Freestone County, Texas Towns Butler and Lone Star/Jerusalem West Point The settlement and post office began as "West Point" on August 7, 1855. The name was to last less than a year becoming Butler on May 23, 1856. West Point had a general store owned by John Gill. Known Citizens: Gill, John T. *2* =============================================================== Butler Butler is on U.S. Highway 84 fourteen miles southeast of Fairfield in southeast Freestone County. In May 1856 the name of the town was officially changed to Butler. By 1858 the community had a doctor, a general store, several businesses, and a Masonic lodge. In Oct. 1864, two soldier's homes were established at Butler. One soldier home was owned by H. Manning, Esq., and the other by Mr. Wm. M. McDaniel. Both soldiers' homes were on the Palestine road. Also in 1864, the initial school was started by Dr. Horace Bishop (later preacher at the Harrison Chapel church) from 1864 to 1866. He employed his two sisters, Sally and Cynthia, to help him teach. The post office was closed in 1867 but reestablished in 1868. Butler Academy was authorized by the Texas legislature in 1870. The major revenue of the town at that time was from cotton, which was shipped through Galveston by steamboat on the Trinity River. In 1872 the International-Great Northern Railroad attempted to build a line through the town, but an agreement with landowners could not be reached. The railroad instead went through Oakwood and Palestine. Butler began a decline after the railroad arrived. The Trinity River Association for 1878 listed 23 members at the Baptist church in Butler in the association. The same association lists 15 members in 1889. In 1880 the population of Butler was 300, but by 1892 it had decreased to 150, primarily due to the lack of a railroad, an outbreak of smallpox in February 1891, and the decline in steamboat traffic. A Farmer's Alliance is started with 24 members there at the end of March 1886. At that time, they do not have a doctor after Dr. J. M. Colley moved to Palestine. The delegates to the 1886 Democracy of Freestone County convention held at the courthouse in Fairfield were J. H. Jones, J. S. Ivy, T. P. Whitt and G. W. Powell. 95 registered voters cast their ballot at the Butler voting precinct for the 1886 election. The 1891 Texas Department of Agriculture report lists Butler with a population of 50 in 1889. The 1897 Texas Department of Agriculture report counts 115 residents of Butler. The 1895 Rand McNally atlas shows Butler with 115 people and a post office, but no express office or railroad. Williams S. Wood was the postmaster from about 1903 to 1905. *2* In 1904 the population was estimated at 115, and by 1914 the community had 100 people, a cotton gin, and a general store. The post office closed in August 1916, and mail was sent through Oakwood. In 1936 Butler had three churches, a cemetery, and a number of scattered dwellings. In 1969 four businesses were in operation there, and the school had been consolidated with the Fairfield schools. From 1943 to 1988 the population of Butler was estimated at between sixty and seventy. In 1990 the population was sixty-seven. =============================================================== Population: 115 in 1890 Post Office: 7 Aug 1855 as Butler (formerly West Point) to 31 Aug 1916. With a possible interruption on 23 Jan 1867 to Dec 1868. When Bowling's post office closed in 1905 after five years, the mail came to Butler. Post Masters: Gill, John T. - 23 May 1856 Gill, John T. - 5 Aug 1861 (under the Confederate States of America) Bell, Charles A. - 18 Dec 1868 Fleming, John - 20 Sep 1869 Gorman, John W. - 8 Jun 1871 Henry, Conrad - 16 May 1872 Hammett, J. M. - 23 Nov 1875 Henry, Conrad - 13 Mar 1876 Looney, William R. - 5 Jan 1880 Lane, Willard C. - 18 Sep 1882 Cornwell, Chris C. - 25 May 1893 Ivy, Nara O. - 1 May 1902 Killough, Richmond H. - 30 Jan 1903 (Declined) Wood, William S. - 7 Apr 1903 Franklin, William S. - 19 Jan 1905 Duncan, John W. - 12 Oct 1907 Killaugh, Richmond H. - 1 July 1909 Schools: Butler Academy (pre 1865-?) (taught by Horace Bishop after discharged from the CSA in 1865) (Legislature authorized Butler Academy in 1870) Butler School 20 pupils in 1864 30 pupils in 1887 23 pupils in 1891-92 24 students in 1893 Butler Artimetic School Taught by Professor Elma Moseley of Fairfield in 