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 66

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 66
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 66
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 66
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 66
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 66
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 66

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children: Engene M., Trim E., Burgess F., Mary P., Necy Joy, Ruby D. and David L., all living bnt Burgess, who died November 26, of typhoid fever, The Doc- tor and his wife are members of the Christian Church, which was also the Church of his parents, his father miting with it at about the age of thirty-five and remaining a consistent member of it until his death. The Doctor is himself a zeal- ous member of this Church and a leading spirit in all Church work.

AMES KERR, SR., an old and highly respected citizen of Corsicana, was born in Orange county, North Caro- lina, September 18, 1817, and is a son of James and Nancy (Ross) Kerr, who were born in the same State and county in 1788. He is of Scotch-Irish extraction in both lines of descent, his people being of that number who suffered greatly from religious persecutions during the last century in Europe and who sought refnge from their persecutors in the asylum offered in this country. They were followers of John Knox, and a belief in the Presbyterian faith has come down in nndiminished vigor to their descendants. The first ancestors on this continent took up their residence originally in Pennsylvania, but moved later to North Carolina, which State became the old family seat and from which the lines spread ont to the Sonth and Sonthwest. Mr. Kerr's parents were early settlers of middle Tennessee, moving there abont 1818. His grandparents moved to that State about the same time and there died.

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LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTES.

His own parents, however, died in Texas, having accompanied him to the State and settling in Corsicana, where the father died in 1859, and the mother in 1865. They were among the early settlers of Navarro county, and were well advanced in years when they came. Most of their children moved to Texas about the time their par- ents did, and many of them reside here now. They reared to maturity a family of eight children, all but one of whom mar- ried, this their eldest, Andrew R., dying in Mississippi when he was a young man. He was a teacher, having received a good education in his youth, and his life gave promise of great usefulness, but came to an untimely end. Mary Ann, the eldest daughter, was married to Harvey B. Wade, and died in Tennessee before the removal of the family to Texas. William resides in this State, being a physician at Grand View, Johnson county. Samuel H. is a citizen of Corsicana. David G. was for many years a resident of Navarro coun- ty, where he was engaged in the prac- tice of medicine, dying many years ago at Rural Shade. Caroline was the wife of Hanks Hill, of Tennessee, where she died. Calvin P., the youngest, lives in Corsi- cana.

James, of whom we here write, was the fourth of the family. He was reared in Manry county, Tennessee, growing up on the farm. His parents moving to west Tennessee about 1840, lie accompanied them, and in McNary county, that State, December 29, 1842, married Miss Martha Jane Stanley, daughter of Joel and Eliza- beth (Oles) Stanley, a Virginia family who had settled there a short time prior to

that. In 1851 Mr. Kerr came to Texas, being accompanied by his father and mother, and a number of his brothers and sisters, and settled; in Corsicana. Corsicana was then a small place, being in fact only a straggling village. There were not houses enough in the town to accommodate the settlers as fast as they came in, and the primitive methods to which they had to resort in order to get along were most in- convenient, and oftentimes very evibarrass- ing. Mr. Kerr relates that after he had secured a small split-board cabin without floor or chminey, and moved all his earthly possessions into it, his wife sat down and " took a good cry," and that he does not know but he himself wished a time or two that he had not come. But he came in search of a home, and he was willing to undergo a a reasonable amount of hardship to secure it; and besides that he had confidence in the country ; he knew that Texas was bound to be a great State, and that Navarro county had before it the prospect of being one of its best counties. He soon obtained employment as clerk in a general store, which place he held for about two years, when he decided to enter business for him- self. Goods were bonght in those days mainly in New Orleans and shipped by steamer to Houston, from which point they were freighted overland to interior points. The idea struck him that as he was going to open a new establishment it would be well to have the name of buying his stock in some Eastern market where assortments were more varied and prices more favor- able to the purchaser. He settled on New York city as the place to buy. There was not then a railroad in the State, nor a stage

