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 92

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 92
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 92
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 92
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 92
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 92
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 92

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).

The subject of this sketch was born in 1831, in Ray county, east Tennessee, and there grew to manhood, receiving his pre- paratory education in that section of conn- try, but later attended an institution at Knoxville, Tennessee, and completed his education at La Grange, Alabama. From thence he went to Texas with his parents, and remained with them until their death.

In 1861 he enlisted as a private in Com- pany H, Twenty-eighth Texas dismounted Cavalry, but was promoted as Lieutenant, then Adjutant General, and finally Major

of W. H. King's staff of the Third Brigade of Walker's division, which position he held until the close of the war. He was in every engagement of his company and was wounded three times.

Mr. Blain is quite an extensive land- owner of Freestone county, having now about 3,500 acres of land, 500 of which is under cultivation. He is now command- ing the Southeastern Division of Confed- erate Veterans, the territory comprising over thirty counties.

In 1855 he married Miss Mary A. Mc- Donald, of Wilcox county, who died a de- voted wife and mother and consistent member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. and Mrs. Blain had two children: Mary, wife of J. E. Tucker, a hardware merchant of Taylor, Texas, also engaged in other en- ter prises; and James G., engaged in hard- ware business at Taylor, Texas.

Mr. Blain is a stanch Democrat in poli- tics, and has been identified with the Ma- sonic order since 1852, being now a Royal Arch Mason.

AMES C. TIDWELL, of Groesbeck, Texas, is the subject of this present notice. His father, Miner Tidwell, was born in 1818, in Tennessee, and in 1851 came with his family to Texas and settled near Groesbeck. He came from there to Springfield, where he resided until 1867, and from there he removed to Johnson county, where his death occurred in 1880. In his political views lie was a Democrat, was a member of the Masonic order, by which order the burial rites were per-

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formed. He was a man of exemplary hab- its, and a devoted member of the Method- ist Episcopal Church, South. He was the son of Richard and Katie (Gladen) Tid- well, natives of South Carolina, of which State the Tidwells were early settlers. Our subject's mother was Miriam Casey. a na- tive of Tennessee: she now resides in Johnson county, on the old home place. Her marriage occurred in 1838, and she was the mother of ten children, namely: Franklin L. died in the Confederate army, at Fort Hudson on the Mississippi; our subject; Coburn died in the Confederate service; Phil C., deceased; Sarah Ann is the wife of George Hodges, of Coleman county; Mary K., deceased; Nancy E., de- ceased, was the wife of James Vincent, a farmer of Hill county; Francis M., de- ceased; Isaiah W., a farmer and stockman of Young county, Texas; and Carrie B. is he wife of Willian Moore, a farmer of Hill county.

Our subject was born February 17, 1840, in Tennessee, and was eleven years old when brought to this State. What educa- tion he received was acquired in the coun- try schools up to 1861, when he was ap- prenticed to the saddler trade, at which he worked for one year, for $100. In 1862 he enlisted in Company F, under B. R. Tyus, as Captain, in the Fifteenth Texas Cavalry, commanded by Colonel Sweet. Our subject was taken prisoner at Arkan- sas Post, and was imprisoned at Camp Douglas for three months, and while there he had the small-pox, and while in the hospital there were six or seven corpses carried out each morning. From this place he was taken to Petersburg and put in pa-

role camp, and remained there three weeks, when he was exchanged and taken to the city of Richmond, where he acted as city guard for ten days. He was then sent to Bragg's army in Tennessee, and served but a few months when he returned home on a furlongh, and served the remainder of his time west of the Mississippi, under Colonel Sweet. Our subjeet was in a number of the principal engagements of the war.

After his return from the war, he re- sumed his trade with the parties under whom he had learned, and remained with them for one year. He then engaged in business for himself, at a point seven miles east of Groesbeck. In 1867 he purchased 100 acres of raw land, which he improved. and there resided until he came to Groes- beck in 1889.

In 1861 he was married to Miss Cynthia C. Cewright, a native of Texas. She was the daughter of John and Cynthia (Hill- house) Cewright. Mrs. Tidwell died leaving four children, namely: Will- iam F., deceased; Lela, now the wife of William Anglin; John M. lives in Groes- beck; and George, at home. Mr. Tidwell was married a second time, in 1878, to Nancy V. Anglin, a daughter of John Anglin (see sketch). By this marriage there are three children, namely: Myrum, Carrie Bell and James V.

