Carol C Taylor Blog

Traipsing Through Texas

Posted on May 7, 2017 by admin

Fort Richardson (1867-1878) is located on the south bank of Lost Creek in Jacksboro, Texas. It was the northernmost frontier fort in Texas after the Civil War. The post hospital (shown), officer’s quarters, powder magazine, morgue, commissary, guard house and bakery that once produced 600 loaves of fresh bread each day are all on the grounds. Today a Texas State Park, the grounds also include nature trails and park ranger talks.

Over the past few months I have had opportunities to travel in many parts of central Texas; up along the Red River, eastward to Marshall and Nacogdoches, and south the Brenham and Navasota. All areas are often similar but definitely individual.

I grew up in Jacksboro, about three hours west of Greenville on Highway 380. It was early last month when I went to a funeral there. As I drove out in a rainstorm, I knew the next day would be a beautiful spring day. It was! The rain had filled the rivers and stock tanks, the word for places created to hold water for cattle and other livestock. Grass was tall and green, every indication of a fine season.

Jacksboro is unique. It grew around a post-Civil War Indian fort, Fort Richardson. The stone buildings surrounding the courthouse square date back to the late 1800s. People in Jacksboro are proud of their heritage and that heritage is visible everywhere.

Denton County Courthouse located in the center of historic downtown Denton. Designed by W. C. Dodson in 1895 the structure cost $150,000 and opened in 1897. The county and town were named in honor of John B. Denton, frontier preacher, and lawyer buried on the east lawn.

I also drove through Denton and Decatur, both becoming suburbs of Dallas and Fort Worth. But they are working hard to remain unique. Many cattle came through Decatur after the Civil War on their way to railheads in Kansas.

Last summer I went to Jefferson to a Civil War conference. Jefferson is not really a great place to visit in the heat of summer. But like other old towns in Texas it has preserved it antiquities in the forms of homes, stores, and the bayou where steamboats stopped for cotton and passengers on the way to New Orleans. The next boat might come from New Orleans and carry goods for the interior of Texas, such things as sugar, coffee, lumber, and furniture. The respect for the past is evident throughout town.

Trying to find the route of Jefferson Road, I drove back roads one spring weekend. Every time I thought I knew where the road had been, I came to a steep hill or creek too deep to cross in a wagon pulled by multiple yokes of oxen. Jefferson Road brought supplies and goods to all the communities in this part of Texas long before there were railroads.

In my travels I have visited Marshall, Denison, Palestine, Jacksonville, and Longview. These were railroad towns that developed after the Civil War. They all have beautiful old homes and churches. But the most evident feature is the railroad tracks, switches, depots, and hotels. There is an obvious similarity in all.

This past weekend I went to Brenham to a history conference. I always avoid interstate highways if at all possible, and this was no exception. I was absolutely swept away with the beauty of Navasota. I understand some of the lavish homes were really summer homes for wealthy families in Houston. It is evident that some one or some group had deep pockets to finance the great restorations.

Anderson is the county seat of Grimes County. As you come around a curve there is an incredibly gorgeous courthouse. Anderson is the center of the county and therefore was chosen as county seat and not Navasota.

Brenham is, of course, known for Blue Bell Ice Cream. I splurged on a delicious piece of buttermilk pie, but was very impressed with the way the downtown area has been preserved.

On my latest venture I saw a peacock farm, a saw mill, and crossed the Brazos River, the Trinity River three times, and the Sabine River. I am here to tell you there is always something to see in Texas.

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What’s Ahead?

Posted on April 30, 2017 by admin

Hunt County Courthouse on San Jacinto Day 1917. A record-breaking crowd gathered to hear Texas Governor James E. Ferguson speak as the large U. S. flag was raised over the courthouse. Notice the over-whelming number of white males in the crowd.

April 1917 was an emotional time for the United States. Greenville and Hunt County were certainly included in the proud, patriotic, and frightening future.

On April 6, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Declaration of War against Germany and Austria-Hungary. We would soon join France, Great Britain, and their allies in the War to end all Wars. Thousand of men died in the previous three and one-half years earlier. Many American wondered how many more would perish?

Two days before Wilson signed the declaration, citizens of Greenville and Hunt County pooled funds to purchase an American flag twenty-five by fifteen feet and a seventy-foot flagpole to display the flag over the Hunt County Courthouse. Citizens of Commerce and East Texas State University followed suit with their flag to fly in the public square.

