Freestone County, Texas Towns Old Ghost Towns - Never had a post office: [Special thanks to Paula Snider, Mrs. Avis Eisen, Shelba Key Black, and especially Linda Mullen for the information I have compiled.] [Do not confuse with Rock Springs in Waller county, Texas near San Antonio] Rock Springs/Rocky Springs Rock Springs is east of the northern end of the modern Fairfield Lake. W. W. Thornton's childhood reminiscences of old Rock Springs included "playing on the big rocks, rolling down the steep sandy creek banks, drinking water from the fine old spring at bottom of the hill, and eating muscadines [wild grapes] along the spring branch". The two acres of the Missionary Baptist Church property at Rock Springs sat the very start of the Rock Springs Branch part of Big Brown Creek. The Pine Bluff Masonic Lodge #85, A.F. & A.M. moved to Rock Springs from the nearby Pine Bluff/Troy in 1866. Dr. Henry S. Hill was a member of the Masonic lodge and served as the medical doctor for the town of Rock Springs until his death in 1894. Pine Bluff Masonic Lodge was a two-story building near the spring. Except for the years 1886 to 1895 when there was a post office at Young's Mill, the nearest post office was Fairfield. Rock Springs was near the old site of Troy. A bridge over Brown's creek was in the area. A bridge over Malone branch was finished in 1889. Local farmers raised corn and sugar cane. In 1897, "A large number of our young people [of the Young community] went to Rock Springs Sunday and exmplored Freestone's great cave, and went from the cave to the church after dinner, and had singing." *5* Mr. Edd Lee (16 Dec 1897-30 Jan 1977) lived in the Blount community and recounted in 1973 about his first school at Rock Springs that he attended at the age of seven [so 1904]. "'It was located at two rocks and two springs. One of the rocks was about 16 by 20 feet and was flat on top. It was level to the ground on one side and about 15 to 20 feet from the ground on the other side. Mr. Edgar Miles, our teacher, would let the children go on this rock to eat lunch and play ring plays and snap.' This school was located about 12 miles east of Fairfield and about 4 miles west of Sandtowns Spring. It was also near Pine Bluff on the Trinity River.." *1* Eugene Lewis, Jr. mentioned how the once flourishing community of Rock Springs was broken up in 1913 over a dispute because the pastor allowed a woman of ill- repute to join the church. Dr. Tolbert Young came from the Young community to patch-up the physical wounds from the fist fighting. Mr. Will Creel confirms the story but thought the incident occurred in 1906 or 1907. The wooden one-room school house was moved and reassembled in the Blount community. While the church building was moved to Trinity Chapel. Eugene Lewis, Jr. said, "The only thing left of that community is a large rock, about the size of a small house. This rock sits on three legs and has three tunnels underneath it that you can walk through." Directions: Go down Hwy 84 turning at Turlington onto Bugle Route Road (CR 240) then left onto Blount Rd (CR 235) turning right at the Hill cemetery crossing Myrtle/ Malone Branch bridge at the bend of the road, exit the road following the Hill property fence line. The three-legged rock is on the Hill property. The area of the farms that composed the Rock Springs community extended from the rock northward. Businesses: Gristmill School: Rock Springs public school - 1872 taught by J.P. Clark [starts as school district #26] In 1887, Rock Springs had 28 pupils. The school had 24 kids in 1891. Mrs. Alice Hill was the teacher in Nov. 1891. *11* 19 pupils at in 1892-1893 *16* [changes to school district #24] 19 pupils in 1895-1896 Prof. Walter E. Weaver taught in 1895 *2* *18* 35 students in 1896-1897 Mr. Emmet Turner was hired as the teacher in December 1896. 44 pupils in 1897-1898 35 pupils in 1898-1899 The school house hosted an election on the free range of hogs, sheep, and goats in Dec. 1899 *12* 40 pupils in 1899-1900 *13* 36 students in 1900-1901 30 students in 1901-1902 42 students in 1903-1904 Edd Lee of Blount was a pupil from 1904 *1* Edgar Miles taught *1* 41 students in 1904-1905 Miss Mary Womack of Fairfield taught there later *1* Mr. Sidney Johnson was the county superintendent and visited a couple times a year. *1* 38 students in 1905-1906 Rock Springs was in School District No. 23 (of 25 square miles) in 1907 *9* W. T. Tyus, Reb Wootan and J. E. Lee were appointed heads for the school board trustee election for Rock Springs in Feb. 1911. *10* Miss Maggie Hill taught in 1911 and later in 1912 *6* *7* *20* Miss Annie Lee Watson temporarily replaced Miss Hill in Jan. 1912 *21* Moved to Blount in 1913 Social Organizations: The Pine Bluff Masonic Lodge #85, A.F. & A.M. moved