Our subject was thrown npon his own resources when twenty years old, with a pony and $50. Siekness consumed this, and in 1865 he was compelled to start with nothing, but by dilligence, good manage- ment and economy has acquired a fine prop- erty, consisting of 569 aeres, 200 of which are under a fine state of cultivation. He

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also owns stock necessary to run the farm, and has a valuable town property. Mr. Tidwell is a Master Mason in the Masonic order, and both himself and wife are mein- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

T. HARRIS, manager of the M. T. Jones Lumber Company, of Mexia, and a leading business man of the town, is a son of Simeon Sherrod and Sarah Harris. The father, a native of North Carolina, was taken by his parents to Ala- bama in 1835, where he was reared to years of maturity. In 1854 he removed to Ar- kansas, but in 1864 fled to Freestone county, Texas, where he died in 1868, aged fifty-five years. He was a farmer by oc- cupation, was a plain, unpretentious man, and a good citizen. Our subject's mother, whose maiden name was also Harris, was born in Alabama, was married in that State, accompanied her husband to Ar- kansas, thence to Texas, and died in Free- stone county in 1868. The parents had a family of six children, namely: C. T., our subject; Simeon Sherrod, manager of the M. T. Jones Lumber Company, at Cole- man, Texas; Fannie, wife of J. A. Wom- ack, of Freestone county; Penelope, now Mrs. Bondy; and the remainder died when young.

C. T. Harris was born in Pickens county, Alabama, January 29, 1846, and was about nine years of age when his parents removed to Arkansas, his boyhood days having been spent at Ashley county, that State. Jan- uary 20, 1862, he enlisted in the Confed-

erate army, in Company G, First M sippi Regiment, and served in Arkansas, Missouri and Louisiana. He participated in the engagements of Pleasant Grove, De- cember 7, 1862; Helena, July 4, 1863; Little Rock, September 7, 1864; Jenkins' Ferry, Pleasant Hill, and many others. He was twice wounded, at Prairie Grove and Little Rock, and at the latter place was shot in the thigh. He entered as a pri- vate, and at the surrender at Marshall, Texas, had charge of a brigade. After the close of hostilities, Mr. Harris joined his father in Limestone county, and was en- gaged in farming until 1870. In that year he removed to Mexia, and for several years was engaged as bookkeeper for many of the leading firms. In January, 1891, he took charge of the M. T. Jones Lumber Company, which is one of the leading lumber concerns in central and eastern Texas, and has offices at all the principal towns. The volume of business done in the Mexia office is very large.

Mr. Harris was married in Freestone county, in September, 1869, to Miss Cor- nelia J. Womack, a native of Alabama but reared in Freestone county, and a daughter of Judge Noland Womack, an early settler of that county. Mr. Harris is a member of the Legion of Honor, and the Ancient Order of United Workmen.

JON. JOSEPH A. JOHNSON, a prominent farmer and a well-known man both in religious and political affairs in this county, is the subject to whom the biographer calls attention in this

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

sketch. He came to this State in 1865, after the close of the war, and joined his wife, who had come in 1864, with his father's family to Texas, as a refugee from Louisiana, thinking to save some of his slaves, and had settled in this county.

Mr. Johnson was born in Alabama, March 6, 1840, in 1849 removing with his parents to Louisiana. There he grew to manhood and obtained a good educa- tion. He is the son of A. W. and Caroline P. (Fair) Johnson, the former of whom was born in Alabama, and was for many years a Baptist minister, and also a promi- nent planter and large slave-owner. In 1864, he went as a refugee to Texas, in order to save some of his negroes.

The mother of our subject was Miss Caroline Fair, daughter of James Fair, of South Carolina, who died in Alabama, where he was a prominent planter and stockman. He had come to Alabama when it was a Territory. The connections on both sides took active part in the wars with the Indians in Florida and Alabama. The family of Mr. Johnson consisted of nine children: one son died in the army, three before coming to Texas, and the names of those who accompanied the par- ents to this State are as follows: Mary J., who married William C. Pickering; Vir- ginia W., who married P. C. Cotton; Ala- bama W., who married A. M. Cone; Rob- ert A., who follows an agricultural life, and the subject of the present sketch.

