Freestone County, Texas Communities Cade / Lamb / Coutchman Cade Located two miles west of Streetman. Cade is the previous community where people lived prior to the railroad going through Streetman. Now Cade would be identified as being on Farm Road 246 one mile west of Interstate 45. Cade is located near the Navarro County line. Cade was originally named for Cade Hayes. In 1883, Ansel Coleman deeded plots of land (part in Freestone County and part in Navarro County). First, Ansel gave 2.5 acres for the cemetery on April 30, 1883. Later another 2.5 acres was given to the Missionary Baptist Church for a church. Later 3 acres given for a Masonic Hall and a school whose first school trustees were P. R. Smith, J. A. Dunagan, and W. T. Hood. Ten years later in 1893, Ansel died and was buried in the cemetery. The 1895 Rand McNally atlas shows Cade in Navarro County with a post office and no express office or railroad. May be the same community as "Lamb". Post Office: Opened: 21 Nov 1883 Became Streetman Post Office on Apr 9, 1907. School: Bill Murray taught at the school. Church: Cade Chapel (Missionary Baptist Church) Cemetery: Cade Cemetery - started with unmarked grave of Mrs. Nelson in 1876 (the widowed sister of Andrew Smith). The land was officially deed to the Missionary Baptist Church for the cemetery in 1883. The earliest marked grave is the boy John Watson who died Aug 21, 1884. There are about 350 marked graves and many unmarked ones in the cemetery. Social Organizations: Birdston Masonic Lodge A. F. & A.M. #333 (1871-1975) (1884 moved to Cade, 1913 moved to Streetman) County Line Farmers Alliance #538 Woodmen of the World at Cade Businesses: Nearby Communities: Lamb Coutchman Known Past Residents: Bradley, Mrs. Frank M. Coleman, Ansel Connell, G. B. Dunagan, C. B. Davis, R. M. Easterling, John C. Hartfield, Joseph A. Lamb, Sam Muns, Alexander Hamilton Muns, Emma J. Muns, Texas A. Smith, A. J. Webb, C. W. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Lamb May be the same community as "Cade". Post Office: none School: Lamb School 54 students in 1887 had school in 1891 Church: Social Organizations: Businesses: Nearby Communities: Cade Coutchman ---------------------------------------------------------------- Coutchman (very commonly spelled as Couchman without the "T") Coutchman is a well known Africian-American community located near the Navarro County line about half way between Streetman and Wortham. Coutchman is best known for its former resident musician, Blind Lemon Jefferson. The area is drained by Cedar Creek that flows into Tehuacana Creek. The area might be named after an early settler, Benjamin S. Couchman (1810-1853), who held a land patent for a parcel of land in Freestone County back at its beginnings. The Anglo-Saxon family name seems to be Couchman, while the later Africian-American community is referred to as Coutchman. John Parrott Jackson was another white who bought land at "Couchman" in 1887. *1* Post Office: Coutchman had a post office between 15 Jan 1894 between 15 Feb 1905. After which the mail went to Wortham. Most of the time William Taylor Stubbs was the postmaster, with the except in 1901 when William C. Bland ran the office. The September 14, 1894 issue of the Dallas Morning News says "The following postoffices have had special service discontinued: Couchman, Freestone county, from Marathon;..." Post Masters: Stubbs, William Taylor Bland, William C. School: Coutchman had a school. Churches: one Methodist church two Baptist churches Assembly of God church Cemetery: Couchman Cemetery Social Organizations: two Masonic organizations Businesses: Nearby Communities: Cade Lamb Wortham Nearby Cemeteries: Wortham (white) Wortham (black) (now called Blind Lemon Jefferson cemetery) Former Couchman Residents: Jackson, John Parrott & Emily Lea, Mrs. Penny, James Richard Former Coutchman Residents: Bland, William C. Evans, Annie Lou (Barree) Meador, Mary Elizabeth (Stubbs) Munns, Mr. A. Oliver, Minyard Spence, Raymond Stubbs, William Taylor SOURCES: *1* = Clara Barton Jackson Miller