Fears raged that German spies were around every corner. One fairly substantial rumor spread the news some group plotted to blow up the cotton compress east of downtown Greenville. The sheriff, believing it true, sent guards to protect the property and other sites that were vulnerable.

African-Americans of Greenville held a rally on the courthouse square, pledging their support to President Wilson. They disclaimed any intention or disposition on their part to assist any foreign power. There was a growing sentiment for the organization of a Negro company in Greenville. Efforts were made to secure the proper authority for such action. A few days later new enlistments in the national defense organizations included Cornelius E. Hall, an Africa-American of Greenville.

At the same time, fifteen young men from Greenville enlisted in the U. S. Navy, leaving immediately for Dallas where they would be assigned for training. Over in Hopkins County, Greenville resident Willie J. Durham registered for the draft. Only a school boy at the time, Durham would become one of the leading African-American attorneys in the state of Texas and the United States when he was Witness for the Plaintiff in two monumental Civil Rights cases years later.

On San Jacinto Day, April 21, 1917, a crowd of an estimated 5,000 people gathered on the courthouse square to hear Governor James E. Ferguson deliver the principal address as the huge flag rose over the courthouse. San Jacinto Day had been a special event for years, but this was the largest gathering ever. Officials and citizens gave speeches supporting the President, his ideas, and all young men who had volunteered their service in military branches. Old Confederate soldiers marched around the courthouse, many in their old uniforms. A resolution pledging the support of all Hunt County citizens to President Wilson was adopted at the rally. The selective draft plan of raising an army was wholeheartedly favored.

Four days later a humorous event occurred in Commerce near the college campus. Mrs. John Wells stated that around 5:35 that morning she saw a flying machine not very high above ground traveling due north. She described the vehicle as shaped like a canoe with three passengers. As it flew over the campus it sped across the sky. As it was broad daylight, she was absolutely positive there was no mistake. Could she have seen the famed Red Baron of the German Army Air Corps cruising over Texas prairies or was there something in her morning coffee?

Posted in Greenville, Historical tidbits, North Texas History | Leave a comment

Dancing Cheek to Cheek at Hotel Washington

Posted on April 23, 2017 by admin

The dancing on the Rooftop Garden at the Hotel Washington was hardly of the style and grace of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but it caused a scandal nonetheless.

The dancing on the Roof Garden at the Hotel Washington was hardly of the style and grace of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but it caused a scandal nonetheless.

For a special group of Greenville citizens, the 1920s meant fun, laughter, outlandish pranks, and a break from staid customs of the past. As the popular song of the day suggested, “Anything Goes” and it did in Greenville, Texas. With the Spector of War vanquished, Americans enjoyed automobiles, jazz, dancing, and the luxury of credit buying. Everything was available except alcohol that was banned in 1903. Yet numerous bootleggers remedied that problem easily enough.

However, not every citizen in Greenville lived the Good Life. Only those with hefty bank accounts fit into a class that included bankers, doctors, lawyers, cotton buyers, large landowners, and merchants. Wage earners, African-Americans, and laborers composed a much larger portion of the population but clearly knew they were not in the elite group.

Greenville was a thriving city, boosted along with multiple rail lines, a large cotton compress, a large number of cotton gins throughout the county, and banks with connections to leading financial centers in New York. The elite definitely celebrated the Roaring Twenties. Many young men of the group owned automobiles, all elite women dressed in the latest fashions, and social events filled society pages of local newspapers.

With the arrival of railroads in 1880, Greenville saw a bumper crop of visitors; men such as cotton buyers, financiers, conventions attendees, and salesmen. Large, luxurious hotels became necessary fixtures for the growing city. In 1881 Fred Ende opened the earliest first-rate hotel. But it went up in flames two years later, destroying the courthouse as well as the entire south and west sides of the public square. Shortly after the Beckham Hotel opened on Lee Street. Yet, it too was destroyed by fire a few years later. The Beckham family rebuilt their hotel. In 1925 a group of Greenville businessmen formed a consortium to build the most luxurious, lavish hotel this side of Dallas. Hotel Washington became the social center of town, located on Washington Street.

On Tuesday, August 18, 1926 the Hotel Washington formally opened with a seven-course banquet and late night dancing on the beautifully romantic Roof Garden. Special entertainment at both the banquet and Roof Garden arrived from Dallas as well as some local talent. Doors opened at 7:00 P.M., the Banquet began at 8:00, and dancing lasted until the wee hours of the morning. Some couples may have witnessed the sun rise in the east atop the Roof Garden.

