was at Jackson, Mississippi. The com- pany did sconting in the vicinity of Vicks- burg, until the fall of that city, when the command was put on a forced march throngh Mississippi and Alabama, and on their way got into a difficulty with Fed- eral troops at Newton, Alabama. Our subject participated in the Atlanta cam- paign, going on to Savannah and fighting continually in the ditches surrounding that city for three days. The horses were sent to Perrysburg, South Carolina, and the command marched on foot a distance of seventy-five miles, then remounted them- selves and started to Virginia; but when they reached the vicinity of Raleigh they learned of the surrender of Lee and re- traced their steps to Washington, Georgia, where they were paroled.

The first years after the war, Mr. Cole helped his grandfather, who had reared him, to make a crop, and in the fall of 1866 he went to Sunflower connty, Mis- sissippi, and engaged in rafting and mak- ing boards on the Yazoo river, and in 1868 he made a crop in Madison connty. In 1869 he went to Leake conuty and made a crop, and in the fall of the same year he came to Texas, landing in Robert- son county, having for his stock in trade only a fairly good suit of clothes. In 1870 he was employed in gathering stock as a hired hand, getting from $1.50 to $2.50 a day. In 1871 he engaged in farming, which he continued until 1883,

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when he engaged in the saloon business at Madian City, for a few months, when he sold out in September of that year, re- turned to Robertson county, and again took up farming and has continued it since. In 1886 he removed his family to Marquez. Mr. Cole's farming interests now consist of 1,327 acres of real estate in Leon, Rob- ertson and other counties, 400 head of cattle and 400 head of hogs, which make him a greater profit than any other of his investments. The only official position held by Mr. Cole was that of deputy sheriff of Robertson county, for four years, under Sheriff Wyser. He was twice elected bailiff, but each time refused to serve.

December 24, 1871, he was married to Margaret, daughter of John Graham, an early Texan, who came here in 1836, and was a soldier in the Mexican war. By oc- cupation he was a land dealer and made a good fortune in land. Mr. and Mrs. Cole have had five children, but only one is now living, R. W., the others dying in in- fancy. Mr. Cole is a Royal Arch Chapter Mason, but of late years has not taken inuch interest in the success of the orders, his time being so absorbed in private business matters.

BUFFALO.

At and near this place reside thie fol- lowing three gentlemen, with others, whose sketches may be found by the index:

William Haynie, M. D., one of the lead- ing physicians of Buffalo, Leon county, Texas, was born in Merriwether county, Georgia, September 14, 1844, and was the eldest son of A. B. and Mary E. (Smith)

Haynie, natives of Georgia. The Haynie family came originally from Ireland to America before the Revolutionary war, settling in Virginia. The great-grand- father of our subject on the paternal side engaged in the war for independence, dur- ing which he lost his life in Virginia. The grandfather of our subject was in the war of 1812, but the father, as far as is known, did not have any military record. During the war of 1860 he was a planter in Ala- bama, where he had removed after marri- age, but in 1878 came to Texas and landed in this county, later removing to Free- stone county, where he died in 1886, aged seventy-two. His wife died in 1882, aged fifty-four. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and reared a family of three children: Our sub- ject, Elbridge and C. C., both of the latter being farmers of Freestone county.

Our subject received his literary educa- tion in Chunnenuggee Ridge, Alabama, and in 1861 engaged in the drug business at Columbus, Georgia, where he also read medicine for a time, remaining there until the close of the war, when he entered the University of New Orleans, continuing through the winter of 1866-'67, and gradu- ating in the class of 1867-'68, at the medi- cal school at Augusta, Georgia. He first practiced his profession in Alabama, re- moving from there to this State in 1878, and locating at Avant Prairie, in Freestone county. In 1883 he removed to Alexander, Erath county, where he practiced for two years, then returned to Freestone county, and removed from there to this place in 1891. Here he has since resided, follow- ing his chosen profession. Besides the

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

practice of medicine Dr. Haynie is exten- sively engaged in farming, owning a fine place in Freestone county of 484 acres, also 208 acres at Avant Prairie, and another farm near Luna, in the timber. He has 260 acres very well improved with regard to buildings, fencing and cultivation of the fields.

