Freestone County, Texas Communities David's Mill community (a.k.a. Box Church and Cross Roads and Mills) (Located between Teague and Dew) William Haden David moved to Freestone County from Barbour County, Alabama between 1857 and 1860 settling between Luna and Avant Prairie (later called Dew). David's Mills was two-and-half miles east of Mills, and two miles south west of Avant Prairie, and was south west of Dew. *4* About four miles west of Dew on a gravel road between Hwy 179 and F. M. 489 is the site of where once stood David's Mill. The community that later grew around William's large three story wooden grist mill that became known as David's Mill. David's Mill is a settlement that appears on old maps. David's Mill was the first mill in Freestone County. *1* David's Mill had a school, church, grange hall, masonic lodge and other establishments. The main attraction was the grist mill used by farmers to turn the corn into meal. David's Mill was an early mill that was very important to the community and even those in neigboring Leon county. Rebuen T. Long drove an ox cart full of corn all day from near Marquit in Leon County spending the night at Edward Ezell's home near Luna. Reuben would then in the morning go to the mill to have the corn ground returning to the Ezell home to spend another night before returning home after another full day's drive. Reuben eventually successfully courted Edward's oldest daughter, Sally Ezell, and was they were married on 6 Jan 1870. David's Mill community faded after the old three story grist mill burned down on Jan 29, 1876 *2*. Later the community would be called after its church, Box. At the time of Mr. David's death in 1886, the community had become named "Mills" as shown by articles in the Fairfield Recorder. *5* William Haden David died on November 5, 1886 from face cancer *6* and his son died a year later. School: Davids Mill School (#8) had 31 pupils in 1887. spelling matches every Saturday night at the school house in 1889 had 22 students in 1891-92. had an all day's singing at the schoolhouse *7* [most schoolhouses during the period were either had a Mason lodge above or joint with a church during Sunday.] Box Church School apparently was a later school at the site. Church: Box Church (petitioned for membership to the Prairie Grove Association on 22 July 1887.) Masonic Lodge: David Masonic Lodge #318 (1868-1876) David's Mill Masonic Lodge #318 was chartered on June 16, 1868 or 1869 and until its demise on Jan 29, 1876 when the mill house it located in burned down. The Lode room was on the third floor of the old mill house. All of its annual return lists its post office as Fairfield. The members merged into the masonic lodge in Boggy Prairie (that later moved to Teague). Families in the area were William Haden David and Henry Bailey Cabiness. Cemeteries in the Area: Driver Cemetery Harrison Chapel cemetery Kendrick Family Cemetery Box Church Cemetery Salem Predestinarian Baptist Church Cemetery Nearby Communities: Box Church #1 Cross Roads Stoney Point "Stump Toe" Harrison Chapel Mills Teague Luna Past Residents: Acuff, W. B. Blain, W. G. Daniels, Bishop David. Dr. John White (dentist) David, James Clark David, Sarah Carter David, William Haden Sr. David, William Haden Jr. Gilliland, L. A. Hale, L. J. Harvey, Mr. Irwin, Mrs. M. A. McInnis, W. G. Richards, M. R. D. ======================================= *1* = Davis, Ellis Arthur and Edwin H. Grobe, editors. The Encyclopedia of Texas, Book, [1921 - 1922]; page 552. ------------------------------------------------- *2* = Fairfield Recorder newspaper - December 23, 1887 issue: "...Mr. J. B. Killborn, near Mills, and we learn from him that a movement is on foot to have the old David Lodge No. 318 revived, it having demised about thirteen or fourteen years ago, where David's Mill was destroyed by fire, the Lode room being in the third story of the mill house. If the Lodge is revived, it will be removed to Boggy Prairie, a more convenient location for the neighborhood, about four miles from the site of the old Lodge. The Masons interested are erectomg a new two story building for Lode and school purposes, has been made for the revival of the charter of David Lodge,..." ------------------------------------------------- *3* = Vaudiene K. Boyd in Fairfield Recorder article on June 17, 1965: "Visited with Mr. and Mrs. A. H. White, Jr. in Dew Friday afternoon and with Elbert Daniel who was in their store at the time. They told me some interesting things about two early-day communities in Freestone County. They were David's Mills & Mills, about three miles apart somewhere along the old road between Teague and Luna. Mr. White said his great-grandfather, Wm. David, bought the machinery in Galveston for the sawmill and hauled it to the site that became known as