Freestone County, Texas
Reflections


Freestone Past & Present
J. R. (Sonny) Sessions

Mrs. Anderson’s Ledger
  Early Freestone Co. and Fairfield citizen Mrs. Fannie Anderson many years ago wrote a 
series of early life stories in this area. It was written with a lead 
Pencil in a small ledger. The stories vary in many ways. I learned about and became 
involved with the information years ago because one of the articles concerned my great-
grandfather Sheriff James B. Rogers who was murdered while Sheriff in l872. I spent 
some time interpreting this ledger and its information which hard to read and decipher.  It 
was lent me by friends Fritz and Jerri Campbell of Teague, Fritz her grandson..
  Robert Compton a Teague native and writer for the Dallas Morning News learned of 
them and wrote an article for the paper that well done and well received. Mrs. Anderson 
came to Fairfield in the early l850’s. Her first story was:
                 “So Called Reconstruction”
  Texas had a very a radical Governor. We had a very radical governor E.J. Davis in those 
days. We had to tolerate the Negro police and a very aggressive man named Culver at the 
head of the Freedman’s Bureau. In l865 when the slaves freed and turned out with 
nothing. Did  not get a mule and forty acres as the carpetbagger’s had promised them. 
Some families remained on the farms and plantations, worked their crops on shares or 
wages. Many of the old Black Momma’s stayed with their white folks.
  Sandy Bragg a very sensible Negro was Captain of the police at Fairfield and the 
citizens were glad as had confidence in him. One night I heard the police at the Star Hotel 
where we lived wanting to know who blew a whistle that sounded like the one the police 
used. They were told it was the children, the police ordered them not to let it happen 
again and marched off. A large hardware store nearby sold the whistles, some of the men 
bought several and gave them to the children, shortly the whistles were herd all over town 
with the police running in every direction. This brought an end to the whistle incident 
with no more action taken. Gov. Davis shortly disbanded the Negro police.
   More Mrs. Anderson will follow:
   
                    Whisky Days
   Told man in whisky business bought girl friend a new car, salesman thought it for his 
wife, next time he saw her asked how she liked her new car, would like to have been 
around when wife caught up with husband.
  There were numerous murders and killings during these bad days, know of one in 
particular with killing over whisky deal , man used wife as defense and acquitted. 
  Told whisky hauled in loads of cord wood and other  produce by trucks and on railroad. 
During WWII not unusual for Freestone Co. men in service to encounter people in other 
area of north, south, east  and west who
familiar   with corn whisky and Freestone Co. Even as far way  as Chicago and such.
  
  Grandpa’s Report
   ...
  Oct. Historical Commission meeting held at the Teague Railroad Museum, and update 
by Ginny Folsom and Sharon Johnson. Tour of facility and refreshments by Teague 
ladies, appreciated.
  November Historical Comm. meeting will be at Training Center with recently 
reproduced old filmstrips of Freestone and Limestone Counties will be shown. All 
invited. Time change will start meetings at 7:00om on Nov. 2nd. The first Tuesday 
evening.