During the war Dr. Haynie belonged to Company I, Third Georgia Cavalry, under General Wheeler, participating in the bat- tles of Chickamanga, Tullahoma, Morris- town, Knoxville, Mufreesborough, Tennes- see,and was captured near Calhoun, Georgia, and sent to Alton, Illinois, for four months, and from there to Camp Douglass, where he was retained until the close of the war. As before stated, after the surrender he graduated and commenced the practice of his profession.

Dr. Haynie was married in 1874, to Miss Ella Moore, of Alabama, a daughter of W. A. and Mary (Paramore) Moore, natives re- spectively of North Carolina and Georgia. Five children have been born to Dr. and Mrs. Haynie: William; Franklin died June, 1878; Minnie M., James and Eddie. Dr. Haynie and wife are both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and he is connected with the Freestone County Medical Board, and a member of Buffalo Lodge, No. 554, A. F. & A. M.

J. P. Parker, Jr., a merchant farmer of Buffalo, Leon county, Texas, is the subject of this sketch. He was born in this county in 1857, and was the second youngest child born to J. P. Parker, Sr., and Eliza (Cur- tis) Parker, natives of North Carolina and Mississippi.

The father of our subject was married in Scott county, Mississippi, and came to this State in 1852, in the fall, and settled in Leon county, on the same land where he now resides. For a distance of sixteen miles there were very few families, and his first yield of cotton he had to liaul to Cen- treville, sixteen miles away, to dispose of it. In 1857 Mr. Parker built the first gin ever built in this part of the county, and as it was a horse gin our subject was the person engaged to drive the horses, and this was the only gin built near until long after the close of the late war. After the war, as soon as the lands began to be culti- vated, Mr. Parker ginned as much as from 1,500 to 2,000 bales of cotton in his gin, and it required all of his time to do the work. At this time he was interested in the stock business. He had been a soldier in the Mexican war.

When the late war broke out the patri- otic spirit again inspired Mr. Parker, and he served from 1861 to 1865, entering the service of the Confederate States army in 1861 as first lieutenant under Captain Car- rington, and was in the army on the west side of the Mississippi, participating in the battles of Mansfield, Yellow Bayou, Alex- andria, and was in all of the battles fought with Banks, besides numerous other en- gagements. Before the close of the war he was made captain, and held that posi- tion until its close. He was never either wounded or captured.

At the commencement of the war, Mr. Parker, the father of our subject, was well fixed financially, owning a fine body of stock, negroes and other property, but at its close he had lost all he possessed except

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his land, of which . he still owned several thousand acres. He has never been a poli- tician or an office-seeker, although he has frequently been urged to run for some county office. Being a domestic man, his love has always been for his family, and he has always preferred to remain with them to filling any position away from them. He has always been a strong Democrat, and is well posted in the principles of his party. He is a relative of Isaac Parker, the father of Cynthia A. Parker, whose ro- mantic history is known to all Texans, she having been captured at a very early day by the Indians in this State, and having afterward married a young chief of the Comanche tribe. She is the mother of the celebrated chief, Quanah. Her brother Charles was captured at the same time, but was recaptured and served with dis- tinction in the Confederate army.

Cynthia A. Parker, after her capture by Captain Ross and her return to civiliza- tion, made many efforts to return to the Indians, but died before accomplishing her purpose while residing in Tarrant county, Texas.

The mother of our subject was born in 1819, and died June 10, 1892, in her seventy-third year. She had been since her girlhood a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Mr. Parker las been for many years a member of the Mis- sionary Baptist Church. He belongs to Buffalo Lodge, A. F. & A. M., No. 554, with which organization he has been con- nected for fifty years, having filled all the chairs of the order. He is the oldest Mason and the oldest member of his lodge in the county. Until a few years ago he

worked steadily on his farm, merely from force of habit. He owns a fine farm, well improved, but his sons have at length per- suaded him to leave off hard work; but he still attends to his garden and stock with religious punctuality. Of his two sons, B. Henry was born in 1855, and was mar- ried in 1880 to Miss M. L. Mordy, a na- native of Texas, whose parents were early settlers of Texas. To Henry Parker and wife three children have been born, John, Terry and Grady, Henry resides upon the old home farm.