On Sunday, August 16, members of Wesley Methodist Church, a few blocks from the new hotel, heard a hell, fire, and brimstone sermon from Rev. French, their pastor. Methodists at that time were known for their opposition to dancing. Rev. French made a point of the opposition that August Sunday morning. Not only did he let his congregation know his views, he managed to influence one of the local newspapers to print the sermon in two parts on Monday and Tuesday.

What Rev. French proposed was extremely out of the ordinary. Dennis Strickland picked up on a most unusual point and asked me to give my interpretation this Wednesday, April 23 at Hump Day at the Texan Theater at 5:00 P.M. His free entertainment is always fun. So I hope to see as many of you there as can make it.

Posted in Greenville, Historical tidbits | Leave a comment

Spring Cleaning

Posted on April 16, 2017 by admin

Beating a rug in the mid 1850s. The object in her hand was known as a “carpet beater” and took a fairly strong girl to rid the rug of the accumulation of dirt from the winter. (Sovereign Hill Education Blog, servant-carpet-beating.)

Do you set aside a few days every spring to clean house? I bet few people, if any, do that. But a few generations ago, Spring Cleaning was a must.

That didn’t necessarily mean that housewives were more absorbed with cleanliness than we are today. More dirt and dust found its way into their houses.

Women simply had fewer of the time and energy saving devices we have today. Plus, many women did not work outside the home. So they had more time to do such chores such as ironing the sheets and pillowcases, washing and drying dishes by hand, and of course, cooking more elaborate meals. By elaborate I mean they cooked all foods from scratch. No running by a fast food place on the way home to pick up supper.

For many, many years the working class families ate the main meal at noon. In small towns the volunteer fire department rang the fire alarm to announce it was time to close down for a big meal at home and a short nap.

But back to the cleaning. Rugs and blankets received a good beating out on the clothesline to rid them of mud and dirt. Mattresses were turned and often taken outside to air. Women got down on their hands and knees and scrubbed floors with soap and water; most floors were either wood or covered with linoleum. Windows were washed, as were the window screens. My grandparents had a large wrap-around porch with cement flooring. My grandmother and I washed the porch as soon as the weather warmed up. She took the water hose, sprayed the porch with lots of water, then we took brooms to sweep away mud, wasp nests, leaves, and everything else that found a hiding place during the winter. I thought it was great fun to go barefooted and play in the water.

Closets were gone through and clothing that didn’t fit was given to someone else who could wear it. If no one could be found that was the right size, the fabric could be reused in another item of clothing. Shoes could be resoled.

Seldom was anything discarded. You reused, made do, or did without. But cleanliness was stressed more often in the springtime.

I did have one great-aunt that took the prize for cleanliness. She and her husband lived on the Club Ranch south of Wichita Falls where he was ranch foreman. Aunt Earl believed in cleanliness with a passion. The kitchen was a typical early rural kitchen of the 1900s with linoleum on the floor and wood stove in a prominent space.

Every morning the cowboys came into the kitchen for a cup of coffee and instructions for the day. On a working ranch there was always something to do. Aunt Earl may have fed them breakfast but I don’t recall. Once they went out to start work, she grabbed her bucket and scrub brush to clean the kitchen. She was never able to train those cowboys to scrape their boots or take off their spurs. Believe me, I doubt if any of those men saw another part of the house or sat down in a chair while talking to the foreman.

Aunt Earl was a tiny woman full of energy. I suppose she was so small because she worked so hard. Her sister was more of a town lady and carried a few extra pounds. She always fussed about her weight. I thought if she worked like her sister, maybe she wouldn’t have that problem. But believe me, I never voiced my opinion on that subject. I knew better.

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The Last Cattle Drive to New Orleans

Posted on April 10, 2017 by admin

Army beef swimming the Occoquan River, Virginia / sketched by Mr. A.R. Waud. Library of Congress Online Catalog (634,618) Prints and Photographs Division (815,639)

I took a long weekend recently to spend in one of my favorite cities, New Orleans. Yes, I enjoyed the delicious food, the weather was perfect, and flowers were already blooming. But my mission was indoors at the Williams Research Center on Chartres Street. It’s one of my favorite places because it is the home of the Historic New Orleans Collection. There, I needed to learn how a herd of cattle leaving Matagorda Island in Texas wend its way into New Orleans.

If you fly or drive from Northeast Texas, you will see lots of swamps about an hour out of Shreveport. Cows don’t swim well so how did they get to the city in 1861?

