Freestone County, Texas Towns Tehuacana / Caney / Burleson / Israel Tehuacana The community was first known as Tehuacana after the nearby Tehuacana Creek. The Tehuacana Baptist Church was renamed Caney Baptist Church by 1884. Churches: Tehuacana Baptist Church (bef 1858) (renamed to Caney) (SEE CANEY BELOW) --------------------------------------------------------- Burleson Next the community was known as Burleson. The Burleson school had 70 pupils in 1891-2 school year. The Burleson neighborhood was about 8 miles northwest of Fairfield. "The Streetman News" Thursday, September 2, 1937 issue Page: 4 lists the Morgan / Roger Wedding with "Mr. Weldon Morgan and Miss Rogers both of Burleson went to the home of Rev. R. L. Ryburn last Saturday morning and were married in a Sunrise Wedding Ceremony. Both of these young people are well known in the Burleson Community, and have many friends who wish them well." Post Office: none Social Organizations: Burleson Farmers Alliance #710 (exists in 1888) (listed with post office as Bonner ) (led by R. Y. Chancellor and P.M. Speed) Churches: Caney Baptist Church (bef 1858) (SEE CANEY BELOW) Cemeteries: School: Burleson school 59 pupils in 1887 (also used as a meeting hall by Freestone County Farmers Alliance and probition debates that year) 70 students in 1891 65 kids enrolled in 1893-94 Businesses: Nearby Communities: Woodland Nearby Cemeteries: Woodland Cemetery Known Past Residents: Armstrong, Nataniel Clear, Neal Coleman, Josh Davis, Adam James & Mattie Vickers (Coleman) Edmonds, Sol Loper, Boyd Russell Marbury, Mr. McClelland, James Wilson Morgan, Weldon Pullin, Anthony Pullin, Anthony Jr. Pullin, Urey Rogers, Miss Speed, P. M. Whatley, Benjamin Franklin --------------------------------------------------------- Caney Next the community was known as Caney after Caney Baptist Church. The Caney community was located about 3 miles NE of Kirvin near County Road 80 near FM 833. In 1895, the Caney Baptist Church was pastored by I. H. Willingham and had 57 members. The post office for the community was the town of Bonner (Woodland). Post Office: none Social Organizations: Churches: Caney Baptist Church (bef 1858) In 1884, had 30 members led by P.E. Kirvin In 1886, had 30 members led by W.F. Havard. In 1887 and 1890, it had 29 convention members. In 1895, the Caney Baptist Church was pastored by I. H. Willingham and had 57 convention members. About 1896, it had 144 church members on its rolls. In 1901, it had 74 church members on its rolls. In 1904, it had an estimated 52 church members on its rolls. another church moved to Caney in 1893 Cemeteries: School: Businesses: Nearby Communities: Woodland Nearby Cemeteries: Woodland Cemetery Known Past Residents: ------------------------------------------------------------ Israel Finally the community was called Israel. Named for Israek Traweek, the community was located on FM Road 833 between Kirvin and I-45. The actual town of Israel was located about a mile and a half from Caney Baptist Church. The Israel post office was open from 25 Jan 1897 to 30 Apr 1909. Israel was roughly ten miles west of Fairfield. Sonny Sessions said, "Israel at one time had a school, store and post office, also a cotton gin and grist mill where mostly corn was ground usually brought by young boys riding bareback. Oliver Burleson had a store here which he moved to Wortham, Burleson Furniture and Mortuary. Dr. Chumney practiced medicine in the area; he lived across the road from Caney Church... I have been told about a room he used for surgery that had mirrors that reflected the sunlight inside as the only lighting available was candles or kerosene lamps. Many moved away the post office and stores closed, the gin was sold. The grist mill today is displayed in the Teague Railroad Museum." Sonny Sessions said in another article, "ISRAEL In 1976 I visited with Fritz Chancellor a descendent of the Israel Chancellors. This a short time before his death and was 82 years old living in the old two story John Pete Stubbs house going into Wortham on FR 27. We visited on early Israel which located about a mile or so north of our home today where my Daddy born in l891. I recently found my notes on this visit. Fritz mother a Winkler Lee a sister to Harry. One of his grandfathers close kin to Robert E. Lee who due to family differences said Robert E. Lee an old scoundrel. Another grandfather came to Nova Scotia on a merchant ship, jumped ship in Halifax and eventually worked his way here Fritz said Israel 82 years old in l976. It was named for Iz (Israel) Traweek who had the first store here; another was run by Bud Bozeley. There once a post office here, Elmo Moseley ran Traweek’s Store and Post Office. One of the early schools was here, located across the public road on the west side, it later was moved to Otis Young’s and used for his tractor shed, Guy Coleman said his father John Coleman started to school here. The roads east/west and north/south crossed here and was a stop for the stage coach traveling thru. Oliver Burleson who later a large merchant in Wortham had his first store here. A cotton gin was here and local church baptisms were conducted in the gin tank (dug before Fritz born to hold water for the gin’s steam engines. The old Traweek house built with a dog run through it and near the gin and stores. Mr. Chancellor ran a gristmill on Saturday’s; also told of Fred Marberry who later played professional baseball in the major leagues (Washington Senators) lived here as a boy and they didn’t have enough boys to play baseball and they played “town ball” and took turns batting. Dr. Batchelor and Dr. Chumney (who had a room for surgery with windows to let the sun in and also used mirrors for lighting) were some of the local doctors. He told of his grand pa and brother coming home on one mule after the Civil War ended, they took turns riding and walking During this visit he told he had secured military markers for their graves in Carter and Woodland Cemeteries and requested help in getting them put up. He died before this done and it several years before the markers located in an old trunk in his old family home that been sold to a friend. They are now where he wanted them, glad I could be involved as his family and my family very close though not kin. When the railroad came the store closed in l904. The school had moved to a well structured building now called Burleson and located east of Caney Baptist Church on FR 833 which my father bought in l947 and we tore down. Fritz told of hid Daddy letting his teams of mules work on the railroad construction. Fritz’s family moved to Wortham when he was 11 years old where he continued his education." Post Office (Israel): 25 Jan 1897 to 30 Apr 1909 Social Organizations: Churches: Caney Baptist Church (bef 1858) (SEE CANEY BELOW) Cemeteries: Carter Cemetery School: Businesses: grist mill gin Nearby Communities: Woodland Nearby Cemeteries: Woodland Cemetery Known Past Residents: Carter, A. P. Chancellor, R. Y. Chancellor, William Chancellor, Willow Coleman, William Wallace Goolsby, Will & Ellie Hooks, John & Sallie Loper, Pete Marlow, Wash McClelland, Luther Newman, John Traweek, Israek