Freestone County, Texas History News of 1885 Dallas Morning News February 19, 1885 Page: 4 Wortham Local Notes Wortham, Feb 17 - [Special] - Two business houses have closed here, Seely & Watson, dry goods, and W. Lynn, drugs. The goods have been shipped off. All the land has been taken for cultivation, and trade is reviving. A large quantity of oats is being planted. No dead cattle, but plenty of forage to carry them through. ======================================================= Dallas Weekly Herald April 30, 1885 The Fairfield Recorder commends the Dallas plan adopted by the county commissioners of working the poor-farm convicts on the roads, and thinks most of the counties will follow the example with great benefit. ======================================================= Dallas Morning News June 25, 1885 Page: 5 Wortham Wortham, June 22 - [Special] - The following officers were elected for the next year by the Masonic Lodge here: J. L. Miller, Worshipful Master D. E. Storickle, Senior Warden S. P. Lee, Junior Warden The damage from the cotton web-worm here was trifling. Crop prospects never better. Mrs. L. R. Dyer, of Clarendon, who is spending the summer here with relatives, on yesterday gave birth to a fine daughter. Owing to the intense heat the free use of ice was required to ward off threatened puerperal convulsions. She weighed eight pounds and was named Annie Mary for her aunt, Mrs. Charley Goodnight, of Panhandle. Mr. Dyer is joyful, as it is the only heir to a large family living in Texas. ======================================================= Dallas Morning News August 6, 1885 Page: 3 Wortham Wortham, July 31 - [Special] - Dr. Sam Herring, of Kerens, came in town last night and carried off his wife, from whom he had been separated about 12 months. Mr. E. Hobbs, of Fairfield, ?????? [faded original] venerable citizen, is in town. Cotton is falling for want of rain. ======================================================= [Courtesy of Billie Bournais] Fairfield Recorder September 25, 1885 Mrs. W. T. Watson and Mrs. W. N. Sneed of our town are sojourning to Wooten Wells this week trying the beneficial effects of the mineral waters. Dr. W. N. Sneed gave $1500 to the Corsicana, Fairfield, Sabine Pass Railroad. A Goal of $23,000 was asked for, Dr. J. A. Sneed gave $200. W. C. Day, $250 ======================================================= Dallas Morning News October 2, 1885 Page: 2 Corsicana Cullings ...The roller flouring mills, compress, and cottonseed oil mills are all in full blast, and business increasing daily. Sergeant Oglesby passed through the city this morning with six prisoners from Bonham. Three of them are to be left with the railroad gang at Wortham, and the others taken to the farm. ======================================================= Dallas Morning News October 10, 1885 The Tax Collectors of Freestone, Callahan, Wood and Archer Counties squared accounts with the State to-day. ======================================================= Dallas Morning News October 11, 1885 Page: 2 Matters at Mexia The Limestone and Freestone County Telephone Co. has been organized, with headquarters at Mexia. Col. J. R. Henry was elected president, and G. A. Fishburne, of the Mexia Ledger, general manager. It is the intention of the company to build a line between Mexia and Fairfield and from Mexia to Groesbeck, the latter line being now under construction. ======================================================= [Courtesy of Billie Bournais] Fairfield Recorder November, 1885 Commissioners’ Court minutes - The Court met last Monday in its regular quarterly term, all the members being present. The session held two days and a great deal of business was attended to, a synopsis of which we will try to give next week. Perhaps the most important matter discussed, was the establishment of a poor farm, which the Court now seems agreed on doing. It was thought advisable, at first, to lease a small tract of land near town, and experiment for a year or two, and see first if such an institution would pay, but it has been decided to purchase a small place and establish a farm at once. To this end a committee of four, consisting of Mr. W. T. Watson, as chairman, and Mesars. J, P. Yeldell, T. W. Sims and Dr. W. N. Sneed, were appointed to examine several eligible places near town and report to the Court at a called meeting to be held Saturday, November 2lst., at which time a purchase will be made, and arrangements commenced for getting the poor in operation by the 1st of January. (The pauper house was established on the southeast corner of Main and Cotton Streets, opposite end of the block from the jail.) ======================================================= Dallas Morning News November 12, 1885 Page: 3 A formal meeting of citizens was held tonight, at which the committee appointed at the meeting heretofore reported stated that they had met with success in securing subscriptions to raise the requested bonus for the Corsicana and Sabine Pass Railroad as to warrant them in saying tat the money would be raised with but little further effort. The committee was