When I went into the Research Center the attendant asked me how she could assist me. I really think she thought I was kidding when I told her I wanted to see maps showing how cattle and horses might arrive in the Crescent City. Then I told her I would really like to find a good social history of south Louisiana before Admiral Farragut arrived with the Union navy. But the lady was as cool as could be, brought me three wonderful atlases, a journal the mayor kept that spring and summer, and numerous photographic histories, memoirs, etc. I spent two days there taking notes, looking carefully at maps and charts, and having a great time.

Why was I doing all this? Who cares about such things? A large group of south Texas ranchers and historians, that’s who. I will present a paper I call “The Last Cattle Drive to New Orleans” on April 28 at the Central Texas Historical Conference in Brenham, Texas.

I wrote the paper about seven or eight years ago. I had no trouble getting those steers to Beaumont and crossing the Sabine River. Leaving Matagorda they headed to Richmond where they took the El Camino Real or Old Spanish Road created in the 1700s or earlier. But I wasn’t really clear about the way to New Orleans and the trials and tribulations facing the drovers over there.

As I read over the paper I wrote I quickly decided it needed a drastic revision. I have made the trip down there several times in the last few years and knew my paper was weak on that leg of the trip. I have less than four weeks to read and rewrite. There are so many important viewpoints that I neglected the first time. It will be fun putting together a better paper, I hope.

Not only is the Research Center a great place for historians and genealogists, but also not far away is an almost ideal bookstore, the Faulkner House. William Faulkner actually lived in the home while working in New Orleans. Every time I make a trip down there I find my way to Pirates’ Alley and Faulkner House.

This time I bought Gerstäcker’s Louisiana, translated from German by Irene S. DiMaio. I found lots of fodder for my paper. As I read, I remembered that Frederick Von Ende arrived in Greenville in 1857 after a series of adventures very similar to Herr Gerstäcker’s.

There is a saying among Texas historians that only criminals, debtors, and persons running from bad marriages came to early Texas. If so, most crossed through Louisiana, particularly New Orleans and Shreveport, where they honed their traits.

Posted in Historical tidbits, Texas | 1 Comment

An Awesome April

Posted on April 2, 2017 by admin

An estimated 5000 citizens gathered at the Hunt County Courthouse in Greenville, Texas on April 21, 1917. Instead of traditionally celebrating San Jacinto Day, when Texas won her independence from Mexico, the crowd eagerly listened to Governor James Ferguson and showed support for President Wilson’s war tactics. Note the enormous American flag on the flagpole atop the copula.

Daily newspapers often delight us, bring giggles and tears, and tear at our heartstrings. Such was April 1917. Normally spring brought news of baseball and track meets to Greenville and Hunt County. While these sports captured the readers’ attention, national and international news were at the forefront that year. On April 6 President Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. The whole world was at war, now the United States joined in the fray.

The Zimmerman Telegram a month earlier scared many Americans into the belief that war was inevitable. Patriotism sprang up like the first weeds of the season. Patriotic citizens purchased an American flag 25 feet by 15 feet to unfurl on a seventy-foot flagpole on the roof of the courthouse. Governor James E. Ferguson arrived on April 21, San Jacinto Day in Texas, to deliver the principal address at the flag raising ceremony. More than 5,000 people from all parts of Hunt County gathered on the courthouse lawn to hear the Governor and others give speeches in support of the President and the ideas he endorsed. A resolution pledging the support of citizens (remember only men could vote) to the President was adopted. The selective draft plan of raising an army was favored.

Earlier in the month a crowd of an estimated 5,000 people joined in a public celebration to honor the Hunt County Company of the National Guard. A donation of $250 was collected and given the men for unfurnished necessities. The local company had gained about fifty recruits in five days. At mid-month fifteen young men from Greenville enlisted in the US Navy and immediately left for Dallas to be assigned for training. One of the new enlistees was Cornelius E. Hall, an African American of Greenville. By the end of the month President Wilson and General Joffre of France indicated by the end of May National Guard troops would be on their way to France.

Such events were held in many parts of the country. However, in other places the war was not at all popular. Among other matters, Americans were encouraged to report any neighbors who were not enthusiastic about the war. The Great War was as divisive as any war.

But there was humor and good cheer in the air in April 1917. The folks at Commerce were tremendously enthusiastic about the Governor’s approval of Mayo’s College becoming East Texas Normal College.

Was this the flying machine Mrs. John Wells saw over her home in Commerce? She described it as flying rapidly over the campus of East Texas Normal College. Sighting such as this were quite frequent in the spring of 1897. But very few reports were found in 1917. See http://www.carolctaylor.com/wordpress/?p=634
for more about flying machines in Northeast Texas. (Gareth Shute: Airships)

A gentleman in Commerce decided to challenge a recent Supreme Court decision that the pool hall law was unconstitutional. He opened a pool hall in downtown Commerce with no problems.