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

line to east Texas. But New York had been visited by Southwestern merchants, and could be again. He took a horse and went horseback to Clarksville on Red river, where he got conveyance by stage to Little Rock, Arkansas, there taking a boat for Memphis, Tennessee, where he again took the stage line for Louisville, Kentucky, and thence by boat again to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he struck a railroad, the first he was ever on and the second he had ever seen, which landed him safely in New York. He purchased his goods and shipped them by steamer around by the Atlantic and Gnlf np to Houston, whence they were brought to their destination by ox teams. The time consumed in getting them, count- ing from the day of his leaving Corsicana until the arrival of the goods, was three months. He had the honor of being the first merchant who had gone to New York for his goods, but he paid well for the honor. He afterward, bonght at Houston and saved time and money. Mr. Kerr was engaged in the mercantile business con- tinuously at Corsicana np to the opening of the war, going out for a time during the war period, but embarking again after the cessation of hostilities, and having contin- ued up to within a recent date. He is at this time the oldest merchant in the place, and is one of the very few merchants who quit business with a competence, and who always paid his debts dollar for dollar. He has sold thousands and thonsands of dol- lars' worth of goods, enjoying a large pat- ronage at all times. His success is at- tributable to industry, economy and method. He made it a rule to have but one busi- ness at a time, and to give it close and

undivided attention; never to postpone until to-morrow what can be done to-day ; to attend to business first, pleasure after- ward; to employ strict integrity and an unfailing compliance with every obligation, verbal or written, and to do nnto others as he wonld have them do unto him. He has never held public position, and has never cared to.

He has reared a family of five children, bnt three of whom, however, are now liv- ing. Joel, the eldest son, is living in Corsicana, is married and has four children; his second son, James Kerr, Jr., died re- cently in Corsicana, where he was engaged in business and recognized as one of the representative men of the place. He left a wife and four children. He has a dangh- ter residing in Corsicana, Mrs. Amer- ica Roberts, wife of H. G. Roberts, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. His second daughter, Mrs. Emma Hays, wife of T. A. IIays, died some time ago in Corsicana, which had always been her home. His youngest son, Thomas P., is cashier of the Corsicana National Bank. Mr. Kerr and all his family are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He assisted in organizing the first church of his denomination in the county, and has always taken an active interest in its work.

OHN A. LACKEY, of Navarro connty, Texas, is a son of Rev. Osborne A. Lackey, who was born in Lawrence county, Alabama, January 11, 1822. The latter was a son of Andrew M. and Amelia Lackey, natives of North Carolina, but

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AND LEON COUNTIES.

LIMESTONE, FREESTONE

both died in Alabama. Andrew M. served as a private in the Revolutionary war, and his father, John Lackey, was a native of Ireland, and was the first of the family to come to America. Osborne A. Lackey came to McLennan county, Texas, in 1873, where he died September 10, 1880. He was pastor of three congregations at the time of his death, and also conducted re- vivals frequently and with good success. He was a Democrat in his political views, and socially was a Master Mason. Our subject's mother, nee Margarett Davis, was a native of Lawrence county, Alabama, and a daughter of Amelia Davis, who lived to the age of ninety-four years. Mrs. Lackey died January 12, 1880. The parents of our subject were married December 4, 1845, and reared a family of eight chil- dren, as follows: Roena, deceased, was the wife of William Lansford, als deceased; Mahala, widow of Dr. J. T. Badgett; Miriam, who died in 1879, was the wife of W. B. Delo, of Pennsylvania; Rev. W. J., a gradnate of Lebanon Theological Semi- nary, who also took a course at Trinity University at Tehuacana; George W., at the old home near Waco; John A., our subject; Scott A., who was educated at Tehuacana, and is now a lawyer at Waco; and Lurah, wife of J. S. Wagoner, who is studying for the Cumberland Presbyterian ministry at Tehuacana.

John A. Lackey was born in Alabama, August 7, 1855, and in 1873 came with his parents to Waco, Texas. One year later he went to Robertson, and seven years afterward began a course at Trinity Uni- versity, Tehuacana, which he completed in 1884. For several months of that time he

was employed in raising funds to complete his course. During the years of 1884-'85 he taught in the public schools, and in 1887 opened a drug business at Rice, and a general store with a lumber-yard, in which he has since continued. Mr. Lackey also owns 162 acres of land, fifty of which is under cultivation, seventy-five head of cattle and horses, and several business houses and a lumber-yard worth $4,000. He carries a $2,500 stock of drugs and groceries. He was ordained a minister in 1886, and his first charge was Milford and Edens, where he continued two years. Since that time, and in connection with his other interests, he has been doing mission- ary work in his church.

