HENDERSON CO. TX -  BIOGRAPHY Joab McManus
 
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Joab McManus

The subject of this sketch is indeed one of the old settlers.  He was born in Murray county
Tenn., June 24, 1817.  When he was 13 his father moved to Sangamon county Ill.  He was
personally acquainted with Abraham Lincoln; and although he never saw Lincoln split
rails, he has seen some of the rails he split.

He moved from Sangamon county to McCoupin county, and then when barely 19 he 
married Miss Rebecca Eads.  He moved thence to Platte county, Mo.  He left Missouri
in 1844 for Texas, coming all the way in an ox wagon.  he stopped in Lamar county, Texas,
in 1845.  In January 1848, he in company with W. W. Stirman, W. B. Stirman, Mrs. Butcher,
mother of Mrs. E. A. Carroll, Sr, then a girl of about fourteen, come to Henderson county 
where he lived ever since.  He was elected justice of the peace in 1848.  At that time two
justices were elected in each precinct and A. F. Mallard was the other.  W. B. Stirman, now
Rev. W. B. Stirman, was elected constable.  In 1850 Mr. McManus was elected commissioner
and he was a member of the first court ever held in Athens, and was held under the old 
historical red oak.  He was afterwards elected county treasurer adn held the office four years.

He has been a strictly moral man all his life.  It would take nine volumes to write all the 
interestnig incidents in his life as connnected with Henderson county.  At the organization
of the Old Settlers' Association of Henderson county he was unanimonsly choosen 
vice-president of same.

We hope he may be spared many years yet to mingle with his friends and relatives.