1889-1890 school year. Butler High School Social Organizations: Butler Masonic Lodge #224a (June 11, 1858-1893) "Big Uglies Club" debating society Farmers Alliance - (1886-?) - 15 members in 1886 Butler Grange #76 (led in 1874 by J.R. Steeley) Butler Farmers Alliance #1833 (existed in 1888) Businesses: Lane & O'Neil gin Churches: Butler Baptist Church 23 members led by W. T. Chase in 1878 not represented in Association meeting in 1879 15 members led by J.W. Wood in 1889 Union United Methodist Church Ghost Towns in the Area: Bowling Troy Cemeteries: Mayes (Anglo) Lone Star (primarily Africian-American) Known people in Butler across the years were: Allen, G. R. Bell, Charles A. Bishop, Horace Bizell, J. N. Bohnannon, Charlie Bohnannon, Jessie Bryan, John (farmer) Bryan, J. K. (farmer) Campbell, W. O. (flour mill and gin) Chambers, Hal (constable) Cobb, Mr. Colley, Dr. J. M. (moved to Palestine) Copehart, C. G. (general store) Cornwell, Chris C. (postmaster abt 1896) Cornwell, C. C. Cornwell, J. A. (blacksmith) Costen, Rosa (farmer) Creel, Mr. Crawford, G. Rev. (Baptist Church) Davis, H. B. Donner, J. F. (Carpenter) Duncan, Green T. Duncan, John W. Durhane, ? (flour mill and gin) Eades, W. G. Edwards, Akin Edwards, Benjamin Franklin Edwards, Clara Edwards, Elizabeth Smith Edwards, Fannie Edwards, Homer Edwards, Jim (moved to Waco area) Edwards, Lena Edwards, W. L. Jr. (general store then blacksmith) Edwards, W. L. Sr. (general store) Eiland, ? Evans, Clabe Evans, Ella Evans, Mrs. Lou Evans, J. B. Evans, Mrs. J. B. (moved from Butler in 1887) Evans, J. R. Evans, Johnnie Evans, Ollie Evans, W. H. Ferguson, T. J. (farmer) Fleming, John Franklin, Coburn Franklin, Earnest Franklin, Etta Franklin, Eugene (moved to Kansas) Franklin, Frances Franklin, John Coolly Franklin, Johnny May Franklin, Katie Franklin, Les Franklin, N. B. Franklin, Palem Franklin, R. G. Franklin, William S. (postmaster 1905-?) Gafford, M. Gaston, Thomas A. Gill, J. T. Gorman, John W. Hall, Mr. Hammett, J. M. Harrington, J. H. Hatcher, R. J. (lawyer) Haydon, J. N. Henry, Conrad Hobbs, Dr. James Holloway, Bobby DeWitt Huie, Mrs. A. E. Ivy, James Sanford Sr. (farmer) Ivy, John Ivy, L. C. Ivy, Naro O. Ivy, T. R. Ivy, Virginia Lee Jenkins, J. A. Johnson, J. D. Joiner, W. C. Jones, J. H. Killough, Maldon Killough, Nellie Killough, Richmond H. Killough, S. M. Koonce, ? (General store) Lane, C. J. Lane, Willard C. (postmaster abt 1884) Logan, T. Y. Long, ? (ran a family sawmill) Looney, William R. Love, P. H. Lyns, W. T. (general store) Manning, C. T. Manning, ? (flour mill and gin) Manning, Hillary Martin, Lura Mays, Mr. Mayes, Joe Mayes, J. C. Mayes, T. G. McDaniel, William Mobley, Anniebell Mobley, Carrie Mobley, J. R. Mobley, Mary Mobley, O'Neal Mobley, Raymond Murdock, Eva Nesbitt, Green W. Nesbitt, M. A. Nesbitt, Samuel Nixon, Anthony O'Neals, Tobe O'Neals, W. A. Perry, Dr. William Powell, G. W. Rawls, Anderson Rawls, J. A. (physician) Ray, Mr. Richardson, Rev. J. (Baptist church) Roberts, S. A. (physician) Robertson, ? Scott, E. T. Shelton, George E. (general store) Slaughter, Henry Small, Lula Stewart, Worth Streety, J. B. Streety, W. C. Stroud, Manning Treywicks, ? (ran a general store) Waldrom, Joe Walker, Mr. Whitt, C. C. Whitt, Colonel T. P. Wood, Lee Wood, Williams S. (postmaster, starting abt 1903 to 1905) Woods, Rev. J. W. (Baptist church) ========================================================================== Lone Star / Jerusalem After the civil war, a large community of emancipated African Americans lived near Butler. The community had two churches and two schools, Lone Star and Jerusalem. After the Jerusalem church was burned down by arsonists in 1950, the overall community and cemetery became known as Lone Star. Schools: Lone Star School - 53 pupils in 1891-1892 53 students in 1892-1893 71 students in 1893-1894. Social Organizations: Businesses: Churches: Jerusalem Church (burned in 1950) Lone Star Church Cemeteries: Lone Star (primarily Africian-American) Nearby Communities: Butler Pine Top Known people in Lone Star across the years were: ======================================================== PRIMARY SOURCES: ====================================================== *1* = River Mileages: Magnolia = 512; Blackshear's = 522; Bonner's Ferry = 535; Sulphur = 538; Parker's Bluff = 543; WEST POINT = 558; PINE BLUFF = 575; Jackson's