Mr. Lackey was married in 1886 to Miss Rotie M. Sessions, a daughter of Isaac B. and R. Minerva (Hammonds) Sessions. They have had two children: Eloise, de- ceased in infancy; and John Portivent, born February 25, 1892. Mrs. Lackey is a member of the Methodist Church.

ESSE T. S. FITZGERALD, a suc- cessful farmer of Navarro county, was born in Maury county, Tennes- see, December 8, 1835, a son of James G. and Margaret (Thurman) Fitzgerald, na- tives of Virginia. The father died in 1866, and in 1880 his widow came to Texas, where she died eight years later. They were the parents of seven children, viz .: J. T. S., our subject; Cornelius P. W., who served through the late war; L. C., also a soldier in the Civil war; James K. P., a farmer of Navarro county; Elizabeth,

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

wife of R. Tippins, a farmer of this county ; Louisa V., widow of F. Jolinson; and Mary, wife of Camel Ragsdale, of Indian Nation.

J. T. S. Fitzgerald was reared and edu- cated in his native county, but in 1859 removed to Missouri. In 1861 he entered the State Confederate militia service, and in 1862 joined Company A, Eleventh Missouri Regiment, served in the Trans- Mississippi Department, and participated in all the important battles of his division. He was never wounded or captured, was always able for duty, and was discharged at Shreveport, Louisiana, at the close of the war. In 1865 Mr. Fitzgerald came to Texas, and was first employed as a farm hand in Red River county, followed the same occupation in Bowie county, and one year later returned to Red River county. In 1868 he came to Navarro county, and, after farming on rented land two years, . purchased a farm of eighty acres, where he remained five years. He now owns 800 acres of well improved land, with 500 acres under cultivation, raises a fine grade of stock, and has never failed in making a crop since his residence in the county. He also followed merchandising at Blooming Grove four years, but in addition to these interests he has always been engaged in agricultural pursuits.

Mr. Fitzgerald was married in 1868 to Miss Martha I. Moore, a daughter of John Moore, a native of Arkansas. He was a farmer and mill owner by occupation, and served as Justice of the Peace. To this union was born three children: Sarah F., wife of Hugh Palmer, a farmer of Na- varro county; William W., at home; and

Alice, living at Dallas. The wife and mother died February 3, 1873, and in Au- gust, 1874, our subject married Mrs. Sheppard, who was born March 27, 1855, a daughter of John H. and Nancy Fred- erick, natives of Alabama. They afterward removed to Arkansas, and in 1869 came to Navarro county, Texas. The father was a soldier in the Confederate army, and since his residence in this State has served two terms as Bailiff. He died in 1884 and his wife in 1887. Mr. and Mrs. Fitzger- ald have had nine children, seven of whom grew up to maturity, namely: Thomas J., at home; Albert O., who died in September, 1888, aged fifteen years; Nancy E., at home; Mary L., Lee, Jesse D. and Bula.

C. SWANSON, a prominent mer- chant of Palestine and very highly- respected citizen of that city, was born in Virginia, in 1822, son of William and Elizabeth (Muse) Swanson, natives of Virginia, where they were married and where the mother died, in 1836. After her death the bereaved father took the younger of his three children and removed to Alabama, in December, 1836, locating in Lowndes county, where he died in 1840. He was a wealthy planter and public-spir- ited citizen who was very prominent in Virginia politics, representing his county in the Virginia Legislature for a period of eighteen years and also represented Lowndes county in the Alabama Legislature holding such honorable position at the time of his death. He was about sixty-two years of age at that time, a large-hearted,

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LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.

generous-natured old planter, modeled aft- er the old type of Southern gentlemen and conducting his extensive planting interest after the old regime. He was a great Whig in politics, an ardent admirer of Henry Clay and gave our subject the name of the great statesman.

Three of the sons of Mr. Swanson be- came residents of Texas, William G. died in Anderson county in 1862, and James Madison on March 25, 1891. Neither left any descendants. Frank A., another son, died in Lowndes county, Alabama. John and Samuel A. died in Virginia, as did also the daughters, Nannie G. and Mary E.

H. C. Swanson, our subject, was born in Virginia, in 1822. He was fourteen when his father removed to Alabama, and his youth and early manhood were spent in Lowndes county. In 1850 he resigned his seat in the Legislature. Coming to Texas in 1851, he took up his residence in Jan- uary of that year, and bought land three miles east of Palestine, on which he settled and engaged in farming.