The sheriff received reliable word that a possible bomb might blow up the cotton compress in Greenville. Extra deputies patrolled the area but no bombs were found.

And finally, Mrs. John Wells stated that about 5:35 on the morning of April 25 she saw a flying machine at not a great height traveling due north over the western part of Commerce. She described it as shaped like a canoe carrying three passengers flying rapidly over the college. It was broad daylight so there could be no mistake about it.

For more detailed events in April 1917 visit my FaceBook page at Carol Taylor. I’m the one standing by a Texas Historical Marker.

Posted in Greenville, Historical tidbits, North Texas History | Leave a comment

While Strolling, Take in the Historic Sites

Posted on March 26, 2017 by admin

Lee Street on a Saturday afternoon in the summer of 1925. Everyone came to town to visit, to shop, and make a few trades. Notice the IOOF Building at the far right. The Greenville National Exchange Bank would soon move to the opposite corner.
(Photo courtesy of author.)

While enjoying the Greenville Downtown Stroll next Saturday night, take in a few historic sites. Start at the northeast corner of the square with the Fred Ende Chapter # 87 of International Order of Odd Fellows, the second oldest fraternal group in the county. While the downstairs has served as home to such retail businesses as an old-fashioned hardware store, the original home of Citizen’s State Bank in the 1920, and currently a florist it is the wonderful turn-of-the-century architecture that is worth a glimpse.

Cross Johnson Street and notice the old Kress Building. Bob Landon did an excellent job refurbishing the exterior of the unique building, a truly successful job. I love the way he retained the wooden floors inside.

On your left is the front of the 1929 Hunt County Courthouse. This wonderful jewel was the prototype of the courthouse at Travis County in Austin. Sometime when you are downtown on a weekday from 8 to 5, drop in and look around. There is a lot of history in that building.

Across Stonewall Street is the Greenville National Exchange Building built in 1926 and later modified with three more floors. It not only served as a bank, but housed doctors, attorneys, and dentists. Today it is owned by Hunt County and used for offices.

Now look down Lee Street. You will notice that the south side of the street takes a slight jog. An early surveyor didn’t run a straight line long ago; hence the odd angle. Now cross Lee Street to the north side where the old Perkins Building is. At one time it was one of the earliest “cash stores” in the county. Later it became an elegant department store until it was converted into a unique mall. All the lumber, railings, and doors came from the original Perkins Building.

In the next block of Lee Street were some of the most fantastic women’s clothing stores in Texas. No need to run to Dallas when Skibell’s, Wolfe’s, and Tannenbaum’s were here. The Corner Street Pub was once a great shoe shop.

Of course, the Texan is in the same block. My husband and I had our first date there when it was a movie theater. Next door is the Medical Arts building, now known as the Henson Building. Virginia King had the building built after the King Opera House burned three times. Look up at the craftsmanship on the building.

Now cross Lee Street and turn right on Washington Street. In front of you is the crown jewel of Greenville – Central Christian Church. If you ever get a chance to go inside, by all means do. It is as special as the exterior.

Head east down either side of Washington and notice the Washington Hotel at the corner of St. John and Washington. Imagine dancing under the stars on the Roof Garden; or enjoying a delicious meal in the Coffee Shop. At one time you could soothe sore muscles with a Turkish bath. Yes, it is called the Cadillac Hotel today, but in it’s heyday it was the Washington and the place to be and be seen.

Now walk down to the corner of Johnson and Washington. Look at the name over the door. This is the Ende Building where Fred Ende opened a mercantile store ca. 1858. After the railroads arrived in 1880, Ende tore down his store to build an elegant hotel. Unfortunately it and a large portion of downtown Greenville burned in 1883. It took twenty years to settle insurance matters. By that time, Mr. Ende had died. But his partner James Armestead named the new building in memory of his partner and Greenville promoter.

Posted in Greenville, Historical tidbits | 1 Comment

The First Anglo Settlers in Texas

Posted on March 19, 2017 by admin

Skipper Steely had permission to use family correspondence and the work of Dr. Rex Strickland for his book Six Months from Tennessee. An e-book copy is available through Amazon.

