USA > Texas > Burleson County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.2 > Part 10
USA > Texas > Travis County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.2 > Part 10
USA > Texas > Bastrop County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.2 > Part 10
USA > Texas > Lee County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.2 > Part 10
USA > Texas > Williamson County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.2 > Part 10
USA > Texas > Milam County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.2 > Part 10
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OSHUA WILSON MCCOWN, JR .- For fifty-six years the subject of this sketch has resided in Texas, most of the time in Milam county. It is needless to say that he is a pioneer and an early set- tler of the county. Mr. McCown traces his ancestry back to the land of song and story, heroism and romance, - Scotland, - from which country his progenitors emigrated some time during the last century to Amer- ica and settled in Pennsylvania. There his paternal grandfather, Alexander MeCown, was born, reared, twice married (his first
wife dying), and moved in 1784 to Ken- tneky, settling in what is now Bardstown, Nelson county. He was the father of a a large family of children, sixteen of whom were sons and grew np.
Joshua Wilson MeCown, Sr., the father of the subject of this sketch, was one of this number. He was born in Bardstown, Feb- ruary 5. 1804, and was there reared. Ile went to Tennessee when a young man and in Columbia, that State, on April 22, 1828, married Martha Shapard, a native of Tennes- see, born April, 1808. IIe resided in Ten- nessee until 1837, when he moved to Texas and settled in Washington county, where he lived nntil 1848, at which date he came to Cameron, Milam county, where, for several years he was engaged in the mercantile busi- ness. Later he lived at Honston and at other points in the State, and is still living, being now a resident of Whitney, Hill county. He has been twice married and has raised to maturity fourteen children. His first wife died at Honston in 1852, leaving sixteen children, of whom Joshua Wilson McCown, Jr., the eldest, is the subject of this momoir.
He was born in Murfreesborongh, Tennes- see, July 8, 1830. Being brought to Texas at the age of seven by his parents, he was reared in Washington county. His boyhood and youth were passed on the farm. In 1852 he married Margaret Chalmers of Waco, who died shortly afterward without issue. May, 1854, he married Susan, a danghter of Josiah J. and Ann Turnhamn, of Milam county.
Mr. Turnham was one of the first settlers of this county, moving here from Missouri, in company with Giles O. Sullivan, another of the pioneers of the county, and settling at Nashville in 1840. In the spring of 1842
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he settled about a mile and a half east of the present site of Cameron, where and in which vicinity he subsequently made his home un- til his death, which occurred in September, 1863. Ilis wife died in May, 1859. They were industrious, kind, good people, and Mi- lam county is indebted to them for some of its best citizens. They had nine children, all of whom become grown, Mrs. McCown being the eldest. She was born in Missouri and was five years old when her parents inoved to Milam county. Here she was reared, being bronght up on the frontier and and knowing from experience all the priva- tions and disadvantages of frontier life. She however is one of those women to whom though reared in a wilderness men bow and pay willing homage, being a great favorite with the old settlers and in fact with all who know her. Mr. and Mrs. McCown reside now on. the old Turnham homestead, and in a house erected in 1852 by Mrs. McCown's father, being the second brick house built north of the old San Antonio road and west of the Trinity river. It was built of bricks made on the place, and is still in a good state of preservation. Here they have raised their family of seven children, this being the num- ber that reached maturity out of the twelve born to them. They are: Martha Ann, the wife of Dr. Thomas A. Pope of Cameron; Susan, the wife of T. G. Sampson of Milam connty; James Coleman, deceased; Margaret Chalmers, the wife of Dr. V. E. H. Reed of Cameron; Joshua Wilson, deceased; Robert Lee and "Sul " Ross.
Mr. McCown has never been in public life, though probably one of the best known inen in Milam county, and one whose knowledge and business experience would amply fit him for the successful discharge of the duties of any office to which he might
be called. But his tastes do not run in that direction. He owns a large farm near Cam- eron, situated on Little river, to which he devotes his time and attention. He served in the Confederate army during the late war, being Master of Transportation west of the Mississippi till the fall of Vicksburg, and then he was engaged in trade operations with Mexico till the close of the war. Ile has been a life-long Democrat and is thoroughly loyal to the principles of his party. To Texas and all its interests and en- terprises he is devoted with that impulsive enthusiasm and ardnons attachment which characterizes those who have followed the State through its struggles from a few strag- gling settlements on the frontier to its pres- ent prond and prosperons condition of State- hood. Mr. McCown knew most of the early Texans of note, with many of whom he was brought in contact at one time and another during his youth and early manhood. He is full of reminiscences of early days in Texas, and if the scope of this article permitted numbers of these might be inserted here to the interest and edification of the readers of this volume. Two or three of a local nature will be given, because they fit so appropri- ately in this place.
