FCHA Newsletter
Volume 15, No. 4, July & August 2010
On the page below you will find the current newsletter and some special excerpts from previous newsletters, but first you will see the calendar of FCHA meetings and sponsored events for the current year. We also invite you to visit the local newspaper's excellent community calendar at
http://mt-vernon.com/calendars.html
Remaining Meetings & Programs for 2010
July 29, 7 P.M. Water Beetle Cherokee Programs, Presented by Kathy Lynn and Joe Copeland of Port Lavaca, Texas, and Bentonville, Arkansas
Two Cherokee presentations will be held. One will be for children and will be held at the Franklin County Library downtown during the day on July 29, this summer. One will be for adults and will be held at Mount Vernon Music Hall that same day at 7 P.M. The FCHA will host the evening performance. Details will be decided later, but attendees may expect some of the offering suggested by the presenters:
1. Audio-visual presentations about the Cherokee Trail of Tears and Cherokee culture and history
2. Living history with period-correct food display, medicinal herbs, dishes, day-to-day living items, "fire," tent, and more
3. Weapons display, furs, arrow-making, arrowheads, cultural items, historical clothing, and more
4. Native American dance and flute presentation accompanied by children with rattles and percussion instruments
5. Pass-around items and discussion of our regalia and historical clothing
6. Story table and traditional Native American stories
7. Ample time for questions and answers and interacting with audience
September 6, Labor Day, 6 P.M. Meeting at the Century Room and Leaving from There by Caravan to Tour the Killingsworth House; Returning to the Century Room for a Potluck about 7 P.M.
October - Texas Archaeology Month - You Are the Guardians of the Past!
October 8, 5-7 P.M., Opening Reception Exhibit in the Firestation Museum
October 9, CountryFest; FCHA Facilities Open
October 18, Special Meeting of FCHA Members with Visionaries in Preservation Task Force Groups; Community of Choices Film; City Tours; Cemetery Tour; Sandwiches Provided in City Hall
October - Field Trips for Elementary Students to Walk the Dupree Park Nature Trail
November 1, 7 P.M. Potluck at the Tall Tree Clubhouse - Veteran's Day Celebration and Program Arranged by Lillie Bush Reves: Charles Shafer on Folklore
Note: Hosts assist in the set up and clean up; and they furnish the bread, drinks and ice, paper plates, napkins, cups and plastic flatware.
Join the FCHA!
Join a vibrant organization dedicated to the preservation of the natural and cultural heritage of Northeast Texas. The Franklin County Historical Association; $25.00 for family membership. Additional gifts gladly accepted to promote preservation. Specify memorial designations. Mail dues for 2009 to Franklin County Historical Association, P O Box 289, Mt. Vernon, Texas 75457. New members receive a set of publications including the guide to Indian Trails and the 32-page annotated Driving Tour of Mt. Vernon. 903-537-4760.
Found Below, New Items in the Current Newsletter:
A Personal Perspective: Remembrances from Jimmy St. Clair
Gifts in Memory of . . .
Also Below, Something from An Earlier Edition:
Sam Bell Maxey Home
From Our Historical Past: Two Obituaries
Research Tool Available: Abstracts of Franklin County Land Records 1836-1846, Transcribed from the Records of Red River County in the Republic of Texas
From the Current Newsletter
A Personal Perspective
The following letter was mailed to our FCHA President from Jimmy St. Clair of Houston. Mr. St. Clair established a substantial endowment which our organization administers. Mr. St. Clair was responding to an inquiry from B. F. Hicks as to whether he had any pictures of the east side of Mt. Vernon in earlier days. B. F. had mailed Mr. St. Clair a copy of the Walk Through Mount Vernon book as background for the request. The reply was negative as to the photos, but enlightening as to the conduct of business in Mt. Vernon. You should enjoy the letter that follows:
Dear Mr. Hicks:
Thank you for the book "A Walk Through Mt. Vernon". I am impressed with the amount of time and effort required to compile this book, and it brings back many memories, as well as telling me things I did not know.
I remember Dad having purchased and operated an appliance store, from J. C. McDonough. I did not know Morris Penn Long was a partner, but that is possible. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the building. I was not certain whether it was the second or third building from the north end, but I am certain that the water tower was directly behind it.
While I have no pictures, I do have some memories. Two of Harris' biggest sales items were new refrigerators and radio repair. As a 10-12 year old boy, I helped him deliver and install many refrigerators. He always took the old one as a trade-in, if they had one.
Old Servel refrigerators run on natural gas or butane were quite valuable. Dad had a business arrangement with a man (whose name I do not know) who took the works out of them and installed them in the trunks of automobiles to make an air conditioner. This machine ran on exhaust heat from the engine, and the only need for any other power was a small fan to move air into the car. Of course, it took up the whole trunk of the car, but no other way to air-condition cars was available at the time.
Dad also had a radio repairman whose name I do not know. He taught Harris four things about radio repair:
1. Rudimentary troubleshooting
2. Color-coding of resistors
3. How to do electrical soldering
4. That Harris did not want to do this himself.
From the amount of business they did, I assume this was the only radio repair shop for miles around.