Did you know that the first Anglo settlers in Texas did not follow Stephen F. Austin to Austin’s Colony in 1821, but were here in North Texas as early as 1816? True! One story I’ve heard is that a few Tennessee soldiers heading home from the Battle of New Orleans decided to stop along the Red River and do a little hunting. Remember how Davy Crockett killed him a b’ar when he was only three? Well, these men were supposedly in the middle of some of the best hunting in the country, right here in Hunt and Fannin Counties.

Claiborne Wright also heard about the vast open prairies of lush grass, ample water and enough timber to build a cabin and keep it warm. Skipper Steely, a descendent of Wright’s and one of the two Steely brothers who are outstanding Texas historians, wrote Six Months From Tennessee in 1983. It is the sole work that I know of about the settlement of lands on the south bank of the Red from Pecan Point to Preston Bend.

Wright, his sons and laborers, built a 60-foot keelboat and floated down the Cumberland River from Carthage, Tennessee to the Ohio, then down the Mississippi to the mouth of the Red. There they turned northwest, poled their way through the Great Raft and up river to Pecan Point. The trip took six months, and on the night of their arrival Indians stole the keelboat.

The Wright family first chose to settle on the north bank of the Red where they lived for several years until the U. S. Army forced them to leave and move to the south bank of the river. The north bank became home to immigrant Choctaw Indians as a result of Dancing Rabbit Treaty.

Needless to say the Wrights and their neighbors were not happy to leave their homes and crops, and move. So they burned everything down after crops and livestock crossed to the Texas side. When they moved in 1821 they honestly believed that they then lived in Miller County, Arkansas. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 had not clearly identified what was United States and what was Spain/Mexico. The Anglo settlers paid taxes to the state of Arkansas, sent representatives to the Arkansas legislature and claimed to be Americans. It would no be until 1836 when Texas became a Republic that attempts were made to clarify the boundary issues.

It has often been said that Texas was settled by three types of men (and a few women) who were three steps ahead of the debt collector, running from the law, or escaping a soured marriage. Yet some fine families settled along the Red River. As more and more people arrived with families and slaves, they drifted inland to Hunt County.

The settlers built houses, raised livestock and grain crops as well as their own food, and developed communities with churches and schools. The prairies were full of bears, coyotes, wild hogs, herds of buffalo and mustangs, hundreds of birds, and clean streams filled with fish. They raised horses, cattle, goats, sheep, and hogs for their own food and to sell at markets down the Sabine.

The stories these early families left are amazing.

Posted in Historical tidbits, North Texas History, Texas | 2 Comments

William Etier

Posted on March 12, 2017 by admin

All that remains of the Tidwell community is the Tidwell Baptist Church and Cemetery. The dense thickets were cleared for cotton farming.
Google Maps photo

The United States in the 19th Century did not allow women many rights. They were considered too delicate to handle finances or to manage their own businesses. Economics were too complex for their understanding. It was the duty of fathers, husbands, even brothers to handle such matters for women whose duty it was to raise children and be concerned about her husband. No more and no less.

Since life expectancy was much shorter at that time, it was assumed that a widow would need a strong man to care for her. Men who found themselves widowers felt unable to care for children. Therefore, second, third and even fourth marriages were the norm.

Such is the case of William Etier or “Bill Aikey” as he was known in Hunt County. In June 1874, Bill filed suit for a divorce from Sarah Jane Maxwell Etier, which the judge granted. In his petition we find an amazingly humorous, but probably very true account of the post-Civil War era.

Bill Aikey hired Col. Dan Upthegrove, a young and enterprising attorney in Greenville to represent him in the case. It is from Upthegrove’ petition that we learn the affairs of Bill and Sarah Jane.

Bill began his petition complaining that Sarah Jane Etier, nee Maxwell, should have always retained the surname Maxwell. As the tale unfolds, you may agree.

Bill lost his beloved wife in 1871, leaving him with seven children ages twenty-two to three. In the fall of 1872 Sarah Jane crossed Bill’s way, a widow also with seven children. Bill admitted Sarah had “mighty winning ways.” She was mild mannered and claimed her children were angels. But, she would be the last woman to “wheedle him into matrimony.”

On a Sunday morning in December 1872, (1873 according to marriage records in Hunt County Clerk’s Office) Sarah Jane convinced Bill it was time to go see Preacher Thomas Reedy who united the couple in the bonds of holy matrimony. According to customs of the time, Bill and his kids moved in with Sarah Jane and her seven children. Immediately war broke out. The kids fought, Sarah Jane nagged and hit Bill over the head, and Bill mouthed and cussed. The location of Sarah Jane’s home she inherited from her late husband did not help matters. It was in the absolute middle of Tidwell Thicket where the sun shone about two hours on a good day.