" Speaking of early events in Milam county," said Mr. McCown, "I know of no single event that attracted so much attention at the time or was the source of more amuse- inent than what is known among the old settlers as 'The trip of the Washington,' being the ascent up Little river of the first and only steamer that ever plowed the waters of that stream. The trip was made in the winter of 1850-'51, and was the conception of my father, who was then engaged in business in Cameron. It seems that he had mentioned several times to some of his ac-
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quaintances the possibility of navigating Little river with small boats during the winter freshets, but his suggestions had gen- erally met with ridicule. At last, just after a particularly heavy rain, when the river was considerably swollen and gave promise of remaining mp several days, he hastily constructed a skiff and put ont for the lower Brazos country in search of a steamer to make the attempt. He secured one at Washington, called ' The Washing- ton," the property of Captain Jo. Woods and commanded by Captain IIatfield. The trip was undertaken on the payment of a bonns of $500 and a guaranteed amount of freight at stipulated rates. The boat was loaded with a cargo of merchandise, consist- ing of groceries, provisions and whisky, and the ascent begun. It did not excite much interest along the Brazos, but when Little river was reached the sound of a steam whistle, never heard before. in these parts, instantly attracted attention, and when it came to be known that a real, live steamer, duly equipped and fully loaded with mer- chandise, was in the river making its way to Cameron, curiosity. quickened into inter- est and interest grew into excitement, gen- eral and prolonged. My father, who was enjoying something of a personal triumph in the success of the enterprise, spared no pains to spread the news as to what was going on. Word passed rapidly from house to house, and, it being at a time of year when the people were idle, crowds soon be- gan to flock to the river banks from all di- rections. Men, women and children, all ages, sexes and conditions, in all stages of dress and undress-a motley company of enriosity seekers -came pouring out from the settlements. As the Washington puffed and wriggled along the winding stream,
dodging a lot of drift-wood here and clear- ing a sharp angle there, knots of sight-seers would greet it with a great profusion of shouts and Intrahs, and much waving of wool hats and calico bonnets and aprons. Pas- sengers were taken on at each stop, any one being at liberty to ride, and when stops were not made some of the more ambitious swam ont into the river on horseback and climbed on the steamer while in motion. In this way the boat rapidly filled up until it be- came a mass of surging, shouting, rollicking humanity. It stopped when it reached the shoals, abont two miles and a half east of Cameron and near where I now live, was made fast to a tree, and, in accordance with instructions, the decks were cleared and a general jubilee of feasting and dancing set in. For two days and nights this went on until all were surfeited with fun and frolic, when the Captain cleared away the debris, turned the nozzle of the Washington down stream and glided back into the waters of the Brazos. The event left a lasting im- pression on the settlers and its incidents afforded topies for conversation for a long time afterward."
" Upon another occasion," said Mr. Mc- Cown, " when Little river was on one of its periodical tears, an incident happened which was the source of a good deal of amusement, among the few settlers who were then here. Three men-Lee Davis, George Chapman and Bit-nose Robinson -- were out in a canoe on some sort of a nantical expedition when by some mischance their little craft was upset and got away from them. Little river then, as now, was no respecter of property rights, and frequently left its channel and wandered around at will. On the occasion mentioned it had appropriated most of the surrounding country, so that Davis, Chapman and Robin-
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son found themselves a considerable distance from land when their canoe capsized. Chap- man, being an expert swimmer, made his way on driftwood and by swimming to the shore, while Davis and Robinson, being less expert, sought safety in the branches of a tree. Davis, younger and more vigorous than Robinson, seeured the best pereli, a large limb which at the juncture with the main body of the tree formed a fairly comfortable resting place. Robinson, taking what he conld get, perched on a small limb which in a short time got, as he said, ' pretty sharp.' As the day wore on into the night, he asked Davis to swap seats with him for awhile, but Davis refused. Davis did not know how long they would have to stay there waiting for the waters to go down, and, knowing a good thing when he saw it, he was inclined to hold on to it. Urged by cold and fatigue Robinson kept up his importunities for a swap, recall- ing to Davis their friendship, their com- panionship in misery, his age, the possibility of his becoming so benumbed and tired as to fall off and drown right before Davis' eyes; but none of these things mnoved the callous- hearted Davis. He looked stolidly on the turgid waters, said nothing and continued to roost high. Finally Robinson said: . Davis, I don't know whether we will ever live get ont of this scrape or not, but if we do I am going to give you one of the all-firedest best whippings you ever got. If you ain't got any sense, nor reason nor decency abont yon, I'll take it on myself as your senior in years and your better in manhood, to beat some into you!'
