Freestone County, Texas
Reflections


Freestone Past & Present
By J. R. (Sonny) SESSIONS - Special to The News
MORE LEAVES FOR THE PAGES OF MEMORY 
 
By C. N. Williford 
 
“In the early days of Freestone County the Stage Line ran from east to west, going each way once a 
day, and having four or five stops in the County; one Butler, one at Mister William Blythe’s, New 
Turlington; one at Fairfield, and one at Sterling Sims, now Simsboro. It is said that at one time 
General Sam Houston owned and operated this line” Taken from an essay written by Mrs. Evalena 
Cannon Davis. 
 
I wonder from this if they’re an Old Turlington? 
 
*** 
 
“In l861 in the War Between the States, Freestone Co. furnished five companies of men as 
volunteers. These Companies were commanded by Captain Wilson, Judge Bradley, Colonel Moody, 
Captain Maddox and Captain Means; most of them never returned; they wee either killed in battle 
or died from wounds and diseases. 
 
The War Between the States affected Freestone County as it did all other Southern Counties; 
though Texas was not the scene of much warfare, her people did their share towards helping the 
South, and her people underwent the same hardships.” 
 
This concludes for now the Williford Co. advertisements in my possession. 
 
*** 
 
The Mexia Daily News reported on January 28, 1933 the following; “ Freestone Co. officers seeking 
the killers of a man found decapitated by a shotgun on a road near the Young community, arrested 
four Dallas men when they found them beside a sedan mired in the mud between Stewards Mill and 
Young. The place where the men were captured was only a few miles from where the unidentified 
man’s body was found. County Attorney Bowlen Bond said he did not believe the slayings had any 
connection with the killing of Jack Harper at Streetman three weeks ago in a liquor hijacking.” All 
this occurred during the early years my father Jim Sessions served as Sheriff 
 
*** 
 
More Burma Shave signs: 
 
“Listen birds-Don’t get funny-Rest a while-These signs cost money”. 
 
“Within this vale of toil and sin-Your head grows bald-But not your chin.-Burma Shave”.  
 
“His face was smooth-And Cool as ice-And of Louise!-He smelled so nice”. 
 
“The bearded lady-Tried a jar—-She’s now a famous movie star”. And “Slow down Pa-Sakes alive-
Ma missed signs-Four and five”. 
 
These humorous signs were on public highways from the l930’s till into the l960’s.