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 86

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 86
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 86
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 86
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 86
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 86
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 86


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James J. at Corsicana. The Mistrot Bros. have the leading houses in the cities above named and stand high in financial cir- cles. Their success in Texas has been phe- nomenal. They are sagacious men, and their houses are all conducted on strictly business principles. There is no firm in Texas more widely known than this.


James J. Mistrot was married at Marlin April 2, 1890, to Miss Minnie Merl Stew- art, and two children have blessed this union: James J., Jr., andTina. Mr. Mis- trot is a member of the Legion of Honor. He is devoted to his business and is well thought of by the people.


OHN R. RANSOM, Tax Collector of Corsicana, was born in Rutherford county, Tennessee, June 4, 1828. His father, John Ransom, was born in North Carolina in 1790, and in early life moved to Tennessee, where he died in 1849. His grandfather, Richard Ransom, was a North Carolinian by birth, and was a Revolution- ary soldier. His wife was a Miss Portis. He was the father of the following children : Benjamin, Alfred, John, Athelston, Rob- ert, Henry, Sallie, Margaret and Richard. John Ransom married Elizabeth Bowman, a daughter of John and Margaret Bowman, and they had twelve children, namely: William and James, twins; Mary, Mar- garet, Richard, John R., Caroline, David, Samuel H., Benjamin, George and Anna. Only seven of the children are now living, and all secured a fair English education. Samuel H. was a graduate of the Lebanon


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LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.


(Tennessee) Law School, and was killed at Perryville, Kentucky, during the late war.


John R. Ransom was educated princi- pally at Salem Academy, and after his father's death he remained with his mother, as her support, two years. He then mar- ried and began operations for himself, lo- cating on a small farm of his own, where he resided until 1855. In that year he sold out and came to Texas, the first year renting land in Bell county. In the fall of 1856 he bought a farm in Ellis county, the following spring engaged in stock-raising, and continued in this business until the close of the war. During this time, in 1862, he came to Navarro county, and bought 400 acres of land near Chatfield. In 1883, on account of range becoming short from the encroachment of settlers, he sold his stock and came to Corsicana, and two years later was chosen City Tax Col- lector, which position he still satisfactorily fills.


February 4, 1851, Mr. Ransom married Roxana, a daughter of Thomas Batte, a na- tive of Tennessee and a merchant by occu- pation. Our subject and wife have had the following children: Samuel M., man- ager of the Alliance store of Corsicana; William A .; John B., engaged in rail- road work; Thomas P., deceased at the age of thirty years; Sallie, wife of J. P. Mann, superintendent of the northern divi- sion of the H. & T. C. telegraph depart- ment at Ennis; Minnie, wife of R. W. Beaumont, a merchant of Waco; Jennie, wife of John S. Telfair, conductor on the H. & T. C. railroad; Carrie B., wife of J. O. Shook, of Corsicana; Henry Lee, en- gaged with a large retail firm of Galves-


ton. Mr. Ransom is an official in the Methodist Church, of which he is almost a life-long member.


In politics, he is a Hogg Democrat.


ILLIAM F. HOOD, one of the leading farmers and prominent citizens. of Navarro county, was born in Alabama, in 1841, a son of W. J. and Sarah (Morris) Hood, natives of east Tennessee and Alabama, and of Scotch- Irish and German descent. The paternal grandfather was a soldier in the war for independence. The parents of our subject were married in Alabama in 1841, removed to Mississippi, and in 1853 to Arkansas. The father engaged in farming and stock raising in Monroe county, that State. He was a minister of the Missionary Baptist Church, was one of the first ministers to locate in the county, preached the first sermon at De Witt, and was among the first to preach at Clarendon. The county was then an almost unbroken forest, and Rev. Hood settled at what is now Aberdeen, his nearest neiglibor being a Mr. Mitchell, two miles distant. His other neighbors were located from five to twelve miles distant. The parents removed to Lamar county, Texas, in 1866, where the father died in 1869, aged fifty-three years. He was engaged as a ininister from 1847 until the time of his death. Mr. and Mrs. Hood had eleven children, eight of whom grew to years of maturity: W. F., our subject; Francis E., deceased, was the wife of Willis Aycock; Mary, wife of J. B. Hayes, of Lamar county; C. L., also of


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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,


that county; Emily J., now Mrs. Matthew Yates, of Lamar county; Thomas J., of Navarro county; and Sarah, widow of J. W. Beard, of Paris, Texas. The mother died in this county in 1888, aged sixty-six years.


