Newspaper Athens Weekly Review January 28, 1926--20 Years Ago Column Items taken from the Weekly Review issue of Jan. 18, 1906: Athens, Henderson County, TX ************************************************************************ Newspaper Athens Weekly Review Jan. 28, 1926: Henderson County, TX Copyright © 2002 by Bunny Freeman. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. ************************************************************************ 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 ************************************************************************ Athens Weekly Review January 28, 1926--20 Years Ago Column Items taken from the Weekly Review issue of Jan. 18, 1906 Excerpts from an article, "Some Early Local History," by Mrs. Belle Easterwood. (Article read at teacher's Institute, Nov. 25, 1905.) Turning backward the pages of time to the period of a half century ago one finds Henderson County sparsely settled. The few citizens discussed often the location for the county site. Commissioner's Court convenes at Buffalo on the Trinity River, and granted a petition to change the county site to a place called Center in what is now the "Mallard Prairie" community. This place failed to satisfy the people in about three years a petition was granted permitting the selection of an entirely new site. Two places were selected. The present site and another about two miles north at a Mr. Cavit's place. Having determined on the permanent site naming the town followed. The name Athens was suggested by a girl not more than sixteen years of age. The young lady, Miss Dulcena Holland, lived about six miles North of the selected site. She later lived in Athens where for many years she was affectionately known as "Aunt Dul' Avriette." A sale of lots took place in 1850. E. J. Thompson who was then or later, County Clerk, acted as auctioneer. The corner lot, now occupied by the Collins building, sold for $70.00. Prices for other lots ranged downward to the barter value of a cow and calf. The first house was a log one about where the warehouse of the Kidd and Spencer furniture establishment now stands. (The site referred to is the block occupied by the buildings housing the C. B. Gould Grocery, Carrol & Lehr Undertakers and Smith Motor Co.) (1926) The famlies of E. J. Thompson and Joab McManus occupied the house. The former moved in, in the morning, and the latter in the afternoon of the same day.