to Rock Springs from the nearby Pine Bluff/Troy in 1866. The two story Masonic lodge building on highest hill above the stream. This Masonic organization later was the forerunner of Fairfield's Masonic lodge. Deaths Reported at the Grand Lodge Meeting or Annual Lodge Returns: Hammett, B. T. - 1870 (Rock Springs location) Towles, John H. - 1872 (Rock Springs location, Fairfield post office) Eskridge, Richard [an E.A.] - 1873 (Rock Springs location, Fairfield post office) Hill, Dr. Henry Suel - 1873 (Rock Springs location, Fairfield post office) Webb, J.M. - 1878 (Rock Springs location, Fairfield post office) Churches: Missionary Baptist Church at Rock Springs (a.k.a. Rock Springs Baptist Church) Led by J. C. Averitt in 1869-1870. Led by J. M. Web in 1871-1874. Led by W. T. Chase and had 27 members in 1878. Led by W. T. Chase and had 25 members in 1879. Led by J.W. Wood and had 19 members in 1883. Led by J.W. Wood and had 28 members in 1884. Led by W. B. Childs and had 20 members in 1886. Led by Elder I. H. Venable in 1889. Preaching on the 5th Saturday and Sunday in the month in 1889. Led by S.V. Coulson in 1891. stock law election held at the church building on Sept. 1891 John M. Day deeded two acres to the church on 23 Feb 1892. Led by W.D. Williams in 1892. Had 18 members in 1895 and led by pastor G.W. White, who also had Dew and Antioch on his route. In July 1, 1895, the local pastor "Brother" Bruce was to preach at Young. Led by J.M. Wood in 1897. Led by E.J. Brown in 1899. On list of appointments of Rev. G. A. Coulson in 1899 along with three other places. *3* Led by R.B. Key in 1901. The clerk for the church was John M. Day for many years. Cemeteries: Businesses: Nearby Communities: Blount (to west) Young (to northeast) Former Residents: Alford, Ada Alford, Mr. Aralc *19* Avant, N. L. Avant, Thomas Bruce, "Brother" *14* Childs, Edward Washington Childs, William Berry Clark, J.P. Cobb, Ira P. Cobb, J. G. Cough, F.C. Crawford, J.D. Cretsinger, Thomas Harrison - house on Fairfield to Cook's Ferry Road *12* *16* Day, John Martin Devore, Mr. - moved to Hico in 1900 *8* Dunagan, Napoleon Dunagan, Tom Dunbar, Miss Julia *17* Eskridge, Richard Graves, Charles H. Hammett, B. T. Hill, Dr. Henry Suel Hill, Jesse William Hill, Martha Johnson, Bill *15* Jones, W. W. *4* Lee, J. Elliott *12* Logan, T.Z. Miles, Albert Thomas - put in new gin in 1900 *8* Miles, Ida Katherine (Day) Miles, Louisiana (Day) Miles, Thomas J. Miles, Tim D. Moore, James Hosea Simpson, Charles E. Towles, John H. Towls, Maud Turner, Emmet Tyus, William Thomas Warnell, Mr. - going to put up a store in 1900 *8* Webb, John M. White, George Walton Wood, J. W. Wootan, Reb Wright, Miss Mary *4* ==================================================== SOURCES: *1* = The Fairfield Recorder - Thursday, August 9, 1973 - page 4 *2* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, July 12, 1895 Page: 1 and Page: 5 *3* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, May 12, 1899 Page: 5 *4* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, April 9, 1897 Page: 5 *5* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, April 9, 1897 Page: 4 *6* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, October 25, 1912 Page: 5 "The following young lady teachers of Fairfield have begun teaching their schools: Miss Mary Womack, at Grange Hall; Miss Maggie Hill, at Rock Springs; Miss Florence Salter, at Pilot Knob; Miss Birdie Kirgan, at Campbell's Branch." *7* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, November 17, 1911 Page: 7 *8* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, September 28, 1900 Page: 2 *9* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, March 22, 1907 Page: 8 [The whole page is devoted to school district boundaries] *10* = The Teague Chronicle - Friday, February 24, 1911 Page: 2 *11* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, November 20, 1891 Page: 3 *12* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, December 22, 1899 Page: 8 *13* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, September 29, 1899 Page: 4 *14* = The Fairfield Recorder = Friday, July 5, 1895 Page: 1 "Bro. Bruce, of Rock Springs, will preach at Young the 2nd Sunday." *15* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, July 26, 1895 Page: 1 *16* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, October 7, 1892 Page: 2 *17* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, May 20, 1892 Page: 2 *18* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, January 18, 1895 Page: 5 *19* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, August 30, 1895 Page: 1 *20* = The Teague Chronicle - Friday, October 18, 1912 Page: 2 *21* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, January 5, 1912 Page: 5