Bill must have been very strong physically. By June 1873 he had cleared all of the trees and brush around the house, plowed and fenced new fields, planted and raised a good crop. At that point Sarah Jane issued an ultimatum to Bill: take your “brats and git up and git.” That’s when Bill went looking for Col. Upthegrove.

The Honorable W. G. Andrews, Judge of the 11th Judicial District of the State of Texas issued the divorce decree in June 8, 1874. One wonders if Sarah Jane wheedled another man to do more work on her farm? What happened to Bill Aikey?

No records were found of either family but the divorce petition can be found in Pace’s Texas Scrap Book: Containing Gems of Thought from Bench, Bar, Pulpit, Rostrum on Religious, Political and Educational Subjects (Dallas 1933). Here is a transcription of the divorce petition:

DIVORCE PETITION
ETIER vs. ETIER
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF HUNT COUNTY, TEXAS. TO THE HON. W. G. ANDREWS, JUDGE OF THE 11TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

Your unfortunate petitioner, William Etier, who is generally known as Bill Aikey, and who has been before your honor in time past, and to whom your honor granted a new trial when petitioner believed he was gone where the “Woodbine twineth”, and who is a citizen of Hunt, State aforesaid, complaining of Sarah Jane Etier, who is also a resident citizen of said County and State, and who was formerly, and always should have remained, Sarah Jane Maxwell. Petitioner states that in the year 1871, he lost his beloved wife, leaving him a disconsolate widower with seven children to mourn with him their loss. Petitioner states that the respective names and ages of his children are as follows: William Henry Harrison, my first born, 22 years old; Nap, my second born, 20 years old; Franklin, my third born, 18 years old, Myra, my fourth born, 16 years old; Boston, my fifth born, 7; Nancy, 5; Henry, 3.

In the Fall of 1872, Sarah Jane Maxwell crossed his way, and if your petitioner had followed the advice of Tony Weller to his son, Samuel, this suit would never have been brought. Petitioner would further state that the said Sarah Jane was a woman of mighty winning ways before they were married, and one of the mildest mannered women he ever saw. Petitioner would further state that the said Sarah Jane told him that all of her children were angels, and that she believed petitioner’s children were angels for they looked just like their Dad. Sarah Jane told petitioner that she was raising up her children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and that she required her children to repeat the Lord’s Prayer every night; all of which petitioner believed, for the said Sarah Jane repeated to the petitioner the said prayer which begins, “Now I lay me down to sleep,” etc. Now right here, let petitioner state that the said Sarah Jane is the last woman that will ever wheedle him into matrimony on the piety side of the docket.

Petitioner would further state that on a Sunday morning in December 1872, the said Sarah Jane came to the house of the petitioner, and by her fascinating walk and pious conversation induced petitioner to go to the house of that Godly man, Thomas Reedy, and there they were united in the holy bonds of matrimony; and your petitioner, believing he had a Dorcas for a wife, thought it was his duty to follow the injunction of the Scriptures, and leave home, father and mother, and cleave unto his wife, so he left his home, taking with him his seven children, and went to the house of the said Sarah Jane, in Tidwell Thicket, and here petitioner would like for a veil of oblivion to fall upon the scene, and what followed to be lost to history and to man, but as the veil of oblivion will not fall, petitioner is bound to tell what happened.

Petitioner soon discovered that when he went into the house of the said Sarah Jane, his Dorcas was gone, and he had a Mary Magdalene with her seven devils – for soon the Maxwells wanted to know if the Aikeys would mix; and it is well known that wen the Aikey blood is up they will not be imposed one – as mix it was. Your petitioner jumped upon the head of a barrel, and, in the language of our President, cried out, “Let us have peace;” but about that time Sarah Jane motioned a stick at petitioner – and here petitioner makes his head “Exhibit A” to show the result of that fight.

Petitioner would further state that in order to have a clear and comprehensive view of the case we must understand the geographical position of the home of said Sarah Jane. Sarah Jane is the middle-man in Tidwell Thicket. Plump in the center of said thicket is where she lives, and to this place petitioner was conducted; and the place was gloomy enough indeed, for the Sun shone only two hours a day, and then was let down by lead troughs; but this darkness would have been sufferable to a newly married man, if it had not continued so long. For three weeks petitioner worked night and day before he saw the Sun. Petitioner believes and thinks that the sequel will show that the said Sarah Jane wheedled him into matrimony for no other purpose than to get him to clear up the thicket, because from the first she was abusive; but at first her abuse was bearable, but just in proportion as petitioner cleared up the thicket she became more abusive, and when petitioner had cleared and fenced a good field, planted and raised a good crop, the said Sarah Jane – putting on a full head of steam – told petitioner to take his Aikey brats and git up and git, and it is needless to tell anyone who knows Sarah Jane that petitioner had it to do.