Several of us young boys tried to climb the water tower. All that I was ever associated with, including myself, were stopped halfway up by a cross-girder that had no handholds or footholds. It was rumored that Don Meredith had made it all the way to the top, but he would neither confirm nor deny that. (If he said "yes" he would be in big trouble when grownups found out about it; if he said "no" it would tarnish his image.)
Other items that Harris sold in that store were cook stoves, both electric and gas, a limited variety of kitchen and breakfast room furniture, cooling fans, lawnmowers, some of the first electric hedge trimmers, radios, and record players.
Always on the lookout for a good deal, Harris left the store for the dairy business when he acquired some very nice acreage on attractive terms.
B. F., I apologize for the length of this letter: It may have one or two items of interest to you in it.
Yours truly,
Jimmy St. Clair
8010 Meadowvale, Houston, Texas 77063
Gif ts in Memory of . . .
Anne Campbell Harper, by Stephen & Patsy Wright
Lou Cargile, by Joann Hughes
Anne Harper, by Joann Hughes
Pat Rommel, by Joann Hughes
Joe Scott, by Joann Hughes
Robert Vickery, by R. C. Construction & Hohbein Electric LLC
Doris Meek, by Jean Ann Marshall & Rena Asimakis
Loreta Dyer, by Jean Ann Marshall & Rena Asimakis
Dr. William Hayden, by B. F. Hicks
Doris Meek, by B. F. Hicks
Janet Holbrook Hardy (1929-2008), by Diane Hardy
Loreta Dyer, by Libby & Ron Milton
From an Earlier Edition of the Newsletter
Sam Bell Maxey Home
Sam Bell Maxey State Historic Site, a Texas Historical Commission property, is situated in the historic district of Paris, Texas. The two-story frame residence was built in the High Victorian Italianate style and was considered a proper home for the family of Sam Bell Maxey, the West Point-educated Mexican War veteran, Confederate General and two-term U.S. senator. Maxey and his wife Marilda hosted many distinguished guests and the house soon became the town’s social center.
Maxey was born in Kentucky, but he and his father moved their families to Paris, Texas in 1857, where they both had law careers. Maxey was elected to the Texas State Senate in December 1860, but the state seceded from the United States before he took office. Instead, he formed the Ninth Texas Infantry Regiment to serve the Confederate States, eventually rising to the rank of Major General. After the Civil War, Maxey attempted to resurrect his legal career but found he required a personal pardon from President Andrew Johnson to continue his law practice or to hold public office. After many unsuccessful attempts, General Ulysses S. Grant, Maxey’s classmate from West Point, recommended his presidential pardon and his citizenship rights were restored.
Family members lived continuously in the house for 99 years until 1967, when they donated the home to the city of Paris. In March 1971, the Sam Maxey Bell House was officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places and transferred to state ownership in 1976. Today, renovation is underway on this historic landmark, after years of neglect. Preservation of the Maxey House is currently in the stages before construction, the design development stage, an architectural planning phase which takes into consideration the operational, interpretive, curatorial, maintenance and architectural needs. The current work, including the exterior preservation and paint, is to address immediate cosmetic and foundation needs, but it also addresses work that is integral to the long-term success and sustainability of the home. Planning takes into account potential issues that might arise with construction, and is designed to keep all aspects of the house - interior, exterior and the artifacts - safe and preserved. The home is located on Church Street, Paris, Texas.
From Our Historical Past
The following two obituaries are in publications of the Franklin County Genealogical Society.
1. The Prather obit tells an interesting story: they were fighting over Tula Broach of Winfield; Cullen survived and married her. We have one of her paintings on display in the Parchman House.
2. As to the Arrington obit, we must point out that he was here when the original town was located along the town branch along Holbrook Street; Arrington property is along the creek and Arrington Street parallels it today; then when the formal town plan was staked out in 1849 he was seeing the first buildings go in place.