W. F. Hood, the subject of this sketch, attended the common schools in Missis- sippi, and at the age of thirteen years removed to Arkansas. Although he re- ceived only a poor education, yet no man in Navarro county is qualified with a bet- ter business training. He remained with his father until the breaking ont of the late war, when, in 1861, he joined Colonel B. Churchill's regiment, known as the First Arkansas Mounted Rifles. For the first ten months Mr. Hood served on the west side of the Mississippi river with General Ben McCulloch, and in the spring of 1862 was transferred to the Trans-Mississippi Department, under Generals Bragg and Joseph E. Johnston. During the war Mr. Hood participated in twenty two battles, namely : Farmington, Richmond, Mur- freesborough, Jackson, Chickamauga, Dry Gap, Resaca, New Hope Church, Kene- saw Mountain, Vinny Station, Moore's Mill, Peachtree Creek, Lick Skillet, Lovejoy Station, Morris Station, Jonesboro, Frank- lin, Nashville, Sugar Creek, Bentonville, and many other smaller engagements. He was wounded at the battle of Lick Skillet Road, July 28, 1864, by which he was disabled about one month, and which was the only time he was absent from duty during the war. The brigade to which our subject was attached was commanded during the first part of the war by General McNair, and after the battle of Chicka-


mauga Colonel D. H. Reynolds, of Chicot county, Arkansas, was promoted to the command. He was the youngest Colonel in the brigade, and was promoted by re- quest of the other colonels and soldiers. Ile remained in command until the close of the struggle. Mr. Hood's company surrendered April 26, 1865, at Greens- borough, North Carolina; marched 250 miles to Greeneville, Tennessee, there took train for Nashville, then put on board the United States transport for Gaines' Land- ing, and then walked to Uuion parish, Louisiana, where the father of our subject lived. The march to the latter place was very difficult, as the water was very high, and they were obliged to swim or wade the streams.


Mr. Hood followed farming one year in Lonisiana, and in the fall of 1866 came overland to Lamar county, Texas. His worldly possessions at that time consisted of $35 in money. The first year he farmed on the shares, then rented land seven years, and on leaving that county in 1873, he had acquired, by frugality and hard work, three good mules, a wagon and $1,000 in money. In that year he pur- chased seventy acres of his present farm, paying $3 per acre, and also bought fifty- two acres of timber, for which he paid $6 per acre. Mr. Hood has added to his orig- inal purchase until he now . owns about 325 acres, with 150 acres under a fine state of cultivation. In 1881 he engaged in the mercantile business in Cade, Navar- ro county, but two years later sold out and gave his attention to farming until 1887. In that year he again opened a store in the same place, which he conducted until 1889.


.


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AND LEON COUNTIES.


LIMESTONE, FREESTONE


May 1, 1890, he was appointed to fill the nnexpired term of W. H. Purdy as Comis- sioner of Precinct No. 3, and in the fall of the same year was elected to that office, from the same precinct, which position he still fills.


January 17, 1866, Mr. Hood married Miss Margarett E. Aycock,a native of Union par- ish, Louisiana, and a daughter of James and Denisa A. (Mayberry) Aycock, natives of Alabama. The father died previous to the late war, and liis widow afterward moved to Arkansas, where Mrs. Hood was reared. Mr. and Mrs. Aycock were the parents of tive children: Willis, of Lamar county; Richard, of Bosque county; Louisa, wife of D. J. Gilbert; Margarett E., and Benj. F., of Erath county. Mrs. Aycock still survives, and resides with her children. Mr. and Mrs. Hood have had ten children, namely: Ida, wife of David Burleson, and they have four children: Lulu, wife of M. Howard, County Superintendent of Navar- ro county, and they have two children; Bettie, wife of G. W. Burleson, and has one child; Ella; Edward J .; Joseph J .; W. F .; Thomas H .; Harry I .; and Win- ney, deceased. The parents are members of the Missionary Baptist Church, in which the father is a Deacon. He is also a mem- ber of the A. F. & A. M., Birdston Lodge, No. 333.


L. STROUD, a son of Logan A. Stroud, was born on the old home place adjoining Parker's Fort, Limestone county, June 11, 1857, where he was reared as a farmer and stock-raiser.


He first settled on a place five and a half miles west of Groesbeck, where he still re- sides. He owns a ranch in this county, consisting of 1,240 acres, all of which is under fence and well watered. He deals exclusively in cattle, buying yearlings and two-year-olds, and feeding. He keeps from 200 to 300 head on hand, and does only enough farming to meet his own demands.


