Hopkins Co. TX - Mike Garroutte, Surprise party

Submitted by:  June E. Tuck  <jparks@neto.com>

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From the historical files of June E. Tuck, who does not validate or
dispute any historical facts in the article.

Surprise Birthday Party For Mike Garroutte

November 16, 1894 - The Cumby Rustler

Everyone in this part of Hopkins knows uncle Mike Garroutte. He was given
quite a pleasant surprise last Wednesday by his many descendants and
neighbors. Several families, Alexanders, Greens, Garrets, Morelands, & c
., quietly agreed among themselves and stormed Uncle Mike and wife and
spent a day long to be remembered. The old couple were presented with
quite a lot of presents. Uncle Mike was born November 14, 1816, in
Gloster (Gloucester) County, New Jersey. He left there in 1829 and
located in Cincinnati, Ohio. He lived there until 1837 and then moved to
Michigan City on Lake Michigan. Here he did not tarry long and next year
found him in Jasper County, Missouri. He left there in the winter of 1840
and came to Texas, reaching Clarksville, March 14, 1840 (sic). The winter
of 1842, found him located in Hopkins where he has been ever since. He
drove the first wagon ever driven between the creeks of White Oak and
Sulphur. With four other men, he built the first house erected in the
city of Sulphur Springs. The house was of logs and built for a man named
John Matthews, often called "Turkey John" from his reputation for eating
turkey. It was commonly said that he could lie flat on his back and eat a
whole roasted turkey. The house was sold to Ab Netherly who afterwards
sold it to Dock Davis who is living there yet. Mr. Garroutte cast his
first ballot for Andrew Jackson and has voted a straight Democratic
ticket ever since. He was the oldest voter in Black Jack Grove at the
recent election. He voted the democratic ticket and intends doing so
again. He is one of a family of thirteen children of whom six are now
living, two brothers and one sister older, and three brothers younger
than himself. For the last fifty years they have been widely scattered
from Oregon to Mississippi. His wife, a hale and hearty old lady who can
do more work now than many young women, was born March 26, 1821, at
Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She moved from there to Tennessee in 1840, and came
to Texas in 1844, and has also been in Hopkins ever since. According to
nature they can not be with us many years. They have done their part to
develop our great state and the sacrifices and dangers they and others
have passed through should endear them to every over of Texas. (sic)