Our subject received his education at Jewett, in this county, and graduated in the Eastman Commercial College at Pough- keepsie, New York, in 1879. Upon his return home he accepted a clerkship with a Mr. Levi, of this place, and worked for him for one year as bookkeeper, and one year in the same capacity for Thompson & Tucker. His health giving way, he went to his farm and worked there as a farmer and stock-raiser until 1890, when he opened up his present mercantile business, consisting of almost everything to be found in a country store, and carrying a stock of some $5,000, and doing a business of some $50,000. Besides his mercantile business heowns a fine farm of 1,280 acres, 250 under cultivation, with splendid residence, out- houses, etc. Here on this ranch Mr. Parker raises cattle, horses and mules.

The marriage of our subject took place in 1880, to Miss Clara Solomon, a native of Alabama, and a daughter of Dr. Henry and Berthenia (Smith) Solomon, natives of Alabama. Dr. Solomon died in Alabama, and his widow came to this State in 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Solomon had four children :

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Lizzie married B. M. Mathews, and now resides in this county; J. S. lives in Wise county; P. M. lives in Dallas county, and Mrs. Parker is the fourth. Her mother resides with her. Two daughters have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Parker: Olfa, born March 1, 1882, and Florence T., born December 6, 1884. Mrs. Parker is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Mr. Parker belongs to Buffalo Lodge, No. 554, in which he is Junior Warden, and has filled most of the offices in the order. Like his father, he takes a deep interest in public affairs without de- siring office. He is a representative of the true Texan gentleman, plain, pleasant, genial and hospitable.

James H. Oliver, M. D., merchant and farmer, was born in Sumter county, Ala- bama, in 1848, and was the second in the family of Asa and Eliza (Brewer) Oliver, natives of Tennessee and Alabama. The Oliver family settled in Virginia many years ago, and the father of Asa Oliver was reared in that State, of a family of plant- ers and stock-raisers at an early day, be- coming in later life men of property.

The paternal grandfather of our subject moved to the State of Tennessee at an early day, becoming one of the pioneers, but the father of our subject left the State of Ten- nessee in 1836, going to Alabama and Florida, taking part in the Seminole war, as a private. After its close he remained in the State of Alabama. About 1842 he married the lady who became the mother of our subject and engaged in conducting a plantation, but he continued his resi- dence in Alabama until 1850, when he re-

moved to Mississippi, continuing there until he came to Texas in 1865.

The location of Mr. Oliver was in Free- stone county, ten miles west of Fairfield, where he engaged in farming. He made his home in this county, and resided here un- til his death, which occurred in 1888, at the age of seventy-four years. He and his wife were the parents of five children, four of whom lived to be grown. James H. and R. D. of Freestone connty; Eliza, wife of W. D. Hail of Bosque county; and Cor- nelia, wife of E. T. Easton, of Leon county.

Mrs. Oliver was a widow at the time of her marriage to Mr. Oliver. Her first husband was Philemon Hodges, and to this union were born three children: John, de- ceased, the family residing in this State; Mary, deceased, wife of H. W. Norville; and Fannie, deceased, wife of Robert Har- per. Mrs. Oliver died in 1884, a mem- ber of the Missionary Baptist Church. Mr. Oliver had long been a member of the A. F. & A. M. fraternity.

James H. Oliver received his literary education in the school at Garlandville, Mississippi, and at the age of twenty-two engaged in the study of medicine under Dr. W. G. McInnis of Freestone. At the age of twenty-five he entered the Tulane University of Louisiana, and in 1878 at- tended the clinics at the medical school at St. Louis, Missouri. In 1874, our sub- ject engaged in the practice of his chosen profession under a State certificate, and after his return from St. Louis he went through a serious illness, but finally re- sumed his practice, continuing in Freestone county from that time until 1891, a period of seventeen years. At this time his loca-

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LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.

tion was eleven miles south of Fairfield. In 1891 he removed to his present place, and has discontinued the practice of medi- cine.