continued to report at another meeting to be held at an early date. Mayor Neblett was empowered to appoint a committee to visit Fairfield and learn what portion of the required bonus the citizens of the town of Fairfield and of Freestone County will contribute. ======================================================================== Dallas Morning News November 15, 1885 Palm vs. the State, from Freestone County. ======================================================================== Dallas Morning News November 17, 1885 Cullings from Corsicana More of the Methodist Conference Unanimous Vote Against a Change of Church Name - Delegates to General Conference, Miscellaneous and Local Items A delegation of prominent citizens from Fairfield have been in the city all day in the interest of the Corsicana, and Sabine Pass Railroad. Among the delegates are the following: Col. W. M. Peck, W. N. Sneed, T. W. Simms, A. J. Childs, J. P. Robinson, T. B. Newman, Judge O. C. Kirvin and Col. B. A. Philpot. They report that the citizens of Fairfield and Freestone County are enthusiastic on the subject, and in the language of Col. Peck they are going downfor their bottom dollar if neccessary to raise the required. It is probable that definite action can be reported in a few days. ======================================================================== Dallas Morning News November 30, 1885 Page: 8 Railroad Rumbler's Review CORSCIANA HARD AT WORK CORSCIANA, Nov. 29 - Notwithstanding the day has been one by the religious duties, yet on the streets the new railroad has been the absorbing topic. Its advantages and what some deem disadvantages, have been discussed from all points of view. But as a matter of fact the men who have stood by the city in every forward move, who have given liberally of their time and money to its material advancement, are coming rapidly and solidly to the support of the Corsciana and Sabine Pass Road. Mayor Neblett to-day assured THE NEWS reporter that the required bonus is already a certainty in both this city and the plucky little town of Fairfield. Capt. Hyatt and others, on the part of the capitalists who proposed to build the road, and Hon. Bryan T. Barry and others on the part of the citizens of Corsicana and Navarro County, left this city yesterday morning by private conveyance over the proposed line of the road to Fairfield, where further arrangements will be made looking toward the completion of the work to be done by Corsicana and Fairfield and their respective counties. With the Texas and St. Louis shops located here, added to those of the Houston and Texas Central, and this the terminus of the Corsciana and Sabine Pass Road, the prosperity that is at the very gates of the city can but be apparent to the veriest "mossback". LATER - The committee who were appointed to view the proposed route from here to Fairfield returned this evening, and report an enthusiastic meeting of people of Freestone County at Fairfield on yesterday. ======================================================================== Dallas Morning News December 3, 1885 C. R. Thomas vs. the State, from Freestone. ======================================================================== Dallas Morning News December 10, 1885 Page: 3 Wortham Wortham, Dec. 9 - Mr. J. C. Dunegan, a highly respected old citizen of this county, died and was buried with Masonic honors at the old Dunegan grave yard Monday. He was a strict and zealous member of the Migreanary [misspelled - Missionary] Baptist Church, and had a large family connection. The president of Trinity University preached here on Sunday last A good bridge has been placed over Tehucana Creek on the Fairfield and Corsciana road. ======================================================================== Dallas Morning News December 13, 1885 Page: 7 Wortham Wortham, Dec. 12 - The large pasture and several large stacks of hay of Mr. John Stubbs were consumed by fire to-day. Rev. P. E. Kirvin, one of the most popular Baptist ministers of this country, has settled here in a handsome new residence. Also, Mr. Allen, a bricklayer, a clever gentleman, has located here. Lively trade here to-day. [same issue] Closing Scenes ...H. L. McCarkle, Calvert, thirteenth district; J. L. Miller, Wortham, fourteenth district, J. D. Priest, Willardville, fifteenth district... ======================================================================== Dallas Morning News December 18, 1885 Page: 2 Wortham Wortham, Dec. 17 - Alf Rushing, a refugee from justice, charged with killing Jack Barefield, Marshal of this town, was recently captured and jailed at Buffalo, Wyoming. Large amounts were offered for his arrest. The venerable Gilbert A. Chancellor died at the age of 84 years yesterday. He was one of the most honorable citizens of this county and a devoted member of the Primitive Baptist Church. The merchants here have been to Dallas recently and brought in large stocks of Christmas goods and the young folks are making extensive preparations for Christmas trees. The late rains have benefited the grain crops. Typhoid fever of the most stubborn form prevails here.