Our subject was married September 23, 1883, to Alice Pennell, a daughter of George Pennell, who was born in Wheel- ing, West Virginia, July 21, 1816. When a young man he removed to New Orleans, where he was for some years engaged in the furniture business. He afterward came to Houston, Texas, was in the war with Mexico, in 1835-'36, and participated in the battle of San Jacinto. His death oc- curred in Fort Bend county, this State, in 1877. Mrs. Stroud's mother, nee Sarah Talley, was born in Brazoria county, Texas, and was married at Houston. She still resides in the city of Houston. Mr. and Mrs. Strond have had four children: Cora Lee, deceased; Logan Alına, Sarah Alice and Georgia Ossie.


OSHUA WOOD, of Groesbeck, Lime- stone county, was born in Autauga connty, Alabama, June 26, 1844. His father, David Wood, was born in Georgia, in 1798, and emigrated to Alabama as a pioneer, where he was engaged in agricult- ural pursuits until 1870. In that year he came to Texas, and died in Corsicana, at the age of ninety-eight years. He married Nancy, a daughter of Enocli Ciloud, a


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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,


native of Alabama. To this union were born the following children : Sarah Ann, wife of Granville Ocar; Trussia A., deceased; Absalom, deceased; William, deceased; Emma, wife of Samnel Block; Martha, who married William Pettey; Enoch, David, Joshua, Nannie, deceased, and Alonzo.


The educational opportunities of our subject were limited until after the war, and he had never solved a problem in arithmetic nntil after he became of age. He enlisted in the Fortieth Alabama In- fantry, under Colonel Coleman, and parti- cipated in the preliminary skirmishing before Vicksburg, and was finally captured and paroled there. After rejoining his command, he fought in all the engage- ments from Lookont Mountain to Atlanta, Georgia, not missing a single battle, and his Captain and Lieutenant underwent the same record. In August, 1864, our sub- ject was taken sick and removed to the hospital, but, seeing that if he remained there he would die, he formed a resolution to escape, and succeeded. He then went to Mobile and was engaged in light dnty until February, 1865, when his command met Sherman at Bentonville, North Caro- lina, which, with one other battle, closed the war, and the command surrendered at Yadkin Bridge, that State. Mr. Wood re- turned to Georgia, and after two and a half years of study was able to teach, and followed that occupation three and a half years. After resting for a time he made a crop, and the following year came to Texas, settling in Houston county. There he again engaged in teaching, but two years later entered the Trinity University at Te- hnacana, where he spent two and a half


years, leaving within eighteen months of graduation. Mr. Wood then took up the rule and text book, and disciplined the youth five years, or until 1882, when he was elected County Treasurer. He was twice re-elected, his term expiring in 1888, and these numerons re-elections are suffi- cient evidence of his efficiency. In 1883 he was appointed agent of the Limestone connty school lands, and handled thousands of dollars for the county without bonds. Since retiring from office, Mr. Wood has not been prominent in any business, pay - ing some attention to real estate and the improvement of his farin and city property.


In 1886 he married Miss Lou T., a danghter of Mrs. J. S. Nelson, and they have had three children: Roma, Doyle and Nellie Jane.


P. WARD, one of the leading farmers, a pioneer settler and prom- inent citizen of Limestone county, is a son of Seth Ward, who came to this county in the spring of 1853. He was born in Georgia in 1807, married Eliza Clinton, then of that State, but a native of North Carolina, and in 1853 they came to Texas. The father bought 900 acres of land at Honest Ridge, which he improved, and where he remained until his death, March 14, 1866. He was an industrious, useful and highly respected citizen, and was a prominent pioneer settler. His wife sur- vived him many years, dying in June,1880. Mr. and Mrs. Ward were the parents of seven children, viz .: Amanda J., widow of John Fogarty, and a resident of Waco;


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LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.


Pheraby A., of Tehuacana, is the widow of Budger Peeples; Richard P., our subject: Clark B., a farmer of Frosa, Limestone, county; Albert B., who died in this county, December 2, 1882; Jennie, wife of W. Terrell, of Mexia; and Nora, deceased, was the wife of Andrew Miller.


Richard P., the subject of this sketch, was born in Henry county, Georgia, July 3, 1848, and was five years of age when his parents came to Limestone county, Texas. He was reared to agricultural pursuits at the old homestead, where he still resides. In 1863 he entered the Confederate army, Company F, Parsons' brigade, served in the Trans- Mississippi Department, and took part in all the engagements west of the river. After the close of hostilities he followed the cattle business a number of years. Mr. Ward owns the old homestead of 900 acres, 200 acres of which is culti- vated, and he also has a fine black-land farm, located about six miles west of his home place.


He was married in February, 1869, to Miss Alice P. MaGee, a daughter of a pio- neer settler, and a prominent and success- ful farmerof Limestone county. Mr. Ward is an intelligent, progressive and public- spirited citizen.