"They survived, and the next day along in the afternoon the water had so far receded that they could wade out, which they did, clambering over logs and drift, and slippery banks and knolls, until they reached terra
firma. Once on a solid footing Robinson, though more dead than alive from cold, hunger, fatigue and loss of sleep, reminded Davis of the promise. The latter was very inneh disposed to ' let by-gones be by-gones ' and tried to make old ' Bit-nose ' forget his threat with a profusion of promises of refreshi- ments and friendship ever afterward; but 'Bit-nose' was a man of his word, and waiving all these things aside he admonished Davis ' to shed his linen,' at the same time, as he described it, ' peeling and rolling in ' him- self. Ile thrashed Davis all over the hillside, ' everlastingly walloping the yerth ' with him as he afterward said; and everybody believed that he did it, because Davis never denied it."
Continuing in a reminiscent vein Mr. Mc- Cown said: "The citizens of Milam connty have always been a fairly temperate people, not given, I believe, to over-indulgence; but men are men the world over, and I reckon the early settlers of this county liked a ' snort' of . mountain dew' or something of the kind as well as the common run of men in other places. At any rate the first barrel of whisky that ever came across Little river created a wave of excitement that spread to the father- est fringe of the settlements, as I have heard some of the old ones tell, and afforded the means of one day's solid enjoyment in the midst of many of genuine hardship and priva- tion. The liquor was brought overland in a ' carry-all ' from old Nashville by a thrifty Dutchman named Kattenhorn. He made his first stop in the vicinity of Cameron, at the big springs just cast of that place, that being, however, before there was any Cam- eron. The settlers then were scattered mostly along the river bottom and on the first table- land from a mile to a mile and a half east of the present county seat. As soon as Katten- horn got into the settlements with his liquor
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word passed around in the neighborhood, and a large delegation of the ' men folks' soon gathered at the big spring. Settlers were not flush with money in those days but they knew how to ' raise the wind' when occasion demanded as well as people of these times, and so a self-constituted committee on ways and moans immediately set about to devise a plan whereby Kattenhorn's whisky eonld be transferred from Kattenhorn to the settlers and Kattenhorn properly remunerated for the same. After considering two or three sehemes they finally drew up a joint promissory note, which was signed by each of the settlers, agreeing to pay Kattenhorn at a certain time a stated amount for the liquor, which he ac- eepted and therenpon delivered to them the coveted article. They proeceded to divide it in equal lots, and after having imbibed a sufficient quantity to put them on their mettle they instituted a series of foot-races, the stake being a quart a race. They drank and ran and ran and drank until all were glori- ons full and happy, in which condition as many as could shouldered their jugs and started for home, some reaching there like Tam O'Shanter to meet the angry frowns of their 'gentle dames,' others falling by the wayside to dream of foot-raees in fields elys- ian, while still others remained about the spring, where I suppose they made good nse of its cooling waters when they awoke from their reveries. It should be mentioned that they paid the note to Kattenhorn at matu- rity."
" Yes, yes," said Mr. MeCown, reaching for his pipe and package of Durham tobaeco; " the early Texans were a great people, a peculiar people, perhaps, but a great and a good people .-- honest, brave, generons, hos- pitable, true to their kind and faithful to their country. They were not a cultured
class as enlture now goes; but in real man- hood and womanhood I think they fairly filled the measure, and in their rongh strength they were resistless, as history shows. Mexi- can, Indian, wild beast and all natural ob- stacles have gone down before them in their steady mareli toward the west. The world will perhaps never see their like again, as it will probably never see another Texas."
