Freestone County, Texas
Reflections



Freestone Past/Present
by J. R. “Sonny” Sessions

[This appeared in the Freestone "Times" on April 25, 2006, page 5-B]

Colonel Joseph Lindley, Part III

Joseph Lindley found to have led a very historic and interesting life.  Most of 
this was not known locally until many years after his death in 1874, which 
shortly before the railroad came to Mexia and Wortham.  Research one by the 
Daughters of the Repubic of Texas was very involved in its being made public.
Tom Ross Lindley, his great grandson not aware until late in life.

Descendents of Col. Lindley held elective offices in Freestone Co. for over
half a century.  J. W. Lindley whose name is on the present Freestone Co.
Courthouse cornerstone served 12 years as County Commissioner.

Tom and Ross Lindley great grandsons lived in Wortham and Fairfield and known
personally most of my life.  Tom Ross son of Ross Lindley and I were schoolmates
in Fairfield and he lived on the last of the Lindley land until his death in 
the early 1990s.  This land located east of Wortham and east of FR 246 to 
Streetman on the same land the old Dipping Vat located.

Col. Lindley had very large grant of land that ran from north of the present day
Mexia in Limestone Co to north east of Wortham in Freestone Co., a public road 
once divided this land that crossed Big Tehaucana Creek with a bridge that been
gone longer than I can remember, some of this road in Freestone Co. still in use,
in days gone by quail hunted land where the road closed by the roadway still 
there.

Col. Lindley's home was south of Big Tehaucana Creek in Limestone Co. north of 
Mexia on land known [as] Williford's Ross Place.  Lindley died here in 1874 and
buried in a small family cemetery, as was his wife who died later.  Their
remains were moved to the Texas State Cemetery in Austin by a Proclamation from
Governor Mark White and dedicated during the Texas Sesquicentennial in 1986.

After coming to Texas in 1827 Joseph Lindley was involved with Hayden Edwards 
in the Fredonian Rebellion at Nacogdoches.  Jonathan Lindley his brother came
to Texas and Joseph Lindley signed the letter of endorsement required by the 
Mexicians for entry into Texas.  Jonathan was later one of the 32 who went from
Goliad and entered the Alamo which under siege knowing no help would arrive and
the fort would fall, Jonathan died with the other when Santa Anna over ran it.

Joseph Lindley's last public service was one term as Limestone County 
Commissioner.  His youngest son Dr. Simon Travis Lindley served as the first 
doctor in the Montana Territory.  To my knowledge there are no Lindley''s 
living in our area who are direct descendants of Col. Joseph Lindley.  This was
once a very common name in the area.