Freestone-Limestone Past & Present J.R.(Sonny)Sessions Wes Hardin-Freestone Co, Jail The following was published by the Williford Co. some years ago “ Leaves from the Pages of Memory” Stories of the old Jail at Fairfield as told to C.N. Williford The old Jail, now a museum at Fairfield, Freestone Co. has a past. Here are some of the stories. It hs seen a lot during more than a Century. It housed the noted Outlaw John Wesley Hardin, who had been captured in Florida and was being taken back to the West Texas Counties (Comanche) for trial. He was locked up in the Jail overnight and the next morning when the two officers in charge had gotten 4 miles West of town and discovered they had left their lunch on the Saloon Bar, the Sheriff sent the Deputy back to Fairfield and while aurding Hardin who although handcuffed, caught the Sheriff off guard, grabbed his pistol and killed him and got away never to be captured again. This occurred on the old Stage Coach Road toMexia in what is now my Grassy Hollow Pasture just before you reach the Old “Sneed Quarters”. This last mentioned place is now owned by Dr. Sneed and his two sons. The Texas Historical Marker at the Old Jail reads: Built l857 to meet fortress like specifications: interior walls are l8 inches thick, outer walls 30 inches thick, Constructed of brick and oak timbers. Prison was upstairs, had floor of thick oak planks, with subfloor of iron. Jailer lived on the ground floor. Folklore says the notorious gunman John Wesley Hardin once spent the night here. This was used as a Jail until l913. It became a museum in l967. ********************** Wortham historians Joe Bates and Uel Davis Jr. did extensive research on this with nothing found to show he was ever in the Freestone Co. Jail. These stories probably came from an incident in Hardin’s book on his life. He told of being arrested in Longview and was being transported to Waco. The Trinity was flooded and they had to cross on the ferry, they traveled out of the flood waters to dry land and camped in Freestone Co. where Hardin escaped killing one of the State Police. He took their horse and rode to Mount Calm where his brother and father were living. Leaving Mount Calm enroute to Mexico, was arrested again near Belton, he escaped killing three of the State Police, he then went to Marlin, Falls Co. This is probably as close to the Freestone Co. Jail as Hardin ever got. Also the Jail mentioned has been mistakenly believed to be the l857 Jail while in fact it is was built in the l880’s on the same location as the earlier Jail. ************************************************* Whisky Days Long time friend who spent years as land man for large oil co. told that while leasing land in Henderson Co. and doing title research found where man well known here as big corn whisky operator owned a ¼ mineral interest in tract of land he needed to lease. This man also known as not usually easy to deal with lived up to his reputation when approached but finally dealt with. Interested in how all this came about the owners of the other minerals advised their daddy traded it for a load of corn whisky. Grandpa’s Report