A W. DUNN, another one of the sue- cessful farmers of Burleson county, Texas, settled in this State in 1869, after a long career of travel. For a few years he lived in Milam county, where he had settled on 160 acres of land and de- veloped a farm. In 1876 he sold out and eame to his present loeation. After renting here for two years, he bought a traet of land, 450 aeres in extent, thirty-five aeres of which were under fence. He has sold off a portion of this land, but still retains 280 acres, 200 acres of which is feneed and 140 under cnl- tivation, a portion of it being rented. His farm products are cotton, corn and oats. He raises sufficient stoek to run the farm, and also some to sell.
Mr. Dunn was born near Raleigh, North Carolina, October 25, 1833. He was reared to farin life in Alabama and received a good edneation. He lived under the parental roof until he was twenty-two years of age, when, in the fall of 1855, he started for California to seek his fortune in the gold mines of that country. Ile mined there for three years and then returned to his home, after which, in 1860, he once more visited California, and while there entered a sconting company under the command of Captain Joe Walker. Snb- sequently he went to Arizona, where, in com-
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pany with others, he discovered gold and 'lina. She died January 18, 1888, leaving started a camp, which camp afterward grew four children, viz .: Nancy A., wife of W. B. to be the capital of the State, Prescott. In Porter. a merchant of Sweetwater, Texas; and Joseph W., Isabella K. and Enoch M., at home. December 23, 1888, Mr. Dunn married a widow, Mrs. Mary Lovelace, daughter of William Thorp, of Tennessee. Her father came to Texas at an early day and was engaged in farming here until the time of his death, dying when she was small. Her mother, nee Mary Porter, was a daughter of Benjamin Porter, who came to Texas in 1847. Mr. and Mrs. Dunn have two sons: Julius H. and Albert W., and by her first husband Mrs. Dunn has three children: W. C., Carry J. and George C. Lovelace. the following year the Territory was organized, with Governor Goodwin at the head of affairs. About that time the Indians became very hostile and the Governor of the Territory and Governor Arney of New Mexico had a reg- iment raised under the command of Colonel Kit Carson for the protection of the settlers. Mr. Dunn served in this regiment three years-three years filled with many thrilling experiences and narrow escapes. He received several arrow wounds, only one of which, however, was severe. That was in his left shoulder, and he still carries the scar. After this Mr. Dunn made a visit to his folks, who, He and his wife are members of the Bap- tist Church, and his political views are in harmony with Democratic principles. in the mean time had moved to Arkansas. He had married in Alabama, in 1860, and during his absence in the far West his wife came with her brother to Texas. Joining her in Milam county, he settled down to farming, as above stated.
Mr. Dunn is a son of Wylie and Martin (Horton) Dunn, both natives of Northi Caro- lina. His father was a farmer all through life; died in Arkansas, October 25, 1863. Grandfather Robert Dunu, also a native of North Carolina, served in the war of 1812, and his father was a Revolutionary soldier. The Dunn family are of Irish descent, but have long been residents of America, having come to this country with Sir Walter Raleigh. The subject of our sketch still has a large number of relatives in North Carolina. He is the oldest of nine children, five of whom are still living. Three of the family are in Arkansas, and Mr. Dunn has a brother, Sid- ney F., who lives neighbor to him.
He has been twice married. His first wife, whose maiden name was Sarah B. Mays, was a daughter of Joseph Mays, of South Caro-'
I AMES ELLIOTT, a successful farmer of Williamson county, is a son of Patrick and Naney (McGee) Elliott, natives of ) the north coast of Ireland. In 1830 the par- ents emigrated to this country, locating in Washington connty, Pennsylvania, where the father died about one year later. The mother continued to reside there for some years among her relatives, the Lees, and finally married James Marquis. They located near Mt. Vernon, Ohio, where the husband subse- quently died, and the mnothier then lived a widow until her death, in 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Elliott were the parents of six children, viz .: Mary, deceased; Matthew, deceased; John, who came to this county with our sub- ject, died in 1861. and his family still reside here: James, the subject of this sketch; William, deceased; and the youngest child, who died. on the ocean when an infant.
