Freestone Past/Present
                                       J.R. “Sonny” Sessions
                                       Sheriff l965-2001

                              Sessions Homestead
  We live on FR 80 between Kirven and Streetman on same land and 
location where my Grandparents Carter and Sallie Rogers Sessions lived. 
This land originally belonged to my Daddy’s grandparents G.A. “Gus” and 
Martha Carter Sessions who lived nearby in the Carter/Sessions house, a 
large palatial type home that burned in l896. The Ranch house here was in 
terrible condition the only time I remember seeing it. It was a box type house 
with an open dog run down the middle as was the custom then with an open 
front porch. There was no water well here and a large buried cistern caught 
run off water from the house, I feel sure there were times when water had to 
be hauled in. ////My father James Rogers “Jim” Sessions was born here in 
Feb. l891. He started to school held in the old Woodland College for Boys 
building located about a mile away at
Woodland Cemetery. Sallie Carter May was one of its teachers. He told 
about his first school day walking by himself, carrying his lunch of pork 
sausage in a biscuit in a tin syrup bucket which he stopped and ate on the 
way.  The Slate Board which he used to write things on with a lead pencil 
while going to school here was saved by my Daddy’s unmarried Aunt Lula 
or Oodie as we knew her and given to me which I still have.
    Daddy told that while living here and under the same large Post Oak trees
existing today keeping his pet coons and having holes drilled into logs with 
glass marbles placed in the holes which the coons never tired of trying to get 
out. I was told by others of a pack of hunting hounds he had that were 
destroyed by his father while he was gone and how upset he was when he 
found them dead and hauled off. Daddy had a .12 gauge Remington 
semiautomatic shotgun he received for Christmas when he was 10 years old 
and he first shot a duck on the small stock pond near the house which was 
dug with a fresno pulled by mules and is still there.  During the time he lived 
here the railroad was built and Kirven created. Post Offices in the area were 
at Woodland and Israel which about a mile north of here where there once a 
school, store and cotton gin.
  Local old timers called this land “The Ranch” as where my Grandfather a 
large land owner worked cattle, often feeding out steers from Mexico and 
other places let out in the fall when crops gathered until planting time in the 
spring. The steers were usually shipped by railroad to northern markets, for 
each car load shipped one person could ride the caboose there and back at no 
cost.
Daddy made trips to Kansas City and others this way. Grandfather Carter 
Sessions also bought railroad cars of wild horses in the fall if there a good 
crop and hands had money; Daddy green broke these horses to sell them. 
Carter Sessions inherited a fortune, made two and died a pauper loosing all 
his land including the land our family owns today.
                     More Sessions Ranch and Jim Sessions to be continued.
                                      ***
                From the Original Sheriffs Report 1971
  Official opening and dedication of I45 through Fairfield brought an end to
one of our bad dreams “Nightmare Alley” as many referred to old 75. 
Enroute to office that morning started to take old 75 on its last day, decided  
not to push my luck and went the Interstate.
  Joined Limestone and Leon Co. officers at house near Box Car Center in 
stolen property search, some found including piano stolen from Leon Co. 
church, subjects involved had left for places unknown. While here got in 
short visit with my friends the Sundays’.
  Hubbard with Constable on stolen property and visit with longtime friend 
and former Limestone Co. Sheriff Bill Green who now city manager. Sorry 
to learn of unexpected resignation of 87th. District Court Judge Mac Leon 
Bennett (probably best lawyer known but he didn’t like sitting on bench 
while others practicing law).
  Deputy’s to assist family on Sunday night with family member known to 
be violent and home from mental hospital refusing to return, made fast trip 
back to Rusk. Prisoner asked me to pick up his clothes in Mexia so could 
change, had to pay them out of hock but prisoner getting ripe. Information 
received from jail inmate in another County on man wanted here, man 
unhappy with wanted subject slipping into town and 
going with his mother.
                                              ***
                   Grandpa’s Report
  Woodland Cemetery near Kirvin annual memorial service and picnic 
dinner after. Good attendance ever though some reported they confused on 
date and missed. Presentation on local Davis family by Larry and Verita 
Davis very informative. This couple returned to Freestone Co. after retiring
and living in a new home located where the old John Coleman was 
originally in the Burleson community, welcome back home.
  June meeting of Freestone Co. Historical Comm. held at Freestone Co. 
Museum with interesting program given by Frances Collier on the 
Butterfield Stage Line from St. Louis to San Francisco. The July meeting 
will be at the Training Center US 84 with a program on Woodland, all 
invited. 
  Molly Fryer the Museum Curator for several years has resigned and 
replaced by Brad Pullin who also Chairman of Historical Comm. Enjoyed
Being involved with Molly, always found her helpful thanks Molly for a job 
well done. Brad has deep family roots in Freestone Co. and will do a 
dedicated job.