AWKINS G. ROBERTS, one of Corsicana's model citizens and early settlers, was born in Conway county, Arkansas, in 1839, a son of William Rob- erts, a native of Missouri, born in 1811. The family originated in Virginia, of Scotch-Welsh ancestry. They were pio-


neers of Missouri, and remained in that State until 1818, when they again grew restless and emigrated to Arkansas. They were always tillers of the soil and growers of stock, and in 1846, having longed for more room and wilder scenes, they accordingly came to Texas, settling in Fannin county, in 1846, The same year they came to Navarro county, where the family has since almost continuously resided. Our subject's father moved to Brown county, in 1891. He has been a remarkable man in many respects, has always been successful in business, was never sued, never used tobacco in any form, nor drank liquor, has been a strict member of the church since twenty-two years of age, and has assisted in the erec -. tion of many church edifices in Navarro county. When twenty-one years of age he married Tabitha Hess, of Arkansas, who died in 1841, leaving four children: J. C., deceased, in 1890; James, who died in the Confederate army; H. G., our subject; and Mary, deceased. Mr. Roberts afterward married his second wife, who was acci- dentally killed. His third marriage was in 1846, to Jane Jones, and they had the following children: Henry Harrison, de- ceased; Clay, deceased; Tabitha J., wife of J. F. Vaughan, of Brown county; Thomas R., deceased; and one who died in infancy. Mr. Roberts raised the first bale of cotton in Navarro county.


H. G. Roberts, our subject, enlisted in the Twelfth Texas Cavalry, as First Ser- geant, and was in the battles of White River, Shiloh, Cotton Plant, Arkansas Post, forty-two days in Banks' raid, and at Yellow Bayou, where he was kept out of


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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,


range of the enemy's guns to prevent his receiving a second wound. The regiment disbanded on the Brazos, May 20, 1865, and in 1866 our subject drove cattle to New Orleans, and the following year en- gaged in the grocery business in Corsicana. He continued that occupation eight years, and during the same time was eugaged in buying cotton, which he has followed ever since the war. After closing out his stock of merchandise, Mr. Roberts engaged in farming, and he now has real-estate inter- ests in both city and country. He mani- fests some interest in local politics, and now holds the office of Alderman of Corsi- cana, in which capacity he also served prior to this, for four years.


December 26, 1867, Mr. Roberts mar- ried America, daughter of James Kerr, Sr., of Tennessee, and also an old Texan. Our subject and wife have five children, viz .: J. M., J. D., Cora (now Mrs. E. B. Johnson); Thomas H. and H. C. Mr. Roberts is a warm friend of public education, and was in favor of taxing the people one-half per cent. for that purpose. Socially, he is a member of the Masonic order, and the Knights of Honor, and in his younger days took an active interest in the secret work and success of the order. In poli. tics he is a Democrat.


OHN W. EDENS, one of Navarro county's leading stockmen, came to Texas from Graves county, Kentucky, where he was born in 1845. His father, Joseph D. Edens, was born in that State in 1821, and in 1844 was married to


Nancy, a daughter of Wesley and Mary C. (Bressie) Watta. She was a Miss Bressie, of Virginia, and is still living, aged ninety years. She has 150 children and grand- children, including the following children: J.W., our subject; Z.T .; Catherine, wife of T. J. Puryear; Napoleon B .; Edith, wife of R. E. Hughes; Rosa, widow of J. M. Hughes. The grandfather of our subject, Ezekiel Edens, was a pioneer of Kentucky, locating ou Jackson's purchase. He was a native of Georgia, and was a horse and slave trader by occupation. Mrs. Edens, the mother of the subject of this notice, resides with her son and is now in her sixty-sixth year, enjoying good health.


J. W. Edens, our subject, came to Texas as above stated, in 1867, reaching Corsicana with only $1.75. He first en- gaged in cutting cord wood, which he hauled about town, and afterward went to Milli- can and Bryan and was employed in haul- ing goods, cotton, etc., for three years, re- ceiving only one-half the proceeds. After three years of hard work Mr. Edens was able to bny his team, and he then engaged in farming in Navarro county on rented land, and which is now a part of Corsicana. In 1876, he was appointed Deputy Sheriff under E. E. Dunn, which position he filled satisfactorily four years, and invested the earnings of his office in cattle. In 1880, he was elected Tax Collector of the county, having two opponents, P. K. Mc- Caumon and George Walker. Mr. Edens was re-elected in 1882 over the same op- ponents. During this time his stock inter- ests had grown to considerable proportions, and he sold out at the high prices of 1882, and invested in real estate. In 1884, he


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LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.


turned his attention strictly to stock, buy- ing young cattle and keeping them until inaturity. The profits he placed in real estate and notes, from which he realizes a handsome income. He now owns a large herd of merchantable cattle, and handles many car loads annually. In 1871, our subject made his first purchase of real estate, to which he has since added until he now owns 2,400 acres, and has 400 acres under cultivation.


