|
|
|
|
|
|
Nacogdoches County
Towns
APPLEBY
By John Weatherly
One of the first land marks showing the early settlement of what is now Appleby is the location of what was once an Indian village, a site about one and three-quarters miles south of the present town of Appleby. This Indian village existed on that site as late as 1826.
About the year 1840 a man by name of Herran built a small log but on a spot within 400 yards of the present railroad depot in Appleby. This man Herran had no other occupation, of record, than that of "running tar." The site of the old log hut and tar kiln today can be shown any visitor by any of the older people of the community.
Among the early settlers of the Appleby community from 1840 until 1860 were the Davidsons, Crawfords, Bullocks, Richardsons, Webbers, Browns, Hunts, Russells, Weatherlys, Powers, Scogins, Mills, Leggs, and Hills. Later the Meltons, Skeeters, campbells, Olds, Coons, Newmans, Greers, Whitakers, Slays, Watkins, Turners, Means and others settled there. The majority of the people of the community today are descendants of the above families.
The early settlers attended church at the old North Church, (organized in 1838), Liberty (now Mayotown) and Leggs School-house, the last-named place being two and one-half miles south of the present town of Appleby. All these structures were log houses were seats made out of split logs with holes bored in them for the peg legs. The first school was at Legg's school house. The next, after the Civil War was at Richardson's school house. (The writer of this article sat on the old split log bench in Legg's school when a lad of nine.)
The Bethel Baptist Church, today one of the best in Appleby, was organized in 1878 at the Richardson school house.
Until after the coming of the H. E. & W. T. Railroad in 1882, we got our mail at Nacogdoches where we did most of our trading except for occasional overland trips to Shreveport. J. H. Richardson owned the site of Appleby when the railroad came. He donated the site for the town. The first store was built and run by W. T. Skeeters, who was named postmaster shortly afterward. The first school house in the town was built in 1888. That building burned in 1902. The first independent school district in the county was organized at Appleby. The present fine two-story brick building was erected in 1920.
Business houses in Appleby today include the Appleby State Bank, the Weatherly Bros. drug and hardware store, the Frank Hill & Co. general merchandise, the John P. Coon general merchandise store, the William Frisby Garage, the J. S. Troutman cotton gin, the A. L. Mangham cafe, the T. N. Chandler meat market, the Boyett Bros. general merchandise store, the Blacksher-White general merchandise store, the Dennard Barber Shop, the Stanaland Blacksmith shop the Appleby Gin Company, the W. W. Mangham feed store and the c. A. Coats harness shop. Practicing physicians are Dr. B. M. Harrison and Dr. G. E. Samuels.
Appleby has recently awakened to the possibilities of the poultry and dairy businss. The Appleby Retail Merchants association was organized last winter and a milk route, the first in this section, thas been assured recently, running into Shreveport. The town is the center of one of the best agricultural and dairying sections to be found anywhere in the United States. Another industry for the town that is expected to be realized next winter is a canning plant, plans for which already have been prefected.
CHIRENO
One of the beauty spots of the world, so far as natural scenery is concerned, is found in the vicinity of Chireno, 17 miles east of Nacogdoches. Chireno boasts 10 or 12 as up-to-date stores and business houses as is found in any small town.
The Chireno Stae Bank of which T. J. Curl is cashier is one of the leading banks of the county. Among other leaders in the business life of Chireno is H. H. Greer, who operates one of the best equipped drug stores in the entire county. B. F. Moore, leading general merchandise operator for nearly 40 years, is mentioned in another section of this book.
R. H. Fall, J. O. Perry, Eric Green, Mack Smith are some of the other business men of the village who are wide awake to the town's opportunities. Ira L. Pack has the only tailoring establishment in the town. On the highway, one mile from town, is Morgan Weeks who operates a grocery and filling station.
Chireno has three church congregations all of which are up and doing, with regular pastors being maintained. Rev. L. C. Upton is leader of the Methodist congregation which
is housed in a brick structure.
CUSHING
Cushing the second town in size in Nacogdoches county, claims the distinction at present of being the biggest tomato and poultry shipping center of this section, according to J. O. Fussell, vice president of the State Bank.
In the cotton season of 1926, the town had the distinction also of weighing 8000 bales of cotton. Two modern gins in the town both owned and operated by Messrs Wood and Cariker, turned out a large part of this cotton.
The town now has hopes of benefiting from the recent discovery of oil just across the river in Cherokee county and hopes are held for oil nearer by, in the Sacul - Cushing sector of the county. Several blocks of acreage have been leased and contracts are pending for drilling deep tests.
Cushing has a newspaper, published by S. W. Baker, and boasts a lively business center. Nine business houses carry a line of groceries, including I. B. Harper, W. B. Irwin, F. P. Williamson, R. P. Johnson, J. D. Lowe, H. G. Pierce, B. B. Hardy, R. C. Wallace, G. A. Raney, D. R. Heath and Charlie Beck. Seven firms are in the general merchandise business, including W. B. Iwin, F. P. Williamson, J. D. Lowe, G. A. Raney, B. B. Hardy and H. G. Pierce. Two banks, the Farmers State and the Cushing State, are healthy institutions.