In April, 1861, Mr. Johnson, of this notice, enlisted in the Confederate army, joining the Thirty-first Louisiana Regi- ment of Infantry, and was consigned to the Army of the Tennessee, and was in

active service through the campaign to Vicksburg, where the whole command was captured and then paroled. He then re- turned home on parole, remaining sixteen months, and then from there was sent to the Trans-Mississippi Department. From there liis service was in Lonisiana, and continued to the close of the war, and never was again captured, and but once wounded, at Mansfield, about the close of the war. At this time he came to Texas, and hunted up his family, as above stated.

In 1860, our subject had gone over into Arkansas, and there married Miss Sally G. Benton, daughter of A. G. Benton, of Georgia, who had moved to Arkansas, where he became a farmer, and died in that State. Our subject taught school for three years. The fall following his advent into this State, he bought a tract of land, and still later he bought the place where he now lives. Here he has made good and valuable improvements, and he now has a desirable home. He has 230 acres in the home farm, where he has a fine orchard and all conveniences. Also he owns another farm of 500 acres, and has in all about 200 acres in cultivation. The home farm he rents, but retains some land under his own charge. During all these years Mr. Johnson has been a busy man. He has run a gin and a mill besides his stock-raising and successful farming, he has been a power in the public affairs of the county.

The Democratic party selected our sub- ject as their representative in the Twenty- first Texas Legislature, and he served his constituents with honor. During his term of office he introduced seven bills. In

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1892. he was a candidate again, but as his views and those of the administration did not coincide, he was not elected. His services in the commonwealth are not for- gotten, and we may predict that the Dem- ocratic party of Anderson connty will re- member one who has so faithfully served it.

The family of Mr. Johnson consisted of ten children. The birth of Mrs. Johnson took place May 14, 1844, and she is yet spared to be the companion of our subject in his later life. The names of the sur- viving children are: A. W .; Nancy, who married A. J. Rampy; Beulah, Edward, Maud, Joe, Mary, Lucille, and the oldest was Caroline A., who married H. T. Robin- son, and died in 1888, and an infant, who died. Mr. Johnson and family are mem- bers of the Baptist Church, and in this connection he has for thirty-five years bean a Deacon and an honored member.

R. W. N. SNEED, physician and surgeon of Fairfield, Freestone coun- ty, is one of the most prominent men in his profession in that vicinity. He is the son of Kithron W. Sneed, an old set- tler of Freestone county.

The subject of this sketch was born in Monroe county, Georgia, September 17, 1844. His early years were passed in Chattahoochee county, Georgia, his parents having moved to that county when he was a child. They came thence to Texas in 1859, settling in Freestone county, and the youth of our subject was therefore spent in the above named county. His literary education was obtained at the male

high school at Fairfield, which was at that time an institution of some pretensions, one of the best for several counties around. He then read medicine with Dr. S. F. Starley, then of Fairfield, an old and emi- nent practitioner of that day. Dr. Sneed then attended lectures at the University of Louisiana, at New Orleans (now Tulane), and graduated in March, 1870. After this event Dr. Sneed began practice at Fairfield, and has continued here ever since, steadily increasing his practice. Since the date of his graduation he has returned to New Orleans and taken special courses in the university three different times, his idea being to perfect himself in his profession. Our subject has followed a general practice all these years, and en- joys a good and lucrative business. Dr. Sneed is a member of the Freestone County Medical Society, of which lie is president. He is also a member of the State Medical Society, and takes an active interest in the deliberations of that body. He lias been Health Officer of that county for three years, and is now serving on his second term.

Dr. Sneed married, in 1875, Miss Alice E. Johnson, daughter of Colonel J. B. Johnson, an old settler of Freestone conn- ty, a native of Florida, who came to the State of Texas many years ago and took up his residence in Freestone county, where his danghter, Mrs. Sneed, was born. Mrs. Sneed died, and Dr. Sneed mar- ried again, October 28, 1891, Miss V. D. Lillard, of Fairchild. Dr. Sneed has five children, all by his first marriage.

Dr. Sneed became a Mason in 1870, joining Fairchild Lodge, No. 103, of which

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HISTORY . OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

he is still a member. He is also a mem- ber of Chapter No. 42, and of the Knights of Honor Lodge, of Fairfield, of which he has been Medical Examiner since its or- ganization in 1881.