Mr. Edens has served two terms in the City Council, and during this time the city hall and the Third Ward schoolhouse were built, and was a member when the pres- ent sewage system was inaugurated. He is one of the Board of Managers of the State Orphans' Home, and one of the di- rectors of the Corsicana National Bank.


Mr. Edens was married at Corsicana, November 15, 1882, to Miss Agnes, a daughter of ex-Sheriff E. E. and Margaret (Thompson) Dunn, and they are the par- ents of three children: Joseph Wesley, born June 6, 1884; Allen Dunn, Septem- ber 17, 1886; and Margaret, January 14, 1889.


Mr. Edens is a member of the Masonic order, of Corsicana Lodge, No. 174, and of Chapter No. 41. He has always been a liberal contributor to church institutions and other worthy enterprises; gives liber- ally to charitable purposes, and has a kind word and an open hand for the poor and the orphans. Mrs. Edens is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, whose public services Mr. Edens also attends. He takes great interest in political mat- ters, being a potent factor in the Demo- cratic party in his section. He has been


a delegate to nearly all the conventions of his party, being especially prominent in those which led to the nomination of Gov- ernors Ireland, Ross and Hogg. It will be seen from this that he is an unswerving Democrat, always reliable in the support of his party.


J. COOK, a farmer and merchant of Montalba, Anderson county, Texas, is the subject of the present sketch. He was born in Cherokee county, Georgia, December 22, 1846, a son of Charles and Martha (Terrell) Cook, natives of Georgia. The father still lives in that State, where he carries on farming. The original of the Cook family came from North Caro- lina. The mother of our subject was Martha, the daughter of Ignatius Terrell, a prominent farmer of Georgia. The mar- riage of Mr. and Mrs. Cook, Sr., took place in Pike county, Georgia, and they became the parents of a family of fourteen chil- dren. Three of these died in infancy, and eleven grew to maturity. Of this family our subject was the oldest: William is yet in Georgia; Mary inarried Thomas Con- nelly of Georgia; Saralı married a Mr. Moore of Alabama; Jeunie married John H. Williams, also of Georgia; Mattie mar- ried Joe. Smith of Mississippi; Angeline married in Mississippi; Emma is single; Nancy K. married Joe. Cates of Georgia; John is yet in Georgia; and Thomas is at home. The mother died April 9, 1868, and the same year the father again mar- ried and had four more children: Fannie,


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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,


Amanda, Charles and Della. Mrs. Cook, the second, died in 1887, and he again mar- ried and one child has been born by this marriage. He is still living at the old home in Georgia, about seventy years of age. Although not a young man, he served from 1863 to the close of the war, in the Confederate service.


Our subject was reared on the farm and received a limited education, and in 1864, at the age of seventeen years, he entered the Confederate army and served nutil the close of the war. He was a member of the Georgia Reserves, and was employed at Andersonville prison guarding prison- ers, and was stationed at Lake City at the time of the close of the war. He then went back to the paternal roof until he married, in 1867. He was a miller by trade, and this business lie followed until four years later, and then went to farming, and continued in that until he came to Texas in 1888.


Upon his arrival from Georgia, our sub- ject came at once to Anderson county and settled at Beaver Valley, ten miles northı - west of Palestine, and the first year he rented land, but in 1889 he bought 120 acres of land, which was improved and had a good house upon it. Seventy-five acres were under cultivation, and upon it there is a fine orchard and the conveniences of a good, modern farm. He had but a small amount of money when he reached here, but after three years of farming he built and established a store, which he sensibly conducts on a cash basis. The trade is in- creasing and he soon expects to increase his store facilities. Hle rents one half of his farm, and the other half is attended to


by his sons, making crops of cotton, corn, oats and such produce as is necessary for family use.


Mr. Cook was married to Miss Mary A. Williams, a daughter of R. W. Williams, of Georgia, a noted overseer before the war and a prominent planter, who died in Georgia, November 16, 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Cook have lost five children, but seven are yet living, as follows: W. A., Richard W., J. H., O. Estelle, Mary I., Mamy L., Ira G., and the mother of the family still lives, her birth having taken place September 8, 1851. Mr. and Mrs. Cook, with two sons, are members of the Primitive Baptist Church. Mr. Cook is Democratic in his political belief, a very honest and enterprising citizen.




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