USA > Texas > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, Texas 1839 to 1880 > Part 5
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51. This was typical of pioneer sections due to high freight rates.
52. Schedule 6, Seventh Census, Social Statistics, 1850, Transcript of record obtained from Census Bureau.
53. Schedule 6, Eighth Census, Social Statistics, 1860, Transcript.
54. Texas Almanac, 1873, p. 101.
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Industries and transportation. -- The industries of Harrison County have never been greatly diversified. Particularly was this true before the beginning of the twentieth century. Just as farming is the chief industry of the county today, so it was then. However, there were differences. In the first place methods were rather crude; and, secondly, the farmers of that day were poorly equipped .
In those days no attempt was made to take care of the land by preventing it from washing away and by re- builting it as it wore out. Such a thing as terracing seems to have been unknown. As a result, there are many bare hillsides today that might be producing good crops had not erosion been given full sway. Much of this land will never again be of any use. In addition to the above neglect, soils were "one-cropped" to death. Cotton, then as now, was the chief crop. After 1850, only enough land to produce a sufficient amount of food for the family and live stock was planted in other crops. Rotation evidently was unknown. The same crop was planted on the . same soil year after year until the soil was drained of its producing qualities and it became practically worth- less. Thousands of acres of land in the county today serve as a witness to this abuse. Most of it is grown up with scraggy pine or oak trees and in many instances is not worth putting back into cultivation even after having laid out so long. However, some of this land has
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been put back into cultivation and by proper care has been made productive again. Farmers seldom thought of putting anything back into the soil to replace what was taken out. Commercial fertilizers were unknown, but tons of barnyard manure, the best fertilizer available, were allowed to waste.
Such waste and neglect was not wholly due to ignor- ance. If such had been the case, the crime would not have been so great. The pioneer, especially the planta- tion owner, reasoned that the treasures of the soil were inexhaustible; that the soil would never wear out; or if it did, he could buy more land cheaper than he could take proper care of what he had. But the fallacy lay in the fact that the time was not far distant when there was no more land to be had at any price. Consequently, the county is suffering today, in an industrial way, for this negligence. There are dozen of farmers in Harrison County whose owners are barely able to eke out an existence. The condition of most of these is due to the abuse received in that period before the people learned the lesson of soil conservation.
The second difference between pioneer agriculture and that of today is that the farms of today are modernly equipped with tools and implements, whereas at that time the investment of each farmer in tools amounted to only a few dollars. A rather extensive search through the county probate records showed that the amount of property
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listed as farm implements or tools was surprisingly small. It was especially a surprise to find this true for some of the larger plantations. For instance, T. C. Clark was the owner of 1,300 acres of land and his will lists only $118 worth of farm tools and implements; James Standifer owned twelve negroes and had only ten dollars worth of tools and implements at his death; John Anderson, the owner of 640 acres of land and five negroes had $13.75 invested in tools and implements; James Shelborne, the owner of 19 slaves showed an investment of $123.50 for tools. Some of the poorer farmers had as little as $2.50 invested to this purpose.
In 1850 there were 521 farms in Harrison County; containing 56,277 acres of improved land and 220,498 acres of unimproved land. 55 Possibly not all the im- proved land was in cultivation. No figures are available as to how many acres were planted in the different crops in that year, but the Texas Almanac for 1859 gives 51, 708 as the number of acres planted in cotton in 1858. 56
This would seem to indicate that by this date cotton was rapidly replacing the other crops. It is probable that the proportion of land planted in cotton during the first years of the county's history was not so great as this. This was due to the absence of gins. The federal census