In 1883 the Doctor engaged in the mer- cantile business at his home in Freestone county, and did a business for some time of $25,000. In 1891 he opened his present business and carries a stock of the value of some $15,000 or $25,000. In his store may the farmer find everything he needs and also the mechanic, and so great is his trade that he requires the assistance of four men. The Doctor has under cultiva- tion some 800 acres of land in Freestone county, and this place is under a fine state of cultivation, and he raises cattle, on a single ranch having some 200 or 300 head.

In 1862, at the age of thirteen, he left school and joined Company H, of the Thirty-seventh Mississippi Infantry, and served as marker for the regiment, but after he entered active service he drew his gun and marched away as a private in the regular service. At this time his weight was only 107 pounds, and he participated in the battle of Corinth, where he was cap- tured and sent to Columbus, Kentucky, but was retained only a short time, being exchanged at Vicksburg in 1862, when he rejoined at Sinders Bluff on the Yazoo river. He was next engaged as a guard on the steamboat Magnolia, on the Mississippi river, his regiment being quartered in Vicksburg, and the boat went up the river to Greenwood, the line's being closed around Vicksburg the day our subject's regiment entered.

After our subject had served on the boat seven or eight days, a company was formed

of the guards commanded by Captain Pounds and did scout duty, on the Yazoo river, and had a serious fight on Dixie Bar, when the Confederate forces had sunk some old boats with the object of checking the Federal gun boats. The Confederates were victo- rious, while the gunboats returned to Yazoo city.

After the fall of Vicksburg they returned to Jackson, Mississippi, where our subject was taken sick and sent home on leave of absence, remaining there until the regi- ment, which had been captured at Vicks- burg, was placed in parole camp at Enter- prise, Mississippi, where he immediately went. About 121 of the regiment, who had not been captured, were mounted and employed in hunting deserters, until the exchange of the regiment, when our sub- ject rejoined it, and it was then attached to General Johnston's command at Resaca, Georgia, and before the battle of Reasca, previous to the arrival of Johnston's army, and while under the command of General Canty, of Alabama, fought a severe engage- ment at Snake Creek Gap, Georgia, when the regiment suffered serious loss, but held the enemy in check until the arrival of Johnston.

Immediately afterward the battle of Resaca was fought, in which our subject participated, and from that onward, for forty-seven days, was almost constantly engaged in fighting, the principal battles being those of Kenesaw mountain, Pine mountain, New Hope, Peach Tree Creek, on the 28th the battle of the Poor House, and in front of Atlanta, and so on until the battle of Jonesboro, Georgia. The brigade of our subject was left in front of

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

or in the ditches around Atlanta until Sep- tember 1, when it evacuated the trenches and reached Jonesboro just as the battle was over. The division of our subject went from Jonesboro to Tennessee with the ill-starred General Hood, and took part in the battles of Franklin and Nashville. After this the retreat to Goldsboro, North Carolina, took place. Here our subject and his regiment surrendered.

Dr. Oliver was once wounded at Nash- ville in the leg, a very painful although not dangerous injury. After the war our subject returned to his home in Mississippi, and then came out here with his father.

Our subject was married in 1880 to Miss Mattie Sneed, of Fairfield, Texas, who came to this State at the age of one year with her parents, A. W. and Mat- tie (Davis) Sneed, early settlers of this State. The fruits of this union are: Alice: Annie, Jimmie, George A., Joe T., and Billie,-the latter deceased.

POPULATION.