Obituary of Annis Prather
February 24, 1904
(From Obituaries and Death Notice from Franklin County Newspapers 1926-1936, compiled by Christine Dennis Skelly, page 277, an obituary in possession of B. F. Hicks, originally given him by Jim Stringer, whose grandfather is mentioned in it)
The quietude of our little city was suddenly broken on yesterday evening about dusk by the enactment of a tragedy as strange as it is sad and horrible. An eye witness gives the following story of the tragedy: Annis Prather and Cullen Stringer were standing just off the edge of the sidewalk about midway between Langton & Fuquay’s and the Crescent Drug Store, quarreling, each accusing the other of having told falsehoods concerning him. They refused to listen to the entreaties of friends and rushed together in the street. Each had previous1y declared he bore no arms. During the scuffle two pistol shots were heard in quick succession and Cullen Stringer fell on his face apparently dead with one bullet in the back of his neck. Annis stepped away with a pistol in his hand and was approached by County Clerk T. B. Banister, who said to Annis, “If you boys had done as I said there wouldn’t have been any trouble.” He then reached to get Annis’ pistol, but before he knew it Annis made a quick movement backward and threw up his hands, the pistol was discharged and Annis fell to the ground with a large hole in the back part of his head. Only one pistol was found afterwards, it being a large Colt 41 and three loads were missing from it. Annis was mortally wounded and never uttered a word after he fell. His body was first taken to Rutherford’s Drug Store and later to the home of A. J. Fuquay. The interment was at the City Cemetery. Annis was the son of T. L. Prather, one of the most influential citizens of our county. For the past few years he has been clerking for Langston & Fuquay and has been a favorite society leader. He was very handsome and had a host of friends and relatives who are now bowed own with grief. Cullen Stringer was carried into the Crescent Drug Store where his wound was examined and dressed. The ball entered his neck on the right side just back of and below the ear and passed out on the left side just behind the ear, just grazing the spinal column enough to partially paralyze his arms. He was taken to the home of his father J. W. Stringer
and we are glad to say doing very nicely.
Arrington, Joel
July 6, 1904
(From Obituaries and Death Notice from Franklin County Newspapers 1907-1925, compiled by Christine Dennis Skelly, page 277, an obituary in possession of B. F. Hicks, copied from his grandmother’s scrapbook of clippings from the Optic and the Herald before their consolidation in 1909)
Joel Arrington died Wednesday afternoon, July 6, 1904 at the home of his son Joel in Mt. Vernon. Old age and its infirmities having finally overcome the prudent and careful body that has lived through so many eventful years. Born in Smith Co, Tenn. Dec. 11, 1817, he was perhaps the oldest man in Franklin Co, being 86 years, 7 months and 25 days old. In April 1838 he emigrated to Red River Co., Republic of Texas. Here he married Miss Sarah L. Milligan, December 31, 1841, and in December 1845, just after Texas was admitted to the union, they moved to Franklin County and located at Mt. Vernon. Ever since that time he has lived in or near this place; he witnessed the erection of the first residence, a log cabin for Dr. McGee on the lot occupied by J. A. Turners residence; the first store – for Wm. Gray, on the lot occupied by J. E. Brooks residence; the first church – by the Primitive Baptists at the lot occupied by the J. C. Beall residence east of town and in all enterprises, moral and political issues he took an active part on the side and right and progress. He served this (then Titus) county as tax
assessor and collected for about fifteen years and was thrown out of office by the carpetbag administration just after the war. His wife died Feb. 24, 1898. Eight children were born to them and four have died. Those living are: James F., Mrs. Mary Stephenson, Wade H., Mrs. Elizabeth Pattillo and Joel, all of whom reside here and were with him when he died. The internment took place this afternoon at the City Cemetery and a host of friends and relatives gathered there to pay the last mark of respect to their departed friend. The business houses were closed during the service. Rev. C. R. Gray, pastor of the Methodist Church, conducted the services and paid eloquent and fitting tribute to the life of this man of Christian character. Grandpa Arrington was a member of the church for about thirty years.
Research Tool Available
By FCHA President B. F. Hicks
In the summer of 2009, my staff and I undertook a major research project. We took the handwritten ledger of the records of the Republic of Texas relating to land titles in Franklin County and prepared an abstract of those records – setting up the abstract and index in a searchable, computer-friendly MS Word document. There are about 1,000 names; and the records are just invaluable.
We also made a photocopy of the original handwritten book. Scribes were sent to Red River County when our county was formed in 1875, and they transcribed the records relating to land in the new county into a volume. The records were then copied in a feathery script in 1908, and that book remains available in our county clerk’s office – a great deal of the writing is almost illegible; but, after you decipher the documents, it is truly fascinating. And it gives further proof of the very early settlement of this region, as immigrants could not resist the lure of land and participated in the Westward Movement, crossing the Red River and following the Indian Route (commonly called the Cherokee Trace but actually a much earlier Caddo Indian Route leading from Nacogdoches to Spiro, Oklahoma). For instance, in 1838, the heirs of John Humphreys arranged for affidavits to prove up their title to a large tract of land on the eastern edge of our county along present-day I-30; the Humphreys claimed to have arrived on the land in July 1818; when the United States was not yet 50 years old.
If you would like to purchase a computer disk of the records; we will send you one for $15.00 postpaid (check to FCHA). We have to share credit in this undertaking with Christine Dennis Skelly, immediate past president of the Franklin County Genealogical Society. Chris read and proofed my effort. Andrew Trampus and Lu Butler had worked many hours; I had proofed; and then Chris proofed, too. We probably still have some errors – some script was just indecipherable – but we now have a record available for the public and further information regarding our heritage here. For those of you who heard John Shafer’s great program on the Republic of Texas militia and Fort Sherman; the names are all in this new resource tool. This project fits with the FCHA goal of supporting the preservation of our natural and cultural heritage. Ask for one of our Indian Trail guides and go take the tours; your children will see the vistas akin to what the pioneers saw; right here in Franklin County.