55. Statistics of the United States, 1850, p. 514. 56. Texas Almanac, p. 114.
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for 1850 gives a fairly good idea as to the kinds of crops grown and how much was planted in each. Cotton, while it appears to have been one of the leading crops, was by no means the only important one. Corn was a close second. In that year 4,581 bales of cotton were ginned in the county, 57 and there were 376,620 bushels of corn produced. Very likely not all of the cotton was ginned, as it was the custom in those days, as well as at a later date, to allow cotton to waste in the field due to the
low price, 58 and to the difficulty of ginning. If one
figures the production per acre at about what it is now, there were probably 15,000 acres planted in cotton in the county in 1850. Figuring corn at present day production, ,59
there must have been around the same number of acres of that crop. As was stated above, by 1858 the number of acres of cotton had increased to over 51,000. Of course, by this time there were more settlers in the county, and, therefore, more acres of every crop in cultivation, but the increase in cotton acreage was out of proportion to the increase in population, thus indicating that cotton soon was to become "King" in the county. Other important crops were oats, peas, Irish potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
Next to farming, and in connection with it, the most
57. Idem. Evidently this was not a good cotton year, for production in 1847, according to the Texas Republican, was considerably higher. See pape 16.
58. Five cents a pound in 1849. See page 16.
59. The production, due to poor cultivation, probably was not greater in spite of the greater fertility of the soil.
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important industry in pioneer Harrison County was live stock raising. Again, the probate records are full of information. Aside from land, slaves, and crops, the most valuable bequests of Harrison County planters and farmers were in live stock. Practically every farmer, both large and small, had some kind of live stock in his possession. T. C. Hill, as a representative of the planter class, had 80 head of cattle, valued at $255, 65 head of hogs, valued at $130, 3 mules, valued at $225, and three horses, valued at $140. From the standpoint of valuation, this does not seem so startling, but it assumes rather great proportions when looked at from the standpoint of numbers. Benjamin Barton, a representative of the poorer class of farmers, had 23 hogs, 2 cows, 2 calves, and 2 oxen. Every will examined showed the possession of at least a cow and calf. As may be seen from the figures given above, swine led all live stock in number. This is shown more concretely by the federal census for 1850. In that year there were in this county 24, 762 head of swine or an average of approximately 48 per farm. Cattle ranked next with 12,530 head. The total value of all the live stock in the county at this time was $326, 816.60 Most of the live stock was used on the farm as beasts of burden, for wool or mohair, and for food. Some few cattle were driven
60. Statistics of the United States, 1850, pp. 514 ff.
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to the slaughter houses.
Perhaps next to farming and stock raising, manufac- turing was the most important industry, although it was not considered important at that time. Thirteen con- cerns in the county in 1850 were listed as manufacturing plants. Of this number, four were saw mills, two were foundries, two were brick yards, two were saddleries, two were cabinet makers, and one was a cotton gin. The total amount of capital invested was $59,700. Ninety men were employed; and $61,200 worth of products were put out annually. For the same year the value of home manu- factures was placed at $2,610.61
By 1860 the number of manufacturing establishments had increased to thirty. Several new industries, such as plow works, shoe shops, carriage and wagon shops, and a cotton and woolen mill had been established. Saw mills, and gins led the others in number. The total value of saw mill products was about $39,000, while $86,000 worth of meal was put out by the grist mills. 62
A fifth activity, and perhaps the only other one of importance, was transportation. This ceased to be of local importance after the construction of the Texas
61. Seventh Census of the Products of Industry, transcript. There were probably more than this, but due to the difficulties in taking the census it is not likely that all was turned in.
62. Eighth Census of Products of Industry, transcript.
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and Pacific Railroad through the country. Before the building of this road, started in the fifties, but not finished through the county until after the Civil War, goods were shipped up the Red River to Shreveport, un- loaded there, and either transported to Marshall by men who made that their business, or were sent on up the Caddo Lake to Port Caddo or Jefferson, and then trans- ported overland to Marshall. There are no figures as to how many were engaged in that business. Very likely, a limited number of men did a rather brisk business until railroads destroyed their occupation. About the only light thrown upon this industry is found in the article written by the East Texas Immigration Society. To quote from this article:
Scott, with General Dodge, who now con- trols the Texas Pacific railroad, recently visited Marshall and assured us that to the sixty-seven miles of railroad now already finished, will be added several hundred miles more within a few months. Immigrants may land at Shreveport and come out to our sec- tion (Elysian Fields) on wagons, hacks or carriages, or on the railroad to Wascom station, 23 miles west of Shreveport. After arriving at Shreveport, single men may come out on our wagons at one to two dollars each; families may do like- wise at from five to ten dollars, this being cheaper than by rail. 63
The article also states that freight haulded on wagons cost about one dollar per hundred pounds per seventy-five
