Early History of Brick Kiln and Dilsey Creek: Henderson County Texas Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Bunny Shumate Freeman ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Early History of Brick Kiln and Dilsey Creek Athens Weekly Review Feb. 11, 1926: Henderson County Texas Copyright © 2001 by Bunny Shumate Freeman. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. Fourls1223@aol.com ************************************************************************ Athens Weekly Review Feb. 11, 1926 Mr. Richardson Supplies Facts on Early Brick Kiln The notice in the last week's Review of the workmen at Fair Park finding evidence of a former brick kiln on the site was responsible for a call Saturday by J. H. (Babe) Richardson of Poynor, at the Review office. He dropped in to supply the name of the maker of the bricks found by the workmen. He says that a man named Skates started a kiln of brick there in 1858 but for some reason abandoned the project before reaching the stage of "firing" the kiln. The man lived near the branch which was given his name by the residents of that day. The road leading by the cemetery and which passed by his house then known as the Pine Bluff road. The branch near which now stands the Review's Home Beautiful bore the name of Skates' Branch until after the "War between the States" ("Uncle Babe" said, Don't call it the "Civil War" "Dammit there wasn't nothing CIVIL about it:) After the, War Between the States, an old negress "Aunt Dilsey" lived in a cabin on what is now Palestine drive, near some springs that formed the branch in question and which was re-christened, bearing her name and by which it is now known. Mr. Richardson said the first bricks made in the county were burned on the lot now occupied by the Mrs. L. A. Powers home on Tyler street. Uncle Jimmie Clannahan who came to Athens from South Carolina, made a kiln of bricks on the site mentioned in 1855. He was a brick mason and in the same year built the first brick chimney in the county for two lawyers, Tannehill and Moore whose law office, a small frame structure occupied the site where now stands the Dixie Theater. Mr. Richardson was a boy of fourteen at the time and was impressed by his first sight of the brick kiln. The only other person now living here whom he can remember that lived here then was a wee tot named Kate Jordan. She is now Mrs. M. E. Richardson. Commenting on the letter of A. W. Meredith of Wills Point, published in the Review, Mr. Richardson states that this is the most accurate bit of Henderson County history that he has seen published. He remembers Mr. Meredith well. There were in school together.