OHN OLIVER .- Among the most en- terprising and successful farmers and stockmen of Limestone county, is the subject of this sketch. He was born in Freestone county, this State, July 28, 1854, mnoved to Limestone county with his parents when young, and here he received his edu- cation and training. He was brought up to the stock business and has successfully followed it since. He remained under his parents' roof until he married in 1874, and continued dealing extensively in stock until 1886. At that time he bought his first tract of land, consisting of 157 acres, and opened up a small amount of farming land. From time to time he added to his original purchase, until he now owns about 3,800 acres, and has about 600 in cultivation, which he rents. He continues in the stock business, raising, feeding and buying for the market, sometimes shipping and some- times selling at home, dealing only in cattle and horses. He is giving special attention to the improvement of horses, owning a fine Percheron stallion, and his cattle are well graded. Upon his land he raises cot- ton, corn, oats and millet, and makes his own home supplies. Mr. Oliver is a man full of enterprise and is always ready to assist in anything that will benefit the county. His home is fifteen miles west of Mexia, a very comfortable one, with nice

residence, good barn and all necessary out- buildings. He also has three excellent orchards in a fine condition upon his farm.

Our subject is the son of F. C. Oliver, a native of Tennessee, who came to Texas at an early date, and settled in this county. He has lived in this and Freestone county ever since, and at the age of sixty years is hale and liearty, and is con- dneting a successful hardware business at Groesbeck. Mr. Oliver, Sr., married, at old Springfield, this county, Miss Lucretia Miller. Her father was an early settler of this State, and she is still living, and has been the mother of six children, as follows: Thomas, who married Miss Travic, and died about 1884; our subject; D., now a banker of Groesbeck; Walter, a trader; Mollie and Merida, who died at the age of eight years.

Our subject married Miss Pauline Ben- nett, a daughter of Els. Bennett, a native of Missouri, but now a farmer of this county, who served through the late war, coming to Texas some time in the '50s. Nine children have been born to our subject, but three of them died in infancy, those living being as follows: Ida, Dick, Minnie, Wal- lace, Walton and an infant. Mr. and Mrs. Oliver are members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, in which they are very much esteemed. In politics, lie is a stanch supporter of Democratic principles.

ILLIAM C. FOSTER, a farmer and stockman of Anderson county, Texas, was born in Fayette county, Tennessee, in 1828, the second child born

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LIMESTONE, FREESTONE

to Booker and Sarah (Nettles) Foster, na- tives respectively of Virginia and Alabama. Their marriage occurred in the latter State, following which they removed to Tippah county, Mississippi, where Mr. Foster engaged in farming, owning a number of

slaves. He died in that State in 1873, his wife having passed away in 1850. They have been the parents of eight children, six of whom lived to be grown, the names of these being as follows: Julia, deceased, wife of J. R. Collins; William C., our subject; Nancy, deceased, wife of R. J. Turner; J. N. was killed in the seven days' fight in front of Rich- mond, being a surgeon in the Confed- erate army; Jesse was accidentally killed soon after the war; Mary A., deceased, was the wife of Dr. Dudley Wiley, and Samuel is a resident of Groesbeck, Texas. After the death of Mrs. Foster, Mr. Foster mar- ried Miss Lizzie Russell, and several chil- dren were born, of whom but little is known by our subject, as their residence has been in various portions of Texas and Missis- sippi.

William C. Foster was reared to farm life and educated in the common schools of Mississippi. He commenced life for him- self in his twenty-first year as an overseer on his father's land. In 1850 he came to Texas and located in Anderson county, within two miles of where he now resides, and for one year he engaged in farming on rented land. In 1851, Mr. Foster pur- chased a farın on the Athens road, two miles north of Palestine, but this he sold in 1857, that same year purchasing a larger farm, five miles from Palestine. This lat- ter consisted of 13,000 acres of unimproved

land. At the present time Mr. Foster has 300 acres well improved, and here he re- sided until 1881, when he decided to move into the city of Palestine, for the purpose of educating his children. He was abund- antly able to do this financially, and having spent the greater part of his life in hard labor upon the farm, he felt that he deserved a season of rest. This induced him to sell a part of his farming interest, after which he invested his money in city and county real estate. His residence in the suburb is a handsome place. On his farm Mr. Fos- ter has quite a nice lot of Jersey cattle, also some very fine-blooded mares, and takes a great interest in raising a superior quality of cattle and horses. During the late war he was a member of the Confederate service, but was detailed to attend to the wants of the women, having sixteen war widows to care for, according to the provisions made by the Confederate government.