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James Elliott was born in the north part of Ireland, probably County Down, August 12, 1824. After his father's death he made his home with Robert Mcclellan, Sheriff of Washington county, Pennsylvania, until eighteen years of age, and then went to his mother in Ohio. While there he served ser- eral years at the carpenter's trade with David Randolph, a noted contractor and bnilder, but before his term of service had expired, in company with a young friend, Mr. Elliott concluded to take a trip West. While stop- ping at Sandusky, Ohio, on the way, the call for troops for the Mexican war was made, and he joined Company G, Third Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry, under Captain Woodruff, but did not participate in any battle. He then returned to Ohio, where he remained with his brother Jolin in Enon Valley, Pennsylvania, until they came to Texas, in 1855. Mr. El- liott immediately purchased a pre-emption claim, and now owns about 2,200 acres of land, 300 acres of which is under a fine state of enltivation. At the opening of the late war he had his own and his brother's family to care for, and he served in the State mi- litia, along the coast, under Magrnder.
Mr. Elliott was married near Mt. Vernon, Knox county, Ohio, in May, 1851, to Mary A. Sellers. They have had no children of their own, bnt have raised two boys, George Marens and Andrew Anderson. The former is married and lives near our subject. An- drew Anderson was given a thorough educa- tion, graduated at the Southwestern Uni- versity, at Georgetown, and then entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Sonth. After preaching a few years he en- tered the school-room, and is now teaching at San Marcos, Texas. Mr. Elliott votes with the Democratic party, and socially. is a Royal Arch Mason, holding the office of Treasurer | tected women and children, or to steal the
of both chapter and lodge. Ile was twice District Deputy G. M. and has often served as a delegate to the Grand Lodge. Religious- ly, he is a Steward in the Methodist Church.
(OSEPH T. MCCUTCHEON .- As a na- tive son of the Lone Star State, it is most fitting that the subject of this sketch should be given a prominent place in the present history. His parents, William and Elizabeth J. Mccutcheon, are old and prominent residents of Texas, widely known and universally respected for their many esti- inable qualities of mind and heart.
The subject of this sketch was born in Travis county, Jannary 4, 1847, and passed his youth on his father's farm, assisting in developing the wild land. His opportunities for obtaining an education were limited, as the schools in that day were both scarce and inferior. However, with slight instruction, he has by wide reading and extensive obser- vation gained a vast fond of practical infor- mation, which answers his purpose far better than a large amonnt of theoretical knowledge not feasible of application. In 1861 the family removed to Lampasas county, and the dreadful vortex of civil strife swept into its insatiable current his older brothers, who entered the Confederate army. Thns, being the oldest son remaining at home, Joseph assumed the management of his father's stock, which ocenpation kept him away from home most of the time, occasionally in com. pany with other stock-men, but often alone, and at a distance from any settlement. This life was lonely and dangerous, as at nearly every full moon the Indians made periodical visits to the vicinity, either to kill unpro-
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stock which roamed the prairies withont a herdsman. In this manner, as a ranger and stockman, Mr. Mccutcheon grew to man- hood, his out-door life rendering him strong and athletic and inuring him to toil and hardships, while the constant mental exertion, foresight, judgment and reflection which his method of living engendered, developed his mind as thoronglily as the schools could have done. .
In 1867 he began the life of a trader, making snecessful drives over the trails lead- ing from Texas to the Western States and Territories in the years of 1867, 1869, 1870 and 1871. In 1870 he made two drives, go- ing with one herd from Lavaca county to Abilene, Kansas, and with another from Will- iamson county to Baxter Springs, Kansas, reaching his home October 2 from his second drive. In 1871 he purchased a farm and en- gaged in agricultural pursuits, with reason- able snecess, continuing to be thius occupied until 1881, when he again took the trail for an older brother, driving a herd of cattle from Lavaca county first to Caldwell, Kan- sas, and thence to Newman's ranch, on the Niobrara river, in Nebraska, fifty miles from the Dakota line, returning to his home by way of Chicago and St. Louis. He then again resnmed the occupation of farming and stock-raising, which he followed consecutively until 1893. Ile then discontinued stock- dealing, and, in connection with farming, has since followed the hardware business in Ilutto, which undertaking has proved most satisfactory.
December 1, 1869, Mr. MeCntcheon was inarried to Miss Annie C. Evans, a danghter of W. T. Evans, a pioneer of Texas. They have had eight children: William T .. in business with his father; the second child died in infancy; Katie E., John, Joseph J., Alexander, Martha, and Martin, deceased;
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