Bluff = 595. ------------------------------------------------------------ *2* = [town of West Point] [The man who died was Thomas J. Wilson. The merchant, Mr. Gill, is believed to be John T. Gill. The location is believed to be the settlement of West Point (later called Butler). See Galveston Weekly News - June 12, 1855 - Page: 1 for more info.] Texas State Gazette published in Austin, Texas May 26, 1855 edition Page: 307 A Man Buried Alive in a Well - A most horrid circumstance of this sort occurred a few days since at West Point landing, on the Trinity River, in Freestone county. A stranger, who represented himself as a well digger, and whose name was afterwards ascertained from a letter to be Wilson, went down to clean out the well of Mr. Gill, a merchant of West Point. -- The well was 60 feet deep and curbed with wood. Wilson descended in a bucket, and when at or near the bottom stepped upon the curbing, which gave way and kept failing until he was covered to a considerable depth with timber and dirt. When the curbing commenced falling he caught the rope, but the weight of his body and the falling dirt and timber, broke it. The curbing seemed to have lodged above him, and left him in a sort of vault. Every effort was made to rescue him by those above. He could be heard talking, and urging in the most pathetic accents his rescuers to hasten, as the timber and earth were fast settling down upon him. Every effort to rescue the poor man was without success, and in a few moments after the falling in of the curbing, the walls of the well gave way and filled it with earth for about 30 feet, literally burying the wretched man alive, and destroying every hope of his rescue. At the last accounts, our informant says, the body still remained in the well. What an awful death. What must have been the feelings of the wretched man as he felt the timber and earth slowly pressing around him, cutting off his breath and pressing out his life, in awful impenetrable darkness, beyond the possibility of human succor. -- Leon Pioneer ----------------------------------------------------- Texas State Gazette - March 14, 1857 edition; Page: 1 Our Lands and Stock The Editor of the Pioneer, has been visiting that portion of Freestone county in the vicinity of Butler. The editor says: "Suffice it to say, that that portion of our county offers the greatest inducements to the farmer, who is seeking a home among us, than any other we have yet witnessed. It is healthy, rich, and romantic. Good water, and wild game in abudance; and affords a munificent harvest to the planter, to the stock and to the cattle; and it just the place to enjoy "the comforts of a pretty wife and a happy home." "A life in the woods for me" Butler is a small but pleasant place - containing one dry-goods store, an M.D.'s office, and several work-shops." Mr. Hillery Manning has erected quite a tasteful structure for a dwelling. ----------------------------------------------------- Dallas Morning News - Jan. 25, 1905 edition - Page: 7 Department Notes Washington, Jan. 24 - Fourth-class postmasters appointed: Butler, Freestone County, William S. Franklin, vice William S. Wood, resigned; ------------------------------------------------------------ State Gazette (of Austin, Texas) - July 3, 1858 edition - Page: 3 FREESTONE - The Pioneer thus speaks of Fairfield, the county seat: "Fairfield deserves a more extended notices for it we are to believe the report of travelers, we have one of the handsomest towns in the interior. Our Court-house of Brick is a large imposing building, costing at its erection some $10,000. Our Jail is made of brick, and for strength and durability, is perhaps unsurpassed in our State -- One huge and commodious church, erected chiefly by the Cumberland Presbyterians, is seen as you pass along main street. A famed Male Academy and large Masonic Hall, bespeak a liberality towards public edifices which are wanting in many elder towns. Three Hotels, offer to the weary traveler a comfortable place for repose and refreshment. Various Mechanic shops strike the traveler’s attention as soon as he looks at our villages: Wagon, Carriage and Blacksmith shops abound." There are also several villages in Freestone, Butler in the East; Troy or Pine Bluff on the Trinity; Cotton Gin in the West; and Personville situated near the Southwestern part of the county.