The marriage of our subject took place to Miss Mary Michaux, a daughter of William and Narcisa Michaux, citizens of this county. Our subject continued farm- ing until 1867, when, having the year previous embarked in the mercantile busi- ness in Palestine, he moved to that place which has since been his home, and is now the oldest merchant in the place, having sold goods there continually for twenty- six years. He has done an immense amount of business, and owns a great amount of land, 700 acres of which is under cultivation, has a large tenantry and looks personally after his affairs.

Mr. Swanson has held no public posi- tions in Texas as he has never permitted his name to be used for any office. He has contributed liberally to all public enter- prises, believes in Texas, and has an abid- ing faith in the mineral resources of Ander- son county. Public enterprises, whatever will improve, elevate or adorn the society in which he moves and the county in which he has made his home meet his cordial approbation and receive his prompt assist- ance. His success, which has been great, has been the result of industry, economy and business method. He has made it a rule to employ strict integrity and unfail- ing compliance with every obligation whether verbal or written. By such con- duct he has won the confidence and respect of all with whom he has come into contact, whether in a social or a business way, and to-day is a splendid type of manliood. For many years he has been a member of the Christian church, and has given without stint to all worthy calls for charity whether in liis church or out of it. Mr. Swanson reared six children, but three of whom are yet living: Dora Macon, the wife of Dr. J. Webb Douglas, of Palestine; Mary Henry, wife of George A. Wright, of the same city; and Fannie, the wife of Newell Cain, also of Palestine.

MMET HEADLEE, M. D., a promi- nent physician and farmer of Brewer, Freestone county, Texas, is a son of Elisha B. Headlee, who was born in Ten- nessee, but removed to Missouri and re- mained there until the outburst of the war.

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

He served as surgeon in Marmaduke's regi- ment until 1863, when he was taken sick, in Mississippi. He then removed to Texas and engaged there in the practice of medi- cine for one year, but then went to More- house parish, Louisiana, where he re- mained a short time and then went to Arkansas and located in Clay county, where he served as representative for a number of years. Here he remained nntil his death, which occurred in 1889. This gentleman combined the three great pro- fessions in his person, that of the bar, the church and surgery, as he was a law- yer, having been admitted to the Texas county bar, in Missouri; was engaged in the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church, being pastor of Asbury chapel, St. Louis, and his skill as a physician was wide-spread. Not content with bestowing all these gifts on him Dame Nature gave him another gift, that of oratory, and so celebrated was he in that line that, while a prisoner at West Plains, Colorado, Colonel Woods, of a Kansas regiment, forced him to make a secession speech, which he did with effect. In every place that this tal- ented man resided he took a leading part in all that took place. In political mat- ters he agreed with the Democrats and was a Royal Arch Mason. Mr. Headlee mar- ried Miss Wilmouth Jones, native of Ken- tucky, from which State she removed to Cooper county, Missouri, where she was married September 15, 1842. She died at her son's home August 17, 1876. Her father was a wealthy farmer, who was killed in the Civil war. Mr. and Mrs. Headlee were married in 1842 and had two children: Samantha, born in 1844, was

first married, in 1860, to James O'Neal, a trader, and her second marriage occurred in 1866, to J. W. Carley (deceased). She now lives near Brewer.

The other child, our subject, was born in 1848, in Missouri, from which place he removed, in 1865, to Texas and settled in Hopkins county; from thence he removed to Denton and from there to Freestone county, finally settling, in the fall of 1869, in Cotton Gin, where he resided, until March, 1870, and then removed to his present home. Dr. Headlee was educated at Houston, Texas county, Missouri, and began the study of medicine under Dr. J. E. Thomas, of Brewer, now of Mexia. He took a first course of lectures in 1885 and graduated from the Kentucky School of Medicine in 1888. On his return from college Dr. Headlee formed a partnership with Dr. Thomas, which connection con- tinned until Dr. Thomas removed to Mexia. Our subject has since continued alone and has built up a large and extensive practice, which extends over an area of many miles.

Dr. Headlee married, in 1873, Miss Mary M. Harrison, a native of Texas, daughter of Vincent and Lucretia Harrison, natives of Mississippi who removed to Texas. They, Dr. and Mrs. Headlee, have had ten child- ren, namely: Nettie Wilmouth, deceased when two years old; Emory V., at home; Ida May, deceased; Emmet Jerome; Emma D., deceased; Alta Agnes; Mary A .; Henry, deceased; Clara and Horace H.