David's Mills. There was also a cotton gin and general merchandise stores supply centers in both communities. They said some of the heavy machinery remained there until just before World War II when the big hunt for scrap metal was on and it was sold to someone and removed. Mr. White also had a framed copy of some information on the Masonic Lodge. It read "David's Mill Lodge, No. 318 - Petition for dispensation of charter empowering them to meet at David's Mill on the second Saturday of every month and recommending Bro. W. G. McInnis to be their first master; Bro. W. G. Blain, their first Senior Warden and Bro. L. J. Hale, the first Junior Warden, was dated March 25, 1869, and signed by the following: W. G. McInnis, the Rev. B. W. Acuff, L. J. HAle, R. P. Varnell, Jacob Miller, all of Grayson Lodge No. 265; W. G. Blain, Wm. David, E. Hobbs, the Rev. Gibson W. Murray, J. W. Womack, all of Fairfield Lodge No. 103; G. W. Ingram, Military Lodge; G. H. Black, Butler Lodge No. 140; L. T. Epps, Jackson Lodge No. 45, La. Certificate showing dispensation granted was dated June 19, 1869. Other names appearing in the records, a number of them visitors from nearby Lodges were: G. K. Anderson, A. R. Anderson, James I. Anderson, James Betts, Harris Bishop, Aaron Black, Wm. Blakeley, A. B. Corley, W. T. Carley, W. A. Clark, W. A. Cobb, Thomas Cockran, Wilburn Curry, J. C. Davis, N. F. Davis, F. M. Deloach, L. F. Deyer, A. C. Elkins, J. J. Foreman, William Holoway, J. W. Humprhies, L. A. Gilliland, John Haley, F. D. Hallmark, J. M. Hallmark, W. H. Hallmark, G. W. Jefferson, F. J. Kilborn, Iverson W. Lane, J. B. Kilborn, J. W. Lane, E. A. Mason, C. May, P. R. McSwane, J. B. Philpott, John B. Reynolds, M. R. D. Richards, T. M. Richards, W. L. Rigsby, Isaac Roberts, F. M. Settle, J. B. Shirley, J. T. Smith, Marshall Smith, R. L. Smith, James Stean, E. N. Sylvester, Peter Taylor, W. H. Terry, L. W. Traweek, G. W. Turner, Albert M. Walker, G. W. Walker, E. Weaver, A. A. Wilkins, J. G. Winston, Butler Webb, J. W. Cannon, W. D. Hale, Jesse Hobbs, and T. C. Harper." ------------------------------------------------- *4* = mason book given to the F.C. Museum: "Nov. 7, 1963 - On this date I saw Bishop Daniels, a negro, age 67, he said he was raised near David's Mills, and it was two-and-half miles east of Mills, and two miles south west of Avant Prairie, and was south west of Dew. He was familiary with a good many things at that location, that happened in the past. ..." ------------------------------------------------- *5* = Fairfield Recorder - May 7, 1886 issue The friends of Mr. Wm. David and Mr. W. H. David, father and son, will be sorry to learn they are both quite ill at their residences near Mills. The former is much reduced in health from the cancer on his face; while the latter is confined to his bed by the tumors on his head and body, which have grown much in size in the last few months. Mr. David and his son are two of our best citizens and we are truly sorry to hear of their great misfortunes and painful suffering. ------------------------------------------------- *6* = Fairfield Recorder - Nov. 12, 1886 issue DEATH OF AN OLD CITIZEN Mr. Wm. David, Sr. whose long illness has been mentioned several times in our columns, died at his residence last Friday, of cancer of the face. In the death of Mr. David, Freestone loses one of its oldest and best citizens. He was, we believe, a native of Georgia, but came to this county many years before the war. He was then one of its substantial men, and took an active part in affairs of the county. For several years past, old age and ill health had caused him to live in more retired life, like many other of our older citizens. The deceased was an honorable old gentleman, and had a wide circle of friends and acquantices. He had a large family of sons and daughters, who had grown to maturity, and many grand children live to mourn the loss of a kind old grandfather. He had passed several years ago, the allotted "three score and ten," and we think, was nearly 80 when he died. He was a member of the Baptist church, and was also a Royal Arch Mason. His remains were interred in the family burying ground near his residence where he had lived so long. [William's tombstone is located at Driver Cemetery.] ------------------------------------ *7* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, May 31, 1895 Page: 4 "From Davids schoolhouse May 25, 1895 ... We had an all day's singing at David schoolhouse on the 3d Sunday, and had some good music conducted by D. A. Andrews. A large congregation was present; Mr. Tom Bullon and other gentlemen of Luna were there; Mr. and Mrs. Peevy and Miss Sallie Peevy of Jordan Chapel were present also. We had a nice dinner and plenty of it. Every one seemed to enjoy himself except Mr. G.O.H. "