Jewett, Centreville and Oakwood are the only places given separate inention in the census of 1890. There are two other good towns, however, on the International & Great Northern Railway that have made a quiet but real growth and will probably have no trouble in making a good exhibit in the census of 1900, seven years lience. These are Buffalo and Marquez, the former covering territory half way between Oak- wood and Jewett, and the latter the depot for the eastern part of the county. Mar- quez began with . the railway's advent, as has been seen, in December, 1871, which

makes it nearly twenty-two years old, and some have estimated its present population even as high as 275; but this is only an estimate, and no census guide to it is given. It is chiefly on the south side of the track, and was laid out about five years before Prof. G. W. Honck and others secured the location of the town that got the name Buffalo, a young town that inside of two years made siich progress that it had a newspaper called the Buffalo Advance. But the movement of that paper to Jewett a little later showed that the young town could not expect too muchi, and as it got separate notice in either the census of '80 or '90. But after about sixteen years' ex- istence of a more quiet growth, it has been estimated as liaving even a higher popula- tion than Marquez; and possibly its seven merchandise houses, with drug stores, shops, stables, saloons, mill and gin, and the like, would tend to support the claim.

These towns make a good showing for a county of Leon's population; certainly, if some of the estimates of present population (almost invariably a most imaginary pro- duction) were taken, the county would be credited with over 2,000 in her towns; for Jewett has been tossed off with 500, Cen- treville with 400, Oakwood with 350, Buf -. falo with 300, Marquez with 250, and Leona and Rogers' Prairie with 100 each, with any variation to be in favor of Leona. But laying aside the estimates, and basing it all on the census reports and the probable increase since, there is still a good showing made for a county whose population was 13,841 in 1890, and whose census towns gave a total of 882 inhabitants in all. A population of 882 is far more in reality

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LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.

than the figures convey to the ordinary observer. One has but to count 800 per- sons in an assembly, some time in his curious moments, to surprise himself and throw serious suspicion on an off-liand estimate of any collection of people. The only way to find out how many people there are in a collection, is much like the method an artesian well-borer suggested in preference to the speculations of certain geologists. Said he, "The only way to find out what's down there is to bore down and find out." ;

EDUCATIONAL.

Probably the first school opened by the old settlers down along the San Antonio road was one down on Rocky Branch in the Durst and Pruitt neighborhood of that day. Mr. Pruitt and Mr. Durst probably built the first schoolhouse in the present borders of the county, and hired an English- man by the name of Scott to come and teach their children. One of pedagogue Scott's subjects of the old-time ferule and instruction was a youth who now in his graver years graces the county judge's chair, Judge William Pruitt.

It is bnt natural that Leona, the first county seat, should have the first town school, and the second school of any kind in the county. This was taught by Will- iam Keigan, who was its first teacher.

Centreville got the third school, and a very primitive one it was too; for it was a merchant, Mr. H. A. Mc Whirter, whose store of supplies were not so large that they took up all his room or his time, that gathered the children into the rear of his building and dealt out the " three Rs" in

the back room to a rising generation, while he was not occupied in dealing out dry goods and groceries to the adults in the front room.

The most prominent feature in the his- tory of Leon's educational career, however, is the life work of a man who can be easily placed first as the Nestor of learning for the young above all others. This was a young man who showed his natural ability as a teacher even in 1855 and in this county. He seems to have illustrated how the maxim regarding. poets may also be applied to the pedagogue,-that "the teacher is born, not made." Certainly Captain J. E. Anderson, now of Jewett, whose schools on that account lead the county, has had a remarkably long and successful career as a teacher in various parts of Leon county, and has always rep- resented Leon education at its best. He has long been located at Jewett, however, where his academy has become incorporated with the public schools, and has a force of three teachers, the largest force but one (that of equal size) in the county. Under Captain Anderson's tuition has been edu- cated a large number of the present younger men and women of Leon county.

As teacher of the teachers, also, he con- ducts every summer at Centreville, a snm- mer normal, which has been of great value to the educational spirit of the coun- ty, as well as its efficiency.

These are the only schools that have had a career distinct in any appreciable way from the county system, as there are no independent districts, and Jewett itself, except in proportion as it is a private academy, is only the largest common

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school of the county. There are but seven schools in the entire county of sufficient size to require more than one teacher, and but two of these have so many as three. These are Jewett and Buffalo, both of which have three teachers, and are conse- quently the leading schools in size in the connty. The other five schools have a force of two teachers each. These are Centreville, Oakwood, Marquez, Leona and Rogers' Prairie, all of which are doing good work.

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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