. When our subject began to fight the realities of life, in 1861 he received no as- sistance from anyone. He worked for himself and when seventeen sold liis house- hold goods to bring him to Texas. He

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LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.

now owns about 200 acres of land, over 100 of which is under a high degree of cultivation. His practice yields him an income of $1,500 annually. He has served in several capacities as elected by the Democratic party, of which he is an ad- herent. Among these were, Constable, from 1871 to 1875, Justice of the Peace, and Postmaster of Brewer. He is a mem- ber of the Freestone Medical Association. Dr. and Mrs. Headlee are both members of the Methodist Protestant Church, of which the Doctor is a Steward and one of the examinating committee. He and his wife are representatives of the free-hearted, free-handed Southern inhabitants of Texas.

E. STEELE, one of the conspicuous figures in either public or private life in Freestone county, is an old- timer in point of residence, his advent dat- ing from 1854. He was born in Greene county, Alabama, and came to Texas at the age of fourteen years. His father, A. A. Steele was a farmer by occupation, and in one sense a public man. He died quite early in life, as did also his wife nee Mary Bingham, leaving our subject to the protection of an uncle. The parents had the following children: Samuel and Elihu, deceased; and R. E., our subject.

R. E. Steele grew to manhood on a farm. The Civil war came on just as he at- tained his majority, and his services were required by his country. He enlisted in the Seventh Texas Infantry, under Colonel Gregg and later Colonel Granberry, in the Tennessee Army. After the capture of the

command at Fort Donelson by the Fed- erals, Mr. Steele was sent to prison at Chicago, and was released after an incar- ceration of five months by an exchange at Vicksburg. Rejoining the army at that city, he participated in its maneuvers about the city and Jackson until ordered to Port Hudson, Louisiana. After an engagement with Farragut, he returned to Jackson and fought the battle of Raymond, skirmished about Jackson ten days, fell back to En- terprise, and then ordered to re-enforce Bragg at Chickamauga. Mr. Steele fought in the battles of Missionary Ridge, Ring- gold Gap, and then went into winter quar- ters at Dalton. Their next movement was the campaign about Atlanta, ending with the battle of Franklin, where Mr. Steele was again captured, and this time taken to Johnson's Island, where he remained until the close of hostilities, a period of several, long, hungry months. He then located on a tract of 800 acres of unimproved land, the greater part of which he now owns. He cultivates 350 acres, and is one of the leading farmers in the county.

In 1882 our subject was elected Repre- sentative of Freestone county, performing the duties of that office in the Eighteenth, Nineteenth and Twentieth Legislatures of Texas. He was chairman of the commit- tee on State affairs two sessions; was a member of the committee on agriculture, public roads, bridges, revenue, privileges, and elections and internal improvements; was a member of the committee to consider the railroad commission question, favored the common-school land and fence-cutting questions, and was one of a special com- mittee to examine the law with respect to

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

receiving the new State capitol building. He was elected to the State Senate from the Twelfth Senatorial district in November, 1892, and is now a member of that body.

In 1865 Mr. Steele married Miss Jo- sephine, a daughter of Josephus and Catlı- erine Williams. The parents were early settlers of this State from North Carolina. Our subject and wife have had five chil- dren, viz .: Ella, wife of W. B. Banner, of Wortham, Texas; Elihu, deceased; Zuma; Robert and Josephine. Mr. Steele is an Elder in the old-school Presbyterian Church.

AMES B. SLADE, a merchant of Rice, Navarro county, was born in Rich- mond, Virginia, October 27, 1850, a son of Bartholomew Slade, a native of the same place. The latter was born, reared and died in Richmond, was a lawyer by profession, but some years prior to his death he abandoned the practice of law and engaged in the mercantile business. Politically, he was a Whig; socially, affili- ated with the Masonic order, including the K. T .; and he was a member of the Methodist Church. He was a son of John and Martha (Pullman) Slade. The father was a native of London, England, but came to America when twelve years of age, settling in Richmond, Virginia, where he was employed as a merchant tailor. John Slade was a son of John Slade, Sr., a resident of London. Our subject's motlier, Sally, nee W. Murphy, was a na- tive of Richmond, and a daughter of Will- iam and Catherine (Wheaton) Murphy,

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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