63. Texas Almanac, 1873, p. 102.
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miles. This would mean that the cost of transporting a bale of cotton (400 pounds then) from Marshall to Shreve- port would be about $2.25.64
It is not intended to leave the impression that the above description of social and economic conditions in Harrison County is peculiar to this county alone. Social and economic conditions in pioneer communities are essentially the same. Aside from the fact that Harrison County had slaves, while many frontier communities had none, this description is a type of pioneer conditions found anywhere on the frontier.
64. Idem.
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Chapter III HARRISON COUNTY UP TO THE CIVIL WAR
Historical beginnings .-- Before one can understand a great deal about the history of Harrison County, or of anyother Texas County, he must first know something about the land laws of Texas. These come under five heads. Before Texas became a republic, and while it was joined with Coahuila, a liberal land policy had been adopted by Mexico. This liberality was a relative term, as it varied from time to time, depending upon who was in control of Mexican affairs, and upon the amount of outside influence brought to bear on the government. However, at the time of the Texas Revolution, the land laws of Texas and Coahuila allowed to heads of families who immigrated to Texas a league and a labor of land, - and to a single man of twenty-one years of age or over, one-third of a league. 2 Something like twenty-five of these grants were made. This liberal policy was retained by the Republic of Texas. Land laws under the republic were classified under four heads. Under the head of first class headrights, land certificates were issued first, to colonist whose titles arose under the coloni- zation laws of Texas and Coahuila, and who had not yet
1. Slightly over 4,300 acres.
2. Wooten, (ed), A Comprehensive History of Texas, I, 817.
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received their grant; second, to persons living in Texas on March 2, 1836; third, to those arriving between March 2 and August 1, 1836, who received honorable discharge from the Texas army and who took the oath of aligiance prior to December 14, 1837. To the above groups of settlers the same grant was made as the State of Texas and Coahuila were making prior to the establishment of Texas independence, namely; a league and a labor of land to heads of families and one-third of a league to single men. 3
Second class certificates were issued to persons who arrived after March 2, 1836, and before October 1, 1837. Heads of families received 1,280 acres of land and single men 640. Officers and soldiers of the army prior to March 1, 1836, whose families should immigrate before January 1, 1840, were to receive 1,280 acres. The owners of these headrights were bound to remain on them for at least three years. 1
Third class headrights were issued to persons who arrived after October 1, 1837, and before January 1, 1840, and to young men who permanently resided in the Republic and became seventeen years of age before January 1, 1840. Under this class, heads of families received 640 acres, while single men received 320.
Fourth class certificates were issued to persons
3. Idem.
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settling in Texas after January 1, 1840 and before January 1, 1842. The conditions were the same as above; namely, to qualify for a grant one had to be a free white person, to live for not less than three consecutive years on the grant, and to cultivate at least ten acres of it. A small charge was made for the certificate in each case. This price, $5.00 for a league and labor of land, $4.00 for less than a league and greater than a third, $3.00 for one-third of a league, and $2.00 for less than one- third of a league, was fixed by an act of congress. 4
About the time Harrison County was created, there was a boundary dispute between the Republic of Texas and the United States of America at their eastern and western borders respectively. It will be recalled that the same dispute had once existed between the United States and Spain. The matter had been temporarily settled by General Wilkinson and General Herrera by setting up what was then called the neutral ground. The neutral ground covered the eastern part of this county. The question was not adjusted before the Texas War for Independence. In the meantime, a great many people had settled in this area thinking that they were in Texas. If this territory were in the United States, the land laws above described did not apply; if in Texas, they did. Agitation was soon started in the area for the
4. Ibid., p. 818.
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settlement of the boundary dispute. As a result, both governments made appropriations for the running of the boundary and the present boundary was set up. This placed all of Harrison County in Texas. In the meantime, those who had settled in this area before the boundary was determined, made application for their land. It seems that they must have had a great deal of trouble in get- ting their certificates, for the Fifth Congress of the Republic passed an act giving the settlers the right to bring suit in the district court. As a result, the district court of Harrison County was kept busy for several years listening to cases involving land certifi- cates.