Mr. Foster was married in 1849 to Miss Clarinda S. Smith, of South Carolina, a daughter of John and Sally (Stephens) Smith, all natives of South Carolina. Mr. and Mrs. Smith came to Mississippi at an early day. Our subject and wife were married in Pontotoc county, Mississippi. and came to Texas as before stated, in 1850, settling in this county, where in time they became the parents of ten chil- dren, although only six of them lived to maturity, their names being as follows: Porter, deceased; Mary, deceased, was twice married, the first time to Robert Lacy, the second to Walter Bryant; H. S., a farmer of Henderson county; Edward J. resides on the old homestead; Ella, wife of J. D. Minett, of this place; Z. N. lives in Na-

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HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

varro county ; Ida first married Henry Bry- ant, and afterward married J. B. Hamilton; Saralı is the wife of R. G. Grigsby; the others died small. Mrs. Foster is a mem- ber of the Missionary Baptist Church, and is a lady who is much respected wherever she is known. Mr. Foster is connected with A. F. & A. M .; Palestine Lodge, No. 1, and R. A. M., No. 3. He has filled most of the official positions in the blue lodge, and has been a Mason forty-four years. He has never taken any active part in the po- litical issues of the day, although he has always been a life-long Democrat.

BED CHILDRESS, a farmer of An- derson county, Texas, located near Blackfoot, is the subject of the pres- ent sketch. He is a good and worthy man, well known in his neighborhood, and one who took an active part in the late war.

Mr. Childress was born in the State of Mississippi, December 17, 1846, and is the son of Jolin and Narcissa (Barron) Childress, both of whom were residents of Alabama before removal to the State of his birth. The grandfather Childress was a native of South Carolina, as was also the grandfather on his mother's side. Both were well known people in theirown States. Grandfather Childress was a slave-owner, and kept a tavern which was known far and wide. The father of our subject was also a prominent farmer and slave owner, and well known as a member of the Ma- sonic order. The mother was a daughter of Ezekiel Barron, who removed first to Alabama from South Carolina and later to

Mississippi, where he died, a prominent planter of the days before the war. Our subject was the second son of seven chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Childress, as follows: A. G .; our subject; Ezekiel, now in Brown county; William, who was found frozen to death on the frontier of Texas in 1871; Mary married Lane Baskin, but both are now deceased; Sally married W. M. Huffman, and lives in Wilson county; and J. T., a farmer of Brown county. The father of the family died in 1860, and Mrs. Childress married J. L. Bell and removed to Texas, dying about 1887.

In the fall of 1866 our subject came to Texas with his mother. He was then nineteen years of age. The first stop was in Smith county, and there he attended school for one year and then taught one term of five months, and later went into Hamilton county, where he taught a term and then returned to Smith county, where he rented a farm for one year, and in 1869 e bo ught an improved farm, which he kept for two years, and then moved to Huffman county, having first sold his place. Here he married, and then bonghit a tract of raw land, which he improved for two years, and then sold and moved on Trinity river, in Henderson county, but later moved to Anderson county, where he bought the land he now owns, that being in 1875. To this he has added until now he owns 260 acres, with 100 under culti- vation, and has enough stock to run a fine farm, and has engaged in the raising of cattle and sheep.

In 1861 our subject answered the call for soldiers, and enlisted for three months and served during that time in Kentucky,

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but at the end of that time he re-enlisted in Company A, Bergan's battalion and Harrison's command, and was sent to the Army of the Gulf, and later to the Army of the Tennessee, and took part in the siege of Vicksburg, where he was taken prisoner, but was paroled and returned liome. Determined to do what seemed to him his duty, he entered the service again as an independent scout, and so remained until the close of the war. He saw con- siderable skirmishing with colored troops, but was never wounded nor captured after Vicksburg. After his return home he made one crop and then came to this State, as above stated.

Our subject was first married to Miss M. O. Baskin, the daughter of Samuel Baskin, a settler of Texas in 1852. He lived in Smith county, where he owned a large number of slaves and carried on ex- tensive farming before the war. He died about 1861. Mr. and Mrs. Childress had a family of six children, four of whom are yet living: Lulu B., at home; John A. has been for five years a foremost teacher of the county, and at present is the candi- date for Superintendent of County Schools; Lena A. is a talented young lady, a gradu- ate from the Normal School; and Lutilus E. is at home. The mother of this family was called from earth in 1880, having been a devoted member of the Missionary Bap- tist Church.

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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