In the larger business firms are included the Cushing Motor Company, G. M. Clemons, manager with an authorized Ford agency. This agency carries a large Ford parts business. The Paine Chevrolet Company has the Chevrolet agency. The Wallace Hotel caters to the traveling public. The town has four church congregations, Rev. L. E. Wratten leading the Methodists, Rev. Hill the Baptists, rev. W. C. Newburn the Landmark Baptists and Rev. W. A. Nash the Presbyterians. M. Wedgeworth is superintendent of the public schools.
The town of Cushing was organized just about the time the T. & N. O. Railroad came through the county, 24 years ago.
DOUGLAS
Douglass, the scene of many history-making events of the early days in Texas is located 15 miles west of Nacogdoches on the Nacogdoches -Alto highway. At one time General Sam Houston visited often in Douglass at the Clute inn. Directly after the Civil War the store of Mr. Clute was raided by women bent on getting sugar for their starved families the women getting away with apronsful of the sugar after breaking several hogsheads which belonged to the Government.
Douglass today is noted for its fine community hall, the only one of its kind in the county, which seats 600 and is lighted by electricity. The villiage is in the center of a rich farming section where the growing of tomatoes is a large part of the farmers' program.
Stores in Douglass today include the general merchandise business of J. C. Neel and B. G. Kelly, the Douglass Drug Company, the C. S. King Garage, the Page English filling station and cafe, the V. G. Kelly cafe, and offices of Dr. R. A. Wilson, practicing physician.
GARRISON
The center of the coal mining and brick manufacturing interests of East Texas is centered at Garrison 20 miles north of Nacogdoches.
Garrison was founded about 1882 by the late Capt. Frank Garrison. The town was laid out just before the H. E. & W. T. Railroad came through the county, running its line from Houston to Shreveport.
Today the town has 15 or 20 nice brick business buildings grouped about an open square facing the railroad station. Leading commercial interests in the town include the First State Bank of which J. W. Stallings is the president, The McMillan Motor Company with which J. B. and O. M. McMillan, brothers have made a phenomenal record in growth during the last three years, the Garrison Brick & Tile Company of which W. P. Faulk is general manager, and the Garrison Coal mines operated by E. G. Douglass.
The Garrison Brick & Tile Company manufactures a very excellent quality of brick which is sold all over the southwest in addition to a fast growing tile business. The brick compares favorably with any other make of brick in Texas, classing much higher than the average brick on the market today. All the brick used in two Stephen F. Austin College buildings are from this plant in addition to the brick in the W. O. W. building and many other well known structures in this section.
Garrison has several nice modern churches, a fine modern high school. O. Dorrough is superintendent of the school system as well as secretary of the chamber of commerce.
It is not as well known as it should be to the outside world that we have lignite coal beds in Nacogdoches county that produce as cheap a fuel as can be found and that finds a ready market. E. G. Douglass is operating serveral of these mines at Garrison at this time and has more orders than he can keep up with he says.
Garrison also believes it is in the oil sector. The town has a fine mineral water which is an excellent health restorer and which many people drink for that purpose. This needs development, however, at this time.
The Garrison Gazette is published by C. Applegate.
LINN FLAT-TRAWICK
The coming of the T. & N. O. Railroad in 1903 spoiled one of the oldest towns in Nacogdoches county, resulting in the building of the village of Trawick two miles west of Linn Flat, the latter one of the oldest towns in the state.
History tells of a big barbecue and town-lot sale in Linn Flat in the year 1851 but the town today has dwindled to two stores with a half dozen homes left to dot the top of the prettiest plateau in East Texas.
Trawick, two miles away on the railroad, now has four or five flourishing business houses, including the general merchandise business of John Orum, the big store of J. R. Trawick, stores by W. J. Box and T. Y. Blackburn. A four-teacher school will be headed next session by Prof. J. Mansinger. Two congregations here are led by Rev. Murchison for the Methodists and Rev. Crouch for the Presbyterians.
Sam Watkins pioneer merchant at Linn Flat, is closing his business this year after 38 years in the village during which time has done the record total business of more than a million dollars.
MARTINSVILLE
Martinsville, formerly known as Martin City, was named for Dr. John D. Martin who settled there about the year 1857. Dr. Martin opened the first business house in the community, the place thus getting designation as a postoffice.
MELROSE
Melrose is one of the oldest communities in Texas and has been the center of a people of culture and progressiveness ever since its start. This village was established by Dr. T. J. Johnson who settled there about 1840, says Haltom in his early history of the county. It was probably named for Melrose Abbey, a classic place in Scotland.
SACUL
Nestling amid the purple hills of the northwestern corner of Nacogdoches county, long known for its fine climate and wonderful springs, is the town of Sacul, named for its pioneer family, the Lucases. Lucas is spelled backward to make Sacul.
Sacul has a fine business section, including the Sacul State Bank of which Arkan Cranford is president, the Arkan Cranford Drug Company, the general merchandise houses of W. C. White and J. G. Gregory, the E. G. Williamson cafe, the Mrs. Lelia W. Lucas grocery, a meat market and several filling stations.
Three church congregations worship here, Rev. Alexander leading the Methodists, Rev. W. V. Perry the Free Methodists and the Baptist church. C. T. Jackson is principal of the school with four teachers under his supervision.
Sacul has possibly greater hopes of becoming rich in oil than any other town in the county to date, a deep test being started there recently.
Source: The Book of Naogdoches County, Texas, 1927, publisher N. E. Brown, Author Richard W. Haltom, pages 72-74
HOME
©Genealogy Trails