The commonly accepted story of the appearance of the first white settler in Harrison County relates that late one afternoon, sometime during the middle thirties, a man, his wife, and children struck camp under the branches of a large oak tree on a spot which at a later date was to become a part of the city of Marshall. This man was John Beatty, who had recently come from Georgia in search of a home. A spring was soon discovered on the spot where the Ben Rosborough Garage now stands. Beatty perceived that this spring had recently been clear- ed and reached the logical conclusion that Indians were
5. A full discussion of this survey may be found in Marshall, A History of the Western Boundary of the Louisiana Purchase, pp. 224-41.
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in the vicinity. For a time, uncertain whether to re- main and run the risk of a night attack, or to proceed that late in the day, the family held a council. While they were in the midst of the discussion, they saw a man approaching from the west. Beatty, not knowing whether the man was a friend or an enemy, reached for his gun, and walked out to meet him. It proved to be a man named Amarillas, who with his family, it was later affirmed, was at that time the only white settler in that part of Texas north of the Sabine River. This gentleman and his family, in connection with another man and his family had emigrated from some state to the east and had settled near this place. They had built two log cabins on a hill overlooking Fern Lake and had taken up the task of conquering the wilderness in which they had settled. However, the other family who had come with the Amarillas had gotten discouraged and had gone back to their original home. The Amarillas invited Beatty and his family to occupy the vacant cabin. It was in this cabin that Sara Amarillas Beatty, the first native white child of Harrison County was born.
After the Beatty's had become well established in their new home, they were instrumental in getting their parents to immigrate to this vicinity and thus the nucleus of Harrison County was formed. When these new arrivals came, John Beatty built a new log house, on what is now Harleton road. This has been known ever since as the
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"old Beatty home". Near this place, a church, probably the first in Harrison County, was built, and a cemetery laid off. All of the members of the Beatty family and those of three other families who have died are now buried there. The community which was built up around this church and burial ground became known as "Scratch Eye", because of the thick underbrush and the rough character of the country. 6
A sufficient number of such communities had soon developed to warrant the creation of the county. By an act of the congress of the Republic of Texas, January 8, 1829, the County of Harrison was created. It was carved out of Shelby County, one of the twenty-five orig- inal counties in Texas, and was believed to have been named in honor of Jonas Harrison, one of its pioneer citizens. Harrison is supposed to have come to Texas in 1818 or 1820 and settled what is now Red River County. Some- time during the later thirties, he moved to a place 7 Here
within the present boundaries of Harrison County.
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6. Behn, "The First Settler in Harrison County, " Marshall News-Messenger, September 29, 1929. Mr. Behn is a local historian.
7. This statement is questioned by Dr. Crockett, president of the East Texas Historical Society. This man claims that Harrison settled in Shelby County when he left Red River County. The author found evidence to substantiate this view. However, the late Dr. J. W. Lively, a man who had spent a great deal of his spare time in delving into the early history of Harrison County, claimed that Harrison once lived in this county. Other local histor- jans agree. One theory is that the county was named after William Henry Harrison who was now nearing the peak of his popularity. The people of this area being pioneers would likely have a strong liking for this old
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he was employed by Jim English who, with his following, was a power in the section at that time. Very little is known of Harrison's early life, and practically noth- ing in regard to the first few years of his residence in this section. However, one day, his employer, who was engaged in a suit which he was about to lose, expressed, in Harrison's presence, the wish that he could find a good lawyer to represent him. It is said that Harrison was engaged in the art of skinning a beef when English walked up to him and made the above remark. He laid down his knife and told his employer that he was a good lawyer, and at his service. English finally decided to give him a trial. Harrison then quickly changed into a decent suit of clothes, went to the court house and won the suit. He afterward displayed great talent and finally became a candidate to represent the county in congress and doubtless would have been elected had not death cut short his career. 8
An interesting anecdote is told concerning him. He is said to have lived originally in Georgia, where he seems to have been a trusted and well-liked man. On the
Indian fighter. It would seem that Harrison did live within the boundaries of what is now Harrison County or else the county was not named in his honor. It is hardly likely that any county would have been named in honor of one who had not lived within its boundaries who was no better known than Jonas Harrison.