Petitioner would state that he had always made the said Sarah Jane a good and obedient husband, and did all in his power to make her happy; but for every kind word, an insult would return; and when Sarah Jane was not abusing petitioner, the children were in a row. Petitioner states that since June, 1873, the time when petitioner was driven away by the said Sarah Jane, they have lived separate and apart, having no communication, or association as man and wife. It is true petitioner mentioned several times the subject to the said Sarah Jane, but she replied, “Bill Aikey, you blamed old fool! I have got my land cleared up now; I would not live with you again to save your life.” Petitioner would further state, that he had lived with several wives before, in perfect peace and harmony, for he was always repeating those old and beautiful lines from Ignomar to Parthenia, “Two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one,” but petitioner states that since he married Sarah Jane, he has not repeated those lines much. And will further say that he believed that matches were made in Heaven until he married Sarah Jane, but that he now doubts that theological dogma.

Petitioner states that the said Sarah Jane kept up a continual clatter about her dear, dear, dead husband, and what he did and could do; and how much better her dead husband was than the petitioner, and that her children were much better than the petitioner’s; and petitioner states that he well knows that for a scientific aggravation Sarah Jane has no equals in these parts. Petitioner is now fully convinced that marriage is nothing but a civil contract, and when broken on the other, and as Sarah Jane drove petitioner away from her home, and refused to live with him or to have anything to do with him, he is certainly entitled to have the contract abrogated.

Wherefore, the petitioner prays and sues, etc.
June 8th, 1874
Signed, DANIEL UPTHEGROVE, Attorney for Plaintiff.

Posted in Greenville, Historical tidbits, North Texas History, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Taking a Stand in History

Posted on March 6, 2017 by admin

A winning exhibit about World War I’s Deadliest Killer – Spanish Influenza. Taking a stand about the pandemic was vital to world history.

Last week I had the honor and privilege of being a judge for the Regional National History Day contest. This is an event that is close to my heart. I have been involved since 1993, as a parent, a coach, and a judge.

National History Day gives students the opportunity to learn about the research process, about presenting their research in a number of different venues, about gaining poise while speaking to an unknown audience, and accepting constructive criticism. Some of the contestants will go on to become historians; while the majority will be engineers, lawyers, accountants, teachers, and doctors. The skills learned in research will last a lifetime, if used regularly.

Each year the National History Day officers choose a new theme. This year it was Taking a Stand in History. Students were to consider the risk involved in a firm position using force, words or economic power.

Normally there are five venues for students to present their research. The most popular is the exhibits category. They must determine the most important aspects and create visual materials to instruct the audience and judges. As a judge, it is easy to see who spent weeks or months on the project and who put it together the weekend before.

Another format is drama. An individual or group puts together a monologue or play interpreting an event that reflects the theme. Here again, the secret is to be relevant and succinct.

Some students choose to work alone by writing a paper. Judging the three high school students’ works I was amazed with their understanding of the theme. Then there are two venues that would overwhelm me if I were a contestant. One is Documentaries and the other is Websites. These students must have a great understanding of electronics; but most are superior. A documentary is really a short news piece with outstanding interpretation of the theme. Often both documentaries and websites jolt the judges into perceiving a concept in a new light. One of the websites really got me to thinking.

That was Doomsday: the Stand for Freedom, created by two young men. To them Doomsday was June 6, 1944 or D-Day, when allied troops invaded Normandy. For them, the risk-takers were not the soldiers but the generals and admirals who planned the invasion, who had to live with the anxiety and loss of men for the rest of their lives. It was truly a different viewpoint.

The other two websites were equally insightful. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Winston Churchill: Standing Against the New World Order focused on the courage of individual leaders who were often forsaken and ignored. All three websites were almost flawless, especially for high school students.

Three papers dealt with familiar topics in an unfamiliar way. Students examined Rosa Parks, Martin Luther, and Malcolm X and their accomplishments closely. Each pointed out a new twist to a familiar story.

Two students or two teams in each category will travel to Austin in late April to compete in the Statewide National History Day contest. Winners there will present in Washington, D. C. early in June. But every student is really a winner. They researched, presented their research, and did so with poise. That is truly an accomplishment for any student. Congratulations to all.