8. Morning Star, May, 1894.
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night before he left for Texas, a group of his neighbors gathered at his house to give him a farewell party. One of the party, in the spirit of jest, gave Harrison a walking cane with this admonition: "If you ever meet a man more homely than yourself, present him with this cane." Harrison left the next morning, and after several years in other parts of Texas, he finally settled about ten miles from the present site of Marshall. Quite a while had passed and he still had his walking cane. Then one day he decided that he had found the man he had been looking for. Whereupon, he walked up to him and presented the cane with this speech: "My friends back home in Georgia gave me this cane and told me to present it to the first man I met more homely than myself. You are that man, so here is your cane." It seems that the man was not as humorous as the donor and gave him a severe beating. 9
The act creating the county provided that as soon as the chief justice should be appointed, he should proceed at once to call an election for the selection of a county seat. The election was to be held at the houses of Thomas Timmons and William J. Wells. The county was given one representative in congress and became a part of the senatorial district then comprising the counties of Shelby and Sabine. 10
9. The above story was told by an old lady named Mrs. Mauldin to Dr. Lively. Its veracity is not attested to, but it is generally belived.
10. Laws of the Republic of Texas, Third Congress, p. 159.
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The first chief justice was George B. Atkins, an appointee of President Lamar, In accord with the above mentioned act, Judge Atkins proceeded to call the election for the selection of a county seat, which resulted in Greensborough being selected. Greensborough was located on the Sabine River about twelve miles south of the present city of Marshall at what was then known as Robinson's Ferry. The land for its site was donated by Bailey Anderson. This town remained the county seat until 1841.11
Most of the early settlers of Harrison County came from the southern states. This was natural, because in the first place, it was nearer to them than to the north- ern and eastern states, and secondly, because its soil and climate were well adapted to the plantation system then so prevalent in the South. The original homes of forty different pioneer families were investigated. The results showed that Tennessee led the group with eight; Georgia followed with seven; Mississippi, North Carolina, and Louisiana were third with five each; Alabama was fourth with four, and Kentucky and South Carolina had three each. 12 Further investigation showed that in almost every case the same family had moved at least one state westward once before, or its forbears had.
11. Morning Star, May, 1894, A newspaper published in Marshall at this time.
12. This information was obtained by conferences with descendants of pioneer settlers of this county .
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"Go West" seems to have been the order of the day for those sturdy forbears of ours who considered a place too crowded when it became settled, and so moved on west to conquer a new land as they or their father before them had done.
There were three great waves of farmers into the West. The first group were the real pioneer, who, with his children and few belongings stacked in ox wagons, made the journey west. This pioneer farmer built a crude log cabin, a stable, a corn crib, and cleared up a few acres of ground. By this time, the second wave of farmers, the purchasers, had reached his vicinity. The pioneer farmer suddenly decided that he was being crowded too much, sold his farm, and few improvements, and again, headed for the West. This second wave of farmers cleared more land, built roads, bridges, churches, and schools. Better homes with glass windows were erected, and quite often orchards were planted. By the time all of this took place, the men of capital had arrived, and the purchaser then moved on to a new frontier to repeat the same process. Under the enterprise of these new settlers the country took on the appearance of civili- zation. Small villages developed into towns, extensive fields, orchards, and gardens were planted. The day of luxuries arrived. But in spite of this general tendency, not all of either of these waves moved on.
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